Welcome to this talk for relaxing your body and mind before bed.
Let's be honest,
There has been more than a few times in the night time when your mind loves to wake up.
You're tired,
You want to rest but suddenly your brain decides it's the perfect time to replay the day.
The plans for tomorrow,
Questions for life choices and to remember something embarrassing from 10 years ago.
So tonight,
Instead of fighting your brain,
We're going to guide it gently because the body already knows how to rest.
We just need to give it the right conditions.
So first,
Take a moment to let your body arise.
You've been carrying yourself through the whole day.
The tasks,
Conversations,
Small stresses,
Small wins.
So now,
Start by simply landing in bed.
Feel the weight of your body.
And you may say to yourself,
Okay,
I am here.
The day is done.
That alone signals your mind that the pace is changing.
Now drop your shoulders slowly and gently.
Many people don't realize how much tension sits in their shoulders,
Even when lying down.
Let your shoulders fall a little heavier into the bed.
No big dramatic relaxing,
But just a simple drop.
The body listens to small adjustments more than big ones.
Now let your breath match the speed of the rest.
Don't force deep breathing.
Forced relaxation actually creates tension.
Instead,
Try to breathe in normally.
Let the exhale last just one second longer.
A slightly longer exhale is enough to tell your nervous system that you are safe and you can stand down now.
This is how our physiology responds to a longer exhale.
Now give your mind a single and simple job.
An active mind isn't the enemy because it's just too busy.
So give it a small task it can focus on.
For example,
You can count your breaths up to 10 or silently say in and out.
You can also picture something simple like a warm light moving slowly through your body.
Your mind will wander and that is normal.
When it does,
All you need to do is bring it back gently like walking a dog that got distracted by a leaf.
There's no judgment,
Just gently return.
Let go of the day in pieces and try not to let go of the day all at once.
People try to switch off but the mind doesn't work like a light switch.
It unwinds more like a rope,
Layer by layer.
So don't tell yourself to forget the day.
Instead,
You can say,
Not now,
I can think about that tomorrow.
That sentence alone gives your mind permission to rest.
Relax your body from the bottom up.
Here is a practical method.
Starting with your feet,
Let them get heavy.
Slowly moving to your legs.
Let the bed hold all the way to your hips.
Allow them to sink.
Your stomach,
No tightening but just softening a little.
Your chest,
Let the breath be easy.
Your jaw,
Unclench.
You'll feel an almost immediate wave of calm.
Your eyes,
Let them sit gently in their socket.
It takes less than a minute to work through the body.
And it works because you're sending a clear message throughout that you are done for today and that your body can relax.
Let the room take over because you don't have to hold yourself up anymore.
The bed is doing the work.
The room is quiet.
Your body is supported and your mind doesn't need to run the show right now.
Imagine handing the rest of the night over to the space around you where everything is taken care of.
Your job right now isn't to sleep on command,
But to simply rest.
Sleep comes when the pressure to sleep goes away.
So let your body soften and allow your breath to slow down.
The night to hold you for a while.
You've done enough for today.
Now it's time to be still.
May you have a restful slumber,
Sending you love and light.
Namaste.
