Hi there,
This is Kathy,
And I'm so happy you're joining me this evening.
We'll be doing a little breath work together,
A short body scan,
And ending with a few affirmations,
All designed to help guide your awareness and attention back to yourself and the present moment to help transition your body into a state of calm and prepare you for a restful night's sleep ahead.
You may already be lying down,
Which is great,
Or if you're sitting,
That's okay too.
Wherever you are,
You're in the perfect place for you,
Right here,
Right now.
Take a moment now and see if you can make yourself even 1% more comfortable,
Scanning your body from head to toe.
See if you notice any slight discomfort and then making that small adjustment for yourself.
Now closing your eyes,
Let's begin by having you take a few deep,
Cleansing breaths,
Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Another gentle,
Slow,
Deep breath in,
And exhaling fully.
On your exhales,
Releasing any tension,
Letting go of any stress,
And returning to normal breathing,
Letting your breath flow gently and rhythmically in and out of your body,
Enjoying this beautiful life force energy that is breath.
As you inhale,
You may notice a coolness at the tip of your nose,
And feel your chest and belly expanding with air.
On your exhales,
You may notice that your breath is now a bit warmer,
And you can feel your chest and belly going down as you let out your air.
Placing a hand on your belly,
Let's do a few rounds of belly breathing together.
Focus here on inhaling deeply and allowing your breath to go all the way down and fill up your belly instead of your chest.
Beginning to breathe in slowly and fully into your belly for 1,
2,
3,
4,
Pausing 2,
3,
4,
And slowly exhaling 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Again inhaling for 2,
3,
4,
Pausing 2,
3,
4,
And exhaling 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Inhaling 2,
3,
4,
Pausing 2,
3,
4,
Exhaling 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Last time inhaling 2,
3,
4,
Pausing 2,
3,
4,
Exhaling 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
And returning to normal breathing,
Letting your soft,
Gentle breaths continue to relax and restore you.
Taking a few moments here to check in with your body.
Observe the heaviness and weight of your limbs as they begin to unwind and relax.
Feel your body releasing tension and settling further into the surface below you,
Whether it's your bed or a chair,
While feeling supported also by the earth beneath you.
Now as we begin to scan the body,
Allow your mind to rest on the different body parts as they're mentioned,
Observing,
Feeling,
And imagining releasing any stress or tension from these areas.
Begin by resting your attention on the soles of both feet,
Now the tops of both feet,
Both big toes,
Second toes,
Third toes,
Fourth toes,
And little toes,
Holding both feet in awareness and releasing any pain or tension here.
Now moving attention up to your right ankle,
Your left ankle,
Right calf,
Left calf,
The behind your right knee,
The soft spot behind your left knee,
Your right thigh,
Left thigh,
Right thigh,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Right hip,
Left hip,
Holding both legs in awareness and letting go of any tension or tightness here.
Now moving your attention to your right abdomen,
Left abdomen,
Your right side waist,
Your left side waist,
Right upper stomach,
Left upper stomach,
The right side of your chest,
The left side of your chest,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right shoulder blade,
Your left shoulder blade,
Holding now your entire torso in awareness and releasing any tension,
Tightness,
Or pain here.
Now moving your attention to your right arm,
The bicep,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Hand,
And fingers.
Now to your left arm,
The bicep,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Hand,
And fingers,
Holding both arms in awareness and letting go of any pain,
Tightness,
Or tension here.
Now moving your awareness up to your throat,
To your right jawline,
To your left jawline,
Right jawline,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The center of your eyebrows,
And now to the crown of your head,
Holding your head in awareness and releasing any tension,
Perhaps at the eyebrow center or along the jawlines,
And now placing your entire body in awareness,
Releasing any leftover tension,
Pain,
Or stress from every fiber and cell of your being and letting it flow up,
Out,
And away from you.
Finally,
Placing a hand at your heart center,
Let's share a few affirmations together as we end our meditation.
Feel free to repeat these affirmations out loud or just say them silently to yourself,
Doing whatever is most supportive for you right now.
I give myself permission to relax and let go of the day's worries.
With every breath,
I find peace.
I am safe and protected.
I am in harmony with my surroundings.
My body deserves a good night's sleep.
I am worthy of a deep and restful sleep.
The nighttime replenishes my heart,
Mind,
And soul.
I welcome the gentle night ahead for me.
I will sleep soundly without a care in the world.
Sleep well tonight,
My friend,
Knowing you can always come back to any of these practices and find comfort,
Peace,
And rest.
Good night.
