The day is done.
There's nothing left to manage.
Nothing left to figure out.
Right now,
The only thing that matters is letting yourself be here,
In this moment,
With your body resting,
And your mind beginning to soften.
Sometimes when sleep feels far away,
It's because the mind is still busy,
Thoughts circling one after another.
And if you notice closely,
You might even feel your eyes moving behind your closed eyelids,
As if they're chasing the thoughts around.
That's ok.
We're not here to push the thoughts away.
We'll simply guide your attention down through the body,
So the busyness in your head can drift downward,
Settling you into rest.
Rest.
Make yourself comfortable.
Feel the shape of your body here.
Notice the points where you are supported.
Your head.
Your shoulders.
Your back.
Your hips.
Your legs.
Your heels.
Let your weight sink a little deeper.
Close your eyes if they aren't closed already.
And without changing anything,
Notice your breath.
Notice the inhale as it arrives,
And the exhale as it leaves.
Just notice.
Notice.
Turn your attention inward.
Sense the framework of your body,
Your skeleton.
No need to picture it perfectly.
Just let an image form in whatever way feels natural to you.
Begin with your skull.
Notice the curves,
The hollows,
The way it holds your face.
And notice if your eyes shift or wander as you focus inward like this.
From your skull,
Bring awareness to the top of your spine,
Where it meets the base of your skull.
Imagine the small bones here,
Strong and steady.
Let your awareness travel down your neck,
To where it meets the shoulders.
Sense your shoulder blades resting against your back,
Their gentle connection forward to the collarbones,
Framing the top of your chest.
Find your breastbone in the center of your chest.
Notice how the ribs connect here and curve outward.
Feel the subtle rise and fall as you breathe.
From your shoulders,
Follow the bones into your upper arms,
To the elbows,
Down into the forearms,
To the wrists,
And into the palms,
The thumbs,
The fingers,
Heavy arms.
Relaxed shoulders.
By now your arms are so relaxed,
So heavy,
That they drape down beside your body.
Your eyes may be following your attention,
Drifting down towards your skeleton,
Following your attention.
Return your awareness to the base of your neck.
Travel slowly down your spine,
Past the shoulder blades,
Past the ribs,
Into the middle back.
Continue down into the lower back,
Where the pelvis connects.
Imagine its wide,
Grounded shape.
From the pelvis,
Move your awareness into the tops of your thighs,
Down to your knees,
Into your lower legs,
And finally into your feet.
Rest.
Sense the heels,
The arches,
The toes,
Resting heavy and still.
If you're still awake,
Rest here.
Your attention is low in the body.
Your breath is easy,
And sleep can arrive whenever it's ready.
Your mind is quiet.
Your body is heavy,
And you are safe to rest.
