Trace Your Breath: A Calming Bedtime Ritual

Let your breath and your hands guide you gently toward rest in this lovely, simple practice. Join me as you trace the outline of your fingers in rhythm with your inhale and exhale, calming your mind and easing tension from the day. Perfect for quieting anxious thoughts and preparing your body for sleep.

This track is suitable for children as well as adults, and using touch as well as breath can make it accessible for anyone who struggles to focus on their breath only.

Thank you to Alex Dallas for the music.

Transcript

I love using this high five breath if I want to feel really calm and relaxed as I get into bed.

I hope you find it works for you too.

You're going to be tracing the five fingers on one hand with your index finger as you breathe in and out through your nose.

Try it now as I talk you through it.

You'll start at the base of your thumb.

As you trace up the thumb you breathe in.

As you trace down the thumb you breathe out.

Now move to your index finger and do the same.

Breathing in as you trace up and breathing out as you trace down.

Then you move on to your middle finger.

Now your ring finger.

And finally your little finger.

Moving slowly up to breathe in and slowly down to breathe out.

And once you get there you work your way back again.

So from your little finger breathing in as you trace up,

Out as you trace down,

Going at your own pace.

And see if you can gradually slow down and smooth out your breathing so there are no pauses.

Match the speed of tracing up and down your fingers to the rhythm of your breath.

And once you've moved along and back one hand you could swap to the other.

So do that now if you haven't already.

Tracing up the thumb or finger as you breathe in and tracing down as you breathe out.

And gentle movement and steady breathing are so helpful in refocusing and calming an anxious or busy mind.

And at the end of the day this simple practice can help prepare you for a cozy and calm night's sleep.

And remember you always have your breath with you and you can always come back to it whatever else you are experiencing.