Bedtime Meditation

Trouble sleeping? Stressed from work? Try this guided progressive muscle relaxation to wind down at the end of the day. Progressive muscle relaxation meditations are fantastic for stress relief and insomnia.

Transcript

We'll start by taking a great big inhale through the nose and exhale it out. One more inhale through the nose and exhale it out. Take a moment now to just notice your breath. Paying attention to the natural rise and fall of the chest and belly. Continuing to breathe at a pace that feels natural to you. Inviting ease with every inhale and releasing any tension or worries with every exhale. With each breath giving yourself permission to relax and be at ease. Imagining the tension releasing from the body. As we continue with this meditation remember to focus on your breath as we move throughout the rest of the meditation. We'll start at the top of the head and make our way down the body. We'll focus on a different muscle group. Tensing and releasing. Let's start with the forehead. Begin tensing up the muscles of the forehead. Lifting your eyebrows up and holding it for about 10 seconds. Now slowly lower the brows releasing the tension. We'll now shift our awareness to the face. I invite you to scrunch the face up in a tight ball. Holding for a moment. Then slowly letting go of any tension. As you release tension from each muscle group you may notice that your body is feeling heavier and heavier as you feel more relaxed and at ease. Allow yourself to relax letting the body to become heavy as the tension slowly melts away. Remembering that with every inhale we invite ease and every exhale releasing any worries. Now I invite you to bring your attention to your fist. Clenching your hands up into a tight ball holding here for a moment. And then slowly releasing each finger until you have an open palm. Now shift your awareness to your shoulders. Slowly shrugging the shoulders up holding them here. And then slowly releasing the shoulders down letting the tension melt away. I invite you to shift the awareness to the stomach. Opening the stomach muscles holding them in. And then slowly releasing them. Take a moment here to notice any sensations you may be feeling in the body. Maybe you feel warm, Heavy and relaxed. Maybe you notice a slight tingling. Maybe there's no sensations in the body but you're aware and noticing that you're feeling more calm. We'll now shift the awareness to the lower body. Then clenching the glute and quad muscles. Holding here. And then slowly releasing. Moving our awareness down to the feet. I invite you to flex the toes toward you holding them here for a moment. And then slowly releasing them. I invite you to now point the toes away from you pointing the toe down hard. Holding here for a moment. And then slowly relaxing. Give yourself permission to find complete ease. Give yourself permission to fully release and let go any worries. Inviting a wave of relaxation to come over the entire body. Taking another deep inhale through the nose. And exhale letting go of any tension. Inhaling ease. Exhale releasing worry. Inhale inviting peace. Exhale releasing anxiety. Inhaling rest. Exhale letting go of hustle and moving fast. Taking another great big inhale here. And exhale finding stillness. Slowly allow your breath to become deeper and deeper. Continuing to invite this wave of relaxation. Noticing if you're feeling any lighter after releasing tension and worry. Taking another inhale through the nose. And exhale sigh it out. Giving yourself permission to rest. Letting tomorrow's worries be a thing of tomorrow. Giving yourself permission to focus on peace in the present. Taking one more inhale through the nose. And exhale sigh it out. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries. And exhale letting go of your worries.