by Carly Stong
An easy-to-follow progressive relaxation intended to guide you into a deep and restful sleep. Suitable for all experience levels and useful for those trying to settle into sleep or trying to go back to sleep after being awakened mid-slumber.
Meet your Teacher
Kingston, ON, Canada
Transcript
Hello and welcome to your practice. My name is Carly Stong and it's my pleasure to guide you into rest today. Let's begin by making comfort your first priority. Being and adjusting to find as much ease and support as you can ease in your body and support by the pillows or blankets that are around you. Taking this time to gather any comfort items that you'd like to use. And also taking a moment to ensure that you set your settings in the app to sleep mode so that at the end of this recording you know that the phone will just turn off on its own. You can turn the screen to face down towards your mattress, Setting it aside. There's nothing to see or watch. Simply ensuring you can hear the sound of my voice. Know that as you practice tonight, You start to drift towards sleep. That's the goal and the intention to support you here as you rest deeply. You'll allow yourself to drift off knowing that subconsciously you'll observe all the benefits of this practice while you sleep. Knowing that rest is your ultimate practice tonight. Now that you're fully engaged in comfort, Throughout the practice, If your needs should change, Give yourself permission to shift, Adapt and adjust as you need to change your props or the supports around you. There's no need to be statuesque in order to practice mindfully here. And allow your attention to move from your ears to the sound of your breath. A gentle whisper in and out through your nose if you're able. Keeping ease and the comfort and regularity of this rhythmic flowing in and out. In and out. At whatever rhythm is most needed. And then share or divide your attention between this attention to the breath and your left toes or five toes of your left foot. There's no need to move those toes. Just plant your vision or attention into this space of your body. And melting away any tension from your left toes. Softening the muscles, Easing any gripping. And from your left toes, Bringing your attention to your left foot, The sole of the foot, The top of your foot, The inner and outer arch. And as you draw your attention to your left foot, Allowing that left foot to soften and melt. And then your left ankle. Bringing attention to the left ankle and allowing your left ankle to melt as though the bones were sliding away from the muscles, The muscles away from the bones. Bringing attention to your left calf and shin and softening through your left calf and your left shin. And then bringing your attention here to the left knee, The front hard shell of the knee, Soft back of the knee, The anchored sides. Visualizing for the tension in your knee to unclench and for the left knee to soften. Visualizing the whole lower left leg from your knees to your toes, Melting into your bed. And bring your attention to the toes of your right foot, Allowing the tension from your right toes to release with your attention, Almost experiencing a sense of lengthening through the toes as they uncurl. Bringing your attention to the right foot, Sole of the foot, The hard shell top of the foot, The inner and outer arch of your foot, Softening through your right foot as though your right foot was beginning to melt away from the leg into the comfort and support of your bed. Bringing your attention to your right ankle all the way around, Circumference of the ankle, Allowing for your right ankle to soften, Maybe experiencing the foot falling heavier out to the right side as it does. Notice the muscles along the meaty calf, And bring attention as well to the hard shell of the shin on your right foot, Or your right leg. And as you bring your attention to the right shin and right calf, Allowing for these muscles to soften, Melting down into the bed as those muscles were falling away from the bones in this time of rest, Knowing that they'll engage again when needed tomorrow. Bringing your attention to that hard working right knee, The hard shell, Soft back, Supportive and unclench, Unhold, Soften and relax that right knee, The whole lower right leg from the knee to the toe, Finding ease, Both legs from the knees to the toes, Heavy and soft. Bring your attention now to the left thigh, The top of the thigh and the back of the thigh, The inner and outer thighs from your knee right up to the hip, Softening and melting these massive muscles, Knowing that there's nothing to do, No work to be done, Feeling the support of the ground beneath you to reinforce that the legs can trust they're able to rest here. Bringing your attention to your right thigh from the knee up to the hip, The inner and outer thighs, The front and the back, Allowing for these large muscles to find ease and soften, To melt into the ground. The whole left leg, The whole right leg, Easy, Soft and resting. Bringing your attention to the pelvic bowl now, The large seat muscles, The muscles of your pelvic floor, The muscles that wrap around the hip bones and the sitting bones, All softening and falling heavy and weightless. Softening the belly as you breathe in and out with every exhalation, Softening the belly just a little more, Finding a weightedness, A release, A letting go. Then let that same sensation begin to wrap itself around the sides of your body and into the low back. Letting that same sense of ease travel up your spine, Slowly winding itself around the front, Side, Back and opposing side of your body with every breath finding more and more softness, Letting go of any holding that we might be doing, Trusting in the support of what's underneath us, Letting go, Letting go. Finding yourself from the shoulders to the heart, To the belly, Down to the pelvis, The knees and calves and your toes all relaxed and easy from the soles of the feet to the calves, The backs of the thighs and the soft parts of your knees, Right up into your seat. All of these tissues are done their work for today. There is nothing left that needs to be done except for rest. Moving this sense of weightedness so that the collarbones feel brought away from one another, All of the expressions sliding off of your face, The brows having space between them, Almost imagining as though the ears and the hair on your head get a little heavier, Everything softening in to the mattress beneath you, Preparing yourself for the ultimate and deepest slumber. Know that you are deserving of this rest and that it's the gift that you give not just yourself, But everyone around you through your example and through your ability to care for yourself as you need to. Let your body feel held here in support of your bed and your props. Finding the deepest sense of rest. Let your body feel held here in support of your props.
