Evening Wind Down | Progressive Muscle Relaxation For Sleep

Ease into your evening with this 30-minute guided meditation designed to calm your nervous system and prepare you for restful sleep. Using progressive muscle relaxation, gentle breath awareness, and vagus nerve activation, this practice helps release tension from both body and mind. Soft affirmations guide you to let go of the day, reduce anxiety, and welcome deep, nourishing rest.

Perfect for winding down after stress or creating a soothing nightly ritual.

Transcript

Whether you're listening after work,

After dinner or already in bed,

This is your space to shift gears,

To step out of doing mode and into something softer.

Now for some of us,

The evening usually disappears in front of the TV,

Snacks in hand,

Maybe a glass or three of wine.

Sometimes,

That really does feel like the only way to unwind.

But tonight,

You've chosen something different.

You've carved out a few minutes to actually let go of the day.

And that's something to feel good about.

And if that chocolate bar or glass of wine is waiting for you afterwards,

No problem at all.

I promise I won't tell anyone.

You deserve it.

I'm Chibzo Karike and welcome to tonight's meditation.

We'll begin by bringing awareness to the breath,

Which is a signal to the body that it's safe to slow down.

Then we'll guide the whole system into calm with a full body progressive muscle relaxation.

Progressive muscle relaxation helps unwind that built up tension by gently tensing and releasing different parts of the body.

It gives both the body and the mind permission to soften.

It's science backed,

Simple and powerful.

Let's begin.

So taking a moment now to find a comfortable position.

You might be lying down already or maybe you're seated on the sofa or perched on the edge of the bed.

Wherever you are,

Seeing if you can make yourself just a little more at ease.

Perhaps adding a pillow.

Bending the knees.

Dropping the shoulders.

Adjusting anything that needs adjusting.

We're not aiming for perfection here,

Just comfort.

Even one or two percent more comfortable makes a difference.

So let's take a few slow breaths now,

Allowing ourselves to settle in for the evening.

Breathing in through the nose.

Breathing out through the nose or the mouth.

In through the nose.

Breathing out through the nose or the mouth.

One more breath in.

And a slow breath out.

And now allowing our breath to return to its natural rhythm.

We're not needing to change the breath.

We're just noticing it.

The natural rhythm of the inhale.

And the exhale.

Maybe we can feel the breath in the belly.

Or the chest.

Or the tip of the nose.

And if the mind's already wandered off somewhere,

That's totally fine.

That's what minds do.

We're just noticing that it's wandered and gently guiding it back.

Back to the next breath.

And the one after that.

And if it feels good,

Beginning to lengthen the out breath slightly.

Maybe inhaling for three.

And exhaling for five or six.

When we lengthen the out breath,

That helps to settle the nervous system.

Let me be quiet for a few moments and do a few longer out breaths in your own time.

These longer exhales let the body know that it's the end of the day and that it doesn't need to be on alert anymore.

Let's stay with this for another few breaths.

Not forcing anything.

Just allowing the body to find its own rhythm.

Let's move into the progressive muscle relaxation part of the meditation now.

We'll be moving through the body one area at a time.

For each body part,

We'll gently tense the muscles.

Nothing forceful.

Just enough to feel it,

Hold it for a few seconds and then release.

As we release the muscles,

We're allowing that part of the body to soften and let go.

It's a simple but powerful way of letting the body know you can relax now.

Now if you ever want to skip a part or you're not sure how to tense a particular area,

That's completely fine.

Just imagine the tension and the release.

The brain still responds in the same way.

So let's begin at the hands.

Clenching the hands into fists.

And if it feels okay,

Bending them back slightly at the wrists.

Feeling the tension in the hands,

Wrists and forearms.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Perhaps softly saying to ourselves,

Silently in our mind or out loud,

Release and let go.

Or if those words don't resonate,

Perhaps saying letting go or releasing or relax or something else that feels right for you.

Taking a few moments now to notice any differences in this area.

And becoming more fully aware of this relaxed feeling.

Now bending the arms at the elbows and gently tightening the biceps.

Feeling the tension in the upper arms.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Release and let go.

Taking a few moments now to notice any differences and becoming more fully aware of the arms softening.

Wrinkling the forehead as we raise our eyebrows.

Tightening the muscles there until we notice the tension in our forehead and scalp.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Release and let go.

Taking a few moments as we feel the forehead smooth out.

Perhaps noticing a lightness beginning to return across the top of the face.

Now frowning and noticing the tension around the forehead and brow.

Tightening the muscles in the forehead until we notice the tension.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Release and let go.

Taking a moment to allow the space between the eyebrows to soften.

And noticing how even the smallest release can change how we feel.

And now gently squeezing the eyes closed tightly.

Just enough to feel that tension around the eyes,

Nose and cheeks.

Holding the tension there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Release and let go.

Taking a few moments now to notice the eyes softening.

Perhaps noticing a gentle stillness settling across the whole face.

Opening the mouth really wide now.

Feeling the tension in the jaw.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Letting the jaw hang loose.

Release and let go.

Taking a few moments now to notice any differences.

Allowing the jaw to settle.

Perhaps noticing a ripple of relaxation through the neck and face.

Now pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth.

Tightening it until we feel the tension in the tongue and the back of the mouth.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Letting the tongue fall back into a neutral position.

Release and let go.

Taking some time to feel the tongue softening.

And becoming more fully aware of this relaxed feeling.

Now puckering our lips into an O shape and feeling the tension around the mouth and jaw.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Release and let go.

Taking some time to notice the mouth returning to stillness.

Noticing a gentle calm settling across the whole face.

Now gently bringing awareness to the whole face.

The forehead,

The scalp,

The eyes,

The jaw,

Tongue,

Lips.

Just taking a moment to check in with those areas.

And if there's anything that still feels a little tight,

You're welcome to gently tense and release again.

Or simply resting here and allowing this area to get even softer and more relaxed.

Let me be quiet for a few moments so we can allow the sensation of relaxation to ripple outward from the face and through the rest of the body.

Release and let go.

Now rolling our head slowly.

Starting with one ear near our shoulder.

And then rolling our chin to our chest.

And then slowly to the other shoulder.

Feeling the tension shift.

And now rolling slowly back to the other side.

And now gently returning to a comfortable upright position.

Release and let go.

Now let's do that one more time,

This time starting with the other shoulder.

Moving our ear towards our shoulder.

Rolling our head slowly.

Rolling our chin to our chest.

And over to the other shoulder.

Feeling the tension shift.

Rolling back slowly to the other side.

And now returning to a comfortable upright position.

Release and let go.

Taking a few moments to let the head settle and noticing any sensations of relaxation in the neck.

Now gently shrugging the shoulders up towards the ears.

Holding until we feel the tension through the neck,

Shoulders and upper back.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Letting the shoulders drop and melt downward.

Release and let go.

Taking some time to notice the space widening across the upper back.

Perhaps a quiet heaviness settling in through the shoulders.

Taking a deep breath in now into the chest.

Feeling the lungs completely.

Feeling the tension in the chest as it expands.

And holding that fullness for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

And then slowly exhaling,

Releasing the tension in the chest.

Release and let go.

Noticing the breath becoming slower.

The upper body softening with each gentle release.

Now tightening the muscles in the lower abdomen.

Holding the tension there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Letting the belly soften completely.

Release and let go.

Allowing the breath to move freely through the belly now.

With a growing sense of relaxation and ease in the middle of the body.

Now gently arching through the lower back.

Just enough to feel the muscles engage.

Keeping the rest of the body relaxed.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Letting the spine return to neutral.

Release and let go.

Taking a few moments now to notice the lower back settling.

Feeling where we are making contact with the bed or the chair.

Now tightening the upper legs and buttocks.

Squeezing the thighs,

Hamstrings and glutes.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Release and let go.

Taking some time to notice the weight of the legs now.

Maybe they are a little heavier,

Perhaps a little more grounded.

Now straightening and tensing the legs by pointing the toes downward.

Feeling the tension throughout the entire length of the legs.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Release and let go.

Letting go of any effort.

Allowing the legs to soften and feeling the legs beginning to fully settle.

Now straightening and tensing the legs by curling the toes upward towards the sky.

Feeling the tension,

Especially in the calf muscles.

Holding it there for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1 and releasing.

Release and let go.

Taking a few moments again to notice the legs relaxing as the body grows heavier and more still.

And now let's bring our awareness to the entire body,

From the top of the head to the soles of the feet.

Noticing the entire body relaxing and releasing.

Allowing the comfortable warmth of this relaxation to continue to spread throughout the body.

Growing and expanding.

Release and let go.

Noticing how the body feels now,

Perhaps more spacious,

More grounded,

More at ease.

We're allowing the stillness to spread.

Gently noticing the sense of calm that's settling across the whole body.

And now that the body's feeling more relaxed,

Let's bring some gentle awareness to the mind.

Just noticing what's here.

There might be thoughts,

Feelings,

Images or nothing much at all.

Whatever's showing up,

It's welcome.

No need to change it,

No need to push anything away.

We're simply allowing the mind to do what minds do,

While we stay grounded in this moment.

If it helps,

We might imagine each thought as a soft cloud drifting across the sky.

We don't have to chase it,

We don't have to hold on to it,

We're just letting it pass.

Noticing the space between the clouds,

The stillness behind the thinking.

And as we near the end of this meditation,

I'd love to share a poem with you.

It's one of my favourites,

It's called She Let Go by Sapphire Rose.

To me,

This poem captures the essence of what this practice is all about.

It's not about getting it perfect,

It's not about fixing anything,

It's about allowing,

Softening and releasing what no longer needs to be carried.

So whether you're moving into the rest of your evening or drifting off to sleep,

This poem is the perfect way to transition.

So I invite you to listen,

Gently,

And allow the words to land however they land.

She Let Go by Sapphire Rose She let go.

Without a thought or a word,

She let go.

She let go of the fear.

She let go of the judgements.

She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.

She let go of the committee of indecision within her.

She let go of all the right reasons.

Wholly and completely,

Without hesitation or worry,

She just let go.

She didn't ask anyone for advice.

She didn't read a book on how to let go.

She didn't search the scriptures.

She just let go.

She let go of all the memories that held her back.

She let go of all the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.

She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn't promise to let go.

She didn't journal about it.

She didn't write the projected date in her day-timer.

She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.

She didn't check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.

She just let go.

She didn't analyse whether she should let go.

She didn't call her friends to discuss the matter.

She didn't do a five-step spiritual mind treatment.

She didn't call the prayer line.

She didn't utter one word.

She just let go.

No one was around when it happened.

There was no applause or congratulations.

No one thanked her or praised her.

No one noticed a thing.

But it was a Tuesday afternoon when she let go.

And it was her moment.

Her time.

Her rebirth.

A breath of fresh air.

A new season.

A new beginning.

And as those final words settle,

Just noticing how the body feels now.

How the mind feels.

Maybe something's shifted.

Even if just a little.

Now from here,

We've got two paths.

If we're staying up a little longer,

Consider allowing this calm to carry with you.

No need to rush back into stimulation.

Maybe we could get ourselves a warm drink.

Watch something light.

Or perhaps we could read a few pages of a book.

And if you're heading into sleep,

There's nothing more for you to do.

Just allowing your body to take over now.

Fully supported.

Completely safe.

Deeply at ease.

Reviews

🙏