Ratio breathing for sleep.
For this practice,
You'll be lying down,
Getting ready to go to sleep.
So wiggle your body and feel yourself settle into a long,
Heavy posture.
As much as possible,
Feel into an alignment between the tailbone,
The length of your spine,
And the back of your head.
Breathing normally for now,
Sense into the safety of your bed,
The quiet of your room,
And the nighttime outside.
Feel your breath moving in and out of your body in a natural rhythm.
As you're lying there,
The soft tissues and organs and fluids of the body are settling back towards your bed,
And this is creating space around your airways.
So simply by lying still and noticing the rhythm of your breath,
You'll be able to sense that very subtly each breath is becoming a little bit deeper,
A little bit longer.
As much as possible,
Time your inhalation,
Hold,
And exhalation to my count,
Which may mean slowing down your breath,
Thinning it out,
Making it longer to match my count.
To start with,
Take a lovely big inhalation,
Feeling your belly and your chest rise,
And exhale all the air from your body.
And breathing in for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
And breathing in for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
And breathing in for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
In,
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
Your whole body lying soft on your bed.
Your whole body heavy at peace.
Your mind settling down deep.
Your natural breath gentle,
Smooth,
Sleepy.
