Hello and welcome to your body scan for sleep.
I'm Dani Finkhauser and I'll be your guide.
You can use this meditation when you lay down in bed to prepare your body for optimal rest and you can also use it if you wake up during the night and need support in getting back to sleep.
So go ahead and get comfortable with your pillows,
Blankets,
Turning the lights down,
Grabbing a sip of water,
Or whatever you need to be the most comfortable.
We'll get started with the breath.
So start to count your inhale to a count of four and extend your exhale to six counts.
Lengthening the exhale tells the body that it's safe to relax.
So let's inhale together.
Inhale one two three four and exhale one two three four five six.
Again inhale one two three four and exhale one two three four five six.
Another one together.
Let's inhale one two three four and exhale one two three four five six.
And now you can continue this cadence on your own.
Feel into the softness and the texture of the surface below you.
Feel the weight of your body on the bed and feel the power of gravity that's holding you in place,
That's keeping you secure and supported,
And let your body fully relax into it.
Really let that bed hold you.
Notice any tension in your body and melt even deeper.
Can you allow yourself to be 10% more comfortable?
Now we'll do our body scan.
As I name a body part,
Imagine the tension melting away and the area filling with warm light and fully letting go into stillness.
We'll start with the crown of the head.
Notice yourself letting go,
Melting away tension,
And coming down the face,
Coming down the back of the head.
Allow yourself to let go,
Let go even deeper,
Come down through your neck,
Letting your attention softly sit there in the neck,
Filling it up with warm light,
And come down into the shoulders,
Allowing them to soften and let go.
And come down both of your arms through your elbows,
Down your lower arms to your hands,
Letting them soften and relax,
And coming back to your chest,
Your upper chest,
Your upper back,
Allow that warm light to fill you up,
And allow yourself to melt and soften.
Come down through the middle of the torso,
Softening,
Resting,
And letting go,
And come down into your lower belly and lower back,
Filling it up with that warm light,
Letting go,
Sinking even deeper,
Even deeper,
And come down through your hips.
Notice them release,
Notice them relax to rest,
Come down into your thighs,
Through your knees,
And through your lower legs,
Resting,
Releasing,
And all the way down into your feet and into your toes.
Feel yourself melting,
Sinking even deeper,
And now let yourself drift,
Let yourself sink even deeper.
Sleep well.
