Find a sweet spot of comfort and ease.
Make your body straight and aligned so that you can maintain alertness for as long as possible.
Make sure your room is cool and your body warm and well supported.
Your pillows are just the right height.
Position your hands in whatever way you prefer,
On your body or at your sides with palms facing upwards and fingers curled.
Take a slightly deeper breath.
As you breathe out,
Let your whole body sink and receive support from the surface beneath you.
Now let's progressively relax the body,
Ready for sleep.
All movement should be small and done with control so that you can feel every subtle sensation.
Unless you have a neck injury,
On an in-breath,
Very slightly lift your head.
On an out-breath,
With control,
Let it sink back down.
Let your neck lengthen a little and sink even deeper,
So there is no space between your neck and pillow.
Breathe freely and feel the full weight of your head.
Now slowly roll your head to the right side.
With control,
Return your head to centre.
Slowly roll the head to the left side.
With control,
Return your head to centre.
Take a few resting breaths to notice any after effects of these movements.
On an in-breath,
Keeping the neck still and the elbows in contact with the surface beneath you,
Slightly lift your right shoulder.
On an out-breath,
Release your right shoulder.
On an in-breath,
Lift your left shoulder.
On an out-breath,
With control,
Release it.
Take a few resting breaths.
On an in-breath,
Very gently raise both shoulders towards your ears.
On an out-breath,
With control,
Release them.
Breathe in and out freely and feel the after effects caused by these movements in your body.
Now take your awareness to the middle of your chest.
Carefully lift your breastbone,
Creating a slight arch in the upper back.
Slowly,
With control,
Return your body to the surface beneath you.
Let the whole of the middle of your body sink and release.
Now slightly squeeze the buttocks and thighs.
On an out-breath,
Let the buttocks and thighs release.
All the way into the hips.
Notice the effects of these movements in your hips,
Buttocks and legs.
Feel the whole of the back of your body,
Heavy and warm,
As you breathe freely.
On an in-breath,
Very slowly,
Press your stomach in towards your spine and back.
On an out-breath,
With control,
Release the stomach.
Breathe in and out of the stomach and let it completely soften and relax.
Now place your attention at the third eye,
In between your two eyebrows.
Rest your awareness here.
Imagine breathing in and out through the third eye.
As you do this,
Become aware of the deep,
Observing part of your mind that watches everything you experience with serenity.
Enjoy any sensations that arise here,
Perhaps in the forehead or around the eye sockets.
With your observer still engaged,
Feel the rhythm of your natural breath move in and out of your body.
Now we will release the vagus nerves,
Which trigger the relaxation response.
Take a slightly deeper breath and as you breathe out,
Make a sighing noise of pleasure.
A bit like if you were getting into a bath or warm shower.
Do this for a few breaths in your own time.
As you do it again,
This time feel the effect of the vibration in your throat and upper body.
Ahhhh.
Now do it again and make the sound a bit deeper.
Ahhhh.
Notice where else in your body you can feel it.
Maybe in your chest,
Even your arms.
Ahhhh.
Ahhhh.
Now very slowly,
Open your mouth as far as it is comfortable and at the same time,
Take in air as if you were about to yawn.
Ahhhh.
If yawns do arise,
Let them come.
Ahhhh.
Ahhhh.
Feel the effects on your face and around your eyes.
Now let your face and jaw relax and breathe freely as they return to neutral.
Tune into your heart centre in the middle of your chest.
Move your hands onto your chest and rest them over your heart if you would like to.
Make sure your shoulders and elbows stay relaxed.
Now direct your attention into your heart centre.
If you are holding any tension in the muscles around it,
Let it slowly fade away.
Bring to mind the goodness that is the nature of the heart.
Gently invite a quiet inner smile that engages the warmth of your heart.
Recall a few things that have happened during your day that you feel grateful for,
However small.
A shared smile,
Kind words,
Something satisfying or perhaps a pleasurable encounter with a person or something in nature.
Anything that made you feel thankful.
Think of each one and breathe it into your heart as you rest here.
Now we begin a rotation of consciousness body scan.
Follow along with the audio guidance.
Land your attention on each body part in the moment it is named without guessing the next or running your attention on.
You don't need to concentrate,
Just feel the flow through your body.
The crown of your head,
The point between your two eyebrows,
The front of your throat,
Right shoulder joint,
Right elbow,
Right wrist bone,
Back of right hand,
Middle of right palm,
Right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Fourth finger,
Little finger,
Middle of right wrist,
Inside right elbow,
Right bicep,
Right armpit,
Right collarbone,
Front of the throat,
Left shoulder joint,
Left elbow,
Left wrist bone,
Back of left hand,
Middle of the left palm,
Left thumb,
Left index finger,
Middle finger,
Fourth finger,
Little finger,
Middle of left wrist,
Inside left elbow,
Left bicep,
Left armpit,
Back to the front of the throat,
Upper chest,
Breastbone,
Stomach,
Navel,
Abdomen,
Pelvis,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Right knee,
Shin,
Right ankle joint on the outside,
Top of right foot,
All the right toes,
Sole of right foot,
Right heel,
Calf,
Back of knee,
Back of thigh,
Right buttock,
Base of the back,
Over to the left hip joint,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Left outside ankle,
Top of left foot,
Toes of left foot,
Sole of left foot,
Left heel,
Calf,
Back of left knee,
Back of thigh,
Left buttock,
Base of the back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
The crown of the head,
The whole right side of the body,
The whole left side of the body,
The right and left sides of the body together,
The whole front of the body,
The whole back of the body,
The front and back of the body together,
The whole of the body together,
The whole of the body together,
The whole of the body together,
The whole of the body heavy and warm,
The whole of the body still and content,
The whole of the body relaxed and released,
The whole of the body ready for sleep,
The whole of the day let go with gratitude,
The whole of the day completed with care,
The whole of the day released into the earth.
