Hi everybody.
Today we're going to be doing a little body scan for sleep.
That was another exercise we've done during the weekly breath breaks over this past year that folks have really seemed to resonate with and found useful and have commented on returning to.
So hopefully today we can do another one,
A little extended one,
Intentionally made for falling asleep.
So this is obviously good for not falling asleep too if you just want to use it for relaxation.
But I'll be talking a little bit longer.
This will go a little bit more spaced out,
A little more silent pockets for folks to drift into sleep if that is what you're using this for.
So I invite you to go ahead and get comfortable.
Find however you'd like to lay down or sit up or rest for this exercise.
Ring the bell a few times and then we'll begin.
Take a deep breath in through the nose and slowly let it out through your mouth.
Take a second to find a comfortable position.
Letting your body really rest into a bed,
Chair,
Cushion,
Couch.
Rest into the earth.
You feel yourself supported and held.
As you gently breathe in and out.
Take a moment to bring your awareness down into the soles of your feet.
You might gently wiggle the toes,
Roll or stretch the ankle.
And then let the feet return to stillness.
Inviting some rest into the body.
As you notice the sensations in the feet and ankle.
Imagine from the toe up,
Your feet slowly melting away.
Like wax rolling off the top of a candle.
All the tension melts away too as you bring your awareness up into the shins and calves.
Gently release any tension that might be in them.
Let the tops of the shins feel light and the backs of the calves become relaxed and heavy.
Let the feet before them allow your shins and calves to slowly melt away.
Like wax rolling off the top of a candle.
Dissolving into the bed floor.
As you move your awareness up into the knees.
Noticing the sensations in the knees without judgment.
Noting as we scan our body that pain can be an indicator of where we might direct our care.
Rather than a reinforcer of shame or guilt.
Take a moment to relax the thighs,
Glutes and hips.
As your awareness sits with the upper half of the leg,
Let those two slowly melt away.
Bring your awareness up into the belly,
Lower back,
Pelvis.
Let the base of your spine root down into the pelvis.
And on the inhales,
Feel your stomach,
The entire trunk,
Gently inflate.
Taking up space.
On the exhales,
Let the belly button float closer to the spine.
Find a little release as you slowly let go of your breath.
Bring your awareness up into the chest and upper back.
Let the lungs inflate in all directions on the inhale.
And on your exhales,
Take a moment to let the entire torso soften.
Then further,
Letting the torso,
Glutes and hips slowly melt away.
Bring your awareness up into the shoulders and neck.
Take a moment to gently stretch the neck if you need to.
Or to just feel the pillow support you,
The blanket perhaps tucking under your chin.
Let the arms relax completely,
Fingers slack as if floating in water.
And gently let the shoulders and arms melt away.
Bring your awareness up into the jaw,
Releasing any tension,
Clenching at all.
Notice the skin on the back of the head.
The top of the head.
The forehead.
And let your face be completely relaxed as you take a slow breath in.
Let the jaw and neck melt away.
Whatever tension remains,
Whatever thoughts still raise,
Let them come and go.
Settle in to where you rest.
Simply breathe in and breathe out.
There is nothing more or less that we need to be doing than what we are doing exactly right now.
We are exactly where we need to be.
