Welcome.
Let yourself settle.
Lying down.
Resting back.
Finding whatever position invites a sense of ease.
There's nowhere else to be.
Nothing left to do.
The day is behind you now.
As your eyes close,
Allow the weight of your body to be fully held by what's beneath you.
The bed,
The pillow,
The blankets around you.
Let them take everything.
Now begin to notice your breath.
Not shaping it,
Not deepening it yet.
Just finding it where it already is.
And when you're ready,
Start to slow it down.
A gentle inhale through the nose and a long,
Easy exhale through the mouth.
Let the exhales become longer than the inhales.
As though you're breathing the day out of your body.
Again,
Inhale slowly and exhale,
Letting go.
One more.
Breathe in and release everything with the out-breath.
And now let the breath return to its own rhythm.
Soft,
Unhurried.
Each exhale a quiet signal to the body that it's time to rest.
The day you've just lived was full.
Full of moments,
Interactions,
Tasks,
Decisions.
Maybe some that went well,
Perhaps some that didn't.
And some you're probably still turning over in your mind.
That's okay.
You don't need to resolve any of it right now.
See if you can picture the events of the day as objects resting in your hands.
Conversations,
Tasks,
Worries and plans.
All the things you've been holding.
And one by one,
Gently set them down.
The things that went well,
Set them down.
They'll still be there tomorrow.
The things that felt hard,
Set them down.
They don't need you tonight.
The things still unfinished,
Set them down too.
They can wait.
Feel your hands open.
Feel the quiet relief of no longer carrying.
You've done enough today.
Grant yourself this time to rest.
Now bring your attention slowly into the body.
Not looking for anything in particular.
Just noticing what's here.
Start at the crown of your head.
Feel the scalp soften.
The forehead smooth.
The space between your brows.
Let it widen and release.
Soften the eyes behind closed lids.
Let them sink back gently,
As though resting deeper into the skull.
Relax the jaw.
Let the teeth part slightly.
Let the tongue drop from the roof of the mouth.
Feel the neck loosen.
The throat open.
Let your shoulders melt all the way down,
Away from the ears.
Releasing whatever they've been holding today.
Feel that release travel down through your arms,
Through the elbows,
The wrists,
Into the hands and fingers.
Let them unfurl and soften.
Now notice the chest.
Feel the breath moving gently here.
Each exhale loosening the chest a little more.
Inviting a sense of unwinding through the body.
Let the belly be soft.
No holding.
No bracing.
Just the quiet rise and fall of breath.
Feel the lower back expand and settle.
The hips grow heavy.
Let your awareness move down through the thighs,
The knees,
The calves,
The ankles,
All the way down to the soles of the feet.
Feel the whole body resting now.
Held,
Heavy and still.
Even as the body softens,
The mind may still be moving.
That's fine.
That's what minds do.
You don't need to stop your thoughts.
You don't need to follow them either.
Imagine each thought as a sound heard from a distance.
A voice in another room.
A murmur you can't quite make out.
You know it's there but it doesn't need your attention.
Let the thoughts come and let them pass.
If one pulls you in,
Notice it gently.
No frustration.
No effort.
Just noticing and coming back to the feeling of your body at rest.
And the soft rhythm of your breath.
The mind will quiet in its own time.
You don't have to make it happen.
Just stop giving each thought a reason to stay.
Before you drift any further,
See if there's something from today you can be quietly grateful for.
It doesn't need to be grand.
Maybe it's the warmth of this bed.
A meal that nourished you.
A message from someone you love.
A moment of laughter or quiet or sunlight.
Or maybe it's something bigger.
The people in your life.
A place to call home.
The gift of another day lived.
Whatever comes to mind,
Let it rest in your chest.
Feel its warmth there.
You don't need to hold it tightly.
Just let it be present.
Now let even that soften.
Let the gratitude settle.
Like something sinking gently to the bottom of still water.
There's nothing left to do.
Nothing to think about.
Nothing to hold.
Just your body breathing.
Just this stillness.
Just rest.
And if you're still awake,
That's okay.
Sleep is close.
Let the breath carry you.
Let the night hold you.
You are safe.
You are resting.
You can let go.
