Welcome back.
Today's practice is a breathing technique to welcome restfulness.
You can do this in any position including seated or lying down.
Since today we are using this breathing technique to help you fall asleep,
My invitation to you is to practice this while lying in bed right before you prepare to sleep.
At the end,
You will have the option to drift directly off to sleep after finishing the practice.
We will now focus on taking 10 slow deep and relaxed belly breaths.
Inhaling all the way to the bottom of your lungs and feel your belly gently rise.
As you exhale,
Notice your belly gently falling.
Continue like this for the next few breaths.
And what's happening is that as you take a long deep inhale,
Your lungs expand and your diaphragm which usually domes up in your thoracic cavity is pushed down by your lungs and it flattens and then pushes down on your digestive organs which are in your digestive cavity.
This causes your belly to bulge slightly out.
And now gently let go of this technique and feel how effortless this way of breathing is,
As if your breath is breathing you.
Guide your awareness to your exhale and as you exhale,
Relaxing all 10 of your toes.
Your ankles,
Your heels,
Your calves,
Your shins.
Relaxing your knees,
Your thighs,
Your buttocks and your hips.
Softening and releasing your belly,
Your lower back,
Your chest,
Your shoulders,
Your arms and all 10 of your fingers.
Feel this relaxation spread up to your neck,
Your jaw,
Your cheeks,
Your nose,
Your lips,
Your ears,
Your eyes.
And feel the space between your eyebrows soften and feel even the crown of your head relax.
From head to toe,
From toes to head,
The whole of your body is now fully relaxed.
With your next exhale,
Let this full body relaxation spread and move.
Even deeper and saturate your mind and your consciousness.
Allow it to guide you as you descend into a state of deep restfulness.
From here,
If you wish,
Let yourself drift into sleep.
If you wish to awaken,
Slowly and gently do so in your own time without rushing.
