Preparing For Sleep

Take some time to prepare for sleep and you will be rewarded. The techniques that you will be guided through have helped many a sufferer of insomnia to get to sleep and stay asleep. If you are still wide awake after following the directions then repeat the process as often as you need to until you drift away into slumberland. Repetition is key for retraining the body and the mind to sleep naturally.

A special thanks to Tom Evans (ambient music) for his soothing sounds which add a delicious quality to the positions shared later in the track.

Transcript

Hello,

Welcome to your preparation for sleep time.

I'm Helen,

A kinesiologist and I recently have presented some lives here on Inside Timer around this theme and I have received so many messages and comments in the lives as well from people who have had incredible response to this particular combination of techniques and exercises.

Some people even saying that they're sleeping properly for the first time in years and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people who took the time to share in the live or send me a private message to let me know their physical response and it's because of them that this track has now been birthed.

In addition to this guide is the beautiful transportive soundscape provided by Tom Evans,

A teacher here on Inside Timer and if you haven't yet engaged with any of Tom's works or meditations I do encourage you to go look him up.

Okay,

So let's start preparing for our sleep preparation.

It's important for the brain to receive a signal that something's going to change and this helps the flow of change in the circadian rhythm.

So you can do something as simple as closing the curtains,

Turning down the lights,

Lighting some incense,

Putting on comfortable clothes or even washing your hands.

Anything sensory will bring through the signal to the brain which will support the flow from a waking state into a deeply relaxed state into a sleep state.

I'm going to share with you now the order of the sequence of exercises we're going to go through so that if you need to prepare anything for any of these you can do so beforehand.

We're going to start standing up.

The second exercise ideally to be on the floor somewhere firm but obviously supported and you want to make sure that the temperature of your body is comfortable.

So if you need a blanket while you're on the floor have that handy while you're on the floor have that handy and ideally to have the body flush with the floor.

So if you need to have your head supported do so with a very thin pillow or cushion,

Nothing too big.

Then we're going to move into a treatment technique of taking our legs over a chair or even over the bed.

The most important thing is that there is a 90 degree angle from the hips to the knees to the ankles.

Then after that you will be moving to your comfy bed or wherever it is you would like to fall asleep.

So if you can have that space prepared.

So if you need to get any of these items or areas ready please do so completely now.

You can press pause and I will be here when you return.

Okay so now we're going to start with a very simple shaking technique and this is based on the same principle of water over ducks back.

Just think of those ducks shaking the water off and then it's gone and it's done and it's over and they continue and so we want to do the same with any thoughts emotions or stress that is still felt in the body in any way or form.

Standing firmly on the ground taking a slow inhalation and now exhaling out through the mouth.

Then at your own pace start to shake and wobble your one arm just in whatever way feels comfortable easy and right for you.

Take a slow breath in release that pause that arm and then do the same with the other arm.

Gentle shaking.

Breathing in slowly and then exhaling out.

Okay let's do the same for the leg shaking out the one leg and if you need to hold on to something while you balance on the foot on the ground do what you need to do so that you are as relaxed as possible while you shake out the one leg feeling the wobble from the hip down the thigh into the knee through the foot and then you can relax that leg down and swap around shaking out the other leg now.

Feeling the movement the sensation travel from the hips knee and knee and into the ankle.

Breathe in and exhale.

Relax the foot down and you can now with both feet firmly on the ground give the whole body gentle wiggle gentle shake out and then pausing and taking a slow inhalation and release that breath.

Now that we've shaken up our nervous system let's go to lying on the floor flat on our back with our arms besides us palms facing down this adds a grounding quality to this exercise and we need the legs to be flush with the floor flush with the floor so please check in that the lower back is as flush with the floor as well you don't want too much of an arch here and just wiggle around and get yourself nice and comfy with the neck supported you do need something really thin underneath the head and do that otherwise flush with the floor is optimal and your feet to have one foot width in between them let's start with a slow inhalation and as you exhale just feel your body grounding down breathing into the floor taking a moment to connect with the earth and then we're going to take a deep breath in and a deep breath out now slowly flop the feet both out to the sides and then bring them both to the center so that the big toes connect and we want to have a gentle tap as the big toes meet each other and tap against each other then we're going to flop the feet out again to both sides and then flop the feet back to the center so the toes bounce off each other and so you're going to gently repeat this repetition in your own rhythm you want to do it quite fast you can if you want to go really slow and do that too do that too this exercise literally moves the charges in the body downwards towards the feet so if we've got a lot of activity happening in the brain we'll slowly start to move that down helping us to become more present within the physical body and it will help you ground yourself within yourself and so it is important to continue with this exercise for a few minutes intentionally keep the body relaxed feel your whole body supported and keep on relaxing those feet as they flop out and then flop back together as the toes tap against each other and then flopping out and bringing the toes again towards the middle and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat just allowing the body to do the work I'm going to do a few more seconds here toes together,

Toes apart,

Feet together,

Feet apart and last one and we can relax bring the body to stillness and just let everything settle let the mind settle and just become aware of the whole body sometimes we feel tingling,

Temperature rise,

Many different reactions,

Responses that the body,

The brain can have and if you're noticing anything allow yourself to acknowledge what you're noticing and then breathe it out move it to the side and bring your focus back to the whole body rolling onto your one side and then slowly bringing yourself up to seated and taking yourself to your chair or the side of the bed and if you can position your body in a way where your back is flush with the floor and your legs are on top of the chair so that the back and the thighs are at a 90-degree angle and the top of the legs,

The bottom of the legs are also at a 90-degree angle take your time and just allow yourself to be in a state of stillness take your time you want to position yourself so that you are as comfortable and relaxed in this position because we are going to be here for a few minutes check in with the lower back and keep it as flush with the floor as possible have the legs just slightly apart arms relaxed next to you or maybe on the body,

Whatever is most comfortable for you right now now that you are in position invite you to take a gentle breath in and exhale feeling your body sink down have a slow breath in and exhale allowing the body to relax more and more and allowing this position that the body is in to give you the perfect treatment that you need in this position the nervous system resets the spinal column realigns which means everything which means everything that has been off-center out of alignment be it physical,

Mental or emotional is now given the opportunity to center itself and all one needs to do is remain in this position for a few minutes and be completely relaxed so if there is something that you can do for yourself now to bring in a deeper level of relaxation please do that relax your face relax your belly and give yourself the experience of bringing a blank canvas into your mind let's be completely quiet completely still for the next two minutes slowly bringing your attention to the breath and if you would like to remain in this position for some more time then know that it is safe and beneficial to do so if you are ready to move on to the next position you can very very slowly and gently move yourself onto your side and then very gently take yourself onto your bed in the most comfortable position you enjoy lying in you can readjust the pillow,

The blanket,

Your clothes,

Whatever you need to do take your time there's no rush,

This is your time let's sigh out together as you sink down even further let's give your whole body permission completely relax right now relax your forehead relax your eyes feel them heavy your temples relax and relax your jaw let the throat ease out let the shoulders relax shoulders settle let the belly calm and let the heart be at peace let the arms relax legs relax feel your whole body becoming soft as the mind becomes quiet quiet now it is time for me to wish you a pleasant sleep and the sweetest of dreams

Reviews

Wonderful practice I look forward to continuing! Thank you! 🙏