Hi,
Hello and welcome to Take 20.
My name is Julie and I'll take you through a relaxation exercise in just a moment.
This exercise is the third in our series on sleep and today we're taking a look at nightmares.
Better yet,
We'll see if we can help you with them.
Whether you've just had a nightmare or you're having more trouble with them than usual,
This exercise may be just the thing for you.
Lots of us have trouble with nightmares and anxious dreams,
Especially in these strange times.
In this relaxation,
We'll use a guided visualization to help you bring yourself back to a peaceful,
Calm state,
Free of fear after a bad dream.
Crawl into bed,
Get nice and comfortable and let's begin.
Close your eyes.
To start off,
Start to relax your body.
Anxiety or fear can cause tension in the body.
And to leave your bad dreams behind,
It's important to soften,
To lessen this tension.
Notice where exactly you can feel this tension in your body.
Take a moment to pay attention to your shoulders,
To your neck,
To your back,
To your hands and your jaw.
These are zones where we tend to hold tension.
Wherever you found tension or discomfort,
We'll choose one area of your body to relax first.
Focus your attention on this area,
This part of your body.
Breathe in,
And when you breathe out,
Allow the muscles to relax.
Breathe in,
And while you breathe out,
Let your muscles soften.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Allow them to become loose and soft.
On your next breath in,
Imagine your breath carries relaxation to this tense zone.
Imagine your breath carries relaxation to this area of tension.
Breathe out and let go.
Breathe in,
Relaxation.
Breathe out,
Tension.
Breathe in,
Relaxation.
Breathe out,
Tension.
Breathe in,
Relaxation.
Breathe out,
Tension.
Breathe in,
And breathe out.
Breathe in,
And breathe out.
Breathe in,
And breathe out.
Keep breathing at your own pace and let your breath be slow and relaxed.
Breathe in,
And breathe out.
Breathe in,
And breathe out.
Notice that the space you were just focusing on has become a bit more relaxed.
You can see that you can help yourself relax your muscles.
Feel your muscles relax.
Notice that your jaw is relaxing,
That your mouth is resting comfortably with a bit more space between your teeth.
Feel your neck relax.
Feel your shoulders drop a little deeper into your bend,
While the muscles give up their hold.
Allow your hands to relax.
Let them rest,
Open,
Loose,
And relaxed.
Feel your back relax.
All the muscles become soft and loose.
Relax your buttocks.
Relax your thighs and your calves.
Relax your feet.
Now let's create an image to let your nightmares float a bit further away.
We'll travel together to a beautiful space.
Wherever you go,
My voice will be with you.
Imagine that you're outside,
In the countryside,
Or in nature.
In a space that feels safe,
That's calm,
And that has a pleasant temperature.
In this space,
You have no worries.
There's nothing you have to do.
You're here to relax and to take time for yourself.
The place where you are is quiet,
Is spacious,
And you have everything you need.
Take the time to imagine this place,
To conjure up the details of this pleasant place.
See the sky,
See the trees and the plants.
Feel the quality of the air.
Smell it.
See the picturesque landscape that surrounds you.
You can rest here for a while,
Or if you want,
You can take a moment to imagine what you would do in a place like this.
You could walk around,
You could lie down.
Make an image of yourself,
Of how you would come to rest in this place.
Now imagine you're sitting down comfortably,
In a chair,
A couch,
Or you're lounging.
Feel how the sun is shining down on you,
How it warms you up.
Feel the heat of the sun slowly warm your skin,
Warm your hair,
And then warm your muscles and bones.
Feel them soften.
The place you are resting in is very soft,
Very comfortable,
And you feel so relaxed and peaceful.
You feel at ease.
You can feel yourself sinking slightly deeper in place.
Notice the peaceful thoughts that fill your mind.
See how you can focus on these thoughts,
How they become stronger,
And fill your awareness with calm.
These peaceful thoughts are very clear.
It's possible that other thoughts float around in your mind,
But don't worry too much about them.
Let them exist.
Let them drift away slightly further while you drift off into sleep.
While you sleep,
Your mind is capable of staying in this calm place,
In this restful state.
Allow yourself to drift towards sleep.
Feel yourself float away,
Filled with peaceful and pleasant thoughts.
Beautiful,
Serene dreams fill your awareness,
Calm,
Relaxed,
And peaceful.
If there are thoughts that pop into your head,
Let them pass by,
Like clouds pass by you in the sky.
You don't have to focus on anything.
You're very calm.
Allow your thoughts to pass you by without clinging to them.
Let thoughts of this peaceful,
Safe space in the sun scatter the others.
This place,
This spot in the sun,
Is a retreat from worry and stress.
Think of your beautiful place in the sun,
In nature.
Let this space warm you,
Let it calm you.
It's comfortable,
Relaxed,
And peaceful.
You can,
If you want,
See yourself walk around,
See yourself relax,
See yourself breathe in the fresh air.
Enjoy all the details of this place.
Rest here for a few moments.
Enjoy this small pause.
Fill your mind with warmth,
Contentment,
And peace.
Now,
If you want,
You can drift away into sleep.
Slowly,
In your own time,
Float away into a pleasant,
Calm space filled with dreams.
Glide deeper and deeper towards sleep.
In a moment,
I will count down from 5 to 1.
When we arrive at 1,
You will be completely relaxed and you can go to sleep.
5.
You're becoming heavier,
Sleepier,
And more relaxed.
4.
Safe and warm,
You're floating comfortably,
You drift,
Totally relaxed.
3.
Pleasant,
Peaceful,
Content thoughts fill your mind.
2.
So deeply relaxed.
1.
You drift away,
Into a deep sleep,
Filled with quiet dreams.
2.
You're becoming heavier,
Sleepier,
And more relaxed.
