Welcome to this yin practice to help you unwind,
Release the day,
And prepare your body and mind for deep,
Nourishing sleep.
Throughout,
Let your breath be soft,
Your movements slow,
And your awareness gentle so you can just melt into stillness.
Let's come into child's pose.
Bring your big toes together and open your knees wide,
Perhaps placing some pillows or a bolster beneath your chest and belly.
Slowly fold forward,
Draping your torso down.
Let your arms rest wherever they feel most natural.
You might extend them forward or wrap them back by your sides.
Turn your head to one side if you're using support and let your eyes close.
With every exhale,
Imagine your body melting into the support beneath you.
Feel your hips soften,
Feel your shoulders grow heavy.
Allow the weight of the day to dissolve away.
If your head is turned to one side,
Gently roll it to the other.
Release all effort.
Feel your body cradled,
Held,
Supported.
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to go,
Simply rest.
Slowly make your way to your hands and knees for a few rounds of cat-cow,
Inhaling to lengthen your spine,
And exhaling to round down,
Moving with your breath in any way that feels nourishing.
Make your way down to your back,
With your knees bent and the soles of your feet grounded into the floor.
Pausing here for a few breaths,
Inhaling through your nose,
And then letting your exhale be a little longer than your inhale.
Counting to four as you breathe in,
And six as you breathe out.
Draw your knees to your chest,
Hugging them in just for a moment.
Now let your knees drift to the right,
And open arms wide,
Palms facing up.
If your left shoulder comes off the mat,
Consider placing a pillow or bolster between your legs,
Or supporting your shoulder with a pillow,
Or choosing to twist in an easy fetal curl on your side.
Option to cross your legs in twisted roots,
Or to turn your head to the left if you want a deeper release.
As you settle in,
Let the edges of your breath soften.
There is nothing to do,
Nowhere to go,
Simply rest.
There is nothing to do,
Nowhere to be,
Simply give yourself permission to rest.
With every exhale,
Imagine your spine unwinding,
Lengthening,
Releasing.
Feel your organs softening,
Your belly relaxing,
As if wringing out the day,
Letting go of anything you no longer need,
And gently bring your knees back to center,
Hugging them in.
And when you are ready,
Let them fall to the left.
Find your most comfortable shape on this side,
And then become still.
Surrender into the twist.
Feel the breath move through your body like a lullaby,
Soft,
Slow,
Soothing.
Breathe gently into your belly,
Feel it rise as you inhale,
And then softly fall as you exhale.
Let the rhythm of your breath be like waves on a quiet shore,
Steady,
Calming.
Notice if your mind drifts to thoughts of the day.
If it does,
Simply return to the gentle ebb and flow of your breath,
And the softness of your body in this moment.
And roll back to center,
Hug your knees in to your belly.
Feel your breath quiet,
Your heartbeat soften.
Imagine tension slowly flowing down through your legs,
Out through your feet,
And away.
Slowly rock from side to side.
There's nothing left to do.
Slowly begin to move into Shavasana.
You may want to slide a pillow beneath your knees,
Place an eye pillow over your eyes,
Or cover yourself with a blanket.
Hands may rest at your sides,
Or softly on your belly,
Or over your heart.
Close your eyes.
Let your breath soften into your belly,
Rising gently with each inhale,
And falling with each exhale.
Imagine your breath rocking you into calm.
Like waves rolling in,
And fading away.
Let your body be held.
Your breath flowing naturally.
Your body completely at ease.
There's nothing more to do.
Only rest.
As you drift towards sleep,
Carry this softness with you.
May your body rest deeply.
May your mind find stillness.
May your dreams be peaceful.
