Find a comfortable position where your body can begin to settle.
If it feels comfortable,
Gently close your eyes,
Or soften your gaze.
Take a slow breath in through your nose,
And exhale slowly through your mouth.
Again,
Inhale gently,
And exhale fully.
Allow the breath to begin slowing the rhythm of your body.
Today may have asked a lot of you.
Responsibilities,
Conversations,
Decisions,
Expectations.
Sometimes we move from one task to the next without giving ourselves the space to release what we've been carrying.
Right now,
This moment is an opportunity to let the day begin to soften.
Take another slow breath in,
And exhale slowly.
As you breathe,
Bring your awareness to your feet.
Feel the support beneath them.
Allow your feet to relax.
Now bring your attention to your legs.
If your legs have been holding tension today,
Allow them to soften just a little.
Let them rest.
Now bring awareness to your hips and lower back.
This is another area where many people hold the weight of the day.
Imagine the muscles here gently loosening with each breath.
Now bring your attention to your shoulders.
Your shoulders may have lifted or tightened throughout the day.
Allow them to drop.
Allow them to release.
Imagine the stress of the day sliding gently off your shoulders.
Take another slow breath in.
And as you exhale,
Imagine releasing anything that no longer needs to stay with you tonight.
Now bring your awareness to your jaw.
If the jaw feels tight,
Allow it to soften.
Let your tongue rest naturally in your mouth.
Take another slow breath.
And another gentle exhale.
As you continue breathing slowly,
Imagine placing the events of today into a container beside you.
The conversations,
The responsibilities,
The unfinished tasks.
You don't have to solve them right now.
You can return to them tomorrow.
For now,
Allow your mind and body to rest.
Your nervous system does not need to remain alert all the time.
It is allowed to slow down.
Allowed to reset.
Take another slow breath in through your nose.
And exhale slowly through your mouth.
With each breath out,
Allow your body to sink a little deeper into the surface beneath you.
Allow the muscles of your face to soften.
Allow your shoulders to release.
Allow your breath to become slow and natural.
Notice the rhythm of your breathing.
The rise of the inhale.
The fall of the exhale.
This moment is enough.
You are allowed to rest.
Take a few more slow breaths here.
Breathing in calm.
Breathing out the day.
Breathing in softness.
Breathing out tension.
Now begin to bring awareness back to the room around you.
Notice the surface supporting your body.
Gently wiggle your fingers or toes.
And when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Carry this sense of softness with you into the rest of your evening.
If this practice helped you feel a little more grounded,
You're welcome to follow me here on Insight Timer for more nervous system regulation practices.
Namaste.
