Welcome!
I wonder if you have ever found yourself staring at the ceiling at 2am.
I know I have,
My brain buzzing,
Wishing I could just hit the off switch.
You're not alone and here's a secret,
You're not broken either,
It's just your nervous system hasn't quite gotten the memo that the day is over.
Let's start by just finding a comfortable seat.
If your hips are feeling a little tight or your knees are hovering,
You can put a pillow underneath your hips.
This tiny lift will help your hips rise above the knees and allow your spine to lengthen naturally and comfortably.
With your hands on your thighs,
Palms down,
A subtle gesture of grounding.
This can help you to feel more connected to the earth,
More present in the moment.
Then just let your eyes close softly.
This is not about forcing relaxation,
It's about inviting it,
So feel into that shift of perspective.
We're going to inhale through the nose for a 4 count,
So let's start.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Just feel that breath really fill you up and then exhale even slower for 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
We'll do this a few times.
Inhale 1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhale 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Inhale 1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhale 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Inhale 1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhale 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Take some natural breaths and this is science.
It's not just some yogi trick.
That extended out breath is your body's direct line to switching into the parasympathetic nervous system which helps you to rest.
Every yogi since ancient times understood this and the modern studies are now catching up to that and confirming that that breath where it can significantly drop your cortisol levels,
The stress hormone,
Within minutes,
Helping you to push the reset button on your entire being.
Now keep that breath calm and steady and imagine you're stirring a thick warm bowl of honey with the tip of your nose.
Gently draw slow deliberate circles right,
Up,
Left,
Down and just keep these movements incredibly soft and fluid.
As you do this,
Picture any nagging thoughts from your day,
Those persistent to-dos,
The emails,
The conversations,
Just sort of swirling to the edges of the bowl where they can't bother you anymore,
Shifting out of your perspective.
And when you're ready to,
You could try moving your head the other way,
Stirring that thick warm bowl of honey with the tip of your nose to the left,
Up,
To the right and down.
You can imagine that as you do this,
You are polishing the inside of your brain,
Your mind and clearing out the mental clutter.
And finish by tucking your chin slightly toward your chest,
Feel the back of your neck lengthen.
You might feel a subtle release at the base of your skull.
Go ahead and exhale completely.
This is particularly great for those of us who spend time sort of hunched over screens or on our phones or stuck on the computer for work.
Our necks and our shoulders accumulate a lot of tension,
So this gentle movement just helps to unravel it.
Now find your way to neutral and we'll come into a child's pose.
So you'll slide forward to your hands and knees,
Bring your big toes to touch and just sink your hips towards your heels.
Allow your torso to melt between the thighs and rest your forehead onto the floor.
If the floor feels miles away,
No worries,
Just grab a stack of blankets or bolsters,
Pillows and put them underneath you until you're comfortable.
Find a supported place to rest your head and sink your hips back and down,
Really feeling into that gentle stretch in the lower back and in the hips.
And then just breathing deeply into your back body,
Feeling your ribs expand.
Each exhale here is a quiet,
Audible sigh.
You can even open your mouth and just kind of like you're fogging up a window.
On a cold morning.
And as you breathe here,
Picture the entire weight and worry of your day just sliding off your shoulders,
Dissolving into the mat.
And you'll just stay here for another luxurious six to eight breaths,
Which is about a minute.
Searchers at Harvard have actually found that forward flexion poses like this one increase vagal tone,
Which is essentially a measure of your nervous system's ability to relax and recover.
It actively slows your heart rate and physically preps your entire system for deep,
Restorative sleep.
So we're coming up on that full minute of deep,
Restorative sleep,
Take another breath in and out.
From your child's pose,
Slowly press up into your palms and take your right arm underneath you and through to the left side of the room.
You'll feel this nice length coming into the side body.
Rest your head heavy towards the floor.
The simple movement can release some tension that accumulates from our day,
Everyday movements,
And even emotional stress.
Take another breath as you inhale into the back of your heart,
Focusing on that spot between your shoulder blades.
And then slowly rise back up and just switch sides.
As your left arm threads through,
Rest your head on the floor,
Slow down the breath,
Relax.
And then slowly unravel yourself,
Coming back to your hands and roll onto your back body.
Take your time as you lie back.
We'll just take the legs up towards the ceiling.
If you have a wall nearby,
Of course,
Feel free to scoot your head back.
If you're already in bed or just not near a wall,
There's no problem.
You can just have your legs go upwards towards the ceiling.
The goal is really just to get the legs higher than the heart.
Rest your arms alongside your body with your palms up.
We'll take about five long breaths here,
Calming the nervous system and helping to reverse the blood flow and to soothe tired legs.
Give your ankles a final little roll,
Point and flex.
And then gather your knees in and give yourself a big well-deserved hug.
Now lie flat on your back in a pose called Savasana.
Most important pose,
In fact,
For the integration of what we just did.
If your low back feels a whisper of tenderness,
You can put a blanket or a pillow underneath your knees.
Let your feet fall open,
Your palms turn to the sky.
Scan from the crown of your head all the way down to the tips of your toes.
Invite your whole body to relax.
This final surrender allows the body to fully absorb the benefits of the practice,
Cementing that deep sense of calm.
Now I hope this practice will help you to ease into bed tonight.
May your dreams be spacious,
Restorative,
And truly sweet,
And may tomorrow arrive with you feeling refreshed,
Restored.
Thank you for practicing.
Namaste.
