Relaxing Visualization To Rest (Family-Friendly)

This guide will support the whole family as they offload the busyness of their day and the busyness within their bodies. Using soft guides, you will offload the nervous system as you drift into a gentle guided visualization that will allow you to journey into deep, peaceful rest.

There are 10 minutes of music at the end to soothe the body in quiet at the end of this family-friendly practice.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Jen Edwards,

And today I will be guiding you through a relaxing visualization to help settle the body into rest.

Sometimes our minds and our bodies can struggle to become soft and relaxed.

The busyness of our days runs through our bodies.

Sometimes it feels as though it's running wild.

So through this guided visualization is my hope that I can support you in your rest and relaxation to help ease your body into a restful state that will allow you to settle softly into sleep in a way that doesn't put pressure and tension on our sleep.

At times when we put too much pressure,

Our bodies actually do the opposite.

So allow yourself to use my voice as a guide as we gently settle the body and find relaxation through this visualization.

Allow yourself to get comfortable however that may be.

Resting comfortably in your bed,

On your couch,

Or wherever it is that you are laying down to find rest.

Grabbing anything extra that will help support you in your restful state.

And just being mindful to make sure you're cozy enough and settled.

And as you get comfy in your bed and get cozy,

Just really allowing your body to nice and slowly settle into the soft support beneath you.

Maybe even wiggling a little bit in your body.

Just settle it down into the blankets,

Into the sheets,

Into the bed,

Into the mattress,

Into the cushion.

Settling softly and gently here and now.

And again,

Just being gentle with your body.

Remembering that at times it takes time to allow it to slowly rest.

Noticing your body now.

Noticing if there is any parts of your body that are feeling the urge to wiggle a little bit or move a little bit.

Sometimes you may have pets in your home or see in nature animals kind of shake their bodies.

And this is a way for them to offload energy that is in their body that they don't need anymore.

And we can do the same.

Maybe you need to wiggle your toes,

Maybe your ankles,

Maybe your hips,

Your arms,

Maybe your head.

Maybe your whole body needs a quick wiggle to get out that last energy that your body is no longer needing.

Now allow yourself to settle.

Allow your body to become still.

And in this stillness,

We will now shift into cycles of tightening and relaxing in the body.

We'll begin now with our feet.

Can you allow your feet to tense?

Really scrunch your toes,

Scrunch your whole feet,

All the muscles in your feet.

And feel them relax.

And now can you do the same thing and add your whole legs?

Tighten your legs and your feet and your toes.

Your whole lower body.

Tight.

And relax.

Release all the muscles so they're nice and soft.

And now your belly and your chest and your back and your shoulders,

Your whole upper body and your legs and your feet and your toes.

Tight,

Tight.

Nice and gently softening in the body.

And now can you add just your hands?

Tightening your hands,

Making fists,

Scrunching your hands,

Feel the tension and the tightness.

Tight,

Tight,

And relax.

And now your arms with your hands.

Your arms and your hands tight.

Tightening all the muscles.

Tight,

Tight,

And relax.

Now the whole body from the top of your head down to your toes and your fingers.

Creating that tension.

Tight,

Tight.

Relax the whole body.

Feel how soft the body relaxes.

And again,

Tension,

Tightness from the top of your head down to your toes.

From the top of the head,

The neck,

The shoulders,

The hands,

Down the arms,

The body,

The legs,

Down to the toes.

Tight.

Relax every muscle in the body and feel the body melting down into the mattress,

Into the bed,

Into the cushion.

Last time,

Tension.

Tighten the whole body.

Tight.

The neck,

The hips,

All the way down to the toes.

Tight.

Relax every muscle,

Softening,

Opening the palms,

The hands,

Letting your fingers rest gently.

And now really feel the body relaxing.

Can you imagine the skin through your whole body fully relaxed?

And the muscles of your body relax.

And the bones in your body relax.

Your whole body relaxed.

And now can you bring in awareness and begin to notice your breath.

Gently and softly just noticing your inhale and your exhale.

Your in-breath.

When we move breath fully in our bodies,

It releases signals and chemicals all through our bodies that helps tell our bodies that it is safe to relax and rest.

Changing the signals from awake and moving to nice and soft and relaxing.

Following that breath all the way into the belly.

And gently letting that breath go.

We are going to move into a guided breath.

If you do not feel drawn to the practice of guided breath,

Just let your breath move naturally in your body.

Perhaps try and keep your breath moving fully and completely.

We are going to do what we call a 4-6 breathing.

We'll breathe in to the count of 4 and out to the count of 6.

If at any time my counting becomes too hard or difficult for your body,

You can change your breath so that it works better for you.

Being mindful to make sure that your out-breath is longer than your in-breath.

So if you wish to follow along,

We will begin with an out-breath.

So breathe out,

Exhale all the breath out of your body.

And then we will begin.

Inhale 1,

2,

3,

4.

Out 1,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6.

In 1,

2,

3,

4.

Out 1,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6.

In 1,

2,

3,

4.

Out 1,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6.

In 1,

2,

3,

4.

Out 1,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6.

Breathe in full,

All the way into the body as full,

Full,

Full as you can.

And hold the breath at the top,

Hold the breath in.

Open your mouth and exhale,

Let it all out.

We're going to do that again.

Inhale full,

Breathe in deep and full as you can into your body.

Big breath in,

Hold at the top.

When you're full as you can,

Open your mouth and exhale,

Let it all out.

Now bring your breath back to a natural state.

Settling in the body and resting.

Feeling relaxed.

The whole body relaxed.

Your skin,

Your muscles,

Your bones and your organs all relaxed.

There's nowhere to go.

There's nothing to do.

All you have to do is relax your body.

Now allow yourself to shift into a state where you can use your imagination or visualization.

And if this is difficult for you to do,

Perhaps allow yourself to imagine what it would feel like instead.

See?

Let us begin.

Settled in the body,

Soft in the breath.

Now imagine that you are near water.

A body of water.

This can be a body of water that you have seen before or maybe it's one you're going to imagine in your mind that you've never seen.

Perhaps it's a lake.

Maybe it's a river.

A waterfall.

A gentle creek.

Just imagining this place of water is so peaceful and you can hear the sounds the water is making.

Now imagine that beside this body of water there is the softest sand.

And it goes for miles around the body of water.

And the sand is so soft.

And the sand is warm.

Now lay a blanket on this sand.

And now lie your body on the sand.

On a blanket.

And imagine your body.

Just as it is.

Relaxed and soft and gentle.

Melting into the blanket that is on the warm sand.

You can feel the warmth of the sand through the blanket.

And the sand is holding your body perfectly.

Supporting your body.

So soft your body melts into the sand.

And as you lie and you feel the warmth on the back of your body you can hear the water.

And now imagine the sky.

A peaceful sky.

And what does a peaceful sky look like to you?

Is it a clear blue sky?

Is there fluffy clouds?

Or perhaps a peaceful sky is a cloudy sky.

But as you're looking up into the sky feeling the peace in the sky you can hear the water.

And you can feel the warmth and the support of the sand beneath you.

Your whole body relaxed.

Now listen.

Listen deeper.

Do you hear anything else?

Perhaps there's birds.

A gentle breeze or leaves.

Perhaps you see butterflies or dragonflies.

Maybe you hear children laughing.

People splashing.

Or maybe just the water.

Now listen deeply.

You can hear the peace of the water.

The surrounding area.

The sky soothing.

The ground warm and comforting.

Your body relaxed.

And your body safe.

Now imagine the sun arrives but it only lands on your toes.

So the rays of the sun are only shining on your toes.

And as the sun beams down on your toes your toes feel that warmth of the sunny rays.

And all your toes relax.

Now imagine the sun can only shine on the soles of your feet and the soles of your feet relax.

The sun shines now on the top of your feet.

The top of your feet relax.

The sun making its way now up the lower legs.

The lower legs relax.

The sun on the knees.

The knees relax.

The sun making its way now up the legs.

The upper legs now relax.

The sun on the legs and the feet and the toes.

The whole legs,

The feet and the toes relax.

And warm from the rays of the sun.

The sun now shining on the lower belly.

Feeling your belly relaxed and warm from the sun.

The sun now shining on the chest.

The chest is warm and relaxed.

The sun now shining on your fingers and your thumbs.

Your fingers and your thumbs warm and relax.

The sun shining on the palms of the hands.

The palms of the hands relax.

The sun now on the backs of the hands.

The backs of the hands relax.

The sun now making its way to the lower arms.

The lower arms relax.

The sun on the elbows.

The elbows relax.

The sun now on your upper arms.

Your upper arms relax.

The sun on your shoulders.

Your shoulders relax.

Your throat relax.

The sun now on the face.

Your whole face relax.

Your nose,

Your eyes,

Your forehead relax.

The sun on your ears and your ears relax.

The sun on the crown of your head.

The crown of your head relax.

The sun shining now on your whole body.

From the top of your head.

Down to the tips of your toes.

The warmth on the front of your body.

Relaxing the body.

The sand beneath you warming the blanket.

Warming the back side of your body.

And now imagine that warmth seeping deep into your body.

Warming your whole inner body.

And as it seeps into your whole body.

Your inner body relaxes.

Your body now resting on the sand.

The warm sand.

On the soft blanket.

The peaceful sky.

The soothing sound of the water.

Your whole body relax.

Your whole body at ease.

And your whole body in safety.

Every cell of your body is slow.

And steady.

Your body ready for rest.

Softly and slowly.

Begin to notice your breath moving.

And your breath moving out.

Your inhale.

And your exhale.

Your breath moving in your body.

As your body is relaxed.

There is nothing to do.

Nothing being asked of you.

Nothing being asked of your body.

Finding the rhythm of your breath.

Feeling warm.

Noticing the skin of your body soft.

And settled.

The muscles of your body gently.

Restful in the body.

Your bones heavy.

Your organs nice and slow.

Your whole body ready for rest.

Noticing your body getting heavy.

Staying with your breath.

Following your inhale.

And your exhale.

Softly moving in.

And out.

Slowing down.

Your body heavy.

Your body warm.

Your body relaxed.

As you settle in your body.

Your body completely.

Safely.

Ready for rest.

You are still with me.

Continue to stay in the visualization.

Of the soft sand.

The warmth on the backside.

The peaceful sky.

The soothing sound of the water.

And the warmth of the sun.

In this visualization.

Continue to follow your breath in.

And your breath out.

Feeling your body.

Getting heavier and heavier.

As you make your way towards rest.