Hello friend,
Get yourself comfortable in your bed and allow your body to sink into the mattress,
Pillows and blankets that surround you.
Find a position that feels just right.
Let your arms rest gently by your sides,
Your legs a little apart and your feet falling outwards.
Now turn your attention to your breath.
Don't try to change it.
Just notice it as it flows in and out naturally and easily.
Feel the rise and fall of your chest and abdomen as the air moves in and out.
As thoughts and feelings arise,
Gently acknowledge them and let them go,
Bringing your focus back to your breath.
Now it's time to relax and find your inner calm.
Take a deep breath in,
Feeling the air fill your lungs,
And then exhale slowly,
Releasing any tension or stress you may be holding onto.
Allow your breathing to become natural and intuitive,
Not forcing it,
But simply observing the rhythm of your breath.
With each inhale and exhale,
Let go of any thoughts or distractions and focus solely on the present moment.
Embrace the stillness and tranquility that comes with this mindful breathing practice.
Take as much time as you need,
Letting your body and mind unwind.
Remember to be gentle and compassionate with yourself throughout this process.
Enjoy this moment of peace and connection with your breath.
This calming experience not only facilitates physical relaxation,
Preparing the body for restful sleep,
But also fosters emotional healing by helping you recognize your inherent worthiness and compassion,
Ultimately leading to a deeper connection with yourself and a sweeter,
Restorative night's sleep.
Engaging in this practice regularly can be a powerful antidote to the restless mind,
Allowing you to drift into slumber,
Enveloped in warmth and self-love.
For the next minute or so,
Simply sit here,
Noticing your breath moving in and out of your body.
Notice any areas of tension you may have in different areas of your body.
Our body reacts to our day-to-day experiences physically and mentally,
Which can cause tension.
Before we drift off to sleep,
We will try a technique that helps to bring more relaxation in tense muscles.
This technique is called progressive muscle relaxation.
The benefits of this technique is when focusing on tensing a specific muscle group for a few seconds,
Then relaxing,
This helps to reduce stress,
Anxiety,
And improve quality of sleep.
Essentially,
You are tricking the muscle to relax by first bringing awareness to the area of tension,
Adding more tension before a release.
Let's begin.
Bring your attention to your toes.
Curl them tightly for a few seconds,
Then release.
Feel the muscles in your feet and ankles.
Relax as you let go of any tension.
Slowly move up to your calves,
Squeezing your calf muscles.
Relax.
Move your awareness up through your knees to your thighs.
Squeeze your thighs and relax.
Take a deep breath in.
Now move up around your hips,
Tensing.
Bring your awareness to the back of your glutes,
Tensing your muscles.
Squeeze the muscles in your belly.
Breathing in,
Bring your awareness to your chest muscles,
Squeezing and relaxing.
Take a deep breath in.
Now bring your awareness to your arms,
Your upper arms and your lower arms as a whole.
Squeeze.
Letting go of all the tension.
Allowing that energy into your hands and fingers.
Squeeze your hands into a fist.
Hold and relax,
Letting go.
Allow your arms to hang softly by your side.
And move your attention up through your neck and face area.
Being extra gentle.
Gently lift your chin towards the ceiling.
Feeling a stretch in the front of your neck.
Hold for a few seconds.
Turn your head slowly from side to side.
Releasing any tension in your jaw and temples.
Lastly,
Bring your awareness to all of your face muscles.
Chin,
Cheeks,
Mouth and forehead.
Now scrunch up your whole face.
Finally,
Relaxing.
Letting your features soften.
And your eyes gently close.
Now focus on your breath once more.
As you breathe in,
Imagine that you are taking in all the strength and calmness you need to let go of the things you cannot control.
And as you breathe out,
Release anxiety,
Frustrations or any fears that may arise.
Sit here for a moment on your own.
Breathing in calm.
Breathing out tension.
And remember,
You can only control your reactions and actions.
Not the actions or reactions of other people.
Lay here on your own for a moment longer.
Be kind and compassionate to yourself.
Understanding that change takes time and practice.
Remember it's okay to not be okay sometimes.
As long as you are working towards being a better you.
Let go of any need to be perfect.
And embrace self love.
Feeling your breath moving in and out.
Feel the support beneath you.
Feel how comfortable you are in your bed.
How safe you feel.
Silencing your inner critic.
And embracing all of your imperfections.
Recognize that self kindness is a powerful antidote to all of the chaos around you.
Allow yourself to deepen into a deeper state of relaxation.
As the minutes pass,
You find yourself drifting into sleep.
Even more,
You cultivate a profound sense of belonging within yourself.
Reinforcing the understanding that self compassion is a powerful antidote to all of the chaos around you.
Self compassion is not a luxury,
But a necessity in navigating life's turbulence.
Tomorrow you will emerge from this deep slumber.
Feeling rejuvenated.
With a deeper appreciation for your own resilience.
And worth.
As you continue to breathe deeply and slowly.
Trust that your mind and body will continue to let go.
And heal.
Feel the night as you sleep.
You are doing amazing.
Give yourself permission to allow your mind to wander off into a dream state.
Riding the sleep waves.
As they gently trust your body.
It knows what to do.
Into dreams.
