Hello,
It's Abbey here and I'd like to help you with a bedtime meditation using a breathing buddy.
This is something that can help you focus on your breathing so that you fall asleep more easily.
Sound good?
Great.
Now,
Do you have a favourite toy that you like to hold when you're in bed?
Can you find them right now and give them a big squeeze?
It's okay if you don't have a favourite or even if you have more than one.
Just pick any one that you like and you can always choose a different one tomorrow.
Do you have one now?
Are you squeezing them tight?
This is going to be your breathing buddy for tonight.
This is who's going to help you relax and get really sleepy.
If you haven't chosen yet,
That's okay.
Just pause me speaking until you're ready to start.
Okay,
Are we ready now?
That's great.
Let's get all cosy in our beds,
On our backs,
With the covers tucking us in nice and snug,
Closing our eyes and holding our breathing buddy.
Can you hold them in one hand and using the other hand really explore what they feel like?
Running your fingers over the ears and head,
The face,
The nose,
Noticing if they feel soft or fluffy,
Squidgy or firm.
Moving your fingers down the body now,
The arms or legs,
The tail if they have one.
Giving their tummies a pat or a squeeze,
Just becoming aware of how big or small they are.
Do they feel big in your hands or very small?
Noticing if they feel cool or warm,
Maybe slightly warmer now that you've been holding them for a bit.
And then giving them one last big hug and placing them gently on your tummy.
Let's take a few deep breaths to help us relax in our beds and notice what happens to our breathing buddy.
Do you see them rising up on your tummy with each in-breath and then falling when you breathe out?
Wow,
Do you think they're enjoying the ride?
Can you breathe really fast and see how quickly they move?
Do they fall off?
Now try slowing your breathing and see how gently you can make your breathing buddy move up and down.
Let's take a few long,
Deep,
Slow breaths and watch what happens with your buddy.
How does it feel?
Do you notice the weight of them on your belly even if they're really,
Really light?
Do they move slightly when you breathe so that they slip off your belly and fall on the bed?
That's okay.
Just gently place them back onto your tummy and watch them start to rise and fall again.
Keep taking long,
Slow,
Deep breaths and softly close your eyes.
Just noticing if you can still feel your breathing buddy on your belly as it rises and falls with each slow breath.
If you want to put a hand or both hands on your buddy to stop them slipping or even just to feel them there,
That's absolutely fine.
Doing what feels right for you in this moment and this one and this one.
Breathing gently,
Breathing slowly in and out.
Now imagining that you feel a slight warmth on the very top of your head.
Feeling this warmth spread out over the whole top of your head and imagining it trickling slowly down from there like a waterfall of light and soft heat down your forehead and noticing that wherever it touches starts to soften and relax.
Noticing its warmth like a thick,
Warm honey spreading down over your eyes,
Feeling them gently droop as it spreads further down over your nose and cheeks.
Feeling the warmth relaxes these parts of your face.
Feeling it moving down onto your mouth and chin now.
Noticing the weight of your whole head resting gently against the pillow and any tightness leaving your face and chin.
Feeling the light spreading down your neck now,
Then your shoulders.
Noticing how the warmth of it causes you to lay more heavily against your mattress.
Relaxing so completely and making you feel so sleepy and snug and safe.
Noticing the warmth moving gently down your chest and arms.
Feeling each part of your body soften as the honey drips onto those places.
Feeling the warmth spread out onto your belly and back and down your body to your legs.
Noticing how they feel so heavy against the bed now and warm and relaxed.
Feeling the movement of your belly as you breathe in and out.
In and out.
Following your breath and noticing its natural rhythm.
Seeing if you can notice how you're feeling right now.
What's happening.
Following the breath in and out and letting your body sink gently into the mattress with each out breath.
Feeling the weight of your body and the support of your bed beneath you.
Noticing the warmth spreading down your legs and all the way to your feet and toes.
Every single part of you now feeling warm and relaxed.
Noticing the weight of the duvet against you and how snug and safe you feel here.
In this moment.
In this place.
Feeling yourself drop completely into peace and stillness.
And if you find your mind wandering just reminding yourself to bring it gently back to the warmth of your body and how you feel in your bed.
Snug and cosy.
Feeling warm or tingly or fizzy or maybe nothing at all.
Feeling whatever it is in this moment for you.
Noticing the movement of your belly as you breathe in and out.
In and out.
Feeling your whole body gently rise with the in breath and then naturally letting go on the out breath.
In and out.
In and out.
Feeling so sleepy now.
Allowing everything to soften and relax and fall onto the mattress.
