Let's start by taking a few deep breaths to really get in touch with your body and how it feels right now in this moment.
Take one long,
Slow,
Deep breath in,
Filling up your belly and your chest and then blowing it out slowly through your nose or mouth.
Once more,
Take a deep breath in,
Filling your belly,
Then your chest,
Right into your armpits and your back and then breathe out slowly.
The last time,
Take a long,
Deep breath in,
Filling your belly,
Filling your chest,
Feeling the breath right into your armpits and your back,
Holding it briefly at the top and then breathe out slowly.
Okay,
Just returning your breath to its natural rhythm now,
Seeing if you can notice how you are feeling right now,
What is 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.
Turning your attention to your feet and noticing what it is that you feel there,
Any sensations of tingling or warmth or coolness or itching,
Any contact with the duvet or maybe not feeling anything at all,
Whatever you feel is perfectly natural for you in this moment.
Moving your attention to the tops of your feet now,
Then the bottoms of your feet,
The soles,
Then the ankles.
Just simply noticing what you feel,
Where you feel it in your feet,
Letting the sensations be just exactly as they are,
Feeling the feelings,
Noticing them,
Not trying to change anything.
Now maybe moving your attention up your lower legs,
Relaxing them into the bed with each out-breath,
Up to your knees,
Noticing what they feel like against the duvet.
Then your thighs,
Letting both of your legs sink into the mattress as you continue to breathe gently in and out,
In and out.
And if you find your mind wandering,
Simply bring it gently back to your legs and how they feel in your bed,
Touching the duvet,
Maybe your pyjamas,
Feeling warm or tingly or fizzy or maybe nothing at all,
Allowing yourself to feel whatever it is in this moment.
Moving your attention up your back now,
Into your shoulders,
Relaxing them on the out-breath and letting go.
Turning your attention down your chest and onto your belly,
Feeling the movement of your belly as you breathe in and out,
In and out.
Sending your attention to your arms all the way down to your fingers,
Noticing how they feel.
Any tingling or fizzing,
Any feelings of coolness or warmth,
Maybe contact with pyjamas or duvet or skin.
And then moving your attention back up your arms to your neck,
Then the back of your head,
Feeling the heavy weight of your head against the pillow,
The top of your head and down your forehead.
See if you can let your forehead relax,
Allowing yourself to drop into stillness.
Just letting your forehead soften,
Allowing your body to just be as it is for a moment,
Before turning your attention to your eyebrows and your eyes,
Softening,
Relaxing them,
Allowing them to feel sleepy.
Moving your attention down to your nose,
Your cheeks,
Your mouth,
Feeling any tightness leaving your face and chin.
Feeling your whole body now 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 drop into the mattress.
