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For now, enjoy this preview of tonight's meditation.
This practice is designed to give your nervous system the gentle support it needs to relax so that your body and mind can release any lingering tension and drift into a deep, restorative sleep.
We'll do this by cultivating a sense of inner safety.
It's important for us to know how to settle our nervous system, because it's what controls our body's responses to both stress and relaxation.
During the day, our nervous system stays alert, often in a more active mode, which helps us respond to challenges, to handle tasks and to meet the demands of daily life.
However, at night, we need to be able to shift into a state of rest and relaxation so that we can access deep, restorative sleep.
This is simpler than it may sound, and I'll walk you through how to do it during our practice.
So again, take a moment if you need to ensure you are comfortable and that you have everything you need right now.
It's time to pause all activities and all urges, to keep doing and begin to welcome in stillness and rest.
Take a deep breath in now.
And as you exhale, feel your entire body settle.
Consider what physical needs you have at this moment.
That would allow you to feel even more comfortable.
If you're in bed, you might adjust your pillows and blankets until everything feels just right.
If you are seated somewhere, perhaps you'd like to lay a throw over yourself to stay warm.
Move your body around a bit until you've found the perfect position to rest in.
When you are ready, close your eyes or just soften your gaze and consciously allow all of the muscles around your eyes to relax.
You might even tighten them up on purpose for a few seconds and then relax them again.
And notice what a difference you feel.
Remember that in this moment, you are giving yourself the gift of rest.
And right now, there is nothing else to do and nowhere else to be.
In order to shift gears, our nervous system needs a signal that it's safe and okay to let go of the day.
So we'll practice creating the feelings of safety and calm that we need to support our body's process of winding down.
By slowing down our breath, shifting our focus inward and consciously relaxing our body, we can guide our nervous system from alertness into relaxation.
Let's begin by taking a few slow, deep breaths that emphasize the exhale a little more than the inhale.
These gentle elongated exhalations encourage our bodies to downshift, signaling that it is safe to unwind and relax.
As you exhale, imagine any tightness or tension softening and dissolving and feel yourself becoming heavier and more at ease.
