Relaxation Session for Better Sleep

To start, lie down with your knees bent, forming an arch with your legs. Don't put your feet all the way together. In this position, find what's most comfortable for you and close your eyes.

Take three deep breaths, ideally inhaling through your nose unless that's tricky for you, and exhaling slowly. Remember, the inhale should be shorter, and the exhale should be longer, letting the air out slowly through your mouth.

Now, breathe normally with one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Feel your breath; if it feels fast, try to make it more calm and steady. With each breath, try to feel your belly rise as you fill your lungs, and then feel it fall as you release the air. 

Remember, normal but calm breaths.

Now that you're feeling your breath, let your arms fall to your sides, relaxed and slightly away from your body, but always in a comfy position. You can have your palms facing up or down, whichever feels best.

Let's release any tension we might still have built up. First, with your legs. Straighten one leg and contract the muscles by pulling your toes towards you and pushing your knee down. Don't forget to pull your toes back to avoid cramps, but always without forcing it too much. Hold for two seconds, then relax your leg.

Repeat the same with your other leg. You'll end up lying completely flat with both legs stretched out.

Now, gently push your hips upwards for two seconds. Don't strain too much; it's just about stretching your muscles a little. Lower them and relax your whole body.

Let's move on to your upper body. To relax, we're going to tense up a bit first, this time your arms. Lift your forearms, resting your elbows firmly on the bed or mat, and press your elbows down. Hold for three seconds, then relax your arms by your sides.

Now, raise your shoulders as if you're trying to touch your ears with them. As always, the idea is to tense your muscles and put in some effort, but don't overdo it – just do what you can. Hold for 3 seconds, then lower your shoulders, relaxing them as much as possible. Make sure they're not tensed upwards; you might have had them tensed before the exercise without realizing it, so really let them drop down.

Now, let's relax your neck. To do this, as much as you can without forcing anything, turn your head to one side, rotating it on the surface without lifting it. Wait a moment, then return.

Repeat the exercise by turning your head to the other side. In the resting position, take several calm, normal breaths, feeling your breath.

Now, imagine a wave of relaxation starting at your head and slowly moving down your body: through your face, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, hips, thighs, knees, calves, and feet. Finally, the wave exits through your toes, leaving you feeling super relaxed.

Repeat this wave's journey again, from head to toe.

Now, feel your whole body. If you still have any tension in a muscle, move it, then take one deep breath through your nose and release the air through your mouth. Repeat this for any parts of your body where you feel muscle tension.

If you've done this exercise right before hitting the hay, turn off the audio and sweet dreams! If you've done these exercises at another time of day and aren't quite ready for bed, just do a couple of things before you get up.

First, gently move your joints. Then, bend your legs back to the starting position. Next, roll onto your side. Wait a few seconds, then slowly get up so you don't feel dizzy.

Just in case you'd like to have this relaxation session to listen to and repeat daily, we're also going to release it as an episode without the full intro, so you can listen whenever you like.