Hi, welcome to this pre-sleep routine. This routine is specifically designed to help settle your nervous system, lower your heart rate and cultivate a quality of calm in your mind and body, helping you transition into deep sleep. During this routine, we will be going through a three-part process of one, making space for what's happening in our minds and bodies; two, lowering the heart rate to help transition the nervous system into sleep; and three, giving the mind a calm place to dwell through visualization. I do encourage you to listen to this session in the location where you plan to fall asleep, as it will allow for seamless transition. Once you're settled in, you can close your eyes and we'll take the first couple of minutes just to ground ourselves after a long day.

Sometimes even when we have the opportunity to be still, the mind and the body are still going. It's as if the momentum of the day is still moving through us. So see if you can notice any of that happening within you. As soon as you become aware of it, you're no longer fueling it or reacting to it. And so this will help some of that excess energy just start to run its course, pass into gray and overall begin to settle.

Notice what the mind is thinking about. Are there any particular thought loops? And you can just notice them. Not fueling the thoughts, not trying to get rid of the thoughts, just watching the mind play out whenever script it feels the need to play out right now. And it's the same thing with the body. Notice if there are any emotions.

Any sensations. Or just a sense of the body buzzing. All we're doing is making space. So often we contract around the experience that is present. Tensing, creating more stress, more frustration.

And so you can think of this holding space as one big exhale. We're just relaxing into what is here, letting go of any sort of gripping or trying to control or manipulate the experience that is present. We're just letting go. And so now that we've settled in a bit, grounded ourselves into where we are, we're going to more intentionally help lower the heart rate so that the nervous system can transition more easily into sleep. Deep breathing is a great way to do this, specifically the four-seven-eight breathing pattern.

The way this will work is we breathe in for four seconds. Hold the breath for seven seconds. And then exhale slowly for eight seconds. So let's try this out and I'll count for you. So breathing in for four seconds, one, two, three, four.

Holding for seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Exhale for eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Good job. It may be difficult at first to hold the breath for seven seconds and even more difficult to exhale for eight seconds. So to help with that, you can just imagine that you're blowing hot air on a cold window like this.

But then make that sound while closing your mouth. This will constrict the airways and really help you eat elongate that exhale. So let's try this again, I'll count and as you are exhaling, see if you can release any tension that might be lingering in the body. Breathing in for one, two, three, four. Holding for seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

Exhale for eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Good job. Now that you have that this down, I'm going to give you some time in silence to practice this breathing pattern. I'll do it for a couple of minutes and just repeat it over and over. Each time you exhale, really feel as though you're sinking deeper into the surface beneath you, relaxing the mind, softening the body and just surrendering more and more deeply.

I'll give you some time in silence. If you notice the mind wandering, you just gently bring it back to this breath. Letting the breath soothe your body, relax the body. And also give the mind some place to rest its focus so that it's not so caught up in the agitation of thoughts, ideas, and judgements. Just continuing this pattern of four-seven-eight breathing.

Just noticing how you're feeling right now. You're welcome to continue this breathing pattern, or allow the breath to come back to its natural rhythm. For the final stage of this pre sleep routine, we're going to give the mind a safe, peaceful, and calm place to dwell. And we'll use some visualization to do this. So as you rest here, cozy, warm, maybe under the covers, allow yourself to get even more comfortable.

Adjusting your posture ever so slightly, be more settled in or to feel more safe, more at ease and more ready for sleep. And allow your mind to imagine the most peaceful place that it can imagine. A place where there's no stress, where it's calm, where you're safe. And where you can totally let go. This may be a place that is familiar, that you've been, or a place you create entirely new in your own mind.

But see yourself, in your mind, resting there. Feeling at ease. Letting go. And feeling deeply nourished by a sense of safety, comfort, and ease around you and within you. It's okay to feel the goodness and the warmth of that throughout your body.

Breathing it in and letting it relax you more deeply. With every exhale, letting go of that much more. It's okay to shut off for the night. It's okay to let go. It's okay to transition into sleep.

Letting your mind rest in this peaceful place, where everything is okay, where you are safe, and where you can let go. Thank you for your practice. Have a wonderful sleep and take care.