Sleep Soundly: Finding Calm in the In-Between

Welcome back, friend. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. It's early March, that weird in-between time when winter's grip is loosening but spring hasn't quite arrived, and if you're anything like most people I talk to, your sleep might be feeling a little off. Maybe you're caught between seasons, between time zones, between restlessness and exhaustion. That's exactly where we're going to meet you today.

Let's begin by finding a comfortable seat, somewhere you can be for the next few minutes without interruption. Maybe that's your bed, your couch, or even a quiet corner where nobody's asking you for anything. Just settle in. There's nowhere else you need to be right now.

Now, let's start with something simple. I want you to notice your breath as it moves through your body, like a gentle tide coming in and going out. You're not trying to change it or perfect it. You're just noticing. As you breathe in through your nose, imagine cool, calm air filling your body like water filling a glass. Hold it for just a moment. And now exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling the warmth of release. Again, in through the nose, and out through the mouth. This simple rhythm is your anchor.

Here's where we go deeper. I want you to imagine your body as a landscape at twilight. Your shoulders? They're rolling hills that have held tension all day. With each exhale, feel those hills soften and settle. Your jaw? That's where most of us grip our worry. Gently unclench it and imagine that tension melting like candlewax. Your chest is a wide, open field where your heart can expand. Your legs and feet? They're rooting down like trees, drawing stability from the earth itself.

As you move through each part of your body, you're not forcing anything. You're simply inviting relaxation, the way you'd invite a good friend to sit on your porch. Some parts will respond immediately. Others might take their time. That's perfect.

Now, before we close, I want to give you something to take into your evening. When you lie down tonight, do this practice for just three minutes. Your nervous system is listening, and it will remember this calm. It will recognize it as a signal that sleep is coming.

Thank you so much for spending this time with me today on Sleep Soundly: Daily Mindfulness Exercises for Better Rest. Your commitment to better sleep is a gift to yourself. Please subscribe so we can do this together tomorrow night too. You've got this.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI