Welcome to Sleep Soundly. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here. We're just a few days away from the end of the year, which means your nervous system is probably running a marathon right now. Holiday obligations, reflection on what's passed, anticipation of what's coming—it's a lot. And I'm guessing sleep feels like a luxury item you can't quite afford. Today, we're going to change that together.

Let's start by finding a comfortable place where you can really settle in. Maybe you're on your bed, maybe you're curled up on the couch. Wherever you are, let your body sink into that surface. Feel the weight of yourself being held. That's the first gift of rest—permission to be held.

Now, let's anchor ourselves with three deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four, hold it for four, and out through your mouth for six. That longer exhale tells your nervous system it's safe to land. Let's do that twice more. In for four, hold, and out for six. One more time. Feel the difference? Your shoulders are already dropping, aren't they?

Now we're going to move into our main practice, something I call the Body Scan Shimmer. Here's the thing about sleep—our bodies are constantly holding tension we don't even know is there. Think of tension like static electricity. We need to discharge it.

Starting at the crown of your head, imagine a warm, golden light moving slowly downward. As it passes over your forehead, feel any tightness melting like butter on warm toast. Pause there. Let it soften. Now that light moves to your eyes, your cheeks, your jaw. So many of us clench our jaws at night without realizing it. Give yourself permission to uncurl that tension. Let your tongue rest softly on the floor of your mouth.

Moving down your neck and shoulders now—this is where we carry the weight of the world, literally. Let that golden warmth seep in. Feel it releasing knot by knot. Down through your chest, your heart space. This is where anxiety loves to hide. Acknowledge it's there, and let that light gentle it into quietness.

Continue that shimmer down your arms, all the way to your fingertips. Your belly. Your low back—oh, that precious low back. Your hips, thighs, calves, and finally, all the way down to the soles of your feet, grounding you into the earth.

Take three more gentle breaths here, in this spaciousness you've created.

As you move through your evening, carry this one thought with you: rest is not something you earn. It's something you deserve, especially now, as this year closes. Practice this body scan shimmer each night, and I promise you'll notice the difference.

Thank you so much for listening to Sleep Soundly: Daily Mindfulness Exercises for Better Rest. Please subscribe so you never miss a practice. Sweet dreams are waiting for you.

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