full body scan for sleep

About this practice

Use this when you’re ready to lie down and let the day melt away before sleep. A guided session of about 8 minutes, suited to beginners. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Lie down on your back, let the mattress feel solid beneath you.
2. 0:30Close your eyes gently, and notice the weight of the blanket on your shoulders.
3. 0:58Take a slow breath in, feeling the air fill your lungs, then let it leave with a sigh.
4. 1:24Turn your attention to the tips of your toes, notice any sensation there.
5. 1:48Imagine a soft pressure, like a warm mug pressed against the sole of your foot.
6. 2:10Allow that feeling to travel up, passing the arch, the heel, the ankle.
7. 2:30Notice the skin on your calf, perhaps a faint tingling, like a cat stretching.
8. 2:48Let the awareness move to the back of your knee, just as a door closes quietly.
9. 3:04Shift to the front of your thigh, feeling the fabric of your pants against it.
10. 3:18Pause, and let the breath stay soft, as if a kettle is just about to whistle.
11. 3:30Now bring your focus to your hips, feel the contact with the mattress, the slight rise and fall with each breath.
12. 3:57Move the scan up to your lower back, notice any tightness, like a book pressed flat.
13. 4:24Glide the attention to your stomach, feel the gentle rise, as if a dog is breathing beside you.
14. 4:51Guide it to your chest, notice the rhythm, the subtle beat, like a clock ticking in a quiet room.
15. 5:18Turn to your shoulders, feel them drop about an inch, releasing the weight of the day.
16. 5:45Slide the awareness to your neck, notice the space between the collarbone and jaw, as if a soft scarf rests there.
17. 6:12Now rest on the area behind your ears, hear the faint hum of the house, a refrigerator humming.
18. 6:39Finally, settle on the crown of your head, feel the air brush the scalp, like a gentle wind through a window.
19. 7:06Stay here for a few breaths, let each exhale carry away any lingering tension.
20. 7:33When you feel ready, wiggle your fingers, open your eyes slowly, and carry this calm forward.

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.