simple breath awareness for sleep

About this practice

Use this before bedtime when you want to settle into rest. A guided session of about 6 minutes, suited to beginners. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Sit on the edge of your bed, feet flat, shoulders relaxed.
2. 0:20Close your eyes gently, let the darkness settle around you.
3. 0:42Place one hand on your chest, the other on your belly.
4. 1:00Take a slow inhale through the nose, feeling the air fill the lower ribs.
5. 1:30Exhale through the mouth, hearing the soft sigh like a kettle cooling.
6. 1:58Notice the pause between breaths, a quiet moment like a leaf hanging on a branch.
7. 2:14Bring your attention back to the rise of your chest, as steady as a tide pulling back.
8. 2:42Inhale again, count to four, then let the count fall away as you release.
9. 3:00Feel the air leave your nostrils, a gentle stream over a stone.
10. 3:14If a thought drifts in, name it—like a dog barking outside—and let it pass.
11. 3:34Return to the breath, noticing the coolness on the inhale, the warmth on the exhale.
12. 3:50Now widen the space between breaths, let each inhale linger a beat longer.
13. 4:20Observe the subtle movement of your belly, a slow swell.
14. 4:32Allow any tension in your shoulders to melt, as if a warm wash runs over them.
15. 4:56Breathe out any tightness, hear it like a sigh from an old house.
16. 5:10Stay here for a few breaths, simply feeling the rhythm.
17. 5:28When you feel ready, open your eyes slowly.
18. 5:38Carry this calm into the night, and let sleep come.

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