Hello, and welcome to Sleep Soundly. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. It's late afternoon on a Tuesday in February, and I'm guessing your mind might be doing that thing where it's already spinning through tonight's to-do list, tomorrow's worries, maybe even replaying something from this morning that you wish you'd handled differently. Sound familiar? That's exactly why we're together right now. Let's settle in and create some space between you and all of that noise.

Start by finding a comfortable seat, somewhere you won't be disturbed for the next few minutes. This could be your couch, a chair, the floor with a pillow, wherever feels right. Go ahead and get settled. Good. Now, place one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Just notice what that feels like without changing anything yet.

Take a breath in through your nose, slow and natural, and out through your mouth. One more time. In through the nose, and out. Feel that? That's your nervous system already starting to downshift. Nice work.

Now we're going to try something I call the Evening Release practice, and it's going to help your body understand that it's safe to let go of the day's tension before you even get to bedtime. Here's how it works. As you breathe in, imagine gathering all the heaviness from your shoulders, your jaw, your lower back, anywhere you're holding stress. Picture it like clouds gathering. Then as you breathe out, imagine those clouds dissolving completely, drifting away like smoke in the wind. Breathe in, gathering. Out, releasing. In, gathering. Out, releasing. There's no effort here, just the gentle act of noticing and letting go.

Keep going with this rhythm. With each exhale, feel yourself becoming a little lighter, a little softer. Your shoulders dropping. Your face relaxing. Your belly releasing. You're not doing anything wrong. You're not fixing anything. You're simply showing your body what relaxation feels like, and your nervous system is taking notes. It's learning that rest is safe.

Continue for a few more breaths on your own. I'll be here with you. And whenever you're ready, gently bring your awareness back to the room. Maybe wiggle your fingers and toes. Notice the ground beneath you.

Here's my gift to you for the rest of your day and tonight. Whenever you feel that afternoon tension creeping back in, pause and do three rounds of that gathering and releasing breath. Just three. It only takes thirty seconds, and it's like sending your body an early message that bedtime is coming, and everything is going to be okay.

Thank you so much for joining me on Sleep Soundly today. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a practice. Sweet dreams are waiting.

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