Exercise for Sleep or Relaxation

 Exercise for sleep or relaxation

I use this exercise when I am having trouble falling asleep and it has really helped me. Hopefully you won’t even have to finish the exercise to fall asleep.

Lie down, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Breathing in and out softly. You can do this sitting up or laying down just try to get into a comfortable position.

Now try really hard to see the color red behind your eyes. Breath in and out trying to see the color red. Sometime I think of apples or fire trucks, but don’t really focus on item just the color the items are. Clear your mind of everything else but the color red, if you start to think of anything else but the color red just gently pull yourself but to the color red

And when you feel like you’ve really have the color red down try to see the color orange. Breathe in and our trying to see the color orange behind your eyes. Sometimes I think or oranges or cantaloupe but don’t really focus on the items just the color the items are. Clear your mind of anything else but seeing the color orange behind your eyes,  if you start to think of anything else but the color orange just gently pull yourself but to the color orange

When you feel like you’ve got the color orange down move on to the color yellow. Breath in and out trying to see the color yellow behind your eyes. Sometimes I think of lemons or post it notes (sorry I work in an office all day) but don’t focus on the items just the color the items are. Clear your mind of anything else but seeing the color yellow behind your eyes, if you start to think of anything else but the color yellow just gently pull yourself but to the color yellow

When you feel like you’ve really got the color yellow down move onto the color green. Breath in and out trying to see the color green behind your eyes. Sometime I think of grass or limes but don’t focus on the items just the color the items are. Clear your mind of anything else but seeing the color green behind your eyes. If you start to think of anything else but the color green just gently pull yourself but to the color green.

When you feel like you’ve really got the color green down move onto the color blue. Breathe in and out trying to see the color blue behind your eyes. Sometimes I like to think of raindrops or the sky but don’t focus on the items just the color the items are. Clear your mind of anything else but seeing the blue, If you start to think of anything else but the color blue just gently pull yourself back to the color blue.

When you feel like you’ve got the color blue down move onto the color purple. Breathe in and out trying to see the color purple behind your eyes. Sometimes I like to think of plums or grapes but don’t focus on the item just the color the items are. Clear your mind of anything else if you start to think of anything else just gently pull yourself back to the color purple.

Now I want you to focus on your feet and try to relax your feet. Feel and your feet muscles since beneath you. Breathing in and out relaxes your feet deeply and fully.

Now focus on your calf’s and try to relax your calves. Feel your calf’s muscles relax beneath your. Breathing in and out relaxes your calves deeply and fully.

Now focus on your thighs and try to relax your thighs. Feel your thigh muscles relax beneath you. Breathing in and out relaxes your thighs deeply and fully.

Now focus on your hips and try to relax your hips. Feel your hip muscles relax beneath you. Breathing in and out relax your hips deeply and fully.

Now focus on your core (stomach) and trying to relax your core. Feel your core relax all the muscles. Breathing in and out relax your core deeply and fully.

Now focus on your hands and trying to relax your hands. Feel your hand muscles slowly relax. Breathing in and out relax your hands deeply and fully.

Now focus on your fore arms and try to relax your fore arms. Feel your fore arms muscles slowly relax. Breathing in and out relax your fore arms deeply and fully.

Now focus on your upper arms and trying to relax your upper arms. Feel your upper arms muscles slowly relax. Breathing in and out relax your fore arms deeply and fully.

Now focus on your shoulders and try to relax your shoulders. Feel your shoulders muscles slowly relax. Breathing in and out relax your shoulders deeply and fully.

Now focus on your neck and try to relax your neck. Feel your neck muscles slowly relax. Breathing in and out relax your neck deeply and fully.

Now focus on your head and try to relax your head. Feel your head muscles slowly relax. Breathing in and out relax your head muscles deeply and fully.

Now hopefully by the time that you finish your exercise you will be completely asleep or really relaxed. If it doesn’t work the first time I would try it again. It didn’t work for me the first time I tried but over time it works better and better for me.