Bedtime Body Scan

In bed, lights out, ready for sleep.

1. 1Lie on your back. Take three soft, slow breaths.
2. 2Bring attention to your feet. Notice them. Let them soften.
3. 3Move slowly up the legs, hips, belly, chest, arms, hands, neck, jaw, eyes, forehead — pausing at each.
4. 4At each place, let go a little more. No effort, no fixing.
5. 5Finish at the crown of the head. Rest in the quiet that remains.

The Persian tradition of evening rest favored a warm foot bath and gentle attention to the body before sleep — a quiet release of the day's labor.

Body scans reduce sleep latency in clinical studies and are a core component of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).