Drifting Into Rest: A Full-Body Scan for Deep Relaxation

Tonight’s meditation is an invitation to slow down and gently transition from wakefulness into rest.

We begin by settling into the space where you’ll sleep—tending to the small external details that help your body and nervous system feel safe and uninterrupted. From there, we turn inward, using breath and awareness to soften mental activity and release the day.

This guided practice moves through a slow, full-body scan, inviting curiosity rather than effort. Sensations are noticed without judgment—pressure, warmth, heaviness, vibration, or even the absence of sensation. There is nothing to fix and nothing to force.

You may find yourself drifting in and out of awareness, or even falling asleep before the meditation ends. That’s not a mistake—it’s part of the design. This practice meets you exactly where you are and supports your body’s natural intelligence for rest.

As we close, you’re guided into a sense of energetic ease and spaciousness, reminding you that this state of relaxation is something you can return to anytime.

✨ Best enjoyed lying down in bed
✨ Safe to fall asleep during
✨ Perfect for winding down at the end of the day

Sweet dreams.

Chapters

• 0:01 Guided Body Scan Meditation for Sleep
• 15:24 Guided Body Scan Meditation for Sleep

Transcript

Lisa Hopkins: 0:01

Take a moment to get yourself settled in the place where you are going to sleep tonight. Pause the track if you'd like. Just make sure that you've taken care of anything that might distract you. It could be a light that's shining that needs to be covered, or perhaps a door that you prefer to be closed. Whatever it is. Take care of any of the external things that might potentially interrupt this practice. Once you've got yourself settled, take a few deep grounding breaths just to settle into your new space. Even though you sleep here every night, take a moment with your eyes open to notice something that you haven't noticed before. Notice yourself noticing, but don't attribute any meaning to what you see. Just know that it's always been there, should you choose to look at it. And then draw your attention back to your breathing. And start to listen to the internal things that might be vying for your attention in this moment. And again, simply notice them. If you notice thoughts such as worries or concerns arising that take your attention away from the meditation, know that it is perfectly normal. Just see if you can redirect your attention back to the meditation. Gently letting go of those thoughts if it's possible. Close your eyes. And as you do the meditation, you may find yourself drifting off to sleep. That is totally fine. Start to notice and draw awareness around what it feels like when your body is lying down on the bed or the surface on which you are lying in this moment. Take notice of all the sensations that are present. And in a moment we will be scanning the body for any kinds of obvious sensations, vibrations, heaviness, pressure, movement, heat. We'll be noticing these sensations without trying to change them or challenge them or make them any different. We'll simply be bringing mindful attention and curiosity and openness to the present moment. As we do this body scan, and you start to notice yourself drifting away from thinking about the sensation or thinking about something else, see if you can just come back to the feelings and sensations that are present in your body right now. If you need a few more moments to settle into the quiet before we begin, go ahead and pause the track. Otherwise, we will begin. Simply bring your attention to the very top of your head and notice what you may feel. You might notice some vibration or pressure or tension. Now allow your attention to notice your skull as it makes contact with a bed or pillow or surface that you're lying on.

Speaker 2: 6:12

There might be a sense of pressure. Notice the weight. Notice how the breath affects the weight of the skull on the pillow. Just notice any sensation.

Lisa Hopkins: 6:36

And simply be curious about the sensation, feeling them. Sometimes when you encounter a sensation, there's an urge to release the tension or to change something. If you can, just allow it to gently relax.

Speaker 2: 7:05

And if that doesn't seem possible, simply notice what it is that you feel.

Lisa Hopkins: 7:19

Notice your face area, your forehead, your eyes, your nose. Notice your cheeks and your mouth. There may be tingly sensations, sensations of temperature or tightness. Let it all be there. Be curious about your experience. Now begin to notice the sensations in your throat and your neck. And become aware of anything that's present for you in this moment. And your shoulder area. If at any point you notice tension arising, sometimes just noticing may help you release the tension and begin to relax. If it feels extremely tense, you can breathe gently and direct that breathing into the area to allow it to soften.

Speaker 2: 8:55

And if it still stays tense, just continue on with your body scan. Bring your attention to your left shoulder.

Lisa Hopkins: 9:19

And then gently across your back and to your right shoulder.

Speaker 2: 9:35

And now bring your attention to your arm.

Lisa Hopkins: 9:42

Go down your arm, noticing any vibration coolness or heat, pressure, or movement.

Speaker 2: 10:03

As you reach your elbow and your lower arm, and then your hand.

Lisa Hopkins: 10:24

Notice your hands and fingers. If it feels right, go ahead and circle both your wrists. As if you're turning a knob, your left hand to the left, and your right hand to the right, feeling all your fingers. And then starting with your pinky finger, draw your fingers into a fist and tightly squeeze both fists as hard as you can for one, two, three, and then gently release. Feel the sensation of your hands and arms back on the bed or surface that you're lying on. And just notice what it feels like. The weight, the temperature, whatever comes to mind, whatever feeling you're noticing. Now let your attention circle back to the top of your shoulders. Notice the shoulder area soften and breathe. Begin to bring your attention down your back. You can zigzag it across your back or make an up and down movement in your mind. You can circle like a racetrack infinity shape. Anywhere that feels good. Feel the sensation of your back touching the bed, the pressure, the weight. Sometimes there's not much sensation at all. Just be open and curious to whatever the experience is. Notice your upper back and your middle back. And draw your attention to the sensations in your lower back, making sure you continue to breathe. If thoughts crop up as you're doing this, once again, see if you can let them go. Let them be like clouds floating in the sky. Moving across your mind. No need to take them personally. Just let them go if possible. Now bring your attention back to my words and to this body scan meditation. Bring your attention to the top of your chest area and let yourself gently scan your chest down to the upper rib cage into through and around the stomach area. See if you can soften your stomach. If you like, you can tighten all areas of the body that we've already scanned and hold for a few moments and then just let them relax. Take the opportunity to breathe in a little more deeply here. Directing your breath into your belly area, allowing it to soften and relax. You can notice your pelvis, the whole pelvic area, the places where your body connects with the bed, feeling whatever sensations are present. And now gently bring your attention first to your left hip. And start to bring your awareness down your left leg, noticing the sensations in your thigh. You can circle your attention gently around the leg. It doesn't need to be linear, it can be cyclical, round and round underneath between you and the bed. Whatever feels right, noticing whatever is obvious to you, and remembering to breathe. Draw attention to your leg and then to your knee and your left calf, noticing whatever is present. Itching warmth, coolness, heaviness, vibration, tingling, heat, or maybe nothing at all. Let it be here, whatever it is. And now notice your ankle, your foot, and your toes. There may be quite a bit of sensation in your feet. Whether there is or not, just be aware of whatever is there for you. Take a moment to circle your left ankle if you like, or just remain still. Now come back to your right hip and notice the sensations there. And once again, bring your attention down your thigh, feeling whatever is present. You can circle your attention, you can swirl the energy around and under. Notice how the energy makes you feel. Feel the vibration and the tinkling. And now to your knee and down your leg to your calf, feeling all the sensations that are present for you. And now down to your right ankle, your foot, and finally your toes.

Speaker 2: 18:29

Circle your right ankle if you like. And then let it go.

Lisa Hopkins: 18:45

If this is enough, then just relax here and continue your breathing. And imagine Imagine that your body has an aura of light and energy around.

Speaker 2: 19:12

Expand into that energy, and as you expand, that energy will swirl through you and lead you to a beautiful sleep. You created this relaxation. You have recirculated your energy. This is for you and from you.

Lisa Hopkins: 19:52

And you always have access to this place. I am honored to have been here with you, guiding you through this meditation and this body scan. And I wish you love and light for a beautiful sleep.

Speaker 2: 20:27

Namaste.