SPEEDY BEDTIME SOOTHER

UNWINDING before bed calls for slowing your breath and climbing deep inside the cosiest parts of yourself. The best way to do this is with easy breathing practices or guided meditations that focus on relaxation and letting go of the day. Try this abdominal breathing to power down:

Time: ten to 30 minutes

■ FIND a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed. Get into a relaxed position, whether lying down or sitting up.

■ PUT your hands on your abdomen, gently close your mouth and touch your tongue to your upper palate.

■ BEGIN to breathe through your nose. If your nose is blocked for any reason, it is fine to breathe through your mouth.

■ INHALE deeply and slowly into your abdomen (rather than your chest), being aware of your diaphragm moving downward and your abdomen expanding. Your hands on your abdomen will feel the expansion like a balloon filling.

■ AT THE end of the inhalation, don’t hold the breath; exhale slowly, so that your abdomen falls automatically as you exhale.

■ TRY to get all the breath out of your lungs on the expiration. The expiration should normally be about twice as long as the inhalation when you get relaxed.

■ KEEP repeating this, keeping your focus on your hands rising on the abdomen with inhalation and falling as you exhale.