Ep 187: From Top to Toe: How to Let Go When Your Mind Won't Slow

Ever found yourself staring at the ceiling, mind racing, unable to drift off to sleep? You're not alone. This episode was born from a conversation with one of my middle school clients who shared she'd been using regular podcast episodes to help calm her mind on sleepless nights. Together, we realized what she truly needed was a dedicated guided relaxation - and that's exactly what this special episode delivers. Thanks Liv!

Guided relaxations are among my favorite tools to share with children because they provide a simple yet powerful pathway to calm. Using the gentle imagery of a warm wave washing over the body, I'll guide you (or your child) through systematically releasing tension from the top of your head all the way down to your toes. You'll discover areas where you unconsciously hold stress and learn how to let it go through conscious breathing and body awareness.

What makes this practice particularly special is its versatility. While perfect for bedtime struggles, it works equally well for daytime moments when overwhelm strikes. The recording provides clear guidance for both scenarios - either drifting peacefully to sleep or gently returning to your day feeling refreshed and centered. Parents tell me their children often request this relaxation when they're feeling anxious or having trouble settling down.

Whether you're a parent seeking tools to help your child develop emotional regulation skills or someone looking for a moment of calm in your own busy life, this guided relaxation offers a gentle reset button. The practice takes just under thirteen minutes but provides benefits that last much longer. Give yourself or your child this gift of calm - your nervous system will thank you!

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:20):
Welcome to the Stress Mammy, the podcast where
we take the overwhelm out ofparenting and help kids and
parents build calm, confidence,and connection.
I'm your host, Lindsay Miller,kids' mindfulness coach and
cheerleader for busy familieseverywhere.
Each week we'll explore simpletools, uplifting stories, and
practical strategies to helpyour child learn emotional

(00:42):
regulation, resilience, andself-confidence, while giving
you a little more peace of mindtoo.
I'm so glad you're here.
Hi there.
A few weeks ago, I was having aconversation with one of my
middle school clients.
She mentioned to me that she hadbeen listening to the podcast on
a night when she couldn't go tosleep.
And she needed to listen tosomething to help her mind

(01:04):
settle.
So she had just listened to aregular episode.
As we got to chatting, we talkedabout what might have been
supportive and what tools couldhave been useful for her in
those moments.
And we decided that wedefinitely needed a recorded
guided relaxation for momentslike that.
Because while the podcast isgreat, there's nothing quite

(01:25):
like a guided relaxation whenit's time for bed.
So this episode is dedicated tolive, but I hope everybody is
able to enjoy this guidedrelaxation.
It's one of my favorite tools toshare with kids because it's a
really simple and effective wayto settle.
So wherever you are, go aheadand take a deep breath in.

(01:51):
If you're somewhere where youcan close your eyes and you feel
comfortable closing your eyes,go ahead and do that and make
yourself comfortable.
Adjust anything around you.
If you're laying down, feel freeto adjust your pillow.
Adjust any blankets.
Really just get nice and cozyand settle in for a little bit

(02:16):
more calm.
Now with your eyes closed andyour body comfortable, go ahead
and take another deep breath in.
And then let it out.
And then another deep breath in.

(02:38):
And let it out.
Now we're gonna imaginerelaxation washing over us like
a nice warm wave.
So beginning at the top of yourhead, notice your scalp where
your hair is attached to yourhead, and imagine relaxation

(03:04):
like a wave moving over yourscalp, down the sides of your
head.
Imagine relaxation moving toyour forehead, so loosen any
tension that you're holding.
Maybe you're scrunching youreyebrows together, maybe you're

(03:28):
trying to squeeze your eyestight shut.
Just really let go and let themuscles in your face relax.
So no lines in your forehead, noscrunched up eyes, just a gently
relaxed forehead, gently relaxedeyes.

(03:50):
Imagine that warm wave ofrelaxation flowing over your
forehead, down across your eyes,letting go of any tension you're
holding in your eyes.
Feel relaxation move throughyour nose and your cheeks.

(04:13):
Let go of any tension thatyou're holding in your jaw.
So if you're clenching your jawclosed, let it go and let your
mouth open up a little bit justgently.
Imagine that warm wave ofrelaxation moving through your
whole head.

(04:33):
So from the top of your head,again, down your forehead to
your eyes, your eyebrows, youreyelids, your nose, your cheeks,
your jaw.
Make sure your ears are relaxed.

(04:53):
And then feel that warm wave ofrelaxation moving from your ears
down to your neck.
Now you might be scrunching upyour shoulders a little bit, or
you might notice that there's alittle bit of tightness in your
neck, like your neck is working.
Let your head relax intowhatever surfaces behind you so

(05:15):
your neck doesn't have any workto do.
And let your body relax.
So that warm wave of relaxationis moving from the top of your
head all the way through downyour face, down the sides of
your head, down your neck, andinto your shoulders.

(05:36):
So again, make sure thoseshoulders aren't scrunched up.
Just lean back into whateversurface you're on and allow your
shoulders to relax.
Feel that warm wave ofrelaxation moving from your
shoulders down your arms.

(05:59):
So your biceps and your triceps,those are the top part of your
arms by your shoulder, and thendown through your elbows, and
then your forearms.
Let your wrists totally relaxand your hands.
So if you're clenching yourhands, let them go and just
relax those fingers, relax thepalms of your hands.

(06:24):
So now that warm wave ofrelaxation is moving from the
top of our head all the way downour face, all the way down our
neck, through our shoulders, andthen on our arms all the way to
our fingertips.
So feel the whole top part ofyou relaxing.

(06:48):
And then as we continue, allowthat relaxation wave to move
from your shoulders all the waydown your torso.
So let go of any tension you'reholding in your back or in your
belly.
Let all the muscles in yourchest relax.

(07:09):
Let all the muscles in your backrelax.
So again, make sure you're justletting whatever surface you're
on support you.
So just lean back into it andnotice that you don't have to
hold on to anything.
You can just let go and relax.

(07:30):
And then feel that relaxationmove from your back, that warm
wave of relaxation.
Let it move to your hips andyour seat.
And then let it flow all the waydown your legs.
So you're feeling relaxed inyour quads.
That's the top of your legs andyour hamstrings, the backs of

(07:53):
your legs.
And then let your knees relax.
So if your knees are tight andyour legs are super, super
straight, you might want to justlet them bend a tiny bit so they
can relax.
If you have a pillow, you canprop that pillow up under your
knees, and that feels reallynice too.

(08:14):
So feel that wave of relaxation.
Move from your knees down yourshins and your calves through
your ankles, through the tops ofyour feet, and then through the
bottoms of your feet.
Those feet have been working sohard for you.

(08:36):
So let's give them a break.
And then through your toes, soall of you is relaxed from the
top of your head all the waydown.
That warm wave of relaxationjust travels down the whole

(08:56):
length of your body.
All your muscles are resting.
You're not clenching anything,like holding your muscles tight.
You're letting go, letting go ofany tension.
Now, in this place where we'reso relaxed, and if you don't
feel relaxed quite yet, that'sokay.

(09:18):
You can just keep letting go oftension as you notice it.
And it's okay if you don't feeltotally relaxed right now.
Just keep breathing and allowyourself with every inhale to
breathe in, calm.

(09:39):
And then with every exhale,breathe out any tension.
So that's like when we'resqueezing our muscles really
tight and we just feel likereally tight all over.
That's tension.
So we want to try to let thatgo.
So every time you exhale, justlet go of a little more tension.

(09:59):
So breathing in, calm.
Imagining every time you breathein, that that warm wave of
relaxation is just flowingthrough you.
And then as you breathe out, letgo of any tension that wave
finds.
So if you have that wavetraveling through you and you

(10:22):
notice tension or tightnessanywhere in your body, when you
exhale, when you breathe out,let that tension go.
So with every inhale, you're alittle bit more relaxed.
And with every exhale, you'reeven more relaxed.

(10:45):
Inhale, calm, and exhale,tension, the stress, anything
that makes you feel tight.
Inhale, calm.
Remember that warm wave ofrelaxation moving through us.

(11:09):
And if there's any tension, letthat go when you let go of the
breath.
If you're doing this before bed,this recording will end really
soon, and you can just drift offto sleep.
If you're doing this at anothertime of day, in order to have a

(11:33):
little bit of a calm moment, youcan slowly start to bring
awareness back by wiggling yourfingers, maybe touching your
thumbs against your fingertips.
And you can take a deep breathin and then open your eyes and
start to move slowly back intoyour day.

(11:54):
But again, if you're doing thisbefore bed, you'll hear a little
bit of music and then you canjust drift off to sleep.
Thanks for doing relaxation withme.
Until next time.