You're not sleeping right now You're lying there awake, and it's frustrating. Maybe you've been awake for 20 minutes. Maybe it's been an hour Or maybe longer You might have noticed that your breathing is a little faster than it should be a little more shallow Your shoulders might be tight Your jaw clenched Your mind is way too active and instead of quieting down as time passes Seems to be getting more awake That's okay That happens Even though you might not believe it right now You will sleep again You're not going to lie awake forever Sleep will come You just might need a little help getting there And sometimes it's bad habits that keep us up at night Maybe you've been scrolling on your phone right before bed Maybe you had caffeine late in the day Maybe you brought work stress into the bedroom Worries about tomorrow Or maybe it's not a habit that directly affects sleep Maybe it's just a bad habit that's been weighing on you Something you keep doing that you don't want to keep doing Something that makes you feel frustrated with yourself Tonight we're going to help you with that We're going to use hypnotherapy and relaxation techniques to help you sleep We're also going to help you feel more capable of handling those bad habits in your life How to replace those old habits with healthier ones Because it's not enough to rely on willpower to just say no Instead you need to replace the old pattern with a better one and we'll show you how So you'll wake tomorrow feeling like change is actually possible Like you're not stuck But first make sure you're somewhere safe to fall asleep Like you're comfortable cozy bed If you're interested there is a full disclaimer in the show notes And if this episode helps you tonight Consider leaving a review or a rating It's the only way a small independent podcast like this can grow We are not part of the big media empire with marketing budgets and promotional teams In fact, I don't know why I keep saying we It's just me I'm more of a cottage industry than an empire So your reviews truly make all the difference and now Let's help your body settle Let's slow everything down Right now your breath is probably quick and shallow Up in your chest And that's your body's stress response It thinks there's something to worry about But there isn't You're safe There's nothing that needs your attention right now So let's change the signal that you're sending to your nervous system Place one hand on your belly And then breathe in slowly letting your belly expand first and then your chest Fill your lungs completely Hold that breath for just a moment and then exhale slowly Even slower than you breathe in Let all the air flow out Feel your belly soften Your chest lower A long slow exhale tells your body We're safe We can rest now Let's do that a few more times A slow breath in Filling your belly and filling your chest Hold for a moment and then a long slow exhale Release everything Keep breathing this way and notice how different your breathing feels now Deeper Slower Calmer Your heart rate is already starting to slow down in response Now let's release the tension your body is holding Start with your face Your forehead might be furrowed Let it smooth out Your jaw might be clenched Let your teeth part slightly And your shoulders might be up near your ears Let them drop down Let gravity pull your shoulders down into the mattress Check your hands Are your fingers curled tight? Let them open Let your palms relax Let your fingers be soft and still Check your hips and legs Are you holding tension here? Let it go Let your legs be heavy Let your feet fall naturally to the sides Completely relaxed Feel the difference in your body now You came to this episode tense Mind racing And already you're calmer more relaxed Your breathing has slowed Your muscles have released Your mind is beginning to quiet You're ready now Ready to work on those patterns that have been bothering you Ready to believe that change is possible Ready to sleep I want you to focus Completely on my voice Let it guide you Let it carry you Other sounds might drift in and out My voice is what matters now Listen carefully Trust what i'm telling you Let each word sink deep I want you to imagine something And don't worry if you've never done this before Just trust that in this visualization It's something you've enjoyed for years A hobby you love You're a cross-country skier And you're standing at the edge of a beautiful trail That winds through the winter woods It's evening Not quite dark yet But the sun is set And the stars are beginning to appear One by one The local ski club maintains this trail They've set up small lanterns along the path Warm golden lights That mark the way And make everything feel safe and welcoming You can see other skiers here and there Gliding along peacefully Their breath making small clouds in the cold air You're not alone out here This is a place people come to find peace To move their bodies To breathe the clean winter air You're dressed perfectly for this Soft gloves that keep your hands warm without being bulky Layers that keep you comfortable A hat pulled down over your ears Everything fits Just right You feel good Ready The air is crisp Each breath you take in feels clean Sharp Refreshing Carrying with it that particular scent of winter woods Pine and spruce Cold and pure With just a hint of wood smoke drifting from a distant cabin And when you exhale You can see your breath in small puffs that dissolve into the winter air It's beautiful And this is why you love doing this The snow around you is pristine White and perfect Untouched except for the groomed trail ahead The trees on either side Tall Norway pines and white birches Are dark silhouettes against the sky Snow sits on the pine boughs in thick white pillows The birch bark glows almost silver in the lantern light Everything is so still So quiet Just the soft sound of other skiers moving through the snow That distinctive whisper of skis gliding across packed snow The gentle click of their poles Their steady breathing You always sleep like a baby after skiing Something about the effort The fresh air The movement It prepares your body for the deepest sleep You're already looking forward to that feeling later Sinking into your bed Completely tired In the best way You look at the trail ahead The main trail The trail The one you always take You know it so well You've skied it hundreds of times And the track The rut where everyone's skis have gone before Is deep And smooth Your skis fit into those grooves like they were made for them When you ski this trail It's effortless It's easy It's familiar But this trail As easy as it is It doesn't take you where you want to go anymore You're ready for something different Something new So tonight You consider another path A new trail That branches off from the main one The ski club just created it It's also well lit Just like the main trail The same warm golden lanterns marking the way It's also safe And beautiful But it goes somewhere different And unlike the other trail There are no ruts No one has skied this path yet The snow is smooth And unbroken You pause On the old trail Your skis automatically fall Into those old familiar grooves It would be so easy To keep going that way But you make a choice You point your skis Toward the new trail And push off And immediately You feel the difference And hear it Your skis make a completely different sound now Not that smooth whisper But a heavier sound As they cut through Unpacked snow A muffled crunch With each push forward This is harder Your skis don't glide effortlessly Like they did in those smooth Packed ruts Instead They're cutting through fresh snow There's resistance You have to work You have to engage your muscles Your breathing Gets heavier This is what it feels like To change a habit To replace an old pattern With a new one It's not effortless It's not smooth The old habit The old trail That's easy Because you've done it so many times Your brain has carved Deep pathways But this new behavior This new habit You're trying to build It's like the fresh snow There is no pathway yet You have to create it And that takes work But you keep going Your skis are making tracks now You can see them behind you Two parallel lines in the snow You're creating the path Just by moving Through it The lanterns guide you The stars are above you A light breeze stirs the highest branches Of the pines Sending down a small cascade Of snow That catches the lantern light Like glitter As it falls And even though this is harder There's something satisfying About it too Something good About this choice About doing the harder thing Because you know It's taking you somewhere better The trail isn't long It's a loop that curves through the woods And comes back to where you started You complete it Your breathing is heavier But you did it And you know what? You're going to do it again You point your skis back At the beginning of the new trail And you push off Again It's still hard But it's a little easier Than before Because your skis can find The tracks you just made The path Is beginning to form You do it again And again And each time It gets a little easier The ruts are getting deeper The snow more packed Your body is learning the rhythm Of this new trail Your muscles are remembering What to do And listen The sound is changing too With each pass Your skis are starting to make That whisper sound again It's quieter Smoother By the fifth time And by the sixth time Your skis are starting To glide Not as smoothly As the old trail yet But so much smoother Than before By the tenth time You're moving with real speed Your skis are cutting through Easily Slowly You've created a real path Real ruts Deep And smooth And formed By your own effort By your own persistence And now Now it feels natural It feels right Your body knows this trail You're gliding across the snow With confidence And ease And even joy Your cheeks are glowing From the effort You can hear your breath Steady Rhythmic You feel so good Like you're glowing From the inside out This new habit This new path It's yours now You made it real And it feels Amazing Eventually You decide You've skied enough Your body is pleasantly tired A deep Satisfying tiredness That comes from good effort And fresh air You take off Your skis Brushing the snow from them Feeling their weight In your hands And you pack them up You head home Your boots Crunching in the snow And when you get there You're ready for bed You change Into your softest sleepwear You slide between the sheets. And your bed has never felt so good. Your body is heavy and relaxed. Your mind is quiet. You feel so good about what you did tonight. About the new path you created. But here's something to remember, even as you drift into sleep: the old trail is still there. Those deep ruts - they're still in the snow. They might get covered with fresh snow, but they're underneath. And if you're not careful, if you're not paying attention, it's easy to slip back into them. Breaking a habit - replacing it with a new one - isn't just about doing the hard work of creating the new path. It's also about staying on that new path. Choosing it again and again. But you know how to do this now. You persevered through that uncomfortable, difficult time when the new path wasn't natural yet. And eventually that new habit got easier. More natural. And every time you choose the new path instead of the old one, you're making those new ruts deeper. Stronger. Until one day, the new path is the easy path. Today, you've proven to yourself that you can change. That you can create new patterns. That you're not stuck in the old grooves forever. The truth is - replacing old habits with good ones is hard. It's uncomfortable. Your brain will resist it. Your body will resist it. Everything in you will want to go back to what's familiar, what's easy. That discomfort you feel when you try to change habit? It's real. But it won't always feel like that. It will get better. It will feel natural. Just like those ski tracks you created tonight - rough and resistant at first, but smoother with each pass. The discomfort fades. The resistance lessens. The new path becomes the easy path.You deserve good things. You deserve the life you want, without certain bad habits that are holding you back. You deserve to be free of whatever pattern has been keeping you stuck.You deserve to wake up feeling like you're moving in the right direction. Other people have broken these habits. The exact habit you're thinking of right now - someone somewhere has overcome it. It happens every day. It's not a miracle. It's not impossible. You can do it too. You've already started. Tonight, on that ski trail in your imagination, you chose the new path. You felt how hard it was. And you did it anyway. That's the whole thing right there. But now, you can rest. You can let your body sink into this bed. You can let your mind grow quiet and still. You can let sleep come, the way it always comes after a good night of skiing - easily, naturally. Feel how heavy your body is. How relaxed. How warm beneath your covers. How comfortable against your pillow. Your breathing is slow and steady, just like it was when you were gliding along that trail. The stars are still above you, even though you can't see them now. The winter night is still quiet and beautiful. And you are safe here. Warm here. Ready to rest. Tomorrow, you can choose the new path again. And the day after that. Building those ruts deeper and deeper until the new habit is just who you are. Just what you do. But tonight, you rest. Tonight, you let sleep carry you away, the way those smooth ruts carried you across the snow. You've done the work. You've made the choice. And now you can let go. Sleep is coming. You can feel it. That gentle pull toward darkness. Toward stillness. Toward deep, restorative rest. Let yourself go. Let yourself sink. Let yourself drift. The new path is waiting for you. And you know how to find it now. You know how to stay on it. You know you can do this. But for now, there's only sleep. Let it come. Let it hold you. Let it carry you through the night.