Yoga Nidra For Deep Sleep

Struggling with restless nights? This 30-minute Yoga Nidra meditation - and the soothing crackling fire sounds - will help you relax deeply, release stress, and drift into a restful sleep.

Perfect for insomnia relief, anxiety reduction and deep relaxation.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to Journey to Mindfulness.

My name is Letitia and today I'll guide you through a deep sleep yoga nidra.

So this practice is different from traditional yoga nidra.

Normally yoga nidra is like being asleep but with the added benefit of remaining alert and aware.

But the intention here is to help you fall into regular sleep.

So this practice will help you release physical,

Emotional and mental tensions to clear the decks for a good night's rest.

This enables you to begin drifting from being awake into becoming drowsy and getting sleepier until you doze off into sleep.

Your body and mind already know how to sleep and to benefit from dreams.

However,

Many of us get off track and struggle with going to sleep and staying asleep.

We all have nights when we feel half awake and half asleep.

And other nights when the body is asleep but we feel awake emotionally or mentally.

This practice can help by flushing out body-mind stress so concerns don't follow us into sleep.

If you should awaken before it is time,

This gives you a solution to use instead of stressing out.

You will be able to drift easily back to sleep by using the skills provided here for help in riding the ups and downs of sleeping or simply enjoy resting into the beauty of the night.

Establish and use a routine at bedtime so you can get the seven to nine hours of sleep needed nightly for restoring your health and energy.

Try to go to bed and get up at roughly the same time,

Even on weekends.

Turn down the lights,

The darker the better.

Unplug your devices and set aside whatever might distract you from sleeping.

Going to sleep takes about 20 minutes for most people.

There's no need to feel rushed.

Feel free to go along with this meditation as much or as little as you like until you go to sleep.

Change it to suit yourself.

The practice always adapt to you.

It's always up to you.

So please now give yourself permission to enjoy the process of yoga nidra awareness while you transition into dozing off and sink into deep sleep.

Now is the time to slow down,

To have a good night of rest with some sound sleep,

Knowing you'll wake up at the appropriate time feeling rested and refreshed.

Get yourself comfortable.

You can be on your back,

On your side or a stomach.

In other words,

However you like to go to sleep.

And then gently close your eyes.

It's like lowering the shades.

Nice and comfy.

It's time for allowing your daytime awareness to gradually recede so night time and sleeping awareness can expand into sleeping soundly.

Remember just how special and important sleeping and dreaming are for your well-being.

It is time to cross the bridge from wakefulness into sleeping and dreaming.

Taking whatever time is needed for this.

And as you are crossing this bridge,

You can start to unload and clear away whatever you want.

For instance,

What's no longer needed that you might want to toss off the bridge.

What might get in your way of having restful sleep and beneficial dreams.

Saying goodbye to these things,

At least for now,

So they won't bother your sleep.

Please take a big breath in and sigh it out.

And again,

Deep breath in through the nose and empty the breath through the mouth.

And now remembering what will help you feel protected and safe during the night.

Imagine being surrounded by whatever you would like to have around you that's reassuring for you.

Perhaps there's people,

Animals,

Guardians or special things.

Anything that's comforting and will support sleeping.

Imagine this now.

And perhaps you may want to plant some seeds for having some helpful dreams.

Ones that have insights.

Dreams are beneficial and if you like being able to remember them later on.

During this valuable transition,

You're welcome to recall a few areas of your life you're grateful for.

And now perhaps taking this time to checking yourself in even better.

Perhaps stretch if you wish,

Shift around to get more and more settled.

Adjusting your covers and pillows to get even more comfortable and cozy.

And gently remind yourself that it's time for sleeping through the night.

Use your own words to ask for cooperation and support from your body,

Your mind and soul for a good night's rest.

We'll continue moving through the process of going to sleep and enjoying the experience of yoga nidra.

Allowing your body to release tension and settle into stillness.

Enabling your mind to clear away thoughts that clutter up awareness.

Sweeping them away while emotions fade into the background.

Feel free to yawn,

Just open your mouth up real wide,

Breathe in,

In,

In and let yourself yawn.

You can try this a few times.

Open your mouth real wide,

Breathe in,

In,

In and let yourself yawn.

And now please bring your attention to your mouth,

Moving your toe up and down and all around.

And now coming to rest,

Perhaps moistening your lips and letting the corners of your lips quiet down into softness.

Pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth.

Softening your tongue more and more.

Until it kind of hovers in there.

There is no need for attention.

Softening your tongue relaxes the mind all nice and quiet.

And taking your attention to your forehead.

With your eyes closed,

Begin lifting and lowering your eyebrows.

To rest,

Smoothing out this entire area.

Even though your eyes are closed,

You still have vision,

Inner vision.

All that's needed is to gaze at the inside of your eyelids and softly towards the middle of the eyebrows.

Like watching a movie screen.

Dark,

There may be splotches of colours,

Images or glimmers of light.

It doesn't matter what appears and disappears.

It's about impartially watching whatever is coming and going.

And each time your mind wanders,

Simply shift your attention back to gazing inside.

Simply,

Softly gazing with quiet eyes.

Feel free to fall asleep anytime.

Now let your hearing expand into listening off into the far distance.

Letting the sounds come and go without having to name them or react in any way.

Only listening to the distant sounds.

And now listening to the nearby sounds as they come and go.

And if they happen,

Simply letting the sounds be heard,

Plain and simple.

And now letting the sounds blend,

Coming and going.

And if distracting sounds should happen,

Allow them to help deepen your experience.

Simply notice how it sounds and let it go,

Perhaps focusing on something else.

And now gently squeeze your hands into a ball,

Like a bud of a flower.

And to slowly let your fingers unfold,

Like a bud becomes a bloom.

Allowing your hands and fingers to rest comfortably more and more.

Wiggle your toes.

Maybe you want to take another yawn,

Or a big breath in through the nose.

And a sigh out through the mouth.

And a sigh out through the mouth.

Remembering that it's okay to go to sleep anytime.

It is time to move your awareness throughout your body.

Feel free to silently repeat each body part as it's named.

You might enjoy getting a concept of it,

A sense of feeling it,

Or even picture it,

Whatever comes easiest for you.

Bringing restfulness all around as we go.

There's no need to move at all.

Simply letting your mind's eye follow along from place to place.

Bringing restful sleep throughout your mind and body.

Mentally find your right hand.

Sensing where your right hand is,

And the right thumb.

The first finger,

The middle finger,

The ring finger,

And the pinky finger.

The palm of the hand,

The back of the hand,

The wrist,

The elbow,

The right shoulder top,

The armpit,

The heel,

Bottom of the foot,

Top of the foot,

The second toe,

The third toe,

The fourth toe,

The baby toe,

And now the whole foot.

The whole entire foot.

And now mentally find your left hand.

Sensing your left hand,

The left thumb,

The first finger,

The middle finger,

The ring finger,

And the pinky finger.

The palm of the hand,

The bottom of the foot,

The second toe,

The third toe,

The fourth toe,

And the baby toe.

Having a direct experience of your whole foot.

If you get distracted,

It's no big deal.

Simply bring your attention back to whatever you're doing.

Moving your awareness now to the base of your spine,

Up to your lower back,

Mid back,

All the way to the top of your head.

And now to the right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Between the eyebrows.

Feeling your eyelids getting heavier and heavier.

Right eyeball,

Left eyeball,

And the line between your eyelids.

The line between your eyelids.

Letting your eyes rest.

Gazing at the inside of your eyelids,

Watching whatever's happening.

Left cheek,

And the corners of the lips.

And now going inside the mouth,

Sensing the inside of the mouth.

Start pressing the tongue into the roof of your mouth,

Or the back of your teeth,

And letting your tongue rest,

Softening it more and more.

Now to the throat,

And the base of the spine.

Becoming aware of the presence of your entire right leg,

The whole of your right leg.

And becoming aware of your entire left leg,

The whole left leg.

And now both legs at the same time.

Both legs.

Now being aware of your right arm,

The entire right arm,

Just for now.

And the whole left arm,

The entire left arm.

And both arms at the same time.

Moving now to the whole back side of your body,

Sensing the entire back side of your body.

And now the front side of your body.

The entire front side.

And both sides together as one.

Sensing your head and face,

And your head and face at the same time.

Being aware now of your whole self,

You're more than welcome to move around for more comfort.

Shifting and adjusting your position,

Your covers,

Your clothes,

For more comfort.

So you can easily go to sleep,

Right when it's time for sleeping.

And now bring your attention to your breathing.

Breathing through your nose,

Using your mouth only to the amount it's needed.

Begin to focus on your exhalation,

Focusing on breathing out,

And letting the inhalation take care of itself.

Following your exhalation out again and again,

As it naturally happens.

Each time you naturally breathe out,

You may begin to silently say,

Going out,

Or simply,

Out.

Silently saying out,

While breathing out for the next few minutes.

And softening your tongue,

Continuing to breathe as effortlessly as possible.

Letting go more and more,

And falling asleep any time.

Letting a wave of healing relaxation rinse through you.

Allowing it to start at the top of the head,

Calming your mind,

Brushing away tension and unnecessary thoughts,

And making room for soothing sleep and beneficial dreams.

Brushing and rinsing away emotions and feelings.

This wave of relaxation begins to wash down your neck and shoulders.

Continuing down your arms to your fingertips,

Rinsing away any thoughts or memories,

Emotions,

Or feelings.

Making way for pure awareness.

Brushing away injuries and hurts past or present.

Healing and restoring.

Washing and rinsing all around the top of your torso.

And when you're ready,

It goes all around your heart and lungs.

Gently removing what's no longer needed.

Clearing and cleansing.

And on into all the other vital organs.

Rinsing and clearing and settling down into rest and restoration.

And this wave of rest and relaxation begins pouring in and around your hips.

Going all around your hips.

And it's moving down your legs.

Taking away any thoughts and memories,

Any feelings or emotions.

Just rinsing and brushing all the way down to your feet and toes.

Washing tension completely and safely away.

And now you can use this technique wherever you might want to use it.

To continue to cleanse and clear away distractions.

Leaving a sense of peacefulness inside.

It is okay to drift off to sleep if you're ready.

And to cycle naturally through all the valuable levels of sleep.

Restoring your body,

Your mind and soul.

Otherwise,

You may want to continue to let your breathing soothe you more and more.

Like a lullaby.

Listening to it like a comforting song.

Dropping distracting thoughts and feelings into the stream of your breath.

To be carried away.

Softening your tongue more and more.

Again and again.

And having your eyes become very quiet.

Comforted by your breath.

The cover and protection of the eyelids.

Softly gazing at the inside of the eyelids.

Like watching a movie.

Knowing it's okay to either hover for a little longer on the edge of sleep.

Or to drop off into sleep.

Sleep well.

Reviews

Wonderful Yoga Nidra session-I was out like a light ! 💡