Yoga Nidra for when you cannot sleep.
Lie down in a comfortable position.
There is nothing you need to fix about this moment.
Even if sleep feels far away,
Rest is still possible.
Let the body be supported now.
Feel the weight of you being held.
The night is not something to struggle against,
But rather something to soften into.
Become aware of the space around you.
The quiet of the room.
The stillness of the night.
Even in wakefulness there is a kind of peace available.
You are allowed to rest,
Even if you do not sleep.
Bring awareness to your breath.
No need to change anything just now.
Just noticing the breath that is here already.
Tuning in or returning to just this breath.
Breath coming in.
And breath going out.
Now gently begin to lengthen the exhale.
Inhale softly through the nose.
And exhale slowly,
As if releasing into the dark.
Let the exhale be slightly longer than the inhale.
Like a tide going out.
Soft inhale through the nose.
Slightly longer exhale,
Releasing into the dark.
With each exhale,
The body unwinds just a little more.
Like a tide going out.
We'll move slowly now through the body,
But without precision or effort.
Just a soft awareness.
Bring attention to the forehead,
Softening,
To the eyes,
Resting back,
Jaw unclenched.
Neck,
Shoulders,
Allowing them to drop,
Heavy,
Chest no holding.
Belly,
Rising and falling,
Hips,
Feet.
Let the whole body feel heavier,
Quieter.
If the mind wanders,
That's okay.
No problem.
Just the mind doing what it does.
Each time you notice,
Simply return again and again to the feeling of the body resting.
Imagine now a quiet,
Nice landscape.
You are lying beneath a vast,
Open sky.
The land is still and deeply at peace.
Above you,
Stars appear,
Steady,
Ancient,
Unhurried.
The night does not rush.
It does not ask anything of you.
In Celtic understanding,
The night was a sacred threshold,
A time when the veil softens and the soul can rest more freely.
Let yourself be part of this night,
Not separate from it.
The earth beneath you is warm,
Steady,
Like a quiet companion,
A kind of anamkara,
A soul friend,
Holding you through the dark.
Now gently release even the idea of sleep.
You do not need to fall asleep.
You are simply resting.
Sometimes it is in the letting go of trying that sleep finds its way back.
Let the body rest.
Let the mind drift.
And if sleep should come,
Let it take you.
There is nothing more to do.
No need to listen closely now.
You can follow the sound of my voice,
Or let it fade into the background.
Resting,
Floating,
Held by the night.
