60-Minute Peaceful Yoga Nidra Meditation For Insomnia

This 60-minute meditation offers a sanctuary from the stressors of the day to promote healing from insomnia. I combine trauma-informed care with evidence-based, transformative practices to help you navigate life's challenges with compassion and clarity. This particular guided meditation incorporates a modified Yoga Nidra technique to induce a deep state of unconscious sleep to alleviate insomnia.

This technique differs slightly from standard Non-Sleep Deep Rest forms of Yoga Nidra, so the technique differs from my other meditations that are designed to induce a state of deep rest with trace awareness. This special meditation is designed to help you surrender to deep unconscious sleep, which is inspired by Ally Boothroyd's Transformational Sleep Yoga Nidra Teacher Training program.

Enjoy this music "Pure Nature Sounds-Ocean Waves", composed and licensed from Music of Wisdom. An image named "Lighthouse Tower Under Starry Night" by Zetong Li via Pexels.

Transcript

Welcome.

Thank you for joining me today.

This Yoga Nidra practice is specifically designed to help you find a good night's sleep.

Know that Yoga Nidra can work in a therapeutic way to help you find deep relaxation and calm anxiety that contributes to insomnia.

Following my guidance in this meditation,

We will do a body scan together,

Some breath work,

And I will take you on a guided journey to embrace a sensation of deep,

Deep peace.

And know that even if sleep does not come,

You will be guided into a state of deep relaxation,

And your nervous system will be benefiting from this meditation.

So letting go of attachment to the outcome,

Surrender now,

And follow my guidance as we explore today's meditation.

Focus now on the image of a lighthouse,

A beacon of light that sends a message of peace as you come home from the adventures of the day.

Whether you were out having fun or busy working,

Or perhaps you got caught up in the current of the day and feel somewhat adrift,

So drop anchor now for a moment and turn to a lighthouse,

A safe harbor,

A place to be mindful of lessons learned and knowing as the day ends,

This too will pass.

The lighthouse reminds you,

I am peace.

As you enter into this journey,

First make sure you're physically supported on your back,

Lying in your bed,

Adjust your blankets.

You may choose to use an eye mask to embrace the darkness.

Sometimes it helps to turn the head slightly to the right,

Settling into a state ready for sleep.

Your arms are resting softly at your side,

Palms facing up.

And if that feels uncomfortable to you,

It may be helpful to turn to a position on your side.

Either way,

You may want a pillow to support your neck and your knees.

Settling in now,

Feel a sensation of openness,

Receptivity,

And surrender.

Notice,

Could you perhaps get 5%,

Maybe 10% more comfortable?

Are there any areas that feel gripping or tense?

You may also notice areas that feel light and peaceful.

Check in with your energy levels.

Are you energetically charged or do you feel need to rest and recharge?

Notice your emotional body.

Are you feeling emotionally energized and preoccupied or do you feel somewhat withdrawn?

Nothing to do about these emotions,

Just briefly witnessing them and then attend briefly to the state of your thoughts.

Do they feel busy,

Somewhat intrusive?

Could you ask yourself if these thoughts could wait until tomorrow?

No pressure,

Nothing to do,

Just witness them and then let go,

Expanding to allow for a connection to your real self and the intention to get some deep rest and a good night's sleep.

So now returning to your physical body,

Again,

Adjust as you need to,

Getting comfortable.

Sometimes it may help to adjust your blankets or pillows one more time to know that you intend to settle into stillness once you get 10% more comfortable.

And now,

Begin to allow attention to flow through your body,

Following the guidance of my voice.

Today we will choose a sankalpa,

A type of heart's vow that resembles the energy of the lighthouse.

I am peace.

This sets a deep intention for this practice.

I am peace.

You may also choose your own,

Something simple,

No effort,

Or you may borrow mine.

I am peace.

You may whisper to yourself softly,

I am peace.

Settling in now,

Deeply reflecting on the intention to drop into stillness,

Settling this intention in your mind's eye,

Whispering mentally,

I am.

Exhaling with your breath,

Coming through your heart center,

Peace.

Inhaling with the intention,

Settling into your mind's eye,

I am.

Exhaling the intention emanating from your heart center,

Peace.

One more time,

Whispering mentally to yourself,

I am.

Into your heart's center,

Exhale,

Peace.

Imagine as attention moves throughout the body,

Following my guidance,

Remaining in stillness.

You notice that peace settles into each point of awareness,

And I will gently remind you of that intention as we move throughout the body.

You might think of this body scan as a massage for the nervous system,

Energetically sensing the gentle release of tension that comes with the gentle awareness of peace at each point.

So now become aware of sensations in your mouth,

The roof of your mouth,

The back of your mouth,

The tip of your tongue,

The root of your tongue,

Inner right cheek,

Inner left cheek,

Upper gums and teeth,

Lower gums and teeth,

The space between the upper and the lower teeth,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

The space between the lips,

Settling I am peace into the sensations around your mouth and lips,

The tip of your nose,

Inside the right nostril,

Inside the left nostril,

The right eye,

Eyelid,

Temple,

Right eyebrow.

Notice the space between your eyebrows,

The left eye,

Eyelid,

Temple,

Left eyebrow.

Bring an awareness of both eyes as you deeply settle into relaxation and let go.

Feel the space between the eyes and settle into the sensation of I am peace into the space between your eyes.

Notice if there is any residual tension in the eyes,

Eyebrows,

Forehead.

Bring your attention to your ears,

Right ear,

The folds and valleys of the outer ear,

A touch of air on the earlobe,

The ear canal,

Deep inside the inner ear.

Notice now the left ear,

The folds and valleys of the outer ear,

The touch of air on the earlobe,

The ear canal,

Deep inside the inner ear.

Notice the space between your ears and settle the intention I am peace in the space between the ears.

Notice the scalp and hair on the top of your head,

Back of your head,

The whole face and head,

Down the neck and throat,

From the neck to the base of your neck,

Your right collarbone,

Upper arm,

Right elbow,

Lower arm,

Wrist,

Center of the right palm.

And counting your fingers on your right hand down from 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Sense the space around your fingers on your right hand.

Settle the intention of I am peace into your palm of your right hand.

And now allow time for your attention to come back to the base of your neck,

Left collarbone,

Upper arm,

Elbow,

Lower arm,

Wrist,

Center of the palm.

Fingers on the left hand,

Counting your fingers on your left hand down from 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Sense the space around the fingers on the left hand and settle the intention I am peace into the palm of your left hand.

And bring your attention back to the base of your neck,

The front of the chest,

The ribs,

Navel,

Upper belly,

The bowl of the pelvic girdle.

Sensing the entire pelvic bowl,

Witnessing the fluid movement of breath throughout the whole torso.

Feel sensation in your right hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Right foot.

Counting your toes on your right foot down from 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Sense the space around the toes on the right foot and settle the intention of I am peace into the space around the sole of your foot.

Now bring your attention to your left hip,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Feel your left foot.

Counting your toes down from 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Notice the space around the toes on the left foot and settle the intention I am peace into the space around the sole of your left foot.

The whole body down the left and right,

Front and back.

The whole body,

A unified field of sensation,

Awareness throughout your whole body.

Head to toe,

Skin to bones,

Settling deeply on a cellular level.

I am peace.

And bring your attention now to your breath.

Breathing effortlessly at a rhythm that feels right to you.

Just as waves ebb and flow naturally without effort.

With each exhale,

Let go of any stress your body may be feeling.

Just surrendering and let it go.

For the next minute or two,

Follow my guidance and practice a gentle ocean breath.

Inhaling through the nose and exhaling with a gentle ocean sound.

As if you're matching the energy of the fog that surrounds your imaginary little boat.

You can do this with your imagination or you can make a sound.

It's up to you,

Whatever feels right in this moment.

The exhale sounds as if you're fogging a mirror.

So now follow me.

Inhale through the nose.

Exhaling a soft fogging sound.

Again,

Allow the breath to come in through your nose on the inhale.

And exhaling softly.

Again,

The breath comes in softly through your nose on the inhale.

And a gentle ocean sound as you exhale.

As you fog your imaginary ocean of air around you.

One more time.

Inhaling through the nose.

And exhaling a gentle ocean sound.

And now your breath returns to a natural rhythm.

Nothing to do.

Notice if there was any effort or tension in your jaw or tongue.

Allow your entire face and neck to soften.

You might draw awareness to your tongue.

If it feels somewhat tense,

Allow it to soften now and relax.

Similar to a curled fist.

Softening,

Relaxing into a state of open receptivity.

You might also check in with your thoughts and ask your mind to relax and soften.

As if it's a palm opening and letting go.

As we let go of the busyness of the day,

Invite the senses to open and drop into feeling.

And listening to the body's intention to dissolve deeper into a state of deep,

Deep relaxation in this peaceful journey.

Now welcome the sensation of softness in your body.

And notice in your body where you still feel tense.

And again,

Bring attention to the areas in your body where natural softness abides.

Feel all the places in your body where tension exists.

And then feel places in your body where softness abides.

Notice if there is still some tension in your body.

Sense all the places where natural tension may remain from the effort of the day.

And come back to the opposite sensation of softness.

Where does a natural feeling of softness abide?

Feeling areas in the body that were once tense that have now softened.

Again,

Notice if there are any areas that remain tense.

And then feel these areas soften.

Can you sense both opposing sensations simultaneously?

And now turn to what was once tense that is now softening.

And again,

As the body expands,

Becoming spacious,

Bringing a feeling of open,

Spacious softening to your entire body.

Embracing the softness of I am peace.

And now let's return to the image of a lighthouse.

The beacon of light reminds you I am peace.

You witness the lighthouse as it seems to communicate with its beacon of light,

Reminding you I am peace.

A constant beacon of light guiding you to a safe harbor.

You float on serene waters of a dark,

Moonlit night.

A lighthouse and your north star guides you to a safe harbor.

The air is cool,

Filled with the scent of a bonfire on the beach.

And you notice a touch of magic emanating from the shore.

Ahead of you,

In graceful solitude,

Is a lighthouse with a warm light.

This reminds you of hope,

Sanctuary,

Safety.

As the light sweeps across the water,

Casting a light for you to follow,

Guiding you home.

Pulling up anchor now,

You decide to follow the light to the safe harbor and return home.

A stroke of your oar brings you closer to the shore.

You notice the soft,

Rhythmic sounds of waves kissing the shore.

And you realize,

Just as your breath matched the echo of peace across the water with that deep,

Fogging breath,

The beacon of light calls to you,

Whispering,

I am peace.

As it echoes across the water,

You feel a sense of calm wash over you.

With no remaining tightness or tenseness,

Only peace and calm.

Deep relaxation.

You feel a deeper sensation of calm washing over you.

The kind of feeling only a night like this can bring.

Bring your attention to music coming from the shore.

You may notice wildlife.

Perhaps there's a bonfire.

People gathered around the fire.

The stars above you shimmering with ancient stories.

And as you approach the shore,

Guided by the beacon of a lighthouse,

The light becomes something more.

It feels like a guardian,

A keeper of forgotten stories and your own special treasure.

Noticing it guides you to your true self.

Witness the surrender of all burdens you may be carrying.

You can almost hear them splash into the water.

And you replace them with echoes of a loving community.

And their whispered stories bring home reminders of comfort and connection.

You may notice your favorite smells,

Sounds,

Images,

Tastes,

And textures.

All of these special treasures are carried to you on the gentle breeze of ocean air.

Reminding you,

I am peace.

As you pause,

Mesmerized by the dance of light and shadow,

You notice the lighthouse stands for a peaceful symbol of hope and guidance.

Even in the darkest night,

Notice you have all the time you need to bask in this moment of pure serenity.

Nothing to do.

Nowhere to go.

Simply settling into deep relaxation.

Your gaze looks back at the horizon.

Reflecting briefly on where you've been.

And then turning back to the shore,

It's time to come home.

As you come closer to the shore,

You realize the music has been calling to you.

The fire has been cooking for you.

A nourishing meal awaits you.

You know you are welcomed by a pet or a loved one.

And as you pull your boat to shore,

You're embraced by your loved one or pet.

You realize they are offering you a blanket or a shawl just when you need it to feel warm and welcomed.

You're brought to the warm scented air around the fire.

You settle deeper into your yoga nidra nest.

You begin to reflect on this journey,

Knowing that something simple touched your soul as you mindfully noticed it in a new way.

This harbor where you're mindful of peace and sanctuary.

It is a reminder that even on the darkest night,

There's always magic to be found.

You curl into your warm blanket on the shore,

Listening to the waves now.

And returning to your sankalpa,

Or heart's vow,

And your breath.

Whispering mentally,

I am settling this into your mind's eye.

Exhaling peace from your heart's center.

Again,

Planting the seed in your mind's eye.

I am exhaling from your heart's center.

Peace.

Again,

Planting the seed in your mind's eye.

I am exhaling from your heart's center.

Peace.

Continue at your own pace now.

I will hold this minute of silence in honor of your sankalpa,

Or heart's vow.

Return to your breath,

Natural,

Effortless,

Ebbing and flowing.

Matching the rhythm of the waves.

Peace.

Nothing to do.

Effortless,

Like the waves kissing the shore.

Ebb and flow.

In and out.

And you notice the beacon of light rotating effortlessly.

Casting light across the darkness.

Notice the contrast of light and dark.

Light and dark.

Rotating light and dark.

Waves ebbing and flowing.

Light and dark.

Ebb and flow.

Light and dark.

You are home.

You are deeply relaxed.

You have returned to your safe harbor.

You are safe.

You are calm.

You are loved.

You are peace.

Drifting off now.

Welcoming sensation of peace.

Deep relaxation.

Nothing to do.

Nowhere to go.

As the light from the lighthouse sends you a message of peace.

As it sees you and knows you are whole.

The light within me sees the light within you.

I wish you a long night of deep,

Deep sleep.

Good night.

Namaste.

Reviews

Tried this at about 0230 and it worked! Usually I’m awake for the day or for numerous hours. I’m grateful it was an hour long track, as it did take a little while for me to get beyond drifting. Thank you ✨

Absolutely lovely long meditation.
Thank you 😊 🙏