Rest Is Not A Luxury

Rest is not a luxury.

It is the foundation of sustainable wellbeing, especially mental wellbeing.

In my work as a Yoga Psychologist, I meet many people navigating emotional turbulence. One of the first things that gets affected is their sleep. And when sleep is disturbed, the decline in wellbeing can be surprisingly rapid.

It’s not only about how long you sleep, but also how peacefully you are able to fall asleep.
These are two essential markers of how well your system is resting and how balanced your inner state truly is.

Over the past 20+ years of working with Yoga Nidra, I have found it to be one of the most effective practices for restoring this balance. It gently guides the nervous system from agitation into deep rest.

This particular Yoga Nidra practice has been carefully designed for those who find it difficult to fall asleep.

May it support you in experiencing deeper rest, and in moving forward with greater ease and wellbeing.

Oms,
Avi

Transcript

Namaste. Prepare yourself for the practice of Yoga Nidra for sleep. Invite yourself to lie in Savasana and let your feet fall open, Arms slightly away from the body, Palms facing up. Allow the surface beneath your body to experience the contact with the bed and surrender the whole weight of the body on the bed. Make sure that you are covered, You are comfortable, You are warm. Feel the whole body from head to toe and experience the feeling of being safe. And within this feeling of safety, Remind yourself that now I am closing my eyes and with the practice of Yoga Nidra, I will enter into a deep state of restfulness. And I will enter into the state of sleep. Bring your awareness to the room, To the space around you. Notice any prominent or subtle sound reaching you from the distance. Acknowledge their presence and let them fade away slowly. You are not holding to the sounds. Let them fade out in its own time. Your task is to remain still and to listen to my voice. Now is the time to slowly withdraw. Withdraw your sensorial tentacles from the world and to come within. Breath by breath, Become aware of your inner space. Instead of listening to the sounds from the outside, You are paying attention to the sounds generating within your inner space. Feel the whole body from within and as you feel your body, Remind yourself that you are in a safe place. You are in a safe place where you can enter into a deep state of restfulness. Remind yourself your intention, Your Shankalpa. My body knows how to rest. I sleep with ease and wake restored. Repeat this mentally. My body knows how to rest. I sleep with ease and wake restored. My body knows how to rest. I sleep with ease and wake restored. We are going to visit the different parts of your body with your awareness. Touch every part of the body with your awareness and move on. Inviting your attention to the right side of the body. Become aware of right thumb, Index finger, Middle finger, Ring finger, Little finger. Right palm, Back of the palm, Wrist, Forearm, Elbow, Upper arm. Armpit, Right shoulder, Side of the ribcage, Abdomen, Hip, Thigh, Knee, Calf muscle, Shin bone, Ankle, Heel, Foot, Big toe, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth. Bring your awareness now to the left. Relax. Become aware of the left hand thumb, Index finger, Middle finger, Ring finger, Little finger. The left palm, Back of the palm, Wrist, Forearm, Elbow, Upper arm, Armpit, Left shoulder, Side of the ribcage, Abdomen, Hip, Thigh, Knee, Calf muscle, Shin bone, Ankle, Heel, Foot, Big toe. Second toe, Third, Fourth, Fifth. Move the awareness to your back. The lower back, Mid back, Upper back, The whole spine, The whole spine. Back of the neck, Back of the head, The head resting on the pillow, The crown of the head, Forehead, Eyebrows, The eyelids becoming soft and heavy, The eyelids becoming soft and heavy. The eyeballs becoming soft and heavy. Relax the nostrils, The soft touch between the lips, The whole facial muscles, The throat, Rib cage. Abdomen. Surrender the whole body to the mat. The whole body becoming heavy. Now become aware of your natural breath. And with the natural breath, The gentle rise and fall of your abdomen, Begin to count your breath backward from 27 back to 1. Breathe in 27, Breathe out 27. Breathe in 26, Breathe out 26. And when you finish the counting, Restart the counting, Unless asked otherwise. Observe how the exhalation is becoming deeper, How the exhalation helps you to sink deep into your bed. Feel the body becoming heavier and heavier with every exhalation. Now let go of the counting and visualize the surface of a quiet lake at night. Visualize the surface of a quiet lake at night. Moonlight reflecting on the water. A boat rocking on the calm water. A sleeping child. The stars in the sky. Deep dark night sky. The whole body sinking deep into the bed. The body sinking deep into the bed. The body sinking deep into the bed. Your mind is now soft and open. Remind yourself the intention, My body knows how to rest. I sleep with ease and wake restored. My body knows how to rest. I sleep with ease and wake restored. My body knows how to rest. I sleep with ease and wake restored. There's nothing more to do, Nothing to hold on, Nothing to become. Enter into the deep state of restfulness and let the practice dissolve. The body is heavy. The breathing is slow. The mind is still. And you are now in the state of deep sleep. You are now in the state of deep sleep.