Hello,
Sweet friend.
I'm grateful you're here.
Welcome to this soothing late-night yoga nidra.
If you find yourself awake in these quiet hours,
Know that you're not alone.
Rather than watch the clock or toss and turn,
Let's take this time to reset.
Ease your anxiety and soothe your soul.
This sacred space of midnight carries its own gentle magic,
A time for healing,
Reflection and deep rest.
Here,
Under the vast starry sky,
You are invited to soften your body,
Quiet your mind and reconnect to the soothing rhythm of your breath.
Let's return together to the nurturing stillness that cradles you into peaceful,
Effortless sleep.
Begin by fluffing your pillows,
Straightening out your bed linens.
Find a comfortable position lying down on your bed.
Now,
Before you come into stillness,
Reach up and gently run your fingers through your hair,
Giving the scalp a gentle massage.
Begin tracing the back of your ears,
Feeling the hollowness behind each of the earlobes.
Applying a little pressure to each side of the neck,
And down to the base of the neck.
And then back up,
Tracing the perimeter of the chin.
Find the jaw.
Gently separate the teeth to relax the jaw.
Now,
Take your index and middle finger and gently rotate little circles deep into the jaw muscle.
One direction,
And then in the other direction.
Normal breath in,
Normal breath out.
Trace the sides of your face until you come to your temples.
Make gentle rotations with your fingers here,
In one direction,
And then the other.
Place your arms and hands alongside of your body,
Or in a comfortable position of your choice.
Take a deep breath in,
Open your mouth and slowly exhale the breath,
Releasing whatever you no longer need,
Finding comfort in the natural rhythm of your natural breath.
Normal breath in.
Setting an intention for this practice,
Choose one that resonates with you this evening.
Silently repeat it to yourself three times.
I surrender to the peaceful stillness within me.
Or,
I welcome deep,
Nurturing sleep with ease and grace.
I surrender to the peaceful stillness within me.
Or,
I welcome deep,
Nurturing sleep with ease and grace.
I surrender to the peaceful stillness within me.
I welcome deep,
Nurturing sleep with ease and grace.
Now bring your awareness to the body resting upon the surface beneath you.
Bring your awareness to your right hand,
Thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Bicep,
Shoulder,
Side of the chest,
Sternum,
Collarbone,
Right side of the ribcage,
Right side of the abdomen,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Right knee,
Heel of the foot,
Arch of the foot,
Bridge of the foot,
The toes on the right foot.
Bring your awareness to your left hand,
Thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Bicep,
Shoulder,
Side of the chest,
Sternum,
Left side of the ribcage,
Left side of the abdomen,
Heel of the foot,
Bridge of the foot.
Bring your awareness to your pelvis,
Lower back,
Base of the skull.
Feel the sensations in your whole body.
Notice the body relaxing.
Now in your mind's eye,
Imagine yourself wandering into a secret garden bathed in silver moonlight.
Tall,
Graceful trees sway softly,
Their leaves whispering ancient lullabies.
Around you,
Delicate night-blooming flowers open their petals to the cool air,
Releasing the faint scents of jasmine and lavender.
A narrow stone path winds gently through the garden,
Leading you towards a quiet reflecting pool.
The water mirrors the luminous moon above,
And as you gaze into its stillness,
You feel your own thoughts and worries dissolve,
Like mist under the morning sun.
Each breath you take is filled with the calm,
Timeless wisdom of the night.
You are safe,
Cherished,
And completely at ease in this sacred place.
Abiding in pure awareness.
Abiding in peaceful stillness.
Bring back the intention we set earlier in our practice.
Believe it is true.
Know it is true.
I surrender to the peaceful stillness within me,
Or I welcome deep,
Nurturing sleep with ease and grace.
Feel yourself completely cradled by the universe.
Held,
Protected,
And at ease.
Let the breath become softer,
Lighter,
And slower.
There is nothing you need to do now.
Nowhere you need to be.
Rest here.
Heal here.
And when you're ready,
Allow sleep to carry you home.
Good night,
Sweet friend.
Until next time,
Just breathe.
