Welcome to this guided yoga nidra practice designed especially for bedtime relaxation and deep restorative sleep.
Yoga nidra,
Often called yogic sleep,
Is a systematic method that guides you into complete physical,
Mental,
And emotional release,
Allowing your body and mind to rest profoundly,
Even as you drift towards sleep.
Tonight,
Let this practice be a gentle invitation to surrender fully,
To let go of the day,
And to welcome the quiet healing of the night.
Find a comfortable position,
Lying on your back,
Maybe on your side,
Or even seated if that feels best tonight.
Use whatever support you need,
A pillow under your knees if you're on your back for a gentle spinal release.
If you're laying on your side,
Consider putting a pillow between your legs or under your head,
Or behind your back if you're seated for extra comfort.
Take your time here.
Notice how the surface beneath you cradles and supports every part of you.
Adjust until your body feels fully at ease and held.
Once you've settled,
Commit to staying as still as possible for the next 20 to 25 minutes,
Giving your nervous system the gift of uninterrupted rest.
If discomfort ever arises at any point,
Please feel free to make small,
Quiet adjustments,
No judgment,
Just kindness towards your body.
In this practice,
There's no need to try hard or force anything.
Simply listen to the sound of my voice as a gentle anchor.
If thoughts,
Worries,
Or drowsiness pull you away,
That's perfectly okay,
Especially tonight.
Thoughts may come and go like passing clouds in a vast sky.
Simply return to my voice when you're ready.
If you drift into sleep,
Trust that your body knows exactly what it needs.
Many people fall asleep during yoga nidra,
And that's a beautiful sign the practice is working deeply.
Take a moment now to set a simple intention or sankalpa for this practice,
Something short and positive in the present tense,
Like,
I am deeply relaxed and at peace,
Or restful sleep comes easily to me,
Or I rest deeply and peacefully.
Choose one that resonates or create your own.
Feel it in your heart as a quiet promise to yourself.
Repeat it silently to yourself three times with feeling and conviction.
When you're ready,
Allow your eyes to gently close or soften your gaze downward toward your heart.
Let the muscles around your eyes release completely,
Softening any tightness in the forehead,
Temples,
And cheeks.
Now bring gentle awareness to your breath at the very tip of your nose.
Feel the cool air entering,
The warm air leaving.
Allow your attention to rest here for several breaths,
Sensing the temperature change with every inhale and every exhale.
No need to change the breath,
Just notice.
Observe the subtle rhythm,
The quiet miracle of breathing that happens all on its own.
From here,
We'll move attention through the body.
Allow your attention to move gently through your head and face,
Pausing there to take a breath in.
We'll move the attention then to the forehead,
Eyebrows,
The space between the eyebrows,
Your eyes,
Cheekbones,
Nostrils.
Continue to survey the mouth,
Pausing at the jaws.
Feel any holding in the jaw.
Let it soften as if the day's words and tensions melt away.
Move the attention to your chin,
Shoulders,
Arms,
Elbows,
Wrists,
Fingers,
Fingertips.
Feel as though you are inhaling from the tips of the fingers up through the arms to the shoulders,
Then exhaling back down to the fingertips.
Do this several times,
Slowly letting any tightness melt away with each exhale deeper and more complete.
Release.
Now move your awareness from the fingertips back through the hands,
Wrists,
Lower arms,
Upper back.
Concentrate at the center of the chest.
Exhale fully.
Inhale completely.
Several times,
Feeling the heart area soften and open like a flower blooming in the quiet night.
Release.
Let them dissolve like mist in the night.
Inhale as if your whole body is inhaling,
Drawing in fresh energy,
Peace,
And deep relaxation.
Repeat this several times slowly,
Fully,
Allowing each breath to carry you deeper into ease.
Reverse.
From the toes to the feet,
Ankles,
Calves,
Knees,
Then from the chest to the shoulders,
Neck,
Jaws.
Be aware once more of the breath at the very tip of your nose,
Eyebrows,
Space between the eyebrows.
For the next minute or so,
Allow your attention to rest on the smooth,
Slow,
Serene flow of the breath.
Simply allow it to be calm,
Without noise or jerkiness.
Simply witnessing the breath with a soft wave carrying you further into stillness.
Even further,
We now turn to a gentle journey through key points of the body,
An ancient practice to draw awareness inward and release at the deepest levels.
Simply follow my voice to each point.
No effort,
Just presence.
If your mind wanders,
Softly return.
If you drift off to sleep,
Welcome it.
Bring attention to the center between the eyebrows,
The point of light there,
Then the hollow of the throat,
Right shoulder,
Right elbow,
Right wrist,
The tip experiencing the fingertips as just one soft point.
Right shoulder.
Rest here for several breaths,
Feeling the points of your body dissolve into open softness.
Heavy yet light,
Held in purpose,
Releasing any focused effort.
Resting in the stillness and the silence that remains.
The body is supported,
Heavy.
The breath is soft.
The mind is quiet and serene.
Bring your intention or sankalpa back once more,
Whispering it inwardly with trust.
Remember the three options you may have chosen or if you created your own.
I am deeply relaxed and at peace.
Restful sleep comes easily to me.
I rest deeply and peacefully.
Whichever one felt right,
Repeat it softly.
Repeat it again,
Even softer,
Letting it sink deep into your being.
Rooting there like a seed in fertile soil,
Ready to bloom in your dreams.
There is nothing left to do,
Nowhere to be.
My voice will gently fade now,
Carrying you toward effortless sleep.
Allow yourself to drift deeper.
Completely safe,
Completely at rest in the vast,
Nurturing darkness of the night.
Sweet dreams.
Rest well.
