Welcome,
This is a yoga nidra practice for sleep,
A practice of resting while lying down,
Doing nothing at all.
You don't need to concentrate.
You don't need to follow perfectly.
You cannot do this wrong.
Your only job is to get comfortable and allow the body to rest.
Take your time making any final small adjustments now,
Moving in a way that helps you feel supported for the night.
Let your arms rest where they fall naturally,
Legs supported,
Head heavy on the pillow.
Gently close your eyes.
Become aware of the natural breath,
No need to change it,
Just noticing that breathing is happening.
Feel the whole body lying here,
Supported by the bed,
Held by the surface beneath you.
You don't have to hold yourself up anymore.
In yoga nidra,
We sometimes invite a quiet inner intention.
For sleep,
This can be very simple.
Something like,
I allow myself to rest,
Or for now,
Nothing is required of me.
You don't need to repeat it,
Just let the meaning settle gently somewhere in the background.
And now let even that go.
No more doing.
No more trying.
We'll move awareness through the body,
Just gentle noticing.
Bring awareness to the right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Shoulder,
Right waist,
Lower leg,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Little toe,
Now left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Little finger,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Shoulder,
Left waist,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second,
Little toe,
Back of the body,
Shoulder blades,
Front of the body,
Whole body together,
Lying here,
Resting.
Bring awareness to the gentle movement of the breath in the belly,
Rising and falling.
Like soft waves,
No control,
No effort,
Just the body breathing itself.
If the mind wanders,
That's okay,
You don't need to bring it back strongly,
Just let awareness drift with the breath like something floating on water.
Now sense the feeling of heaviness in the body as if you could sink a little deeper into the bed.
Light,
Heavy,
Grounded,
Supported,
As if the body could float just slightly,
Spacious,
Easy,
Heaviness again,
Lightness and now let both go,
No need to feel either,
Just rest.
Imagine a quiet night sky,
Peaceful,
You are resting beneath this sky,
Undisturbed,
Nothing is expected of you here,
Nothing to prove,
Nothing to complete,
Just the stillness of the night holding you.
You can let go of the practice now,
Let go of my voice,
There is nothing more to follow.
In a moment,
A steady,
Gentle sound will continue through the night to support deep,
Uninterrupted sleep.
You don't need to listen,
You don't need to stay awake,
Just drift into sleep.
