Yoga Nidra Meditation For Deep Sleep

Join Ailsa for a rejuvenating Yoga Nidra session lasting 40 minutes. This Yoga Nidra Sleep Meditation is thoughtfully crafted to guide you towards relaxation and to help you fall asleep and is designed to help you relax and prepare for sleep. This Yoga Nidra Sleep Meditation aims to help cultivate ease and reset your whole nervous system, helping you to get to sleep and improve the quality of your sleep.

This Yoga Nidra for Sleep includes visualization, pranayama (breath awareness), and body-sensing techniques to untangle stress from the body and mind, ease both physical and mental tensions, and alleviate anxious thoughts and feelings.

Transcript

Beginning this yoga nidra practice in a comfortable lying down position,

Either on your back,

Your front,

Or on your side.

Arranging your body in a comfortable position so that you feel completely supported for going into a deep state of rest.

If you could be 5 or 10% more comfortable,

Make any adjustments to bring ease throughout your body and mind.

Softening the gaze or closing down the eyes,

Letting go onto the surface that your body is resting upon.

Chin slightly below the level of your forehead,

Assisting your thinking mind to relax.

Noticing where your body makes contact with the earth underneath you.

Feeling the earth rising to support your entire body.

Allowing you to let go of any tension you might be holding onto.

The ever-present and steadfast nature of the earth supporting you.

In taking a deep inhale through the nose and exhale out the mouth.

Inhale through the nose,

Exhale out the mouth.

Returning to your normal breath and allow the body to breathe itself.

And if it feels comfortable,

Allow the tongue to touch the roof of the mouth.

Allow the teeth to be slightly parted as you seal the lips,

Breathing through the nose.

Only if it feels comfortable and easeful for your breath.

And during this practice of Yoga Nidra,

Welcome every experience as a messenger.

Responding to each messenger that arrives in your guest house of awareness with curiosity and openness.

Throughout this practice of Yoga Nidra,

Acknowledging,

Being aware,

And knowing that you are held.

You're fully supported.

You're held with kindness,

Compassion,

And gentleness.

And bring attention to your senses,

Allowing each perception to come to you.

Sense around and within your body,

The touch of air on your skin,

Sensations where your body touches the surface underneath you.

Feeling the earth rising up to support you.

Sensations within and throughout your body.

Can you allow the senses to become soft,

To become hazy,

Subtle,

As though the senses were controlled by a dial and you were turning the dial down to low.

As though the body were wrapped in a veil of soft fabric,

Creating a soft focus.

Allowing your senses to follow my voice with the softest touch.

And recall your sankalpa,

Your intention for today's Yoga Nidra practice.

I am at ease,

Relaxed,

And sleeping deeply and restfully.

I am at ease,

Relaxed,

And sleeping deeply and restfully.

Fully welcoming and affirming your intention for today's practice with your entire body and mind.

And noticing where your body makes contact with the earth underneath you.

Feel the earth rising to support the entire body.

Allowing the body to let go of any tension it might be holding onto.

And bring attention to your inner resource,

A safe haven or refuge that helps you to feel secure and at ease.

Perhaps visualizing a place in nature,

A place or memory,

Or from your imagination.

A place in nature that nourishes feelings of being secure,

Peaceful,

At ease.

Invite in images,

Objects,

Perhaps living beings that create feelings of being secure,

Peaceful,

At ease.

Can you hold this place in your mind,

Feeling supported by the earth underneath you?

Can you visualize the sights,

The smells,

The sounds around you?

The fragrance of the plants,

The trees,

The feeling of the earth underneath your feet.

The ripples and flow of air touching your skin,

Enveloping your body.

Perhaps you sense the sound of trickling water,

Cascading water.

Perhaps you sense the sounds of birds in the distance,

Waking the world with their song.

And notice the solidity,

The stability of this place in nature.

The support of the earth underneath you,

Steady,

Stable,

Strong,

Feeling supported by the earth underneath you,

At rest,

At ease.

And rest back into the feelings of well-being in your body.

Your inner resource,

Your safe haven or refuge that helps you to feel secure and at ease.

Welcoming the felt sense of well-being,

Open,

Timeless,

Perfect,

Familiar,

Unchanging,

Yet fresh and always present.

Know that you can return to your inner resource at any time,

Day or night,

And throughout your practice of yoga,

Nidra.

Returning to that inner resource whenever you feel the need to feel totally secure and at ease.

And be aware of the body breathing itself.

The flows of sensation and energy as breath flows in and out of the body.

The inflow and outflow of the breath through the nostrils.

The chest and belly gently rising and releasing.

The expansion and softening of the ribcage.

And begin alternating sensation from one side of the body to the opposite,

Like this,

At the top of each inhalation.

Shift your attention across the midline into the left nostril and side of the body.

Exhaling since the left nostril and side of the body.

And then at the top of the next inhale,

Shift your attention across the midline into the right nostril and side of the body.

Exhaling since the right nostril and side of the body.

At the top of the next inhale,

Shift your attention across the midline into the left nostril and side of the body.

Exhaling since the left nostril and side of the body.

Going back and forth at your own breathing pace from one side of the body to the other.

Shifting your attention on sensation from one side of the body to the other,

Saturating alternate sides of the body with the breath.

Letting go of thinking.

Welcoming sensation first in one nostril and side of the body,

Then the other nostril and side of the body.

Now shift your attention into both nostrils and the entire body.

Some flows of sensation and energy coming and going throughout the body.

The entire body at rest,

At ease.

Be aware of the body breathing itself.

Flows of sensation and energy as the breath flows in and out.

The inhale,

The exhale.

The inflow and outflow of the breath through the nostrils,

The chest and belly gently rising and releasing.

The expansion and softening of the ribcage.

Slowly and lightly attentive to all that's now present in awareness.

Letting go,

Dissolving into being unchanging awareness in which changing perceptions are unfolding and passing away.

And if helpful,

Interweave your inner resource,

Your safe haven of peace and tranquility throughout your body.

Feeling held,

Supported with kindness,

Compassion and gentleness.

Feeling secure,

At ease.

Now allow my words to be your words as you rotate attention throughout your body.

Feeling your jaw,

Lips,

Teeth,

Gums,

Your mouth,

The ceiling of the mouth,

The floor,

The inner walls,

Left and right,

Tongue,

Back of the throat,

The entire jaw and mouth as a sensation,

Allowing thoughts like helium balloons to float up and away without becoming involved,

Instead welcoming sensation just as they are.

In of the left ear,

Right ear,

Both ears at the same time as sensation,

Left nostril,

Right nostril,

The flow of air and sensation inside the nostrils,

Left eye,

Eyebrow,

Temple,

Cheekbone,

The left eye as sensation,

Right eye,

Eyebrow,

Temple,

Cheekbone,

The right eye as sensation,

Both eyes at the same time as a field of radiant sensation without analyzing,

Instead sensing your way,

Forehead,

Crown,

Back of the head and neck,

Sensation within the neck,

Left shoulder,

Left upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Left hand and fingers,

The entire left palm,

Arm and shoulder as a radiant,

Vibrating sensation,

Right shoulder,

Right upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Right hand and fingers,

The entire right palm,

Arm and shoulder as a radiant sensation,

Give up analyzing,

Letting go of thoughts,

Thoughts drifting away like balloons sailing away into the sky above,

Welcoming both arms as a radiant sensation,

Upper chest and back,

Mid chest and back,

Belly and lower back,

The ceiling of the torso,

The floor of the torso,

The entire torso,

A sphere of radiant sensation,

Letting go of thinking,

The entire torso alive as sensation,

Radiating inwardly and outwardly in all directions,

Left leg,

Left hip,

Left thigh,

Knee,

Shin and calf,

Ankle,

Left foot and toes,

The entire left foot and leg as a vibrant sensation,

Sensing now the right leg,

Right hip,

Right thigh,

Knee,

Shin and calf,

Ankle,

Foot and toes,

The entire right foot and leg as a vibrant sensation,

Sensing both legs at the same time as a vibrant sensation,

Sensing the front of the body,

The back of the body,

The left side,

The right side,

Inside the body,

Surface sensations,

Welcoming the entire body as vibrant sensation,

Radiating in all directions inwardly and outwardly,

Welcome every experience that is now present,

Perhaps interweaving your inner resource,

Your safe haven of peace and tranquility,

Feeling secure and at ease,

Noting how all of these sensations as well as passing thoughts,

Emotions and images,

How all these are constantly changing,

Coming and going,

The entire body,

A constantly changing field of radiant sensation,

Thoughts drifting away like balloons sailing into the sky above,

At rest,

At ease,

Letting go,

Dissolving,

At rest,

Relaxed,

At ease,

Fully supported by the earth underneath you,

Letting go of any holding in the body,

The entire body,

At rest,

At ease,

Releasing,

Softening,

Relaxing,

The entire body,

At rest,

At ease,

Feeling softness,

Gentleness throughout the entire body,

Nothing that needs to be done,

Nothing that needs to be achieved,

Simply at rest,

Simply relaxing,

Simply at ease,

Held,

Carried,

Supported,

Allowing the body to breathe itself,

The flow of sensation and energy as breath flows in and out of the body,

The chest and belly gently rising and releasing with each breath,

Welcoming the entire body and welcome the entire left side of the body,

From head to toe,

Front and back,

Deep inside and surface sensations,

Releasing,

Softening,

Relaxing,

At rest,

At ease,

And welcome the entire right side of the body,

From head to toe,

Front and back,

Deep inside and surface sensations,

Releasing,

Softening,

Relaxing,

At rest,

At ease,

And welcome the entire front of the body,

From head to toe,

Left and right,

Deep inside and surface sensations,

Releasing,

Softening,

Relaxing,

At rest,

At ease,

Welcoming the entire back of the body,

From head to toe,

Left and right,

Deep inside and surface sensations,

Releasing,

Softening,

Relaxing,

At rest,

At ease,

And welcome the entire body,

From head to toe,

Left and right,

Deep inside and surface sensations,

Releasing,

Softening,

Relaxing,

At rest,

At ease.

In letting go,

Dissolving,

Fully supported by the earth underneath you,

Letting go of any holding in the body,

The entire body,

At rest,

At ease.

Inviting softness,

Gentleness,

Throughout the entire body,

Nothing that needs to be achieved,

Simply at rest,

Simply relaxing,

Simply at ease,

Held,

Carried,

Supported,

At rest,

At ease,

At rest,

At ease.