Hey friends,
I'm Allie and today I'll be sharing a short yin yoga practice with a meditation to help you sleep.
So this practice can actually be done right in bed if you'd prefer that.
Otherwise,
Find a seat on your mat,
Grab a pillow or a cushion to support you.
And we'll get started.
So once you're seated,
We're actually going to move right into our first pose.
This is a butterfly pose.
Forward folds are often helpful to relax the nervous system and kind of just slow things down a little bit.
So if you have a cushion or pillow,
You might want to sit on the front edge of it and then bring the soles of your feet.
Together on the floor or bed knees are bent out in front of you if you are tighter in the hips and your knees are quite high you can just Take a little shimmy with your feet,
Send them forward more if it's too uncomfortable.
Otherwise,
We're just settling in.
And starting to melt your upper body forward.
Into a forward fold.
As always,
I want you to listen to your body today.
So do whatever feels good for you.
We don't want to create any pain in the joints or anywhere in the body.
As you settle into this shape,
Just try to let go of using any effort physically.
And start to become aware of what's happening in your mind.
If there's a whole lot swirling around up there,
Just want to use your breath to help guide you.
Into the present moment.
Into feeling the opening in the body and the relaxation.
In the nervous system as you just continue.
To soften into the shape.
As time passes here,
Notice if there's anywhere in the body that you are tensing up,
That you might be able to just get a little bit lighter.
Using each exhale to guide you into that lightness that softening Maybe time even allows a little bit more of a fold forward.
Little more heaviness in the head.
Softening the toes,
The fingers,
And the belly.
Leaving a little more space here wherever you are.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Slowly start to roll your upper body back up.
Catch your outer knees,
Gently draw them back toward one another.
Maybe take a little squeeze here.
And then just to reset,
Lean back into your hands.
Lengthen out your spine.
Let it lift through the chest.
Maybe you let your knees fall side to side.
Bit of a gentle twist for a reset.
And then coming back up,
We'll move into straddle pose next.
This is a seated wide-legged fold,
Extending your legs out onto either side.
Again,
On the cushion or pillow if that feels best for you.
If your hamstrings are tight,
Back of the legs,
Feel free to bend your knees,
Keep them bent,
Maybe even slide cushions underneath them.
Once again,
When you're ready,
We'll start to hinge forward.
And fold just to a place where you feel a sensation in the legs.
We're also getting a stretch in the low back.
You can always pile up some props in front of you if you want a little extra support for your hands or forearms or elbows.
Not forcing to get to a certain shape or position,
But just slowly feeling your way into it.
Once you get to that sweet spot,
Just hang out for a while.
Take some time.
To drop into stillness.
And just breathe.
One more breath in where you are.
Out the mouth,
Exhale.
Gently press yourself back up.
To a taller seat,
You can catch the back of your knees.
Take a bend.
Soles of the feet go back down onto the mat or your bed and lean back into your hands once more.
Let's take that sweet reset to lengthen the spine.
Knees can fall side to side.
And we'll do our last couple of shapes laying down.
So go ahead and lay down on your back.
So start with your knees bent,
Feet on the mat,
And then let's actually come into a little mini shavasana.
Lengthen out your legs,
Let them extend just to feel any shift that's already happened in the body from those first couple of shapes.
Bend the knees again.
Feet on the mat.
Half happy baby.
You'll bend your right knee,
Drawing the leg towards you.
And then either wrap your arm around the back of your thigh.
Or reach inside the leg and catch on to the big toe.
Whatever works for you.
The thigh drops down toward the outer ribs,
So the side of your body.
You can stay here or extend your left leg back onto the mat.
Notice if your jaw gets tight.
Or your shoulders start to tense up.
Keep coming back to the rhythm of your breath.
So we're gonna take this one right into a twist from here.
Release your hand.
Catch your knee with the opposite hand.
You can shift your hips over to the right a little.
And then let your knee fall over to the left.
If you want to grab your cushion or pillow.
Let your knee land on that for support.
That can be nice here.
Sink into your shoulder blades.
Soften across the face.
Slowly move it back to center,
Unravel,
Take shavasana,
Extend the legs out.
Little moment to settle and feel.
And we'll shift into the other side,
Feet on the mat,
Half happy baby with the left leg.
Same options.
Find the grip that works for you,
That serves you today.
Stay or extend your right leg back long onto your mat.
Slow,
Deep breaths if you can.
Just to give that extra support to your nervous system.
Calming the mind.
Relaxing the body.
Let's bring it into your twist.
Release your grip.
Guide your knee across the body.
Shift your hips to the left.
Find your cushion if that helps.
Soften the inner knee down and anchor into your shoulder blades.
And once more,
Shifting right back to center.
If you want any last little movement or adjustment,
Feel free to take that and you'll be finishing off this practice laying down on your back in Shavasana.
If you want a small pillow under your head or pillows under the back of the knees,
A blanket,
Socks,
Anything like that,
Go ahead and grab those things.
And then settle in onto your back.
For a short yoga nidra meditation.
As you relax onto your back.
Start by taking a deep breath in.
And as you exhale,
Letting go of all worries and distracting thoughts.
Open your mind up to the idea of complete relaxation.
Following the sound of my voice throughout this short meditation.
Remaining present.
And relaxed.
Now allow the sound and the easy rhythm of your breath to further relax your body.
Allowing each breath to flow through you like a rolling ocean wave.
As you surrender into deep relaxation,
Notice the spaces between your body.
And the mat or the bed.
The spaces beneath you becoming smaller and smaller.
With your body relaxed.
Lying in stillness.
At any point when thoughts or distractions show up,
Just simply continue to ledge your breath.
Guide you right back to the sound of my voice.
Silently acknowledge that the practice of yoga nidra has begun.
And feel the breath moving throughout the body like an ocean wave.
As you inhale,
The air fills your body from the tip of your toes to the crown of your head with fresh oxygen.
As you exhale,
You release stale air from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.
And surrender further down into the space beneath you.
Inhaling fresh oxygen.
Toes to crown.
Exhale,
Softening from crown to toes.
Now it's time to state a sankalpa.
A goal or dream you wish to bring into fruition.
If this practice is to help you sleep.
You might choose something like,
I am deeply relaxed and ready for deep sleep.
Whatever you choose,
Have it start with I am.
Or I have Repeat it silently with deep meaning to yourself three times when you have it.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale,
Let that go.
Slowly,
Gently coming back to the awareness of your breath moving through your body.
With nothing to control.
Change.
Or fix.
Continue to follow along with the sound of my voice as we gently scan through the body.
Feel the weight of the entire back body.
Sinking deeper into the floor.
Or bed beneath you.
The back of the heels.
Hips.
Shoulder blades.
And a heaviness.
In the back of the head Feel the weight of the right side of the body.
The right hand.
Right arm.
Right side waist.
Right hip.
Leg.
And foot.
Notice the heaviness in the left side of the body.
Left hand.
On.
.
.
Left side waist.
Kemp.
Like.
.
.
And foot.
Feel the softness washing.
Across the soles of the feet.
Inner thighs.
Belly.
Across the chest.
Neck.
And face.
Notice your whole body in this space.
Releasing any tension and heaviness.
That you've been carrying around.
As you shift your awareness back to your breath.
Observe how the simplicity of each exhale invites a deeper sensation of surrender.
Your body and mind are simultaneously softening.
And letting go of your day.
As you remind yourself that you are exactly where you need to be.
Relaxed and at ease.
It's time to repeat the same sankalpa,
The same intention.
With deep meaning and the same awareness as before,
Three times.
For a moment here,
Just allow the quiet,
The stillness to wash over you.
As you continue to be aware of your breath.
Feeling the bones and muscles in your body as if they're melting down into the bed or mat beneath you.
Offering yourself this time and space.
To relax and let go.
I'll leave you in this space.
To continue with your practice as long as you need it.
Being gentle with yourself with whatever shows up.
Thank you for having the courage to show up and find peace within.
The practice is now complete.
Namaste.
