Welcome.
This yoga nidra practice is an invitation to surrender the day.
To soften the body.
Quiet the mind.
And allow yourself to move gently toward deep,
Peaceful sleep.
There's nothing you need to accomplish.
Nothing you need to figure out?
For these next few moments,
You are simply being invited to rest.
Find a comfortable position lying down.
Allow your head and neck.
To be completely supported.
Let your arms rest alongside your body.
Your hands,
Relax.
Your legs comfortable.
If you need a pillow beneath your knees or a blanket around you,
Take a moment to make yourself completely comfortable.
Once you are settled.
Allow your eyes to gently close.
And know that there is nowhere else you need to be.
This time is yours.
Take a slow breath in through your nose.
And release it gently through your mouth.
Again.
Breathing in.
And slowly letting go.
One more nourishing breath in.
And as you exhale,
Feel yourself arriving.
Now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
You don't need to control it.
You don't need to deepen it.
Simply notice that you are breathing.
Feel the weight of your body being supported beneath you.
Notice the places where your body meets the bed.
Back of your head.
Your shoulder.
Your arms,
Your back.
Your hips.
Your legs,
Your heels.
Allow yourself to become happy.
Allow yourself to be held.
You don't have to hold yourself up anymore.
The day is complete.
Whatever was finished today is finished.
Whatever wasn't finished.
Can wait until tomorrow.
Nothing more is being asked of you tonight.
As your body begins to soften.
Bring your awareness gently towards your heart.
In Yoga Nidra,
We call upon a sankalpa.
A simple heartfelt intention.
And choose a few words that feel true for you tonight.
Perhaps I am at peace.
Or I am safe to rest.
Or simply I surrender into sleep.
Choose the words that feel right for you and silently.
.
.
Repeat your intention three times.
With tenderness,
With trust.
And now let the words go.
There is nothing more you need to do with them.
We will now begin to move awareness through the body.
There is no need to move any part of your body.
There's no need to concentrate intensely.
Simply hear the name of each part.
Bring your awareness there for a moment.
And then move on.
Bring awareness to your right hand.
Right thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit right side of the ribs.
Waste.
Right hip.
Right thigh.
Me.
Care.
Shen.
Ankle.
Heal.
Sole of the right foot.
Top of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Now bring your awareness to your left hand.
Left thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Rest.
4R.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Left side of the rib.
Waste.
Left hip.
Left thigh.
Me.
Cat.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heal.
Sole of the left foot.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Now become aware of the back of your body.
Right heel.
Left you.
Back of the right leg.
Back of the left leg.
Right hip.
Left hip.
Lower back.
Metal bath.
Upper back.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Back of the neck.
Back of the head.
Now the front of the body.
Top of the head.
Forehead.
Right temple.
Left temple.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Space between the eyebrows.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right cheek left cheek.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Nose,
Lips.
Throughout.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Right side of the chest.
Left side of the chest.
Center of the chest.
Upper abdomen.
Navel.
Lower abdomen.
Pelfas.
Feel the entire right leg.
Entire left leg.
Both legs together.
Feel the entire right arm.
The entire left arm.
Both arms together.
Feel the whole back of the body.
Feel the whole front of the body.
And now fill your whole body together.
Your whole body resting.
Your whole body supported.
Your whole body safe to soften.
Now bring your awareness to your breath.
Do not change it.
Simply feel it.
Notice the gentle rise of your abdomen as you breathe in.
And the soft fall as you breathe out.
Rising.
And falling.
Imagine each exhale carrying you a little deeper into rest.
There is nowhere to reach.
Nowhere to go.
Again,
Silently counting your breaths backwards from 10.
Breathing in.
Breathing out 10.
Breathing in Breathing out.
9.
Continue silently at your own pace.
If you use If you lose your place,
It doesn't matter.
Simply return to 10.
Let the counting disappear now.
Allow the breath to breathe itself.
Begin to notice a feeling of heaviness.
Imagine the entire body becoming wonderfully heavy,
Your arms heavy.
Your leg's heavy.
Your head heavy.
Your whole body sinking gently downward.
As though the bed beneath you is receiving every ounce of your weight.
You don't have to hold anything.
You don't have to carry anything.
Happy.
Saw.
Support it.
And now imagine the opposite.
Feeling of lightness.
As though your body has become almost weightless.
Effortless.
Free.
Imagine floating softly as light as a cloud moving through a quiet night sky.
And then let go of both sensations,
Neither heavy nor light.
Simply resting.
Now imagine that the events of your day are beginning to move further away.
You don't need to replay them.
You don't need to understand them.
You don't need to change them.
Imagine placing everything from today into a beautiful basket beside you.
The conversation.
Decision.
The things you accomplish.
The things you didn't get to.
The things you wish you had gone differently.
Place all of it gently into the basket.
You can pick it up tomorrow.
If you choose.
But tonight.
.
.
You don't need to carry it.
Quietly say to yourself,
The day is complete.
I release today.
I allow myself to rest.
Imagine now.
That you are lying beneath a beautiful night sky.
The air is perfectly still.
The temperature is just right.
Everything around you feels peaceful.
Above you.
A deep velvet sky stretches endlessly in every direction.
Tiny stars shimmer softly in the distance.
You don't need to count them.
You don't need to focus on them.
Simply notice their gentle light.
And somewhere above you is the moon.
Saw.
Why?
Peaceful.
Its light touches everything without asking anything in return.
Imagine that same soft light.
Gently surrounding you.
Around your head.
Your shoulders.
Your heart.
Your belly.
Your leg.
All the way down to your feet.
A soft,
Peaceful light.
Nothing to do.
Nothing to become.
Nothing to fix.
You are simply here.
Breathing.
Resting.
How?
Perhaps you can imagine that with every breath.
The boundary between you and the quiet night becomes softer.
Your thoughts become farther apart.
Your body becomes less important.
The sound of my voice can begin to drift farther away.
You don't have to follow every word anymore.
You don't have to stay awake for the end.
If sleep comes.
Let it go.
Somewhere within you.
Remember the intention.
You chose at the beginning of this practice.
You are sankalpa.
You don't have to search for it.
Let it come naturally.
Silently repeat it once.
Again.
And one final time.
Let those words settle somewhere deep within you and then release them.
From this moment forward,
There is nothing more you need to follow.
Nothing more you need to remember.
Your body knows how to sleep.
You do not have to make sleep happen.
Simply allow yourself to be carried toward it.
Breath by breath.
Moment by moment.
Your jaw is soft.
Your shoulders are heavy.
Your belly is relaxed.
Your hands are still.
Your legs are resting.
The room is quiet.
The night is peaceful.
And you are safe to rest.
Let yourself drift now.
Deeper.
And deeper.
And softer.
There's nowhere else you need to go tonight.
Nothing else you need to do.
You have done enough.
The day is complete.
Rest.
Soften.
Surrender.
And whenever sleep is ready to find you.
Allow yourself to follow.
