Letting Go Into Sleep

Let go of doing and be guided into sleep by Cindy's soothing voice and peaceful music. Allow yourself to be gently guided in a Yoga Nidra practice specifically designed to help with sleep. The music and guidance fade away at the end of the practice, so you can drift off to sleep.

Transcript

This practice is designed to support deep sleep.

The music and guidance will slowly fade away at the end of the practice so you can drift off to sleep.

As you are ready,

Arrange yourself into a position of comfort and rest.

You might like to lie in bed with a cushion under the knees or you can lie on your side or your belly.

Cover yourself with blankets or add additional layers of clothing to stay warm.

Become as comfortable as you can.

When you are all settled in,

Invite the eyes to slide shut.

Draw in a deep breath through the nose and slowly exhale physically,

Mentally,

Emotionally.

Let go.

Know this time is just for you.

Allow the whole body to become heavy and feel the imprint of your body on the earth.

The imprint of the shape of your body on the earth.

The whole plane of contact between your body and the earth.

Become heavy as if you were pressing the entire blueprint of your body into the surface beneath you.

Become as comfortable as you can.

Heavy,

Open,

Receptive.

As gravity takes hold,

Feel your organs get heavy and sink toward the earth as the front of the body becomes lighter,

The tiny muscles around the eyes soften and the facial expression begins to soften and melt as the body slowly spreads like water.

Like water being soaked into the earth.

Like rain dissolving into the earth.

Let go another 5%.

Release all trying.

All doing.

And come into being.

No need to try.

Whole body effortless.

Allow the sweet song of your breath to come and go of its own accord.

Your breath breathing you.

Feel breath in the belly,

In the ribs,

Softening and massaging.

Soothing around the tenderness of the heart.

Welcome yourself into the practice in any way that feels right for you.

Listen for any distant sounds.

Sounds radiating outward without labeling or judging.

Simply aware.

Perhaps hearing the loudest sound that you can hear.

Now listen for closer or more subtle sounds.

Simply be a witness to them.

Now hear sounds closest to you.

Sounds from inside the body.

Perhaps the sound of your breath.

Or the beating of your heart.

As the physical body settles,

Allow the mind to begin to settle.

Invite your internal senses to become more heightened.

More aware.

Attuned to what is happening inside.

Then begin to connect the mind to the breath.

Use the breath as a doorway into the body.

A doorway into the body and feel.

Feel the natural pattern.

The rhythm and cadence of the breath flowing through the body.

Breath flowing through the body.

Body breathing rhythmically,

Steadily.

Now begin to deepen and expand the breath.

From the belly all the way up to the heart.

And release from the heart all the way back down to the belly.

Slow,

Smooth,

And even breathing.

As you begin to consciously shape the breath.

Notice how the breath is beginning to shape the mind.

Breath as slow as possible,

But continuous.

Slow.

Smooth.

Peaceful and easy.

And dive even deeper in.

Into the mind.

Use quality of thoughts,

Sharp or dull.

Congested and heavy.

Or light and floating.

Allow thoughts to settle into the breath.

Thoughts sink into the breath.

Now release all control of the breath.

Allow the breath to flow with softness and ease.

And the calmness of the breath to radiate out.

Like a pebble being tossed into a pond.

Rest your awareness now in the space of the heart.

Awareness rests in the vastness of the heart.

Set an intention.

A sankalpa.

Something with lasting value,

Not just of the moment.

Something you are prepared to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

Perhaps frame it into these categories.

I can.

I will.

I must.

An example could be,

I can make time for rest each day.

I will make time for rest each day.

I must make time for rest each day.

Repeat your heart's intention to yourself.

And allow your heart to whisper it back to you like an echo.

Welcome and affirm your intention with your whole body and mind.

Now take a moment to find your safe haven.

An inner resource.

A place you can return to at any time.

A place where you feel secure,

Calm,

Or loved.

Here in this place,

There's nothing to solve or fix.

Or run towards.

Or away from.

It's there for you to simply be.

It could be a place you love to visit.

Or somewhere you've always longed to go.

Just so that it is a place that feels peaceful and calming to you.

And allow this place to become more vivid and real in your mind.

Looking around and taking in this peaceful place through the lens of your eyes.

Whether it's outdoors in nature,

In a meadow,

Next to a waterfall,

Or a place of comfort indoors with a cherished pet,

A comfy chair,

And hearing any sounds of this place.

Whatever they might be.

Wind or water.

The song of birds.

Soothing music.

Or even the voice of someone that feels calming or comforting to you.

Or blends of sounds.

And feeling or sensing the ground or the surface beneath you.

Sensation of air on the skin.

Any fragrances or scents.

Smells of outdoors.

Your favorite home cooked meal.

Or the smell of someone you love.

And feeling so happy and content to be in this special place.

And know that this feeling,

This peace is always there for you.

Waiting patiently for you to uncover it whenever you need.

Whenever you need during practice.

Or any other time during daily life.

If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed and wish to return to this place of calm and peace.

It's always there.

Now observe the mind.

The thoughts and images.

Let them all happen and flow through you.

Let go of past thoughts of the day.

They drift away along with your attention.

Thoughts drift away.

Like watching clouds in the sky.

You're not trying to change the shape of the clouds.

You're simply noticing them.

Now direct your attention and awareness into your body.

Remain still as best you can.

If you do need to shift or move,

Try to do so mindfully.

Let your awareness travel through the body like a spark of light.

Send all of your attention into the warmth of your mouth.

Feel the whole inside of your mouth.

Sense inner surfaces of the mouth.

Inner cheeks.

Density of the teeth.

Tongue.

Tongue resting in the floor of the mouth.

Notice the lips.

Feel the lips softly brush against one another.

And the space in between.

Notice any taste or flavors as you sense and feel the whole mouth.

The whole mouth.

Fear of chin.

Cheeks.

Feel your ears.

Left ear.

Right ear.

And both ears together.

Outer architecture of the ears.

Ear lobes.

Inner ear.

Sense any sounds.

Ears becoming more receptive to sound.

Ears softening around the sound.

Notice the sound of my voice as I guide you.

Shift awareness to the pools of the eyes.

Left eye.

Right eye.

Both eyes simultaneously.

Feel the eyes resting like pebbles in the sockets.

Aware of eyelids.

Intertwining of the lashes.

The tiny muscles on the outer edges of the eyes.

Feel both eyes.

Notice any colors.

Flickers of light or images.

As you look with inner vision.

See with inner vision.

Rest your awareness now on your nose.

Feel the length of the nose.

Tip of the nose.

Sense the doorways of the nostrils.

Left nostril.

Right nostril.

And the breath flowing through.

Notice the change in temperature of the breath flowing through the nostrils.

Any scents or fragrances in the nose.

Shift awareness to the line of the brows.

Feel temples.

Forehead.

Entire face.

Scalp.

Crown of the head.

Back of the head.

Whole head and face.

Aware of neck.

Sides of the neck.

Curve of the nape of the neck.

Hollow of the throat.

Float your awareness down to the palm of your right hand.

Feel back of the hand.

Right hand thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Little finger.

Aware of all of the fingers.

Fingertips.

Whole right hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

And shoulder.

Entire length of the right arm.

Throat center.

Rest awareness in the palm of your left hand.

Feel back of the hand.

Left hand thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Little finger.

Left wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

And shoulder.

Entire length of the left arm.

Whole neck.

Between shoulder blades.

Chest.

Heart center.

Mid back.

Solar plexus just beneath the ribs.

Small of the back.

Naval center.

Entire torso.

Whole pelvis.

And hips.

Feel right hip.

Right glute.

Right thigh.

Front and back.

Right knee.

Front and back.

Right calf and shin.

Aware of right ankle.

Foot.

Feel the top of the foot.

Soul of the foot.

Heel.

Aware of right big toe.

All of the toes.

Feel the whole right leg and foot together.

Whole right leg and foot.

Aware of left hip.

Glute.

Left thigh.

Front and back.

Left knee.

Front and back.

Left calf and shin.

Aware of left ankle.

Left foot.

Top of the foot.

Soul of the foot.

Feel.

Aware of left big toe.

All of the toes.

Whole left foot.

Whole left leg and foot.

Left leg and foot.

Feel the whole body.

Whole entire symphony of the body.

Rest your awareness now in your breath.

With the body still,

Note where you feel the breath.

Body becomes completely still.

Breath is flowing naturally.

Where can you feel the breath?

Perhaps the rise and fall of the belly or the sensation of the breath brushing across the upper lip.

Or entering the doorways of the nostrils.

Rest your awareness in one of those points.

And follow the breath.

Follow the breath.

Follow the breath.

And now feel any emotions that might be present.

Simply noticing without changing.

Without labeling or judging.

Just an awareness.

Now feel the whole body heavy.

The whole body heavy like clay.

Whole body becomes heavy.

Now feel the whole body light.

The whole body light like the wisp of a soft wind that brushes your cheek.

Whole body light.

And now feel the whole body heavy again.

Whole body heavy.

Heavy like filled with sand.

Whole body heavy.

And now feel light again.

The whole body light.

Light like a snowflake floating in the sky.

Whole body light.

And now go back and forth between the two.

Feeling heavy and feeling light.

Heavy and light.

And now see if you can feel both together at the same time.

Heaviness and lightness together.

Now see yourself standing on a staircase that descends down.

Notice what the stairs look like.

Are they carpeted?

Is there a design?

Are they wood?

Stone?

Or marble?

Feel the stairs underneath your feet.

The weight of your feet on the stairs.

And the quality or feeling of the stairs themselves.

You're holding lightly onto the banister.

So you feel safe.

What does it feel like?

Smooth or rough?

The temperature or texture beneath your fingertips.

Perhaps the staircase is straight.

Or does it spiral downward?

Notice what is at the bottom of the stairs.

Perhaps the most peaceful,

Calming place you can imagine.

As you look at the staircase,

You notice each step is numbered.

Starting with the number 20.

You begin to descend the stairs as you count backwards from 20 to 19.

18.

Notice you feel more calm and relaxed as you continue down.

17.

Sinking deeper and deeper as you continue to count down.

16.

Every cell in your body deeply relaxed.

15.

Sinking deeper.

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Reviews

I would highly recommend this meditation, I have used this twice in the last 2 days. I am relaxed & sleeping thankyou. ♥️🙏🏻

Beautiful soothing and peaceful end to the day. Thank you. 🙏🏻

Thank you! This beautiful meditation put me into a deep restorative sleep very quickly
🌹🙏

Cindy , great meditation, had me gone in minutes.
Thanks so much for all your hard work.
Namasta
🙏🏻

🙏

I don't know how much I listened to, but it certainly sent me to sleep!!

I feel like complete mush after this track. Blissed out.

I think I may have listened to the end…
Very nice voice Thankyou
Namaste 🙏🏻