Yoga Nidra : Deep Sleep Sanctuary

A Yoga Nidra for entering the sanctuary of deep sleep. It includes the yoga Nidra stages of guided settling and relaxation, a long rotation of consciousness, awareness of breath and concludes with time to breathe and rest with the deep unchanging Self. The music is tuned to the frequency of sleep. There is no end bell so when sleep arrives you will not be disturbed.

Transcript

Settle yourself for sleep or getting back to sleep with care and kindness.

Align your body to alertness by making it as straight as you can.

If you haven't already,

Close your eyes.

Enjoy the heaviness of your eyelids over your eyes as you turn your gaze inwards.

Move deeply into the inner space of being.

Engage the part of your consciousness who is observer or deep self.

Take a slightly deep breath.

Sigh the breath out and relax your whole body and being.

Place your hands on your body,

Perhaps one hand on your pelvis or solar plexus just above the navel and the other on your heart center in the middle of your chest to give yourself the feeling of lovingly holding yourself.

Watch yourself bring attention to your hands.

Feel into any naturally occurring sensations created by the contact between your body and hands.

Breathe in towards your hands and on the out breath let your body relax into the surface beneath you.

Do this for a few more breaths.

Breathe in towards your hands,

Relax into the surface beneath you.

Relax the base of your back by lifting it very slightly away from the surface beneath you and slowly lower it again.

Feel the effect of this.

Squeeze your buttocks together with control very slightly and slowly release them.

Feel the effect of this.

Imagine your middle and lower back expanding and releasing into the support beneath you.

Imagine your shoulder blades and upper back softening and sinking.

Let the back of your head and neck soften and sink into the pillow beneath you.

Feel your arms heavy and warm.

Feel your back heavy and warm.

Feel your buttocks and legs.

Let your whole body and being come to rest and gravity bring a feeling of heaviness throughout your whole body.

We will now begin rotation of consciousness.

If it feels more comfortable,

Place your hands alongside your body now with palms facing upwards and fingers slightly curled.

This will prevent any tension in the muscles.

Let your attention be guided from body part to body part as soon as you hear it.

Strengthen connection by briefly feeling into any natural sensations here.

Let your awareness flow.

If you feel little or no sensation,

Still place attention at each body part but don't concentrate too intensely.

The crown of the head.

Any natural sensations at the crown of the head.

The point between the two eyebrows.

Watch yourself feeling into the point between your two eyebrows.

Natural sensations in the right eye socket.

The whole of the right eye socket.

The left eye socket.

The whole of the left eye socket.

Your right cheekbone from the inside.

Your left cheekbone from the inside.

The whole surface of your face.

The whole surface of your face.

The bridge of the nose.

The tip of the nose.

Inside the whole nose.

The mouth.

The area above the top lip and beneath the nose.

The area around the whole outside of the mouth.

Sensations in the top lip.

Sensations in the bottom lip.

The right corner of the mouth.

The left corner of the mouth.

The inside of the mouth.

The moisture inside the mouth.

The teeth and gums.

The tongue lying on the bottom of the mouth.

The root of the tongue.

The back of the throat.

The chin.

Tip of the chin.

The jaw.

Letting the jaw be soft and relaxed.

The front of the throat.

Deep inside the throat.

Over to the right shoulder joint.

Deep inside the right shoulder joint.

The upper arm.

The right elbow.

The lower right arm.

The right wrist.

The whole surface of the back of the right hand.

Any natural sensations occurring across the back of the right hand.

The right thumb.

Tip of the index finger.

Middle finger.

Fourth finger.

Tip of the right little finger.

Coming back up the inside.

The soft skin on the middle of the inside right wrist.

Inside lower arm.

Inside right elbow.

Inside upper arm.

Deep inside the cave of the right armpit.

Up to the right collarbone.

Over to the front of the throat.

Sensations deep inside the throat.

Over to the left shoulder joint.

Deep inside the left shoulder joint.

The left upper arm.

Left elbow.

Lower arm.

Left wrist.

The whole of the back of the left hand.

Natural sensations across the back of the left hand.

The left thumb.

Left index finger.

Middle finger.

Tip of the fourth finger.

Tip of the little finger.

Coming back on the inside.

The soft skin on the middle of the inside left wrist.

Inside lower arm.

Inside left elbow.

Inside upper arm.

The cave of the left armpit.

Deep inside the cave of the left armpit.

Up to the left collarbone.

Back to the front of the throat.

Deep inside the throat.

Down to the upper chest.

The breastbone.

The whole of the breastbone.

The heart centre.

Pausing deep inside the heart centre.

To feel for any sensations here.

Down to the solar plexus.

Just above the navel.

Sensations in the solar plexus.

The whole surface of the stomach.

The upper abdomen.

The lower abdomen.

The pelvis.

Deep inside the whole pelvis.

Over to the right hip joint.

Resting inside the right hip joint.

Down into the right thigh.

The whole surface of the right thigh.

The right kneecap.

Right shin.

Right ankle.

Right heel in contact with the surface beneath it.

The smooth skin on the top of the right foot.

Right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Tip of the small toe.

The sole of the foot.

The whole sole of the right foot.

The right ankle.

Back up the inside of the right leg.

Right calf.

Back of right knee.

Back of right thigh.

Right buttock.

Into the base of the back.

Pausing to feel deep inside the base of the back.

Moving over to the left hip joint.

Resting deep inside the left hip joint.

The left thigh.

The whole surface of the left thigh.

The surface of the left kneecap.

Deep inside the knee.

Left shin.

Left ankle.

Left heel.

The whole of the left heel in contact with the surface beneath it.

Left big toe.

Tip of the second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Tip of the small toe.

The sole of the left foot.

The whole surface of the sole of the left foot.

The left ankle.

Back up the inside of the left leg.

Left calf.

Back of left thigh.

Left buttock.

Up to the base of the back.

Pausing to feel deep inside the base of the back.

Moving up the back little by little.

The lower back.

The middle back.

The upper back.

Both shoulder blades together.

Both shoulders together.

The back of the neck.

The base of the head.

The whole back of the scalp up to the crown of the head.

The crown of the head.

Into the centre of the head.

Deep inside the centre of the head.

Breathe through the front of the face into the centre of the head.

Hold and sigh the breath out.

Begin to notice the presence of your breath.

Watch the breath from inside the deep self.

The in and out of your breathing.

The feeling of the breath as it comes in at your nostrils.

Follow this feeling.

Inside your nose,

Your sinuses,

The back of your throat and into your lungs.

Follow how it moves back out,

Perhaps a little warmer.

Feel for this warmth on your upper lip as you breathe out.

Notice the slight pause after the exhale before it comes in again.

Enjoy your body moving slightly up and down with your breathing.

The in and out of your breath.

The rise and fall of your body.

Move your awareness into your lower ribcage,

Taking some slightly deeper breaths.

Notice the sideways movement of your ribcage as it expands outwards during the in-breath.

And slowly contracts on the out-breath.

Enjoy feeling quiet inside the breath as you observe the expansion and contraction.

Notice your breath may have changed as the mind has deepened.

Perhaps it is slower and deeper.

Perhaps the energy field of your whole body feels more unified.

As you breathe,

Bring your awareness back to the deep self,

Wherever you can most easily locate it.

Perhaps in the middle of your head.

Or at the heart centre in the middle of your chest.

Wherever you can most easily connect with the inner you.

Place your full attention here.

Strengthen the connection by breathing in towards it and stay burrowed deep inside as you breathe out.

Continue to breathe slowly and evenly towards your deep self.

Enjoy resting deep inside your own mind,

Where you can always find deepest peace,

Deepest rest.

Breathe and drink deeply from this well of calm,

Knowing that it is depthless.

Very slowly,

Without disturbing the peace and calm you have found,

Let your body find the most comfortable position for sleep.

Know that if it still evades you,

You are receiving deep nourishment and rest.

Stay with the breath,

The body and the deep self until sleep naturally comes.

Reviews

I always fall asleep with this meditation, thank you 🙏

Debra's deep calm voice is so relaxing. I also appreciated the emphasis on breath in this yoga nidra. It helped me to go back to sleep.

Gentle and relaxing. Very appropriate to fall asleep with 🙏

Simply splendid, I was asleep 😴 before I knew it. 🤩🤩🤩💞💞
Thank you 😊 I really enjoy your nidra meditations Debra

Thank you for another wonderfully relaxing experience! ✨

Fell asleep in the wee hours. Don’t remember much this time but grateful that the music was quiet and subtle enough that I barely noticed it. I’ll be happy to listen again. 2/11/24

Thank you for this lovely guide into restful sleep. 🙏🏽🕯️🦉

Love the voice, script, imagery. Novel and original yet universal ideas. Thank you

Soothing, calming and helped me return to sleep thank you 🌺🌸🌼🪷🌷🌹🪻

So peaceful and perfect—I was asleep ten minutes in. Thank you so very much, Debra 🙏🏻💚

Great. I fell asleep so I had to come back to rate and review! I really liked your rotation of consciousness.