Welcome to this yoga nidra practice for welcoming in a deep restorative night's sleep.
This practice is specifically designed if you struggle to get to sleep,
Maybe you have racing thoughts or when you do sleep you struggle with having a lot of light non-restorative rest.
Yoga nidra and deep rest can help bring your nervous system into a parasympathetic state and slow down brainwave activity that actually mimics the early stages of sleep,
Helping you to transition and also clear any emotional unresolved emotional stress from the day.
So practicing this just before you go to sleep can be really beneficial.
At the end of this practice,
Rather than guiding you back into your waking life and bringing you out of the practice,
You will be guided out with gentle fading music.
So the practice will be about 20 minutes long and then the rest of the time will be relaxing and gentle audio that just allows you to drift naturally into sleep without any disruptions.
So when you're ready,
Move into a comfortable position.
So you can sleep in a position and do this practice in a position that feels comfortable and restful that you'll be able to stay as still as you can.
And whenever you're ready,
Close down the eyes and notice where you feel the breath.
It may be in your abdomen,
Your chest,
Throat or your nostrils.
Just notice the breath wherever you feel it the most.
You don't need to change anything about the breath here.
Simply observe your natural breath as if you were watching clouds drift by.
And on the next exhale,
Allow your exhale to lengthen and take a deep sigh,
Allowing your breath to release any tension in your body.
And then repeat this again.
Inhale normally and exhale.
Sigh out your mouth.
You may wish to make an audible sigh if that would feel comfortable.
And allow yourself to visualize releasing any tension in your body or in your mind as you sigh out the mouth.
One more time,
Inhale naturally and then exhale a sigh out of your mouth,
Releasing all the final pieces of tension that you've been holding on to today.
Allow them to release with the breath.
And notice how your body feels now.
It's okay if you feel tension has shifted or even if you don't.
Simply notice what you notice in your body,
Allowing it to be exactly as it is.
Notice sensations that are drawing your attention in this moment.
Without judgment,
Simply place your awareness on the sensations in your body,
Allowing them to be as they are.
You may be aware of them because they are holding some wisdom about the tension that you've had during your day.
And just by noticing non-judgmentally,
You're allowing these sensations to come to the surface and then release,
Releasing the tension that you've been holding on to and that you've been experiencing.
As you notice sensations,
You may wish to bring in a feeling of softening around the sensation.
So allow the sensation to be exactly as it is,
But surround it,
Wrap it in a comforting,
Soothing embrace.
You may wish to visualize that you are wrapping the sensation in a comforting blanket or bubble wrap.
Whatever comes to your mind,
Allow yourself to process the way your intuition guides you to.
Or you may wish to send some soothing words to the sensation as you allow it to be exactly as it is.
Some soothing words could just be as simple as,
It's okay to be here.
You are exactly as you need to be and to process in this moment.
Simply notice what words and language comes to your mind and allow yourself to send that to any sensations that you are noticing in your body.
Now place your awareness at your third eye center between the eyebrows and be reminded of the reason that you've decided to practice this particular practice today.
What brought you here today?
Whatever comes to mind is okay.
It's simply building your intention for the practice.
So take whatever words or feelings came to mind and translate them into a supportive I or I am statement to build your reason for practicing and your heart's desire for this practice today.
If nothing has come to your mind that is okay.
Trust your intuition will guide you anyway and you may wish to borrow this intention.
I allow my body and my mind to deeply rest and now allow your intuition to guide you to releasing this intention your sankalpa for the practice.
This may be a visual that comes to mind of releasing and letting go.
It may be a felt sense or even words in your mind's eye.
Simply allow your intuition to release your intention and with it you release all expectation for yourself and for this practice today knowing that your intention is still your intention.
But you release your attachment and with it you release your attachment to any outcome for this practice today knowing that your body and your mind are processing your day exactly as they need to.
So allow your visualization,
Words or a felt sense to release all these expectations that have been weighing you down as you rest here deeper and deeper allowing your body to give its weight to the earth beneath you and now allow your awareness to drift to your right thumb allowing yourself a moment to absorb your awareness fully into your right thumb now your second finger third finger fourth finger little finger the palm of your right hand allowing your awareness to absorb all the sensation at the palm of your right hand the back of your right hand elbow your right armpit drift your awareness down to your right waist the right heel feeling all the sensations here at your right heel the sole of your right foot the top of your right foot big toe second toe third toe allowing your awareness to absorb into the sensations in your left thumb second finger palm of your left hand back of your left hand elbow allow your awareness to drift down and absorb the sensations on the left side of your waist the heel of your foot absorbing the sensation in the sole of your foot big toe drift your awareness to the base of your spine and the back of the body to feel any sensations or movements here feel the energy vibrating at the base of your spine connecting you to the earth feel this vital,
Effervescent energy as you rest deeply at the base of your spine move your awareness up to your lower back now allow your awareness to move to the front of your body,
The center of your chest feeling the energy,
The middle of your chest resting with this energy,
The movement of your body the movement and effervescence you feel here,
Allowing you to rest even deeper now drift your awareness up to the base of the throat middle of the throat the inside of your mouth and all the sensations here right nostril left nostril the right ear eye and all the sensations the left the center of the forehead and the top of your head allow your awareness to be filled with the sensation of your entire body resting deeply and now drift your awareness back to the third eye center and allow yourself to rest at this space allow yourself to soak in to this vast and restful space
