Welcome to this Yoga Nidra session for deep,
Restful sleep.
I'll be your guide,
Heather Liliko.
In this practice,
We'll give ourselves permission to relax and let go.
Sleep is so important,
But can also be very frustrating.
It's not something we can force.
It's something that happens to us.
And in our busy lives,
Always on the go,
It can be hard to unwind and put it all aside when bedtime comes.
So tonight,
We create the ideal conditions for the body and mind,
And allow ourselves to slip into sleep.
And sleep may not come during this practice,
And that's okay too.
Know that by doing it,
You're still putting your body into a beneficial state of deep rest and relaxation.
Now,
It's time to get comfortable and build your nest.
Lay down with your legs out in front of you,
And allow the feet to fall open to the sides.
Let the hands rest down away from the body,
Palms facing up,
Fingers gently curling inwards.
Let yourself melt into this pose.
You're safe and cozy here,
Snuggled with blankets.
This is your time,
Time you're giving yourself to rest and recharge.
There is nothing you need to do right now,
Nowhere to go.
Just listen to my voice and instructions.
If you don't hear everything,
That's okay.
You may drift in and out of sleep.
You don't need to catch up if you miss something.
There's no right or wrong way to do this practice,
And there's no pressure for it to go a certain way.
Ask yourself if you could be just a little bit more comfortable.
Make any wiggles or final adjustments,
And then try to remain still for the practice,
Giving your body a chance to rest.
Let's set your intention,
Your sankalpa,
For this practice.
What is it that you need from this practice today that you're calling in?
Is it to feel relaxed?
Is it to let go?
Maybe to pause your day to sleep better at night?
Take a moment to think of your intention in present tense.
Maybe it's,
I am relaxed,
Or I am sleeping deeply.
Drop that intention into your consciousness.
Plant the seeds,
And then let it go.
Now,
Come into the breath.
Take a few long,
Slow,
Full breaths in,
And big sighs out.
With every breath,
Sinking deeper and deeper,
Letting go fully.
With each breath,
Feeling tension melt away from the body,
Feeling completely supported by the earth below you.
Imagine now in your mind a staircase,
And this staircase has 10 steps leading down.
Imagine yourself walking down these steps,
And with each step,
You take downwards,
Your body gets heavier,
You relax more and more.
10,
Walking down.
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
Continue down.
4,
Body getting heavier.
3,
Thoughts settling.
2,
1,
You're at the bottom of the staircase,
Coming into the deepest,
Most pure form of relaxation you've ever felt.
We'll come now out of the mind and into the body,
Going through a systematic relaxation of each part.
As I list each part,
You'll bring your awareness there and feel into it,
Maybe imagining softening that area just a little bit more.
Let's begin.
Right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Right pinky finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Right waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Calf,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Right baby toe,
The whole right arm,
The whole right leg.
Feel that the whole right side of the body is in full relaxation.
Bring your attention to the left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Left pinky finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Left waist,
Thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Calf,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Left baby toe,
The whole left arm,
The whole left leg.
The whole left side of the body is in full relaxation.
Feel and relax the back of the body.
Right heel,
Left heel,
Right calf,
Left calf,
Right back of the thigh,
Left back of the thigh,
Right glutes,
Left glutes,
Lower back,
Mid back,
Upper back,
Right back of the shoulder,
Left back of the shoulder,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head.
Now feel and relax the front of the body,
Crown of the head,
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Space between the eyebrows,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Nose,
Mouth,
Tongue,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Chest,
Ribs,
Belly,
Hips,
Right thigh,
Left thigh,
Right knee,
Left knee,
Right shin,
Left shin,
Right top of foot,
Left top of foot.
Now alternate between the back of the body and the front.
Feel the back of the body,
Heavy,
Heavy,
Grounding.
Feel the front of the body,
Light,
Light,
Lifting.
Alternate between these sensations of heaviness and lightness.
Heaviness like you're made of lead,
Lightness as if you're made of peace.
Back to heaviness,
A deep fatigue in the body.
Back to lightness as if you could hover above the floor.
Back to heaviness and then back to lightness.
Gently let go of that.
The body is completely supported.
Come back to your breath.
Notice the gentle up and down.
How very little effort you need for the breath to happen.
Almost as if you're being breathed.
Notice the inhale and exhale and the pauses in between.
Give yourself permission to do nothing.
You don't need to focus on anything.
The body and mind are relaxed.
I'll leave you here.
Allow yourself to drift in this peaceful,
Quiet sanctuary you've created.
Know that the seeds of your intention are sprouting.
Good night and sweet dreams.
