Yoga Nidra For Deep Sleep: Live 01/03/26

This INsight~Nidra practice focuses on the Vishuddha (Throat Chakra), the energetic bridge between our inner world and outer expression. When tension gathers here, we may hesitate to say what is true, struggle to name our feelings, or hold back for fear of how we will be received. Blockages held here can follow us into sleep; in a “tired but wired” state, the nervous system remains alert even when the body is ready for rest.

You will be invited to gently release held tension throughout the body, bringing awareness to the throat and allowing the breath and energy to settle. As the body softens and the mind quietens, this openness supports the natural healing power of deep, restorative sleep.

This INsight~Nidra practice supports:

• Dissolving tension and enabling a state of deep relaxation
• Promoting flow of expression
• Preparing the nervous system for deep, restorative sleep

Music courtesy of Pixabay: Meditative Tiger

Transcript

Welcome to this guided Insight Nidra meditation. Please take a few moments to get comfortable. Lie down on a soft mattress, Bed or couch, Not a yoga mat. Making sure the surface you lie on is soft, So the body can remain still for the duration of the practice. It's best to meditate in a dark room. Use an eye mask if needed. Move into Shavasana, Resting on your back. Lie with your legs a bit wider than hip width apart. Roll your shoulders down and rest your arms by your side. Palms gently facing upward. Put a cushion under your knees and head for added comfort. Adjust your clothing and blankets to ensure that you can remain completely still during the practice. Close your eyes. Allow your body to enter complete stillness. There are intentional pauses during the guided instruction to allow for integration of the Insight Nidra instructions. We'll now begin. Let your body know that this is your time to rest. To listen inwardly and feel the healing power of sleep. In a tired, Wired state, Our breath becomes shallow, The chest tightens and our nervous system stays alert, Even when the body longs for sleep. We're continuing this sleep journey by moving into the throat chakra, The energetic bridge between your inner world and outer expression. When our centers are tense, We hold back our truth, Swallow our feelings, Or stay silent when something inside wants to be spoken. Keep relaxing the jaw, Tongue, Throat, Your breath. Unwind any tension layer by layer. Allow your body to be fully supported. The earth receives you. Your breath settles like mist. Your mind relaxes. When your chakras are tight, Tension accumulates in the jaw, Tongue, Throat, And your breath. This tension follows you into the night, Disrupting deep rest. Unwind that tension gently, And we'll be guided by the pranic, The breath, Inner currents. Just taking a slow breath in, And a long, Dissolving breath out. Let's repeat several times. Feel the weight of your body sinking into the surface beneath you. Relax your feet, Ankles, Calves, Knees, And thighs. Relax your hips, Pelvis, Lower belly, Relax the ribs, Chest, And the upper back. Relax your shoulders, Arms, Your hands. Relax your neck, Throat, Jaw, Tongue, Your eyes, Forehead, Your scalp. Imagine pranic, Inner currents, A subtle breath, Beginning to move through your body, Intelligently, Effortlessly. It doesn't push or force, Simply guides awareness into deeper rest. It's bringing awareness to your jaw. Let it loosen. Hang slightly. Without effort. Rest. Feel the tongue resting in the mouth, Widening, Flattening. As your tongue melts downward, Luminous nadis, The channels, Uncoil, Expand. As a jaw releases, The inner breath flows freely. As the throat opens, The breath moves without obstruction. The throat feels spacious, Pranic currents align, Luminous channels brighten. As you breathe sleep into your right hand thumb. Breathing sleep into your fingers, The palm, The back of your hand, Your wrist, Forearm, Upper arm, The left shoulder. Breathe sleep into the toes of the right foot, Your ankle, Calf, Knee, Thigh, Right hip. Breathe sleep into the toes of the left foot, Ankle, Calf, Knee. Thigh, Left hip, Pranic breath currents align and brighten. As you breathe sleep into the lower belly, Navel, Solar plexus, The heart chakra. Just visualise a blue flame remaining steady at the throat chakra. Breathe sleep into your jaw, Tongue, Eyes, Forehead, Crown chakra. All your channels, Meridians brighten. As you breathe sleep into the whole body. Breathing sleep into your whole body. Bring your full attention to the natural rhythm of your breath. Notice coolness as you inhale deeply and warmth as you exhale slowly. Just keep repeating. Feel the breath as it brushes softly against the inner walls of your throat. Soft, Smooth, Effortless, Calming. As you inhale, Sense the pranic currents rising gently up through the spinal channel. Putting your attention on the spine. As you inhale, Sense the breath rising gently up through the spinal channel. Breathing, Energising, Revitalising your entire being with each exhale. Imagine the spinal channel widening, Creating spacious pathways for the breath and energy to flow. As you inhale, Up the spine. Feel the inhalation energising, Revitalising your entire being. As you exhale, Imagine your luminous spinal channel widening, Creating space for breath and energy. Just keep repeating. Breathing and ready. Putting your attention on the base chakra between the pubic bone and the tailbone. Inhaling up to the base chakra. Visualise the breath flowing smoothly along the spine up to your crown chakra. Exhale down the spine, Releasing tension and blockages. Let the tension and blockages dissolve into the air. Allow your breath to move in a steady, Even rhythm, Neither forced nor shallow. Focus on any subtle sensations along your spine. Feel the gentle expansion and contraction of each breath. Have a sense of a wave of lightness and clarity spreading through your body as breath nourishes your spinal energy. Just keep focusing on any subtle sensations in your spine. Lightness and clarity spreading throughout your body. If your mind wanders, Gently bring your focus back to the breath and the flow of energy along your spine. Maintain this mindful awareness, Allowing your breath to deepen naturally and your body to relax completely. If your mind wanders, Gently bring your focus back to the breath and the flow of energy along your spine. Maintain this mindful awareness, Allowing your breath to deepen naturally and your body to relax completely. With each inhale, The pranic inner current gathers clarity and draws it inward. Feel the breath lengthen naturally. Let your exhale cool the body like moonlight. Sense inhale rising like a tide. Let the exhale fall like a wave returning to the sea. With each inhale, The breath gathers clarity and draws it inward. Let the exhale cool the body like moonlight. Sense inhale rising like a tide. Let the exhale fall like a wave returning to the sea. Visualise the luminous spinal channel becoming a wide corridor for your breath. Visualise the luminous spinal channel becoming a wide corridor for your breath. Smoothing the edges of the mind like a soft whispering sound arises on the exhale to allow it. This sound massages the vagus nerve, Signalling safety. Feel gratitude for the life force flowing within you, Bringing calmness, Bringing awareness to the centre of the throat chakra. Feel the front of the throat, The sides of the neck, The back of the neck, The hollow at the base of the throat. Imagine a blue flame glowing here, Steady and purifying. The flame clears all tension, Dissolves holding, Opens the pathway for expression. With each breath, The blue flame brightens. With each breath, Spread gently through the throat, Jaws, Tongue, Upper chest. As the throat opens, The breath moves without obstruction. The throat feels spacious. Return to the blue flame at the throat to see it glowing softly. See it pulsing gently with the breath. With each inhale, The flame brightens. With each exhale, It spreads outward. The luminous throat channel becomes clear and spacious. Prana moving through it with ease. The blue flame dissolves all tension, Words unsaid. Feelings unexpressed. Truths held inside. Keep moving the prana through the throat. The blue flame dissolving all tensions, Words unsaid. Feelings unexpressed. Truths held inside. Let your throat become a clear sky. Open. Vast. Unobstructed. Your throat becomes a clear blue sky. Open. Vast. Unobstructed. Allow your body to settle into a deeper stillness. Feel the breath moving in its own rhythm. Unhurried. Unshaped. Sense the presence of the inner teacher. Not as a person or a voice. As a quiet field of steadiness within you. This presence has no agenda. It simply holds you with patience. As you breathe, Feel the lineage current behind you. Like a soft stream of warmth at your back. All those who've practiced compassion before you. All those who learned to let the subtle wind settle. To forgive. To stay open. They form this current. You do not need to imagine them. Feel the gentle support. The way a hand might rest between your shoulder blades. Sensing the presence of the inner teacher. As a quiet field of steadiness within you. Feel the lineage current behind you. Like a soft stream of warmth. All those who've practiced compassion before you. All those who learned to let the subtle wind settle. To forgive. Just feel their gentle support. Let this current flow into your heart. The heart does not need to open. It only needs to be felt. With each exhale, Sense a subtle blessing. Spreading through the chest. Soft. Warm. Spacious. Unforced. Begin with yourself. Let the inner teacher whisper through sensation. Not words. May you feel safe. May you feel held. May you feel at ease. Let these wishes arise like wolf. Radiating outward. Not as thoughts you must repeat. Feeling this current flowing into your heart. Sense a subtle blessing. Spreading through the chest. Warm. Spacious. Let the inner teacher whisper through sensation. Not words. May you feel safe. Feel held. Feel at ease. Let these wishes arise like wolf. Radiating outward. Not as thoughts you must repeat. Allow this warmth to extend to someone you care for. Or keep it for yourself if you require it. If you're extending to someone else, Imagine them resting. The same lineage current. Receiving the same subtle blessing. May you feel safe. May you feel held. May you feel at ease. Let the warmth widen further, To someone neutral. Someone you don't know very well. If the heart allows, Extend this to someone, Even to someone who is difficult. Not to approve or forgive, But simply to acknowledge their humanity, Within the same vast field of belonging. The inner teacher holds all of this without strain. Finally, Let the warmth expand to all beings, Near and far. Known and unknown. The same subtle blessing. The same quiet wish for ease. Return to the simple feeling of the body breathing. The inner teacher remains steady and quiet. Bring your attention to third eye chakra or heart. Imagine a quiet inner voice, Arising from the blue flame, Unknowing. This voice is held within your subtle channels, Carried by prana. What wants to be expressed? What wants to be released? No need to answer. Just listen. Just feel. Everything is allowed to rise and dissolve, With your attention, Third eye chakra or your heart, In a feeling, A knowing. What wants to be expressed? What wants to be acknowledged? What wants to be released? No need to answer. Just listen, Allowing everything to rise and dissolve. Let the breath slow even more, The body grows heavier, The mind quietens. Imagine sinking downward, Into energetic liquefaction, Into stillness, Into deep rest. Descend into the place beneath thought, The place beneath effort, The place beneath identity. The place where sleep comes naturally. Let yourself drift, Float, Dissolve into rest. Just keep reflecting, The body growing heavier, Sinking downward, Stillness. Descend to the place beneath thought, Beneath effort, Beneath identity. Just rest in silence, Effort falling away, The mind unclenches, Your inner space widens, Holding patterns loosen, Become like warm water, Horizons widening inside you. If you're already asleep, Or in a deep place, Let any words keep bringing you deeper, With your attention, The third eye chakra, Or within the heart, Imagine a quiet inner voice, Rising from the blue flame, And your throat chakra, Not a literal voice, More like a feeling, A knowing, This voice is held within your subtle channels, Carried by prana, What wants to be expressed, What wants to be acknowledged, What wants to be released, No need to answer, Just listen, Feel, Everything is allowed to arise, And dissolve, The blue flame's clarity, Let the breath slow, The body become heavier, If you're already in a deep place, Letting these words carry you further, Your mind quietens, Imagine sinking downwards, Into stillness, Sinking into deep rest, Descend into the place beneath thought, Beneath effort, Descend beyond identity, To a place where sleep comes naturally, Let yourself drift, Floating, Dissolving, Into rest, Your third eye chakra, Or heart, Is resting in silence, Effort, Falling away, Your mind unclenches, Your inner space widens, Holding patterns loosen, Become like warm water, Horizons widen inside you, Reflect on any of these images, Feel your body warming, Sense the presence of an axis within yourself, A quiet, Steady centre, Deep in your body, You don't need to locate it, To feel the still point inside you, Around the still point, Notice the gentle turning, Field of your experience, Sensations shift, Thoughts come and go, Emotions rise and fall, Nothing needs to be changed, You're simply witnessing the natural turning of inner seasons, With each exhale, Feel the body's inner glow diffuse, Bring awareness to the soles of your feet, Sense the subtle movement of energy there, Warmth, Tingling, Or quietness, Let this be the first turning of the wheel, Move awareness slowly up through the legs, Noticing how sensations change as attention moves, This is the second turning, The body responding to being felt, Let awareness rise into the pelvis and lower belly, Sense the ebb and flow, Like a tide, This is the third turning, The rhythm beneath change, Bring attention to the chest and heart space, Notice how the breath gently expands and releases, The fourth turning, The soft return to ease, Move awareness to throat and jaw, Feel any tension melting on the exhale, The fifth turning, Opening space for clarity, Let awareness drift to the face, The eyes, The forehead, Sense the subtle shift into quiet, The sixth turning, The mind settling, Like snow in still air, Now sense the whole body, At once, Held within the turning field, Everything is moving, Yet the axis within remains steady, Rest here for several breaths, Feeling the natural cycles of sensation, Breath and awareness, Notice how each moment arises, Unfolds and dissolves effortlessly, The sixth turning, Carrying with you inner rhythm and quiet renewal, Notice the openness in your throat, The clarity in your breath, Notice the quiet in your mind, Your system has released tension and prepared for deep natural sleep.