Yoga Nidra For Deep Sleep

Yoga Nidra is a meditation of total relaxation that can be beneficial in reducing stress and anxiety, while simultaneously increasing overall wellbeing. This practice can best be done just before bed, or any time you are needing rest. Throughout this meditation, I will guide you through the 5 layers of your energetic self to bring a sense of wholeness, balance and ease within the body, breath and mind.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to your guided yoga nidra meditation.

Yoga nidra is a powerful meditation technique and it is actually one of my favorites.

It's a systemic journey through the five layers of self including your physical body,

Your breath body,

Emotional,

Intellectual,

And spiritual bodies.

This technique allows us to tap into each of these energetic layers of self so that we can fully engage the central nervous system allowing us to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system that is responsible for rest and digest.

Not only does this allow healing on a cellular level,

The end result allows us to feel a sense of balance and a sense of wholeness leading us into total relaxation.

This practice can best be done anytime you're in need of some rest whether that's midway throughout your day or as you're lying in bed about to go to sleep.

So allow yourself to come into a comfortable position.

I recommend lying fully down and allowing yourself to feel fully supported by whatever location and position you choose.

Know that throughout the time of this practice that you are safe and that you are fully supported.

One of the amazing benefits of yoga nidra is that you simply have to show up and by following the sounds of my voice you are already seeing the benefit.

Allow the energetic bodies to do the rest.

As we begin to prepare for yoga nidra,

Take a moment to settle into a restful position allowing yourself to feel completely comfortable.

Notice if there are any places of you where you can adjust your body to allow yourself to feel completely supported.

Take a few moments now to arrive at this place of comfort for your body and your mind.

Once you feel ready and fully adjusted,

Take a breath in from the very tip of your nose and as you exhale letting go into the surface that you have created and that place that your body is resting on.

Now gently dip your chin slightly below the level of your forehead as you begin to find a softness in your neck and a heaviness in the back of your head.

Allow your arms to lay comfortably at your side letting your palms turn upwards or simply resting them on your belly.

See if you can adjust anything now to allow yourself to be one percent more comfortable.

Now gently begin breathing in through your nose and feeling the release of your breath release out of your nose.

Inhaling through the very tip of your nose and then letting that exchange of the exhale flow right out with ease allowing the movement of your breath to become effortless like a flowing river that carries you deep into relaxation.

Become fully present in your body and mind bringing your attention to your senses allowing each of your senses to become wide open and receptive.

For a moment listen notice the sounds outside of this room perhaps you notice the sounds within the room or maybe you notice the sounds of your own breath going in and out of your body opening yourself to the sense of touch feeling the close on your body or perhaps the subtle dance of air across your skin down to the sensations of your body making contact with the earth beneath you.

Your journey throughout this practice will be guided by an intention a subtle knowing that arises from the very center of your heart space to connect with your intention take a moment to listen to the heartbeat in your chest ask your heart in this moment what do i need allow yourself to stay present to the medicine that arises within you trusting in the intention that your heart begins to offer this might be something that you can now transform into words into one word that resonates or perhaps it's something like a feeling that you can feel deep within your bones perhaps it's simply something that you have been trying to call into your life that you would like to dedicate this practice to begin to transform your intention into an i statement i am at peace i am open to what's next i allow my body this time of healing and rest give the power of your awareness to your intention now and speak it into your own mind three times now with intention intention feel the vibration of your intention through every cell of your body now take a deep breath in through the nose and as you exhale letting your intention go as it moves on its way to already being begin to rest your loving awareness on your physical body imagining your awareness and your breath becomes a thread of light that weaves in and around every part of you inviting a sense of softness just with the awareness gently draw your attention to the space just between your eyebrows begin by softening the space between your eyebrows your breath flows like water up and around the curve of your head sending the exhale down the body softening your throat space from your throat deep into the center of your chest sensations of warmth spreading across your chest with your breath this warmth begins to flow down your shoulders down the hollows of your arms to the palms of your hands as you gently rest your awareness in the center of your palms allow your awareness to flow to your right hand thumb sensations of relaxation flow down the right thumb up and into your second finger down and into your third finger down and into your fourth finger down and into your pinky finger into the spaces between your fingers now relaxation takes over your wrist forearm elbow upper arm inside your right shoulder underarm side waist hip thigh kneecap the space behind your kneecap lower leg right ankle heel sole of your right foot top of your right foot right big toe second toe third toe fourth toe pinky toe the spaces between your toes relax as the entire right side of your body enters total relaxation your awareness now flows to your left hand thumb second finger third finger fourth finger pinky finger into the open spaces between each of your fingers wrist forearm elbow upper arm left shoulder armpit side waist left hip thigh kneecap the space behind your kneecap lower leg ankle heel sole of your left foot top of your left foot left big toe second toe third toe fourth toe pinky toe the spaces between your toes relax as the entire left side of your body enters total relaxation begin to soften the space of your throat the root of your tongue the center of your tongue the very tip of your tongue relaxes awareness now flows to your chin cheekbones nose tip of your nose left nostril right nostril left eyelid right eyelid left eyebrow right eyebrow the quiet space space between your eyebrows both temples forehead the entire face becomes expressionless feel the entire left side of your body relax feel the entire right side of your body relax the left and right sides together both legs together both arms together head and torso together your whole body together we will now begin to focus all of our attention on the waves of breath flowing in and out of our body your body now spreads like a body of water deep into the surface below you as the waves of breath wash in and out of your body with ease ease we will begin by counting backwards from 17 to 1 each breath in and breath out counting as one full circle of breath counting as one inhale 17 exhale 17 belly rises 16 belly falls 16 inhale 15 exhale 15 continue counting at your own pace now all the way down to one wherever you are in this moment you may release the counting of your breath as you let it ease naturally back into its natural rhythm within your body place your loving awareness at the very center of your heart releasing all the heaviness that you hold there imagine every part of your body becoming heavy sinking further down into the space beneath you feeling the arms grow heavy as they relax fully at your side relaxing all of the muscles in your legs as your heels become heavy and sink into the space below you now as if you were able to turn a light switch allow the body to release the feeling of heaviness and begin to take on a feeling of lightness your legs begin to float your hip points release the attachment from below you the arms begin to float at your side as the entire back body becomes light as a feather as if it could carry you into the space above you and beyond become aware of your entire body now seeing your whole body from head to toe now is the time to recall your intention that you set for the beginning of this practice repeat your intention now three times embody the feeling of your intention as we begin to return through the layers of self breath by breath begin returning back to sensory awareness slowly beginning to invite the sense of sound into your inner ear awakening the sense of touch by gently brushing thumb over finger pads you might begin to swallow bringing back the sensation of taste into the physical body and taking a deep sense of breath into yourself noting any aromas in the space around you when and only when the time feels right to you begin by gently deepening the breath into the body as you allow it to gently begin its return back to life beginning to invite gentle movements back into the body perhaps rolling out the wrists and ankles or maybe rocking the head from side to side if and only if it feels good to you you can gently reach the arms up above your head stretching your body in opposite directions allowing yourself to take complete advantage of the space you have just created slowly as you are ready you can begin to open the eyelids when the time feels right taking all the time you need to come back into the room now take a moment now to thank yourself for showing up to this important and amazing practice today you have entered into a deep and healing relaxation so allow yourself to drink some water stay with the breath and savor this feeling of relaxation for as long as needed i thank you so much for showing up for yourselves and for practicing with me and trusting me as your guide i look forward to the next time that we meet again