Welcome to this Yoga Nidra for sleep.
The theme for tonight is autumn.
My name is Jenny Watson Sharma and I'll guide you through the practice with my voice but you don't have to listen to everything I say.
Sometimes you might drift off a bit so that my voice is just a sound in the background which is a good thing.
The purpose is to explore the state between being awake and being asleep.
The Alpha Theta state.
So even though this is a Nidra for sleep there is no rush to fall asleep.
We're preparing the body for a good night's sleep.
Calming down the nervous system,
Calming down the brainwaves and maybe you'll fall asleep.
Maybe you won't.
And remember there's no such thing as failure in a Yoga Nidra.
You're giving your mind space and you're giving your body important and nurturing rest.
So go ahead and get comfortable in your bed or on the sofa.
When I guide the Nidra I'll use the word bed but you can lie wherever you want.
The breath section in this specific Nidra works best if you're lying on your back but you can lie however you want and see if you can meet this practice and yourself without any expectations.
So start by observing the thoughts that want your attention right now and instead of pushing the thoughts away let them be there but in the background.
A bit like when you're in a crowded restaurant and it's busy and noisy but then you open the door and go out leaving the restaurant and the outside is fresh and you enjoy the stillness and you can still hear some of the sounds from the restaurant,
People talking and maybe music but it's further away,
Quieter and you no longer have to interact with it.
Same with your thoughts.
Imagine turning down the volume on your thoughts and turning up the volume on the experience of being in your body.
Being in your body.
So you've left the busy world behind for now and now you're here at home,
Cozy and snug.
Imagine looking out the window.
It's evening,
It's chilly and windy outside and the autumn leaves are dancing in the wind,
Glowing orange and gold in the streetlights.
You're here,
Indoors,
Warm and comfortable.
In a moment we'll use a hush sound to arrive into our bodies and it's a bit like the sound of the autumn wind helping the trees,
Releasing the leaves,
Letting go,
Helping you releasing what you no longer need,
Letting go.
So in your own time exhaling with a long hush sound a few times,
Really long exhalations and maybe a few more with each exhalation softening,
Relaxing,
Letting go and then normal breathing and notice which parts of the body are touching the bed and how does it feel there when you breathe.
Can you feel any movements?
They might be very subtle and small.
The whole back of your body resting down towards the bed,
Being held,
Supported and now bring your awareness to the front side of the body and imagine a feeling of lightness.
Each inhalation creates space and with each exhalation you soften into that space.
As you inhale maybe the belly expands a bit up towards the night sky,
Above your house,
Up towards the stars and as you exhale the belly softens back down,
Embracing you like a gentle hug.
Maybe you want to invite a rhythm.
When you inhale count to four and when you exhale count to six or choose another number,
Choose your rhythm.
Inhalation towards the night sky,
Exhalation grounding,
Centering back down and letting go of awareness of the breath will invite even more softness and even more rest into the whole body,
Letting go of any tension.
Starting with the feet,
Right foot,
Left foot,
Both feet together,
Right shin,
Left shin,
Both shins,
Right thigh,
Left thigh,
Both thighs and the space between the feet,
The space between the knees,
The tailbone,
The pelvic floor,
Right hip,
Left hip,
Both hips together,
The belly,
The lower back,
The heart,
The whole chest,
The shoulder blades and the whole upper back and bring your awareness to the space between your right arm and your upper body,
The space between your left arm and your upper body and flowing down to the right hand,
Left hand,
Both hands together,
Right forearm,
Left forearm,
Both forearms,
Right upper arm,
Left upper arm,
Both upper arms,
Right armpit,
Left armpit,
Both armpits,
Right shoulder,
Left shoulder and both shoulders and softening your throat,
Your neck,
The whole face and the back of the head,
The top of the head and relaxing the whole front of the body,
The whole back of the body,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body softening,
Resting.
Now feel,
Sense or imagine images and just flow with the experience whatever it is.
A tree with beautiful autumn leaves,
Crisp air,
A lake with a jetty,
Fog in the morning,
Warm gloves when you're feeling cold,
A warm sauna,
The sound of rain against a window as you're falling asleep,
A warm blanket,
A comfortable sofa,
A fireplace,
The smell of coffee or tea,
A notebook with empty pages and let images and sensations flow,
Let images and sensations flow.
I'm still here with you,
You're softening,
You're resting,
We're now coming to the end of our Nidra practice.
If you're still awake,
Gently bring your awareness back to your breath and notice again which parts of the body are touching the bed,
How does it feel there when you breathe.
Each exhalation is an invitation to soften a bit more,
Letting go.
Sleep well,
Sleep well,
Sleep.
