Welcome to this Yoga Nidra for Sleep focusing on self-compassion.
I have Maya with me today,
Maya the cat.
She's purring,
Maybe you can even hear her.
And even though this is a Nidra for sleep,
There's no rush to fall asleep.
Enjoy the experience of reconnecting with your body,
Relaxing and resting and maybe a feeling of coming home.
And as you experience this Nidra,
I'll be by your side.
I'll guide you through the practice 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 safe sound in the background,
A reminder that you cared for.
So if you like,
Let's start by rubbing our hands to connect with the body.
Maybe the hands get a bit warmer.
And then place the hands on your belly,
Warmth and compassion towards yourself and tune in.
What are you telling yourself right now?
Is it kind?
And bring your awareness to your hands on your belly and feeling your breath underneath your hands.
Your body is breathing for you.
Your body cares for you.
Your breathing,
Your softening,
Your resting.
You can keep your hands on your belly if you like or place them wherever feels comfortable.
And in a moment we'll exhale a few times with a sigh,
Letting go of tension and maybe starting to let go of old versions of yourself.
Patterns and habits,
Guilt,
Things that no longer serve you and creating space for what's nurturing and important to you in your life now.
So in your own time,
Exhale a few times,
No rush,
And I'll be silent for a moment.
And after your next exhale,
Natural breath.
And now let your awareness rest at your third eye center in between your eyebrows.
And either just hold your awareness there,
Softening the forehead.
Or if you like,
With your eyes closed,
Gaze up at the third eye center.
And how does it feel in the muscles in your eyes?
And then softening the eyes.
And move your gaze,
Bringing your awareness to the space you see when your eyes are closed.
A portal to your inner world if you like.
Maybe you see colors,
Patterns,
Maybe just a warm darkness.
And resting there for a moment.
And then shift your awareness to your whole face,
Softening the muscles around your eyes,
The forehead,
The cheeks,
The tongue,
The whole face,
The whole head.
And then expanding the awareness to the whole body,
Softening the whole body.
And notice if there's any part of the body that needs some extra care right now.
Any tension,
Any resistance,
Anything else.
Bring your awareness there.
And if nothing comes to mind,
You can focus on the shoulders if you like.
And in your own time,
Exhale a few times,
Each exhalation is an invitation to soften.
And now expand your awareness to include the whole body,
The whole body.
And as I mentioned,
Bring your awareness there.
Starting with the face,
Feeling the sensations in your jaw and mouth,
Feeling your left ear,
Right ear,
Both ears together,
Feeling your cheeks,
Nose,
Nostrils,
And the flow of sensation inside your nostrils.
Feel your left eye,
Right eye,
And both eyes together,
Feeling your forehead,
Top of the head,
Back of the head,
Neck,
And throat.
And feeling your left shoulder,
Left shoulder blade,
Left armpit,
Left upper arm,
Left elbow,
Left forearm,
Left wrist,
Left hand and fingers,
The entire left arm relaxed at ease.
Feeling your right shoulder,
Right shoulder blade,
Right armpit,
Right upper arm,
Right elbow,
Right forearm,
Right wrist,
Right hand and fingers,
The entire right arm relaxed at ease.
And welcome the sensations in both arms and hands simultaneously.
And bring attention to the upper chest,
Middle chest,
Abdomen,
Upper back,
Middle back,
Lower back,
The entire torso,
Front and back.
Let go of thinking,
Just feel your way,
Your entire torso relaxed,
Warm,
And at ease.
And feel your pelvis,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Left knee,
Left shin,
Left calf,
Left ankle,
Left foot,
And the toes.
The entire left leg relaxed at ease.
The right hip,
Right thigh,
Right knee,
Right shin,
Right calf,
Right ankle,
Right foot and toes.
And the entire right leg relaxed at ease.
Welcome the sensations in both hips,
Legs and feet simultaneously.
And feeling the entire front body,
The back of the body,
The left side of the body,
The right side of the body,
The sensations inside the body,
The sensations on the surface of the body,
The entire body relaxed at ease.
Spacious awareness.
And inside the space,
All of these sensations are coming and going.
Since you're breathing in heartbeat,
Slow,
Steady,
Regular,
Your entire body and mind relaxed at ease.
You're breathing,
You're softening,
You're resting.
And now if you like,
Visualize an imaginary friend and this friend looks exactly like you.
It's not you,
But it looks like you.
Take a moment and really look.
The eyes,
The whole body,
The personality,
All of it,
The strengths and the struggles.
Look at this person with compassion and love.
What would you like to tell your friend?
Something encouraging,
Something calming,
Soothing,
Maybe just,
It's going to be okay.
It's going to be okay.
Loving yourself to drift.
Observing whatever sensations come up,
Maybe images,
Maybe feelings,
Maybe other sensations.
Whatever comes up,
Let it wash over you and then dissolve.
And now take a moment again and really look at your friend.
And maybe that friend is actually a reflection of yourself.
If you like,
You can visualize a mirror.
And imagine you're standing in front of that mirror looking at yourself with compassion and love.
The eyes,
The whole body,
The personality,
All of it,
Your strengths and your struggles.
Look at yourself with compassion and love.
And what do you need to hear right now?
And let that image fade for now and bring your awareness to your breath again.
And again,
Each exhalation is an invitation to let go of things that no longer serve you.
Creating space for what's nurturing and important to you in your life now.
And exhaling fully.
Each exhalation is an invitation to soften,
To let go.
And if you like,
Adding a hush sound.
With each exhalation,
Adding a long hush sound a few times in your own pace.
And you're breathing.
You're softening.
You're resting.
You're drifting into sleep.
Safe and careful.
You're being held.
You're floating.
Drifting.
The yoga nidra is now over.
Sleep well.
