Yogic Sleep
This is a recording of a live Yoga Nidra session on Insight Timer on the 20th of July 2025. The practice includes a long body scan, breath awareness with counting, awareness of resting between sleeping and waking, visualisation of images, and a peaceful visualisation of floating on water. Photo by Lisa Yakurim
Transcript
So see what you can do now to make yourself as comfortable as you can possibly be.
So if there are any small adjustments that you need to make,
Any final movements so that perhaps as you rest,
You might even be able to forget that your body's there at all.
If you do feel like you need to move during the practice,
That's okay.
Sometimes the feeling comes up of discomfort that we want to move into a different position.
Just take care to move yourself slowly and mindfully.
Just being aware of the state of relaxation that the rest of your body will be in.
Try not to disturb the rest of your body too much.
Once you've come into your comfortable position,
Just bring your awareness to your breath now.
And as the breath flows in and out,
Watch the breath moving over the whole of your body.
So notice where the breath goes when you breathe in,
Which parts of your body it naturally wants to flow to.
And watch the breath flowing back out.
Notice how with every exhalation the body becomes a little more relaxed.
And now feel the breath flowing all the way down into your toes,
All the way into the tips of your fingers.
Watch the breath moving into every single part of the body.
And with every exhalation every single part of the body relaxes.
And now send the awareness outwards and just notice any sounds that are present in your environment right now.
And just let the awareness move from sound to sound.
Without worrying too much about what the sounds are or why they're there,
Just observe them.
And know that the sounds are not going to disturb you.
They can only help you to relax even more deeply.
And just take a moment now to acknowledge that this is your time for you,
For your rest,
For your meditation.
There is no way to get this practice wrong.
You can continue to follow my voice for as long as that's useful for you.
You're also free to drift away.
And if you fall asleep it just means that your body needs sleep and is taking advantage of this time of deep rest.
So knowing that you can't get this wrong,
Welcome whatever the practice has to bring for you today.
Knowing that it's going to bring you exactly what you need.
And if you have an intention for today's practice,
Just bring that intention into your awareness now.
Whatever's inspired you to show up for this yoga nidra practice today.
Perhaps for deep rest,
For healing,
For self-discovery,
Meditation.
Whatever your reason for practicing today,
Just take a moment to acknowledge it.
And if you have a sankalpa,
Take a moment now to recall your sankalpa.
The sankalpa is a deep prayer or vow from your heart for something that you wish to attain or achieve in this life.
And just allow it to arise naturally however it comes.
So it might come as a short positive statement.
It might come as an image,
A feeling.
Welcome the sankalpa as it arises very naturally for you.
And if you don't have one,
Just rest the awareness at the heart center.
Just observe what's happening at the heart center.
And we're going to begin our journey around the body.
Bring the awareness to rest at each body part as I name it.
Beginning at the tip of the tongue.
Bring the awareness to rest at the tip of the tongue.
And the whole of the tongue.
Rest on the whole of the tongue.
The roof of the mouth.
The bottom of the mouth.
The teeth.
The gums.
The upper lip.
The lower lip.
The chin.
The jaw.
The right ear.
The left ear.
The right cheek.
The left cheek.
The inside of the right nostril.
The inside of the left nostril.
The nose.
The right eye.
The left eye.
The right eyebrow.
The left eyebrow.
The eyebrow center.
The forehead.
The top of the head.
The back of the head.
The back of the neck.
The right shoulder.
The right elbow.
The right wrist.
The tip of the right hand thumb.
The tip of the right index finger.
The tip of the right middle finger.
The tip of the ring finger.
The tip of the little finger.
The right wrist.
The right elbow.
The right shoulder.
The space between the collarbones.
The left shoulder.
The left elbow.
The left wrist.
The tip of the left hand thumb.
The tip of the left index finger.
The tip of the left middle finger.
The tip of the ring finger.
The tip of the little finger.
The tip of the little finger.
The left wrist.
The left elbow.
The left shoulder.
The space between the collarbones.
The left side of the chest.
The centre of the chest.
The right side of the chest.
The centre of the chest.
The navel.
The navel.
The lower abdomen.
The right hip.
The right knee.
The right ankle.
The right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And fifth toe.
The right ankle.
The right knee.
The right hip.
The lower abdomen.
The left hip.
The left knee.
The left ankle.
The left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
The left ankle.
The left knee.
The left hip.
The lower abdomen.
The navel.
The space between the collarbones.
The eyebrow centre.
The top of the head.
And now move the awareness to the whole of the right foot.
The whole of the right leg.
The whole of the right arm.
The whole of the right side of the body.
The whole of the left foot.
The whole of the left leg.
The whole of the left arm.
The whole of the left side of the body.
And the whole of the body together.
Awareness on the whole of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
And bring the awareness to the breath.
Watch the breath as it flows in and out of the body.
Observe the gentle rising and falling of the chest.
As the air comes in and out.
Begin to count the breaths backwards.
From 108 to 0.
Like this.
Breathing in 108.
Breathing out 108.
Breathing in 107.
Breathing out 107.
Breathing in 106.
Breathing out 106.
And so on all the way to 0.
If you make a mistake or if you reach the end,
Come back to 108 and start again.
Keep following the breath and counting.
Continue counting the breaths.
And stop counting and notice how still your body has become.
Feel your body completely still.
As if fast asleep.
Observe the sleeping body.
But although the body sleeps,
The awareness is still aware.
The awareness is awake and aware of the sleeping body.
Rest the awareness on the sleeping body.
As the body sleeps,
The consciousness remains awake and aware.
This is the state of yoga nidra.
Now move the awareness to the eyebrow center.
Observe the eyebrow center.
Notice any shapes,
Any colors or patterns or perhaps just darkness.
Without getting too involved with anything that you notice happening there.
Just watch and observe.
Keeping the awareness at the eyebrow center,
I'm going to name some different things.
Allow an impression of each one to arise as I name it.
Without forcing anything to happen,
Just allow each one to come by itself as it comes.
Starting with a raindrop.
Pebbles on the beach.
An eagle.
A deer.
A thunderstorm.
The sound of bells ringing.
Burning incense.
A crystal cave.
A dragon.
A tiger.
The starry night sky.
A river running through a valley.
Bluebells in the forest.
Waves crashing on the beach.
See yourself floating on the still surface of a quiet lake at night.
Stars and the moon glisten in the sky above you.
And the water safely holds you as you peacefully float.
And resting on the surface of the water,
Nothing is required of you except for just to be.
There are no obligations.
No appointments to meet.
Nothing to do.
Nothing to show up for.
Here you are free to simply be.
Your pure,
Unlimited self.
Floating peacefully on the still water.
If you have a sankalpa,
Now is the time to recall your sankalpa.
Allow it to arise naturally,
Whoever it comes for you today.
And if you don't have one,
Just bring your awareness to the heart centre.
Rest the awareness at the heart and observe what is happening at the heart.
Very gently begin to turn the awareness back outwards.
Notice any sounds that are present in your environment.
And just let the awareness jump from sound to sound.
Without spending too much time with any one sound,
Just acknowledge that those sounds are there.
Feel into the feeling of your body resting into the surface beneath you.
The feeling of your clothing against your skin.
Of the air against your skin.
Watch the breath flowing in and out of your body.
And notice how as you breathe in the breath flows into your hands and your feet.
Into your fingers and your toes.
And feel the breath beginning to animate the fingers and the toes.
Starting to make some small movements.
Moving the hands and the feet.
The wrists and the ankles.
And when you're feeling ready give yourself a stretch in any way that feels good for you.
So taking your time.
There is no rush.
And when you're sure that you're feeling wide awake again,
Slowly blink the eyes back open.
And this brings us to the end of the practice.
5.0 (8)
Recent Reviews
Andi
July 25, 2025
7/25/25 love all but the silent gaps because the return of voice startles me. I fell asleep after the end.