Yoga Nidra For Sleep
by Karly Wood
Yoga Nidra for Insomnia and getting deeper, more restful sleep. There are no words or sounds to signify the end of the practice. I recommend you do this every night for 2 weeks to notice a significant difference in how you feel.
Transcript
A recent scientific study done over four weeks showed yoga nidra to be effective in the management of insomnia.
When done regularly it helps you to get to sleep faster,
More importantly have deeper,
More restful and beneficial sleep.
For this particular yoga nidra I recommend you do it nightly for a minimum of two weeks so you can see significant changes in the way you feel,
Your level of calm and rest.
As this yoga nidra is for helping you get to sleep there will be no sound or words to signify the end of the practice.
Begin by getting comfortable,
Allowing your legs to lay slightly apart from each other and your arms to lay out just a little bit away from your body.
If during this practice you feel a need to move that is okay.
Do what you need to do to remain comfortable,
Allowing your consciousness to move in and out as you fall into a deep restful sleep.
Inhale deeply through your nose,
Pause just a second at the top of your breath and exhale letting it go.
Inhale through your nose and as you exhale can you feel your body connecting to the surface beneath you.
On your exhales can you allow your body to sink deeper into the surface beneath you.
Can you notice how your mattress is supporting you reliably as you lie there.
Can you connect to that feeling of being supported and comfortable.
Breathe in again and on your exhale can you let go of all the worries and the busyness of your day.
Allow your exhales to release all the past and the future and allow your breath to bring you into this moment anchoring you in the present.
If your mind wanders from time to time don't worry about it just come back to my voice allowing your thoughts to dissolve as you drop into the world of being and listening.
Be aware of your whole body lying there.
Hold in your awareness your whole body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.
Can you bring about a feeling of relaxation in your whole body.
Can you release any tension in your jaw perhaps allowing your tongue to touch the top of your mouth.
Release any tension in your forehead.
Release and relax all the muscles around your eyes and your temples.
Any tension in your neck.
As you exhale allow your shoulders to soften and release into the mattress.
Now it's time to set your sankalpa a positive statement of intention.
In order for this to be most effective we recommend you cultivate a feeling of gratitude.
Can you be grateful now for this moment lying here in comfort.
Grateful for your body.
Grateful for your bed.
Feel the experience of gratitude in your body not just the word or the thought in your mind.
Experience the feeling in your body.
Gratitude.
Now what is your deepest desire in this moment?
What is it your heart wants?
That is your sankalpa.
Repeat it in the form of a positive short statement such as I am deeply relaxed and fall easily into sleep.
Repeat your sankalpa in your mind three times.
Now I'm going to take you through a rotation of consciousness.
Allow your consciousness to flow from part to part.
Don't think about it.
There's nothing you have to do.
There's no way you have to be.
Just listen to the body part and send your awareness there.
And as you move through the rotation of consciousness will take you deeper into relaxation into your body.
Be aware of your right hand,
Your right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
The lower arm,
Upper arm,
The right shoulder,
The armpit,
The right side of your waist,
The right hip,
The right thigh,
The calf muscle,
The heel,
The sole of the right foot,
The top of the right foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Allow time for your awareness to move to your left hand,
Your left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
The lower arm,
The upper arm,
The shoulder,
The armpit,
The left side of your waist,
The left hip,
The left thigh,
The calf muscle,
The heel,
The sole of the left foot,
The top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Allow your awareness to move to the top of your head,
The top of your head.
Relax your forehead,
Your temples,
Both temples,
The right eyebrow,
The left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
The right eyelid,
The left eyelid,
The right ear,
The left ear,
The right cheek,
The left cheek,
The tongue,
The space inside your mouth,
Your gums,
The jaw,
The whole jaw,
The upper lip,
The lower lip,
Your neck,
Relax the whole neck,
The right side of the chest,
The left side of the chest,
The middle of the chest,
The right arm,
The left arm,
Both arms together,
The stomach,
The whole stomach,
Your spine,
Your whole spine,
Your shoulders,
Relax your shoulders,
Middle back,
Lower back,
The right hip,
The left hip,
The sacrum at the lower spine,
The tip of the spine,
The tailbone.
Now simultaneously hold in your awareness your hip bones,
The lower aspect of your spine,
The whole pelvic bone,
Hold in your awareness the whole pelvic bone.
Breathe into your pelvic bone,
Resting your awareness there,
Breathing into that space.
Allow your awareness to shift now to the whole right leg,
The whole left leg,
Both legs together.
Expand your awareness now to include your whole body.
Be aware of your whole body lying there in comfort.
Become aware of your breath.
Feel the flow of breath in and out of your body.
Don't try to change it.
It's natural,
There's no effort,
It's perfect,
Just the way it is.
As you inhale you fill your body with oxygen and as you exhale you sink deeper into your body,
Into the mattress,
Into sleep.
Filling your body with oxygen and as you exhale letting go of any remaining tension in your body.
On the inhales you notice the prana filling your body like a wave all the way down to your toes and as you exhale it flows back out carrying with it any remaining tensions,
Thoughts,
Anything you no longer need.
You may notice as you continue to breathe in this way,
Allowing the breath to release anything you no longer need,
That your body begins to feel lighter.
You may notice it feels as if your body wants to come off the surface that you're lying on and on your inhales your body fills with oxygen like a balloon wants to float away and you feel calm and relaxed and safe.
And now you notice on your exhales your body starts to get heavier sinking deeper with each exhale.
Relaxing and softening into the mattress,
Your shoulders are heavy and on your exhales your hips sink deeper into the mattress.
Find yourself relaxing,
Sinking deeper into the surface,
Into your body,
Into sleep.
You allow your consciousness to flow in and out.
Relaxing and softening into the mattress.
Find yourself relaxing,
Sinking deeper into the surface,
Into sleep.
As you rest more deeply in your body,
In safety,
In peace.
As you drift off to sleep.
Relaxing and softening into the mattress.
Find yourself relaxing,
Sinking deeper into the surface,
Into sleep.
Relaxing and softening into the mattress.
Find yourself relaxing,
Sinking deeper into the surface,
Into sleep.
Relaxing and softening into the mattress.
Find yourself relaxing,
Sinking deeper into the surface,
Into sleep.
Relaxing and softening into the mattress.
Find yourself relaxing,
Sinking deeper into the surface,
Into sleep.
Relaxing and softening into the mattress.
Find yourself relaxing,
Sinking deeper into the surface,
Into sleep.
Relaxing and softening into the mattress.
Find yourself relaxing,
Sinking deeper into the surface,
Into sleep.
Relaxing and softening into the mattress.
Find yourself relaxing,
Sinking deeper into the surface,
Into sleep.
Relaxing and softening into the mattress.
Find yourself relaxing,
Sinking deeper into the surface,
Into sleep.
4.7 (304)
Recent Reviews
Christina
November 4, 2024
Very soothing. Helped me get back to sleep. Thank you 🌺🙏🏼
Phil
April 19, 2024
Fell back to sleep. Only heard the first 10 minutes so far. Thank you.
Gretta
February 29, 2024
Love. I woke up with a ton of energy and I’m pretty sure it was because of this
Andi
September 19, 2023
If not for the music, this could be an excellent yoga nidra for middle of the night. I didn’t fall back asleep. Second listen 9/19/23 First listen 6/22/23
Carol
April 14, 2023
Excellent! I haven't made it through one session before falling asleep, which is a compliment.