Welcome to this meditation for deep,
Peaceful sleep.
This practice has been designed to help you transition into rest and relaxation more easily using techniques from Yoga Nidra.
As you fall asleep naturally,
You'll already be in a peaceful state of inner stillness.
This will help improve the quality of your sleep and release deeply held tension in the body and mind.
Please begin by finding a comfortable position.
Cover yourself with blankets to stay warm and use a pillow underneath your head.
Turn out the lights and you may also cover your eyes with an eye mask or soft piece of clothing to help find true darkness.
When you're ready,
Gently close your eyes.
Make any final adjustments,
Then resolve to be still.
Feel the muscular tension melting from your body.
Feel the muscles in your face relax.
Soften the surface of your skin.
Feel the weight of your body sinking down heavy.
Notice the places where your body is in contact with the surface you are resting on.
Allow yourself to simply be here now,
Exactly as you are.
Begin to follow the flow of your breath,
Inhaling deeply and exhaling completely.
Allow the breath to be long and smooth.
As you inhale,
Fill the lungs all the way up.
As you exhale,
Empty all the way out.
Do that a couple more times on your own,
Each time releasing more fully into relaxation.
Now rest in complete stillness.
Release control of your breath and allow your breathing to be natural,
Effortless.
Every part of you surrendered to this moment,
This breath,
As it is happening now.
We will set an intention for you to carry with you as you rest.
Please mentally repeat the following words after me.
I am resting peacefully.
I am resting peacefully.
I am resting peacefully.
Now let go of the intention and settle into the feeling of peaceful stillness.
We will rotate the awareness through the body.
Simply follow my voice to each part of the body I mention.
Sensing,
Feeling,
And softening it fully.
Become aware of the right hand.
Send all your attention to your right hand,
Sensing it fully.
Now sense and feel the right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger.
Feel and soften the palm of the hand,
The backside of the hand,
The wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder.
Sense and feel the whole right shoulder,
Right armpit,
Right side of the waist.
Send your awareness to the right hip,
Softening the right hip completely.
Now to the right thigh,
Knee,
Lower part of the leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the right foot,
Top of the right foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Sixth toe.
Become aware of the whole right side of the body.
Sense and feel the whole right side of the body.
Now gently send your attention to the left hand,
Feeling it fully.
Left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger.
Sense and feel the palm of the hand,
The backside of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder.
Sense and feel the whole left shoulder,
Left armpit,
Left side of the waist.
Send your awareness to the left hip,
Softening it completely.
The left thigh,
Knee,
Lower part of the leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the left foot,
Top of the left foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Become aware of the whole left side of the body.
Sense and feel the whole left side of the body.
Soften the whole left side of the body.
Now send your attention to your pelvis.
Feel your pelvis softening.
Now to the right sit bone,
Left sit bone,
Right hip,
Left hip,
Right kidney region,
Left kidney region,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
The whole spine.
Sense and feel the whole spine softening.
Send your awareness to the back of your neck,
The backside of your head,
Crown of the head.
Sense and feel your forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The eyebrow center.
Moving to the right eye,
The left eye,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right ear,
Left ear.
Bridge of the nose,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Upper jaw,
Lower jaw,
Tongue,
Chin,
Throat.
Soften the throat completely.
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
Middle part of the chest.
Sense and feel the middle part of your chest,
The heart center,
Upper abdomen,
Middle abdomen,
Lower abdomen.
Feel the whole right leg.
Feel the whole left leg.
Feel both legs together.
Feel the whole right arm,
The whole left arm,
Both arms together.
Feel the whole back side of the body,
The whole front side of the body.
Feel the neck and the head.
Feel the whole body together.
Sense and feel the whole body together.
The whole body is resting now.
Soft,
Quiet,
Deeply relaxed.
Rest your mind in the stillness of your body.
Feel the peace that is in and around you.
Now slowly begin to notice your breath.
Follow its gentle rhythm,
Smooth and natural.
Feel the breath in and out.
Follow its gentle rhythm,
Smooth and natural.
You are breathing slowly,
Quietly.
Feel the soft flow of air in and out of your lungs.
And simply be with each breath as it comes and goes.
I will now count down from 27 to 1.
With each number,
Allow yourself to release one step further into peaceful stillness.
Each number descends you down into your deepest being.
When we reach 1,
Rest in pure awareness.
27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2
