
Gentle Yoga Nidra To Improve Sleep Quality
by Laurel Hicks
Yoga Nidra with focus on relaxation and intention. This will be a great practice for all levels and will offer peace and calm. Get cozy, lie somewhere that you will not be disturbed and get ready to drop into your nidra practice.
Transcript
There's nowhere to go and there's nothing to do.
This is time just for you.
Time for you to simply be.
Stay still.
Be still now so your body and mind can deeply rest and rejuvenate.
Remain conscious,
Aware while you're guided.
Continue listening.
Keep listening.
Settle into your body.
Settle your body down into the earth.
Feel the earth beneath you,
Holding you,
Supporting you in your practice today.
Come into stillness and remain still,
Completely still for your yoga nidra practice.
Repeat these words in your mind.
I am completely still in yoga nidra.
I am alert and attentive during yoga nidra.
What is your heart's deepest longing?
Just listen carefully and allow the answer to emerge straight from your heart.
Making this into an intention,
We call this a sankalpa,
A positive statement in the present tense as though it is already happening.
For example,
Rather than saying,
I am not stressed,
You might phrase it as I am relaxed.
I am peace.
Coming up with your own sankalpa.
State it three times to yourself,
State it with feeling,
Embodying this intention.
Now allow your consciousness to move through the body as you're guided.
You'll feel each body part and then move on to the next one when prompted.
You may go a little bit quickly.
It's okay if you miss a few parts,
Your mind wanders off.
Feel the sensation in your mouth.
Without moving,
Feel the roof of your mouth.
Underneath the tongue,
The teeth,
Gums,
Tongue,
Root of the tongue,
Inside of the right cheek,
Inside of the left cheek.
Sense the taste in your mouth.
Now feel all the parts of your mouth all together as a whole.
The entire mouth as sensation,
As radiant energy.
Now feel your nose,
The length of your nose,
Tip of the nose,
Nostrils,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Both nostrils.
Feel your breath passing through the nostrils.
Sense smell and feel your nose as energy,
Prana,
Vibration.
Feel your nose.
Now feel your ears.
Feeling the wrinkles and folds,
Back of the ears,
Ear lobes,
Ear canal,
Inner ear.
Feel your ears hearing,
Listening,
Receiving sound.
Feel your ears as glowing orbs of sensation,
Vibration.
Feel your ears.
Now feel your eyes,
Eyelids,
Eyelashes,
The surface of your eyes,
The center of your eyes,
Back of your eyes,
Behind the eyes.
Feel your eyes as radiant orbs of energy,
Color,
And sensation.
Become aware of the crown of your head,
Throat,
Right palm,
Thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
All fingers,
The entire hand with fingers,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder.
Feel your throat center,
The left palm,
Left thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
All fingers,
The whole hand with fingers,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Shoulder,
Feel your throat center,
Heart center,
Solar plexus,
Navel,
Right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Knee,
Right lower leg,
Ankle,
Top of the foot,
Sole,
Big right toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth toe,
And fifth toe.
Feel the entire right side of the body.
Feel your navel,
Left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Left lower leg,
Ankle,
Top of the foot,
Sole,
Big left toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth toes.
Feel the entire left side of the body.
Feel your root between the sitting bones,
Navel,
Solar plexus,
Heart center,
Throat center,
Mouth,
Between the eyebrows,
Crown of the head.
Feel the right side of your body.
And now feel the left side of your body.
Feel the right side and left side.
Feel the midline where the right and the left join.
Feel now the back of the body,
Heels,
Calves,
Backs of the knees,
Back of the thighs,
Buttocks,
Low back,
Ribs on the back,
Shoulder blades,
Between the shoulder blades,
The entire spine,
Back of neck,
Back of head,
Back of hands,
Arms,
Elbows,
Shoulder blades,
Back of heart.
Feel the whole back body.
Feel the crown,
Forehead,
Eyes,
Nose,
Cheeks,
Mouth,
Chin,
Jaw,
Throat.
Collar bones,
Chest,
Shoulders,
Arms,
Inner elbows,
Inner wrists,
Palms,
Fingers,
Fingertips,
Chest,
Heart,
Solar plexus,
Stomach,
Belly,
Hips,
Thighs,
Kneecaps,
Shins,
Tops of the feet,
Toes.
Feel the whole front body,
The side of your body that faces the sky.
Become aware now of how your natural breath flows.
Notice the breath in your belly.
Feel the breath in your chest.
Feel the breath at your nostrils.
Feel your breath flowing easily,
Rhythmically,
Gently through your entire body.
Notice your breath as it streams through you.
Notice your breath and follow it.
Breathing in from throat to navel,
Breathing out from navel to throat.
Begin to feel the pause,
The point where the breath is suspended between the inhale and the exhale.
Feel the gap.
And then feel the pause between the exhale and the inhale.
Feel that pause between the breath.
We're going to do a mental alternate nostril breathing and count from 108 down.
Starting at 108,
Inhale through the right nostril.
108,
Exhale,
Left nostril.
107,
Inhale,
Left nostril.
107,
Exhale,
Right nostril.
106,
Inhale,
Right.
106,
Exhale,
Left.
105,
Inhale,
Left.
105,
Exhale,
Right.
Continue going on your own,
Just counting backwards.
If you happen to lose count,
Just start back at 108 and continue down.
Feel the pause.
Remember that you're fully awake,
Fully aware of alternate nostril breathing.
How are your lungs and the pulse doing with it and how often do they stir?
Continuing to count with full awareness.
You are awake and aware practicing yoga nidra.
Now imagine that your body is becoming really heavy.
Very heavy.
Body sinking down into the earth.
So as though your body is filled with something so heavy that it's just sinking into the soft receptive earth beneath you.
Body is heavy.
Limbs are heavy.
Torso is heavy.
Body heavy and sinking.
Now imagine your body becoming light.
Light as a feather.
Light like a bubble floating upwards,
Buoyant.
Like a cloud that's drifting in the sky,
Just floating.
Like floating in warm water,
Just drifting.
Drifting with a gentle current.
Now feel heaviness in your body again.
And then feel light.
Feel heavy and feel light.
Feel both heavy and light at the same time.
Become aware now of the chitta kasha.
This is the inner space that you see behind the forehead.
Become aware of this space.
This inner space expands as far as the eyes can see.
It's as low and wide and high as you can see.
Become aware of this space.
Totally aware of this space,
But not too involved.
You can just observe it as if you're watching a movie.
Just seeing a projection on a blank screen.
Stepping back and just simply witnessing.
And I'll say some words and I invite you to just bring this word into your awareness as I say them.
Bird.
Wagon.
Baby.
Sand.
Ocean.
Thunder.
House.
Candy.
Blanket.
Sun.
Tree.
Crutches.
Flowers.
Mountain.
Candle.
Boat.
Book.
Ocean.
Waves.
Allowing a sense of peace and calm settle over you.
Settling into this feeling of peace.
Return your awareness now to your chitta kasha.
That space is just behind the eyes,
Behind the forehead.
Watch the space carefully for any kind of colors,
Patterns.
Doing so without any effort at all.
Just with an awareness of watching.
Total awareness of watching with no involvement.
Continue watching this space.
You might become aware of any kind of images or spontaneous thoughts that may emerge.
You can just note them and keep watching that space.
Remember now your sankalpa.
Your intention.
The same one that you said at the very beginning of the practice.
Repeat it now as if it is already happening in this moment.
Feel the truth of this statement.
Find your resolve and just inhale it into your entire being.
Inhale it again and again.
This seed has now been planted where it can blossom.
Begin to bring some awareness to the back body,
The side of the body that faces the earth.
Feel all the places where your body touches the ground.
Feel your body heavy.
Notice the front body,
The side of the body that faces the sky,
The stars,
The moon.
Feel your body light.
Notice all the space surrounding you.
Now notice the breath.
Just feel its rhythm and pace.
As we come to the end of the yoga nidra practice.
Before you begin to move,
Just begin to sense your fingers.
Imagine them moving,
What it may actually feel like to move them.
Now begin to wiggle your fingers with your breath.
Feeling every sensation as you do.
Then bring awareness to your toes.
Begin to wiggle your toes.
Just gently circle the ankles,
The wrists,
Bringing a little bit more energy and life into the body.
Perhaps even gently rock the head a little side to side.
Maybe give yourself a big stretch.
Reach the arms above the head.
Even taking a deep breath and let out a sigh.
Draw the knees in.
Just rock yourself a little side to side.
Rolling all the way over onto your favorite side.
Take a moment to rest there.
Plant the hands down to the floor and slowly flow your way all the way up until you're seated.
The eyes remain closed.
Sitting here,
Observing.
From here you can draw the palms together in front of the heart.
Reminding yourself that you are peace.
You are filled with peace.
You exude peace.
Rub your hands together a little bit and place them over the eyes.
Begin to open up the eyes,
Just letting little slivers of light in.
When you feel ready to,
You can lower the hands down.
Thank you for sharing Yoga Nidra with me.
Namaste.
4.7 (478)
Recent Reviews
Bill
October 21, 2025
This yoga nidra is very slightly longer than I am used to. It was very welcome to calm my mind in the middle of the night and allow me to get back to sleep. Thank you so much for a wonderful meditation.
Judy
June 10, 2023
Really nice for getting back to sleep in the wee hours. Thank you! Namaste πΊππΊ
Elizabeth
March 23, 2023
Best yoga nidra meditation ever! Slept like a baby. Thankyou. β€οΈ
Collette
January 17, 2023
Beautiful ππΈ
Esther
January 12, 2020
Beautiful yoga nidra, gently guided by your lovely voice. I love the extensive rotation of consciousness through the body, back and forth and neck again, feels like not a single part was left out, and also that it starts in the mouth, where I hold most of my tension. Many heartfelt thanks! β¨πβ¨
Joanne
September 23, 2019
Really enjoyed that. Lovely gentle yoga nidra, no music. Feeling very calm. Thank you :) This is definitely one of my favourite and most used yoga nidras. I love it xx
Lysa
July 5, 2019
A calm and positive experience to bring your senses back to an all inclusive state of peace and relaxation, perfect for the end of a busy day, every day. Making the weeks glide, and rise. Rather than spin, slide& crash together. π
Lisa
June 18, 2019
Ahh! Thank you . Relaxing and slept well all night . Bookmarked ! Namaste ππΌ
PJ
May 6, 2019
I donβt use the word βbestβ so much still I have to use it here: π₯This yoga nidra is the best one I have ever heard. ππ½ Thank you so much!
Denise
May 3, 2019
Laurel, a most beautiful yoga nidra meditation. Thank you so very much for this gift. I truly appreciate this.
Rapha
April 26, 2019
Aaaw, this was a wondeful Yoga Nidra practice! I loved the extended and detailed body scan, and the lovely, gentle guidance! Iβll defenitely do again... Very well done! Thank you so much for sharing this awesome session! π₯°πβοΈπ Rapha β―οΈππΌ
Yvonne
April 25, 2019
Absolutely wonderful Thank you!
Carol
April 24, 2019
Excellent, thank you
