Welcome to this series of Yoga Nidra designed to help naturally restore your sleep patterns.
You will find a course entitled Yoga Nidra for Sleep under my courses menu which links to this series of practices.
This Yoga Nidra is 20 minutes in length and helps to create optimal conditions for natural sleep onset by systematically releasing physical tension,
Calming mental activity and activating your relaxation responses.
This practice is most effective when used one to two hours before bedtime as it allows your nervous system to gradually transition into a sleep ready state.
Remember that when we practice Yoga Nidra that we aim to remain conscious throughout the practice.
To help in this you will hear some soft gongs and tones at the transition points to help bring you back to awareness.
Imagine yourself as a surfer surfing the waves of awareness.
Let's begin.
Choose an environment in which you can regularly carry out this practice,
A quiet room with a door you can close and windows with drapes that you can draw.
Add some calming incense if you wish as you prepare a yoga mat for yourself.
Make yourself comfortable lying down on the floor.
Support your head with a thin pillow and place a small cushion or bolster under your knees if needed to take the strain off your lower back.
Lie in Shavasana pose with your arms resting slightly away from your body,
Palms up in surrender to the ceiling,
Straight,
Relaxed,
Soft spine,
Hips parallel and release the feet so they naturally flop out to the sides.
Take a moment to adjust your position until you feel completely supported,
Safe and secure.
As you close your eyes begin by setting an intention to move toward deep restorative sleep.
Give yourself permission to do so without forcing,
Without a deadline,
Looking forward to a time of restoration.
Allow yourself to be present as you are,
Here and now,
Knowing that sleep is your body's natural state that comes of its own accord as needed.
Bring your attention to the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you.
Imagine a paper-thin layer of contact,
Notice your body becoming heavier as you give it more attention,
Notice the weight of your heels,
Shoulders and head.
With each point of contact invite a sense of releasing,
A letting go,
An unknotting and unwind,
Letting the surface of the earth fully support and embrace you.
Now become aware of your natural breath,
The natural cycle,
There's no need to change anything about your breathing,
Simply notice the gentle rising and falling of your belly with each breath.
Let this natural rhythm act as an anchor for your awareness as we do this practice.
Follow your breath in.
We will now move our awareness systematically around our body in rotation.
As each area is brought to mind,
Simply bring your attention there and allow any tension to dissolve.
You may like to imagine a pulsating golden light at each point.
Begin with your feet and toes,
Letting them become soft,
Move to your ankles,
Releasing them too.
Allow this feeling to flow up into your calves.
Feel both of your legs become entirely relaxed.
Bring awareness to your hips,
Your lower back,
Abdomen.
Let your breathing become slower.
Feel your chest,
Upper back and shoulders becoming soft.
Release your arms and fingers.
Bring attention to your neck,
Your throat and jaw.
Let your face become soft,
Eyes and forehead.
Feel your entire scalp.
As your body settles into deep relaxation,
Begin to notice your thoughts.
Watch the thoughts arising and gently let them go without attaching to them.
Become aware of the space between thoughts.
When your mind or attention is caught by a thought,
Gently release it.
Return to the sensations of heaviness and warmth in your body.
Let each exhalation carry you deeper and deeper.
As this deep peace opens up to you,
Simply rest in awareness.
Notice the subtle pulsations of life flowing through you.
Allow any remaining thoughts to float by like clouds in a vast sky.
Feel connected at your soul level.
Connected to this vast spaciousness.
Bring your awareness now back to your physical body.
Gently wiggle your toes and your fingers,
Feeling the warmth in the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.
Slowly stretch out your legs through to your heels.
Take a deep breath and raise your arms for a long stretch above your head.
Open your eyes slowly and take some time to readjust to the environment of your room.
Bring your hands,
Palms together at your heart.
Bring to mind three things that you are grateful for in your life.
Offer a blessing of love.
Be well.
