Deep Sleep Yoga Nidra: Nothing Left To Carry

If the harder you try to fall asleep, the more awake you become, this 25-minute Yoga Nidra for deep sleep and relaxation is for you. This gentle practice uses body awareness, gentle breathing, and a soothing ocean visualization to soften a busy mind and release the pressure to sleep.

Ideal for bedtime anxiety, racing thoughts, insomnia, and deep restorative rest.

Transcript

Welcome to this Yoga Nidra for deep rest. You may already be lying in bed. If not, Take a moment now to settle yourself into whatever position feels most comfortable. Perhaps allowing your eyes to gently close. Perhaps taking a slower breath in. And an easy breath out. And now releasing any control over your breath. And simply allowing every inhale and exhale. To slip into a rhythm that feels natural and easy. Allowing your body to soften. As you breathe. Knowing. That your shoulders have carried enough today. That your jaw no longer needs to hold everything together. Your abdomen no longer needs to breathe. Your hands no longer need to hold anything and your legs no longer need to carry you anywhere. Because there is nowhere else you need to be. Nothing left to prepare. There's nothing left to organize. Nothing expected of you for the next little while. Accept perhaps those expectations. You place upon yourself. Which I invite you to sit down in this moment. And take this opportunity. Now to rest. You may have chosen this meditation with the hope of falling asleep tonight. I understand. And sometimes the more we hope for sleep. The more pressure we begin to place upon ourselves. We begin trying to make sleep happen. Tonight. I'd like to invite you to let go of that pressure. For the next little while. Instead of focusing on sleep. Give yourself permission just to rest. Whether sleep comes or not. This time is not wasted. Rest has a quiet way of restoring us. Even wakeful rest allows the body to soften. The breath to slow. And the mind to settle. So there is nothing to achieve here tonight. And if sleep comes. Will let it arrive in its own time. Noticing now the natural rhythm of your own breath. The way you are simply allowing each breath to arrive. And leave. Just as it is. In a moment, I'll begin naming different parts of the body. There's nothing you need to do with them. No need to force relaxation or change. Simply place your attention where my voice takes you. Tracing the journey of my words through your body. The rest. Can take care of itself. And if your mind wanders, That is okay. It is perfectly normal for your mind to do what all minds do. Whenever you notice it wandering. Gently return your attention to the next body part you hear. Let's begin by taking our attention. To the center of the forehead. Then the left eye and left eye socket. Right eye and right eye socket. Left nostril. Right nostril. I'll pull it. LoL it chin. Base of the throat. Left shoulder. Left upper arm. Left elbow. Forum. Wrist. Top of the head. Left thumb. Second finger. Third finger. Fourth finger. 5th finger. Left palm of the hand. Breath. Fora. Elbow. Upper arm. Left shoulder. Base of the throat. Right shoulder. Right upper arm. Right elbow. Forum. Rest. Top of the head. Right thumb. Second finger. Third finger. Fourth finger. Fifth finger. Right palm of the hand. Wrist. Forearm. Elbow. Upper arm. Right shoulder. Base of the throat. Top of the chest. Lowest ribs. Lower belly. Left hip. Left thigh. Left knee. Shin. Ankle. Left top of the foot. Left big toe second toe. Third toe. Fourth toe. Fifth toe. Left sole of the foot. Heal. Car. Back of the knee. Back of the thigh. Left hip. Lower belly. Right hip. Right thigh. Right knee. Shit. Ankle. Right top of the foot. Right big toe. Second time. Third toe. Fourth toe. Fifth toe. Right sole of the foot. Heal. Car. Back of the knee. Back of the thigh. Right hip. Sacrum. Lower back. Middle back. Upper back. Back of the neck. Back of the skull. Top of the skull. Center of the forehead. Whole body. Simply allowing your awareness to rest with the whole body. No longer noticing one part at a time. But experiencing the body as a whole. Resting. Breathing. Being. Imagine now that you are sitting quietly beside the ocean. It's night time. You notice the moon as it casts a gentle light across the water. At first, The surface of the ocean is restless. Small waves rise. And fall. Moving in every direction. The wind passing across the water. And you know there is nothing wrong with this. You know the ocean hasn't failed. The ocean is simply responding to what has passed through. And just as you've allowed your body to soften. The wind begins to quiet. The waves become smaller. More spacious. More gentle. The water does not become perfectly still all at once. It settles. In its own time. Wave by wave. Breath by breath. As the body continues to rest. The water continues to rest. As the body grows quieter. The water grows quieter. Until eventually. The surface becomes calm enough to reflect the night sky above. Still. Quiet. Resting. Just as the water is resting. You are resting. Just as the ocean has found its stillness. Your body is finding its stillness. Resting. The work of today is done. There is nothing left to figure out. Nothing left to carry. Nothing left to solve. Simply continue resting here. Breathing. Restoring. Allowing the night to unfold in its own time. The work of today is done. The work of tonight is simply to rest. Softening now. Heavying now. Resting now. And this is where I leave you. Breathing. Restoring. Allowing the night to unfold in its own time. Your body knows the way from here.