Yoga Nidra Meditation: Deep Sleep Island
During times of unrest, sleep may be elusive. If you would like to relax and drift off to sleep, this guided journey is for you. By slowly brining your awareness inward and moving through the layers of consciousness, you can begin to let go of the worries and tensions that may be keeping you awake, thus allowing sleep to arrive. By activating deeper brainwaves during Yoga Nidra practice, you are creating an island in time for your body, mind, and soul to release debris, repair, and restore your resources for the next day. Ambient background music by Pixabay
Transcript
Welcome to Nale Yoga,
The podcast with yoga nature journeys for deep rest and more.
I'm Ruthie Eisenberg and I'm grateful to be here with you.
Now let's get started.
When our world is in a state of unrest,
Sleep can be elusive.
Whatever is keeping you awake at night,
Whether it's imaginative thoughts or worries,
Physical discomfort or lingering feelings,
Or the weight of the world around you,
Or the conflicts within,
Know that by practicing yoga nidra you're creating an island of time for your body and mind to deeply rest and restore.
Doing this practice during the day can help you rest better at night.
And doing this practice at night can help you fall asleep peacefully and safe.
May this practice be a peaceful pause to close your eyes and trust that you will be protected while you rest.
Now let us prepare for the practice of yoga nidra.
Lay down on your back in a quiet darkened room where you would like to rest.
You can use a light blanket,
Pillow,
And any other props that you might need to feel comfortable.
Ground yourself safely in stability and symmetry with your body straight from head to toe.
Your feet can be slightly apart,
Your arms a bit away from the body,
With the palms of your hands facing skyward.
Just take a moment to shift around and adjust everything as you prepare.
Adjust your body position,
Your clothes,
Your blanket,
So that you're feeling completely comfortable.
I now invite you to close your eyes and keep them closed for the duration of this practice.
Now let's take a deep breath in while tensing every muscle in your body,
Your feet,
Hands,
Core,
And shoulders.
And now breathe out completely,
Letting go of everything that bothers you.
Let's do that one more time.
Take a deep breath in while tensing every muscle in your body,
Feet,
Hands,
Shoulders,
Core,
Everything.
And now breathe out completely,
Letting go of everything that's on your mind.
There's so much we can't control in life.
The one thing you can always control is your breath.
Now soften your shoulders,
Your knees,
And elbows,
Melting away into complete stillness.
Feel contained safely by the space around you.
Feel held by the surface beneath you.
You are protected by Hashem,
The guardian of the world,
Who neither slumbers nor sleeps.
To echo the words of the psalmist,
By day the sun will not harm you,
Nor the moon by night.
Hashem will protect you from every evil.
He will guard your soul.
Hashem will guard your departure and your arrival from this time and forever.
As you embark on this journey of yoga nidra,
Allow yourself to rest here.
Make a commitment to remain still for the duration of this practice.
Stillness of the body,
The breath,
And the mind.
You are exactly where you need to be.
In this practice,
We're going to generate a deep relaxation in the body through conscious sleep.
The body rests in a state of deep sleep,
But the mind remains aware.
It's like the feeling you have just before falling asleep,
The bridge between sleep and wakefulness.
When your body is deeply relaxed and the mind can be open and free,
You might be tempted to fall asleep during this practice.
This is your choice.
If you fall asleep,
You will rest well and the material will permeate on a subconscious level.
However,
If you choose for your mind to remain awake,
You will get to consciously witness how your mind and body interact on a very subtle level and will sleep better after the practice.
Whichever option you choose,
You're giving yourself the gift of deep rest.
I invite you to follow whatever shows up with curiosity and welcoming as we travel through the layers of consciousness between the body,
Breath,
Mind,
And soul.
The only thing you have to do is follow my voice and if your thoughts drift from time to time like tufts of clouds,
Do not worry.
Just return to my voice and let it bring you back to center.
Now let's take a deep breath in and breathe out.
Bring attention to your senses.
Notice the closest sound and the most distant sound and now perceive the closest and most distant sound at the same time.
Let's bring about a feeling of inner relaxation for the whole body now.
Scan the body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes.
Notice where you're feeling the most tiredness,
Stress,
Or tension.
Now notice where you're feeling the most calmness,
Warmth,
And ease.
Visualize yourself under a dome of stars speckling the ink black sky.
Yourself under a dome of stars speckling the ink black sky.
Now concentrate on the whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
The practice of yoga nidra begins now.
Bring to mind your intention for today's practice.
Your intention is your kavana in Hebrew or sankalpa in Sanskrit.
What do you need to feel,
Learn,
Experience,
Or understand from this practice?
What is your heartfelt desire for yourself or the world around you?
Your intention can be a short,
Positive,
Simple statement starting with I am.
Think big and broad.
It can be whatever you wish.
No one can tell you what intention to set but if you're unsure what your intention is consider trying out some of these phrases to give you some general ideas.
I am rested and rejuvenated.
I am safe in my body and mind.
I am at peace and I bring peace.
I am alive and well.
I am here.
See your intention to yourself three times in present tense with feeling I am.
Now let it go and see how it returns at the end of this practice.
The intention you make during yoga nidra is like planting a seed in the ground.
With patience and time it will for sure grow and come to fruition.
Now think of your inner resource.
It could be an image,
A memory,
An object,
A person,
Or a place where you feel safe.
Just let it arrive to your mind and imagine your resource as vividly as possible.
Notice how this resource,
How thinking of it affects your body.
Take this resource with you on your journey.
This resource is available to your mind at any time during your practice and in your daily life whenever you need some hope or strength.
We now begin the rotation of consciousness by going on a journey through different parts of the body.
As quickly as possible we shift awareness from one part to the next.
Repeat the part in your mind and at the same time become aware of that part of the body.
Just follow my voice.
Stay alert but don't concentrate too intensely.
Bring awareness to the top of your head.
Perceive a ray of soft light warmly illuminating the top of your head.
Narrowing down to the forehead,
The right eyebrow,
The left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
The right eyelid,
The left eyelid,
The right eye,
The left eye,
The right ear,
The left ear,
The right cheek,
The left cheek,
The nose,
The tip of the nose,
The upper lip,
The lower lip,
The chin,
The throat,
The right chest,
The left chest,
The middle of the chest,
The navel,
The abdomen,
The pelvic region,
The right hand thumb,
The left hand thumb,
The right hand thumb,
The left hand thumb,
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