Yoga Nidra: Conscious Deep Sleep

Yoga Nidra coaxes your body into deep restorative sleep while your mind, like a night-blooming flower, opens to formless awareness. Based on the teaching of Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati, this includes a complete body relaxation, 61-point exercise, and ascending breath practice. Yoga Nidra deepens meditation and unhooks the neuro-conditioning that keeps you stuck. Studies show regular practice alleviates stress, PTSD and improves wellbeing.

Music: Christopher L Clarke;
Photo: Luke Stackpoole

Transcript

In Yoga Nidra,

Your body relaxes into deep restorative sleep,

While paradoxically,

Your awareness opens like a night blooming flower.

You can think of it like the light of the sun that is always streaming through space,

But only becomes visible when it shines on an object.

In Yoga Nidra,

You open to the light of awareness that streams through the luminous darkness of sleep.

You open to the light of awareness that you are.

The practice starts with a complete body relaxation,

Followed by a 61-point exercise,

And then an ascending breath practice.

Together,

These three practices help to evoke the state of consciousness called Yoga Nidra.

You may or may not experience Yoga Nidra itself.

It doesn't matter.

With practice,

You will arrive at this state of consciousness,

Or rather be restored to it,

To your pure essence,

Which you may experience as an open field of awareness,

Pure being,

A fullness that's empty,

An emptiness that's full,

The recognition that you are not separate.

So as your body sinks into relaxation,

Set an intention for your awareness to open like a night blooming flower.

Invite a seed of transformation into your life,

However it wishes to manifest.

Your soul knows what it needs.

Lay comfortably on your back in Shavasana,

The corpse posture.

Lay in such a way that your head and neck and trunk and your spine are aligned left and right.

Check the position of your head,

Make sure it's comfortable,

Straight,

In alignment.

Allow your feet to be a comfortable distance apart,

Just letting them fall away from each other.

Allow your arms to be at a comfortable distance from your sides,

Palms up if comfortable,

If not,

You can allow your palms to be down.

Most important is to be comfortable and to let go.

Now becoming aware of your body,

Be aware of your whole body from head to toe and toe to head.

However you experience your body is fine,

You cannot do this wrong.

Just gently be aware of your body.

Be aware of the ability to move your body,

But you are not using that ability.

Become aware of the stillness in your body.

You can move your body,

But you are choosing not to.

Feel the stillness moving into your whole body.

You can move,

But you are choosing not to move.

Just resting in the stillness,

Surveying your body from head to toe and toe to head.

However you experience your body is fine.

Survey the body as if you are really curious and explorer,

Gently and non-judgmentally noticing your body.

You may notice muscles,

Bone,

Sensations,

You may notice energy in your body.

Whatever you notice is fine.

Just survey your body gently with your attention.

From the top of your head to your forehead,

Your eyebrows and eyes,

Cheekbones and cheeks,

Becoming aware of your nostrils,

The feel of the flow of the air in and out.

Your jaw relaxed.

Becoming aware of your neck and throat releasing any tension.

Be your attention to your shoulders,

Your upper arms,

Your elbows,

Your lower arms,

Your hands and your fingers.

Feeling relaxation move through you.

Becoming aware of the tips of your fingers.

Releasing any energy you may feel in your hands.

Moving your attention back up to your elbows,

Your upper arms,

Your shoulders.

Being aware of your chest,

Your spine.

Bringing your awareness down into your belly,

Noticing with curiosity.

Moving your attention down through your hips and upper legs,

Your knees,

Calves,

Your ankles.

Letting everything relax.

Bring your attention to your feet,

Your toes.

Moving the tips of your toes,

Any energy you may feel in your feet.

Bringing your awareness gently back to your ankles,

Your calves,

Your knees,

Your thighs,

Your pelvis.

Bringing your awareness to your belly.

Let it rise and fall with your breath.

Bring your awareness to your chest,

Your spine.

Being curious,

Noticing your shoulders,

Your upper arms,

Your elbows and lower arms,

Wrists and your hands.

Your fingers and the tips of your fingers.

Being aware of any energy in your fingertips,

Your hands,

Your wrists,

Lower arms and elbows,

Upper arms and the shoulders.

Becoming aware of your neck,

Your throat.

Your jaw relaxed,

Your tongue relaxed inside your mouth.

Feeling the air flow in and out of your nostrils.

Being aware of your cheeks and cheekbones.

Your eyes resting gently in their sockets,

Your eyebrows relaxed.

Tension leaving your forehead.

Bringing your awareness to the top of your head.

Be aware of the body as one whole being.

Allow your attention to come to rest on your forehead.

Aware of your forehead as a feeling sensation or awareness.

You may see light such as a point of light like a blue star.

Be aware of your throat.

You may experience it in some physical way or as a feeling awareness or sensation.

A point of light,

A blue star.

Aware of your right shoulder,

Feeling awareness,

Sensation,

Point of light,

Blue star.

Your right elbow.

Focusing feeling awareness,

Sensation,

Point of light,

Blue star.

Bringing awareness to your right wrist.

Be aware of the tip of your right thumb.

Aware of the tip of your right index finger.

Aware of the tip of your right middle finger.

Aware of the tip of your right ring finger.

Aware of the tip of your right little finger.

Aware of your right wrist.

Aware of your right elbow.

Your right shoulder.

Your throat.

Your left shoulder.

Your left elbow.

Your left wrist.

Your right elbow.

The tip of the left thumb.

The tip of the left index finger.

The tip of the left middle finger.

The tip of the left ring finger.

The tip of the left pinky finger.

The left wrist.

The left elbow.

The left shoulder.

Your throat.

The space deep in your heart center.

Your right breast.

Space deep in your heart center.

Just below your breastbone.

The left breast.

Your heart center.

Your heart center.

Your navel.

Your lower abdomen.

Your lower abdomen.

Your right hip.

Your right knee.

Your right ankle.

The tip of your right big toe.

The tip of the right second toe.

The tip of the right middle toe.

The tip of the right fourth toe.

The tip of the right little toe.

Your right ankle.

Your right knee.

Your right hip.

Your lower abdomen.

The left hip.

The left knee.

The left ankle.

The tip of the left big toe.

The tip of the left second toe.

The tip of the left middle toe.

The tip of the left fourth toe.

The tip of the left pinky toe.

The left ankle.

The left knee.

The left hip.

The lower abdomen.

The navel.

Your heart center.

The space in the middle of your chest.

Your throat.

Your forehead.

Breathe.

Breathe as though your whole body is breathing.

As if you are exhaling from the top of your head down to your toes.

Breathe as though you are inhaling from the toes up to the top of the head.

Inhale from the top of the head down to the toes.

Inhale from the toes up to the top of the head.

Continue to exhale from the top of the head down to the toes.

Inhale from the toes up to the top of the head.

Like a current moving up and down your spine.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the ankles.

Inhale from the ankles up to the top of the head.

Feel the current slide back and forth.

Continue to exhale from the top of the head down to the ankles.

Inhale from the ankles up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the knees.

Inhale from the knees up to the top of the head.

Continue to exhale from the top of the head down to the knees.

Inhale from the knees up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the base of the spine.

Inhale from the base of the spine up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the navel.

Inhale from the navel up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the heart center.

Inhale through your heart center up to the top of your head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the throat.

Inhale from the throat up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the bridge between your nostrils.

Exhale from the bridge between your nostrils up to the top of your head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the top of your head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the top of your head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the top of your head.

Continue to exhale from the space between the eyebrows down to the bridge between the nostrils.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the bridge between the nostrils.

Exhale from the bridge between the nostrils up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the throat.

Inhale from the throat up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the heart center.

Inhale from the heart center up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the navel.

Exhale from the navel up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the sacrum at the base of the spine.

Inhale from the sacrum up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to your knees.

Inhale from the knees up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to the ankles.

Inhale from the ankles up to the top of the head.

Exhale from the top of the head down to your toes.

Inhale from your toes up to the top of your head.

Inhale from your toes up to the top of your head.

Inhale from the top of your head down to the top of your toes.

Inhale from the top of your head down to the top of your toes.

Breathe with tender,

Intimate awareness.

Be aware of the space at your throat.

Bring tender,

Intimate awareness to your throat.

Notice in your throat a moon.

Be aware of the space in your heart center between your breasts.

Go deep,

Deep into this space,

Deep into the silence,

Empty,

Empty,

Empty.

Go deep into the stillness and the silence in this space,

Deep in your heart center.

Empty,

Empty,

Empty.

Your voice will go quiet now and will speak again in 10 minutes.

Rest with tender awareness deep in your heart center.

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Reviews

So deep and beautiful and quiet 💚
Thank you, Tess 🦋

Thankyou so much I really needed that this morning. I wake in pain every day 😞 and quite honestly I don't know where I'd be without long meditations like this one to calm my nervous system and soothe my soul for the day ahead 💜

I did your deep meditation in the morning and I felt very peaceful. I walked through the whole house, ironed, cleaned the kitchen and found strength and inspiration with you for my daily tasks. Everything is so beautiful and peaceful now and I'm going to do the meditation again and rest a bit because breaks are part of life too.

I use this Nidra quite often for a good way to get my mind on my body and achieve a good sleep. Thank you. 💕😴

Thank you. I fell back asleep somewhere in the middle. Keeping this one in my playlist

Unique yoga nidra. Thank you for the experience. I felt very connected to my spirit. ❣️🙌🏻❣️

Very nice. I was able to really relax and let go. The music definitely helps and goes together nicely with her soothing voice.

It’s a very affeo Yoga Nidra
It really made me comfortable and balanced 🙏🦋🪴

I fell asleep 😴 and don’t remember the end. I’m guessing that it did what it was designed for

This morning I woke to find I had only listened to 2/3 of the meditation... a good night's sleep! And I love that particular music from CL Clarke. Thanks so much, Tess!🙏❤🙏

A lovely and soothing yoga nidra. Looking forward to using it again for deep relaxation and sleep!🙏🏼🤍

Beautiful meditation 🙏💕

Wonderfully whole meditation, thank you

Well done!!

Not really sure how it was...I feel right to sleep so I guess it was effective!
Update-sure a second after a
Third listening, I was able to enter the blissful state of spacious awareness that I have always referred to as the void. Superb relaxation and oneness with everything. And THEN I was able to fall asleep🤗 ty

Thank you 🙏

So calming. I fell asleep quickly. Thanks so much 🙏

Mmmmmm such nice volume- voice inflection, beautiful caedence and soothing tone. Exactly what I needed. Knocked me out fast, which is what I needed this past night. Thank you.

Very nice nidra, but not for bedtime. At the end we are asked to open our eyes and come back, which I don’t want to do at midnight.

Excellent! Beautiful voice and music. Thank you for this lovely practice.🙏🏽💗🌺