If you are listening to this meditation then my guess is either you are struggling to get to sleep or maybe you have woken up and are struggling to get back to sleep.
I hope you are feeling a bit better now and I hope I can help you to get back to sleep.
I just wanted to share a couple of things that I have found reassuring when I have found myself unable to sleep because it happens to everyone at some time or another.
The first piece of advice was given to me by my midwife after the birth of my child.
She said to me,
When you are awake in the middle of the night and it's dark and lonely and you think you are the only person in the world awake and unable to sleep,
Look out of the window.
See all the lights that are on in the houses around you.
They are the lights of people awake,
The lights and signs of human life all around you.
I live in an area with lots of houses around me but if that's not the case for you then just imagine all those lights that are on in big cities overnight.
All those windows lit up with the signs of people awake.
No,
You really are not alone.
The second reassurance is that if you are lying quietly and meditating then your body and mind are getting the rest you need.
In fact,
Practicing yoga nidra,
Which is a practice known as yogic sleep,
For just 30 minutes it is said to give you the equivalent of three hours sleep.
I will be sharing with you some of the techniques from a yoga nidra practice to help you drift off to restful sleep.
In the traditional practice of yoga nidra,
The idea is to stay awake and enjoy that floaty space between awake and asleep.
But for this meditation I have adapted the practice to be not only restful but also sleep inducing.
The techniques we use will help to bring the energy out of the head and into the body to hopefully calm those thoughts and worries that keep us in that wakeful state.
We will also use techniques to move the awareness through the body in a way that causes the brain to light up in a specific way that is both balancing and relaxing for mind and body and that will encourage us deeper into the sleep state.
The final thing I'd like to share with you before we begin our meditation is that it's hard to see things clearly in the dark of the night and things may often seem worse than they are.
There is also nothing you can do now to solve or change things so always wait till the morning and look again at things in the light.
This not only applies to the actual physical light but also metaphorically.
If we are in a dark place emotionally just wait.
The dark night won't last forever and the light will come.
So when you are ready let's get resting,
Meditating and recharging our energy.
Don't worry if you miss any part of the meditation you may just be drifting off.
You don't need to rewind if you miss anything just continue wherever you find yourself in the meditation.
I will purposefully leave this meditation open-ended so as not to wake you if you have managed to drift off to sleep.
So make yourself ready to sleep,
Have that last sip of water if you need,
Make yourself comfortable and adopt any position that you like to sleep in and that you can listen comfortably.
Adjust your blankets,
Covers and pillows and then just allow yourself to soften into your bed.
Close your eyes,
Relax and let yourself rest.
Enjoy the supported feeling of being held so completely that you can just let go.
You can let go of any hold that you feel.
Feel relaxation coming into your body as you let go.
Feel yourself sink a little deeper.
Feel relaxation coming into your body as you let go.
If it helps you can imagine a protective bubble of light around you.
Any colour that makes you feel relaxed and feel protected,
Supported and safe.
Feel safe enough to let go and to let that softness and relaxation come into your body.
Bring the awareness to the crown of the head and feel the crown of the head softening under your awareness.
Feel that softness spread down from the head through the face.
Softening the forehead,
The eyebrows,
The eyes,
The ears,
The cheeks,
The nose,
The lips,
The mouth,
The jaw,
The tongue,
The chin,
The throat.
Soften the neck,
The shoulders.
Soften down the arms and into the hands.
Soften down the torso,
The chest,
The shoulder blades,
The abdominals,
The back and down the length of the spine from the neck all the way down and into the tailbone.
Soften the hips and pelvis.
Soften down the legs and into the feet.
And with the body soft and relaxed,
Let's set an intention now for deep restful sleep that leaves us full of energy in the morning.
So say to yourself mentally,
I sleep deeply every night and awake in the morning fully rested.
I sleep deeply every night and awake in the morning fully rested.
And just repeat that a few more times,
I sleep deeply every night and awake in the morning fully rested.
And now become aware of each part of the body that I name.
You don't need to move that part,
Just become aware of it and feel it.
And then move the mind from part to part.
You are moving your mind and energy to each part in turn.
You can repeat the name of each part mentally after me.
The practice always starts with the right hand.
So move your awareness to the right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
The wrist.
The lower arm.
The elbow.
The upper arm.
The shoulder.
The armpit.
Right side of the chest.
Right side of the waist.
Right hip.
The thigh.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Keel.
Soul.
Top of the foot.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Left hand.
Move your awareness to the left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
The elbow.
The wrist.
The lower arm.
The elbow.
The upper arm.
Shoulder.
Arm pit.
Left side of the chest.
Left side of the waist.
Left hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
The upper arm.
Ankle.
Heel.
Soul.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Bring the awareness to the soles of both feet.
The heels.
The calves.
Backs of the knees.
The backs of the thighs.
The buttocks.
The lower back.
Middle of the back.
Upper back.
Shoulder blade.
Shoulder blade.
Shoulder blades.
The hands.
The arms.
Back of the neck.
Back of the head.
The top of the head.
Forehead.
The eyebrows.
The eyes.
The ears.
The cheeks.
The nose.
The lips.
Mouths.
Mouths.
Jaw.
The tongue.
The chin.
The throat.
The chest.
The abdominals.
The pelvis.
Front of the thighs.
The knees.
The shins.
The ankles.
The tops of the feet.
The feet.
The toes.
Both legs together.
Both arms together.
The whole of the torso together.
The whole of the torso together.
The whole of the body together.
Whole of the torso together.
The whole of the head together.
The whole body.
Legs.
Arms.
Torso.
Head.
Together.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
And again.
Move your awareness to the right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Arm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
The wrist.
The lower arm.
The elbow.
The upper arm.
Shoulder.
The armpit.
Right side of the chest.
Right side of the waist.
Right hip.
Eye.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Heel.
Soul.
Top of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Left hand.
Move your awareness to the left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Arm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
The wrist.
The lower arm.
The elbow.
The upper arm.
Shoulder.
Arm pit.
Left side of the chest.
Left side of the waist.
Left hip.
Eye.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Heel.
Soul.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Bring the awareness to the soles of both feet.
The heels.
The calves.
Backs of the knees.
The backs of the thighs.
The buttocks.
Upper back.
Middle of the back.
Upper back.
Shoulder blades.
Hands.
The arms.
Back of the neck.
Back of the head.
Forehead.
The eyebrows.
The eyes.
The ears.
The eyes.
The ears.
The cheeks.
The nose.
The lips.
The mouth.
The jaw.
The tongue.
The chin.
The throat.
The chest.
The abdominals.
The lower abdominals.
The pelvis.
Front of the thighs.
The knees.
The shins.
The ankles.
The tops of the feet.
The toes.
Both legs together.
Both arms together.
The whole of the torso together.
The whole of the head together.
The whole body.
Legs.
Arms.
Torso.
Head.
Together.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
And now just witness your breath.
Feel the deep,
Natural breath.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of your abdomen as you breathe.
Feel the softness of your breathing.
Soft and relaxed.
You don't need to change the breath in any way.
Just watch and witness.
And as you follow the breath,
Start to count the breaths backwards from 108 to 1.
Don't change the breath in any way.
Keep it natural.
And relaxed.
And as you follow,
Start to count the breaths backwards from 108.
108 is a special number in yogic philosophy.
It relates to the energy centers in the body.
But if you prefer to use a different number,
Then please do.
If you lose track of the counting or drift into sleep,
That's fine.
If you are awake,
Simply go back to 108 or your starting number and start again.
When you reach 1,
Go back to your starting number and start again.
With every count backwards,
Feel your body softening a little more.
Letting go a little more.
Sinking a little more.
Letting you to witness the breaths and count them backwards.
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