Hello and welcome to this Yoga Nidra practice designed specifically to help you transition into deep and restful sleep.
Sleep is essential and yet sometimes it can be so elusive.
But here's what I want you to know.
You already know how to sleep.
You've been doing it your whole life.
This practice doesn't teach you something new.
It simply reminds your body of what it already knows.
This practice offers you tools to invite sleep naturally based on your body's innate intelligence and biological ability to rest.
In today's practice,
I'll guide you through gentle breath work,
Body awareness,
And visualization all designed to help your nervous system soften.
To guide your awareness toward rest and into sensations of comfort,
Warmth,
And ease.
We'll be working with the deep connection between your mind and your body.
We'll invite tension to release,
Allow any restlessness to soften,
And we'll create space for your body's natural wisdom to guide you gently into sleep.
Whether you're using this practice to ease into sleep for the night,
Or to invite deep rest during a nap,
This practice will be a friend to your rest,
To your relaxation,
And to your sleep rhythms.
My hope is that by the end of this session,
You'll feel yourself softening and discovering a deep sense of peace settling into your body as you ease into rest.
So think of this as your invitation to surrender into sacred rest,
An invitation to welcoming the deep sleep that is your birthright.
My name is Wendy,
And I'm honored to guide you through this deep sleep session.
Welcome.
Let's begin by finding your most comfortable position for sleep and building your yoga nidra nest.
You might lie on your back in a traditional shavasana position,
Or you might like to lie on your side.
Find the position that feels most natural for you to sleep in.
Make sure you're warm enough and that you have a blanket covering you.
You're creating a cozy cocoon of comfort around you.
Let your head be supported by a pillow,
And maybe even gathering extra pillows to support your body.
You're building a nest of safety and comfort,
A sanctuary for rest.
Allow your body to be held completely by the surface beneath you.
And if you're lying on your back,
Let your feet fall open naturally.
Let your arms rest comfortably by your sides,
Palms facing up or down,
Whichever feels best to you.
And if you're lying on your side,
Let your knees be bent comfortably,
Perhaps even with a pillow between them.
However it is that you're lying,
Settle into this position,
Knowing you can stay here for the entire practice.
You're snuggled into your nest now.
You're safe,
Supported,
And held.
You're ready for deep rest.
There's nothing you need to do,
Nowhere you need to go.
Nothing you need to know,
Or get,
Or want.
Gently close your eyes if they're not already closed,
Allowing them to set like the sun.
Softening,
Releasing,
Letting the day go.
And now take a deep breath in through your nose,
Filling your lungs completely.
And then exhale slowly through your mouth with a gentle sigh,
Letting go of your day.
Again,
Deep breath in through your nose,
Drawing in peace and calm.
And then exhale with a sigh again,
Releasing tension,
Releasing the need to stay awake.
Let's do that one more time.
Deep breath in.
And then exhale completely with a sigh,
Surrendering to rest,
Surrendering to sleep.
And now let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
There's no need to control it.
Let your breath breathe you.
And simply notice the gentle rise and fall of your breath.
The gentle rhythm.
Like waves lapping on a shore.
Like ocean waves washing in,
Washing out.
Washing in and washing out.
And feel yourself being rocked by these gentle waves of breath.
Like you're floating on calm ocean waters.
Rising and falling.
Rising and falling.
So gently.
So peacefully.
In Yoga Nidra,
We begin with a sankalpa,
A heartfelt intention.
For this sleep practice,
Your sankalpa might be very simple.
Perhaps something like,
I am ready for deep restful sleep.
Or simply,
I am falling asleep.
Choose what most resonates and what is true for you right now.
And then silently repeat your sankalpa to yourself three times.
Feeling it settle into your body.
Like a seed planted in rich soil.
I am ready for deep restful sleep.
Or,
I am falling asleep.
Trust that this intention is now working in you.
And now bring your attention to a sense of heaviness.
Notice how your body is being held by the surface beneath you.
Feel the weight of your body.
So heavy.
So relaxed.
Feel your heels heavy.
Your calves are heavy.
The back of your thighs are heavy.
Your hips are heavy.
Sinking down into the surface beneath you.
Your lower back is heavy.
Your middle back is heavy.
Your shoulder blades are heavy against the surface.
Your arms are heavy by your sides.
Your hands are heavy.
Fingers heavy.
The back of your head heavy on the pillow.
Your whole body so heavy.
Like you're sinking into the softness beneath you.
Giving your full weight to gravity.
Allowing yourself to be completely held.
And now let's move through the body with gentle awareness.
This will be a slow,
Extended rotation of consciousness.
Moving through your body like a loving massage.
Touching each part with kindness.
As I name each body part,
Simply bring your attention there and then let it go.
There's no need to move.
No need to concentrate.
Just a light touch of awareness.
And then release.
And please know,
If you drift off during this practice,
That's perfect.
It's exactly what we want.
Let's begin.
Bring your awareness to your right foot.
Feel the sole of your right foot.
Your heel.
Your arch.
The ball of your foot.
Feel each toe of your right foot.
One by one.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth little toe.
All toes softening and releasing.
Right ankle.
Right calf.
The back of your right calf.
Your shin.
Right knee.
Back of the knee softening.
Right thigh.
The long bone of your thigh.
Front and back.
Your whole right leg.
Whole right leg.
So heavy.
So relaxed.
Feel the sole of your left foot.
Your heel.
Your arch.
Each toe of your left foot.
One by one.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth little toe.
All toes softening.
Releasing.
Left ankle.
Left calf.
Left shin.
Left knee.
All are softening.
Left thigh.
The long bone.
Front and back.
Your whole left leg.
Whole left leg.
So heavy.
So relaxed.
Both legs together.
Both legs.
Feel the weight of both legs.
So heavy.
Sinking into the bed.
Sinking into the surface beneath you.
Into the earth.
Your pelvic floor.
Releasing.
Softening.
Your hips.
Your sitting bones.
Your buttocks.
Your abdomen.
Soft and relaxed.
Rising and falling with each breath.
Your lower back.
Your middle back.
Your upper back.
Your whole torso.
Breathing.
Softening.
Your chest.
Your heart space.
Rising and falling.
With each gentle breath.
Your collar bones.
Your shoulders.
Dropping away from your ears.
Right hand.
The palm of your right hand.
The back of your hand.
Each finger of your right hand.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
And little finger.
Right wrist.
Right forearm.
Right elbow.
Right upper arm.
Whole right arm.
Whole right arm.
Left hand.
The palm and back of your left hand.
Each finger.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
And little finger.
Left wrist.
Left forearm.
Left elbow.
Left upper arm.
Your whole left arm.
Both arms.
Both arms together.
So heavy.
So relaxed.
Like they're melting into the surface beneath you.
Your throat.
Your throat is so soft.
Your neck muscles.
They're releasing.
Your jaw.
Letting your jaw drop slightly.
Teeth are not touching.
Totally relaxed.
Your lips.
Your lips are softening.
No tension in your lips.
Your tongue.
Your tongue is resting heavy in your mouth.
The roof of your mouth.
Your cheeks.
Your nose.
Breathing so gently through your nose.
Your eyes.
Your eyes are soft.
Behind closed lids.
Like they're sinking back into your head.
Settling into their sockets.
Your eyelids.
Heavy.
So heavy.
Your eyebrows.
The space between your eyebrows.
Smooth and soft.
Your forehead.
Smooth and spacious.
Wide and open.
Your temples are releasing.
The crown of your head.
Very top.
Your whole scalp.
Your scalp is relaxing.
Like warm honey melting.
The back of your head.
Your head is so heavy on the pillow.
Your head is sinking into the pillow.
Your head is sinking into the pillow.
Your ears are softening.
Your whole face.
Whole head.
Whole body.
Every part of you is resting.
Every part of you releasing.
Releasing.
Your whole body.
Your whole body.
Softening.
Sleeping.
Feel your whole body at once now.
Each individual sensation melting into a myriad of sensation.
Feel the awareness of the whole body.
And now we're going to move down through the layers of your being.
Through the koshas.
The sheaths that make up who you are.
This is like receiving a deep tissue massage.
Or an acupuncture treatment.
Touching the deepest layers of your nervous system.
First feel the physical body on a maya kosha.
Feel the skin.
Your skin.
The largest organ of your body.
Completely relaxed.
This boundary between inside and outside.
Softening.
Soothing.
Dissolving.
And go beneath the skin.
Feeling the insulating tissues.
The warm substances just below the surface.
And deeper still feel into the muscles.
Pranamaya Kosha.
The energy body.
Letting muscles give up their command of the body.
Committing them to rest.
Committing them to sleep.
Muscles releasing.
Softening.
Letting go.
Dissolving.
And deeper still into the bones.
Feel the bones.
And the layers inside the bones.
As though the bones themselves could sigh a little.
Feel the bones carried on the currents of breath.
Floating on breath.
And even deeper Manamaya Kosha.
The mental body.
Feeling the contents of your skeleton.
The heartbeat slowing down.
Steady and calm.
Like the rhythm of ocean waves.
All the organs committed to rest.
To repair.
To renewal.
Your liver.
Your kidneys.
Your stomach.
Your intestines.
All resting.
Feel the fluids and water waves in the body.
The blood flowing.
Like gentle rivers.
The lymph moving gently.
Cleaning and clearing.
The cerebral spinal fluid bathing your brain and spine in healing liquid.
You are mostly water.
Feel yourself as water.
Flowing.
Soft.
Fluid.
And you go deeper still.
Manamaya Kosha.
The wisdom body.
Feeling the cells of your body.
Billions of cells.
Each one pulsing.
Each one glowing.
Like stars against a night sky.
Each cell breathing.
Each cell intelligent.
Each cell knowing exactly how to rest.
And deeper still.
Anandamaya Kosha.
The bliss body.
Feel the energy behind or underneath all these sensations.
The life force.
The subtle energy.
The warmth of your being.
The part of you that never sleeps.
That witnesses everything.
That is pure consciousness.
And now simmer here.
Simmer in this sweet and subtle altered state of consciousness.
Where you're not quite asleep,
But no longer fully awake.
This threshold place.
This in-between place.
This doorway to dreams.
Now bring your attention to the rhythm of your breath at your heart center.
Feel your breath moving in and out of your heart space.
As though your heart is breathing.
With each breath in,
Feel your heart space expanding gently like a soft balloon filling with air.
And with each breath out,
Feel your heart space opening,
Softening,
Releasing.
Breath washing into your heart one cycle at a time.
So gentle.
So natural.
So easy.
Let yourself rest in this gentle rhythm.
This rise and fall at the heart.
Now rest in the touch of the breath at the space between your eyebrows.
Breath washing into the space between your eyebrows one cycle at a time.
And now turn your attention to the darkness behind your closed eyes.
Welcome this sweet darkness.
This healing darkness.
In our modern world,
We often fear darkness.
We keep lights on,
Screens glowing.
But darkness is your friend.
Darkness is where sleep lives.
Where dreams are born.
Sense and feel into this sweet darkness behind your eyes.
Welcoming the soft glow of night into your body.
Welcoming deep sleep into your whole being.
Imagine you're turning off lights one by one.
The lights of your thoughts clicking off.
The lights of your worries clicking off.
The lights of your to-do list clicking off.
The lights of tomorrow clicking off.
Just darkness now.
Peaceful darkness.
Healing darkness.
Safe darkness.
The darkness that restores you.
The darkness where your body does its deepest healing.
Now let your awareness expand outward from your body.
As though your awareness could spread out in all directions at once.
Feel yourself expanding like the night sky.
Vast.
Spacious.
Infinite.
You are both the body lying here and this vast spaciousness.
Small and held and also infinite and free.
Roots descending down into the earth.
Deep into the soil.
Into the bedrock.
Into the very center of the planet.
Grounded.
Supported.
Held by the earth.
And simultaneously expanding upward and outward like starlight.
Like the night sky.
Expansive awareness.
Effortless awareness.
Let attention go in all directions at once.
Nothing to hold on to.
Nothing to figure out.
Nothing to do.
Just this vast peaceful awareness.
Floating.
Drifting.
Dissolving into sleep.
Now imagine you're resting in an inner refuge.
A place of absolute safety and peace.
This might be a memory of a place you've been or somewhere completely imaginary.
Perhaps you're lying in a soft bed in a cozy room.
Surrounded by warm blankets all around you.
Or floating on gentle water held by the ocean.
Rocked by soft waves.
Or resting in a forest moss beneath you trees protecting you.
Or in a sacred temple.
A cave.
Or a cloud.
Anywhere that feels like home to your soul.
However it appears to you.
Feel yourself completely safe here.
Completely held.
Nothing can harm you.
Nothing can disturb you.
You are protected.
You are loved.
You are free to rest completely.
This refuge is always here.
Always available.
You can return here whenever you'd like.
Let yourself sink deeper into this feeling of safety.
Of being held.
Of being home.
Your body knows how to sleep.
You've been sleeping since you were born.
There's nothing you need to do.
Nothing to figure out.
Your body is wise.
Your body remembers.
With each exhale imagine yourself sinking deeper into the surface beneath you.
Heavier.
Softer.
More relaxed.
With each exhale letting go a little more.
Releasing your grip on wakefulness.
Allowing yourself to drift.
To float.
To dissolve into sleep.
Your breath is slowing.
Becoming more shallow.
More quiet.
This is natural.
This is your body preparing for sleep.
You might notice your mind wandering now.
Drifting into dreamlike thoughts and images.
This is perfect.
This is the hypnagogic state.
The threshold between waking and sleeping.
Allow these images to come and go like clouds passing through the sky.
There's nowhere to go from here.
Nothing to achieve.
Nothing to become.
Just this moment.
This breath.
This deep rest.
Feel your body held by the heart of the earth.
The great mother earth beneath you.
Supporting you completely.
Your body is being cradled like a baby.
Like a child.
So safe.
So loved.
So completely held.
The earth is taking care of you now.
You can let go completely.
Let the earth hold you.
Let the darkness hold you.
Let sleep hold you.
Your body is producing melatonin now.
The sleep hormone.
It's naturally flowing through your system.
This darkness supports melatonin production.
Healing your biorhythms.
Restoring your natural sleep patterns.
Feel this natural intelligence working in you.
Older than thought.
Wiser than words.
Your body knows exactly what to do.
Trust it.
Surrender to it.
Every system in your body is moving toward rest.
Toward repair.
Toward sleep.
Your nervous system shifting from doing to being.
From waking to sleeping.
The parasympathetic nervous system activating.
Rest and digest.
Calm and restore.
Nothing you need to think about.
This is happening on its own.
Now imagine yourself floating on gentle waves.
Sleep waves.
Ocean waves.
Rising and falling.
Rising and falling.
So gently.
So softly.
Each wave carries you deeper into rest.
Deeper into calm.
Deeper into sleep.
Rising and falling.
Rising and falling.
So gently.
Like the tide coming in and going out.
Coming in.
Going out.
Your breath following these waves.
Your heartbeat following these waves.
Everything in rhythm.
Everything in harmony.
Everything like the ocean.
Rising.
Falling.
Drifting.
Rising.
Floating.
The waves are becoming softer now.
Gentler.
Barely moving.
Almost quiet.
Almost asleep.
Like the ocean at twilight.
Calm and peaceful.
Be carried by the ebb and flow of deep rest and sleep waves.
Like a boat rocking gently on still water.
Rock to sleep by the rhythm of the ocean.
The rhythm of your own breath.
Stay here as long as you need.
If you're still awake,
Bring your sankalpa,
Your intention for sleep,
Back to mind.
One more time.
I am falling asleep.
Repeat it silently again.
Feeling it working in you even now.
And then let even that go.
Now I'll be quiet,
Leaving you in silence and stillness.
Simmer here in the afterglow of this practice.
In the sweet nectar of deep rest.
Savor this moment.
This threshold between waking and sleeping.
Know that you're safe.
You're held.
You're loved.
There's nothing more you need to do.
Your body's innate intelligence is taking over now,
Guiding you naturally into sleep.
If you're still awake when this practice ends,
Simply continue resting in silence.
Continue simmering and let sleep come in its own time.
Sweet dreams.
