Yoga Nidra For Deep Relaxation And Sleep

Yoga Nidra means yogic sleep and is a form of deep meditation which leads to a feeling of relaxation and tranquility. This Yoga Nidra uses the water element of Traditional Chinese Medicine to create a deeper release of tension and tightness, encouraging a gentle relaxation and release. In turn, this supports a restful sleep and a more tranquil frame of mind.

Transcript

So I'll just give you a moment or two to get yourself sorted. So you want to, If you're lying down, A cover over you would be nice because you will lose body heat as you relax. You can have a pillow behind your head. If you're lying flat, I would recommend some blankets, Some rolled up blankets, Cushions, Pillows under your knees, Just to help make your lower back a little bit more comfortable. You can definitely practice this sitting up in a chair, Just as I am, Or your back against the wall. So if you don't like lying down, I've got you covered. There's plenty of options there. So when you're ready, Also an eye pillow, I didn't mention that, An eye pillow is also nice. Helps to put a bit of weight on the eyes. Lay down in Shavasana, Which just means relaxation, And make yourself as comfortable as possible. Keep your feet slightly apart and let them settle into a suitable position. Place your arms slightly away from the body, With the palms facing up. Take a deep breath in, And as you exhale, Allow your body to relax. During our yoga nidra turn, We loosen the senses of hearing and feeling. Our attention is drawn inwards, As we allow the body and mind to relax deeply and peacefully. It's important that you try not to fall asleep. If you do, That's absolutely fine. Mentally say to yourself, I will not sleep. Allow yourself to settle. Let go of any thoughts or expectations, And feel the breath calming and steadying. You are in control of your yoga nidra journey, And can choose to sit up and leave the experience at any time. If any of the guided imagery doesn't suit you for any reason, Please know that you are safe and empowered to end your journey whenever you feel that you need to. At the start of our journey, We set an affirmation, A short resolve. This is our sankalpa. It should be brief and stated in positive present tense, Such as I am calm, I am happy. Each time you practice yoga nidra or meditation, You should remember your affirmation in the beginning and repeat it a few times with complete focus and feeling. Please state your sankalpa three times with full feeling and emphasis, As if it is happening right now in your life. Truly believe that this intention has already came true. During yoga nidra, We are planting this resolve deeply into our mind. Now we go on a journey through the body. I'll name several different parts of the body and you bring your attention to those parts. Moving as quickly or as slowly as I am, Without placing too much attention. We begin at the inner corner of the eyes, And beside the bridge of the nose. Moving to the eyebrow center, The forehead, Crown of the head, The back of the head, Nape of the neck, The top of your spine, Upper back, The cervical spine from the back of the neck, Moving down to the top of the shoulders, The thoracic spine, Mid back, The lumbar spine, Down to the tailbone and the coccyx, Continuing down and into the hamstrings, The back of the legs, Find your knees, Down into the back of the calves, Turning down the back of each leg, Towards the outer heels, Moving along the outer edge of the foot, Towards your pinky toe. In the journey, Traveling back up the body, Beginning the center of your foot, The sole of the foot, The center of the ball of the foot, Moving to your instep, To the arches of your feet, Into and around the ankle bones, The inside of both feet, Moving your attention into the inner leg, The calves, The thighs, The front of your pelvis, Traveling up the center line of the body, The navel, The solar plexus, The abdomen, The center of your rib cage, The front of the rib cage and up towards your collarbones. The next part of our yoga nidra experience asks you to use your imagination to bring about the feeling of cold in the body, Shivering cold, As if you're standing outside on a freezing cold day without a jacket on. You feel cold in your hands, You feel the cold in your face. Create the experience with your external influences, Creating this sensation, The sensation of cold. You feel the body becoming very hot, You come to the opposite of cold, To the sensation of heat. Use your imagination, Bring about the sensation of heat throughout the entire body. Recall the feeling of being very, Very hot, Due to the summer sun, A heater or warmth. Try to recreate the sensation of heat, Experiencing it exactly as you have in the past. Notice the actual temperature of your body. You are neither too hot nor too cold. The room you're practicing in is an ambient temperature perfect for you. This balanced temperature allows you to feel more relaxed and to sink deeper into your yoga nidra practice. Now try to experience heaviness in the physical body. Body is becoming heavier, So heavy that you're unable to move any part, Can't even raise an eyelid or move your fingers. The whole body has become so heavy. Lightness. Now experience the opposite, The sensation of lightness throughout the body, Not heaviness. Feel the body becoming lighter and lighter, As if it's completely weightless. The body is so light, It feels as if you're floating up towards the ceiling. Experience lightness in your physical body. From here, Bring your attention to the breath, To your natural breath. Notice the breathing, Maybe at the abdomen, Maybe the chest, Maybe the lips or the nostrils. Notice your inhale and your exhale. With each exhale, You're sinking deeper into your relaxation, Into your yoga nidra. With each inhale, Breathing in positive energy off the relaxation. And wherever you notice the breath, We're going to begin to count the breaths, Counting backwards. We're going to start at 20 and count backwards towards zero. If at any point you lose your space, Whatever number you're at, Forget, Just return to 20 or any other number that suits you and begin again. Take a deep breath in, Exhale all the air out. Inhale 20, Exhale 20. Inhale 19, Exhale 19. Inhale 18, Exhale 18. Inhale 17, Exhale 17. And from here, Continue counting your breaths, Counting backwards. Your attention is only on the breath and the counting. If you forget where you are, Return to 20 and begin again, Taking your time. If you return, If you get to zero, You can begin to observe the breath in its natural form or you can return to 20 and begin again. Wherever you are, Whatever number you got to, Bring your attention just back to the normal natural steady breath without counting. Just notice the inhales and exhales. Notice how calm, Quiet your mind and your body have become. Maybe you feel quite heavy as if you're sinking down into the floor. This is a sign of deep relaxation. Don't worry if you don't feel heavy, Just notice how you do feel, What you do feel. Your breathing has slowed down. The thoughts in your head have slowed down. You have slowed down. Next we come to visualisation. So I'm going to name a few objects and as I do, You try to visualise them, Picture them in your head, In your mind. If the image doesn't shine out to you, It's just a case of keeping practising the instruction to the space. So your eyebrow centre, A sunset, Sky painted in watercolours of oranges and pink, Setting sun, Full moon, Stars twinkling in the night sky, Deep rest, Moonlit beach, Soft warm sand, The feeling of sand beneath your feet, The scent of the ocean air, A gentle breeze, A warm hug, A friendly smile, A ship that's sailing in the distance, Swimmers in the sea, Palm trees, Clear blue water, A gently lapping tide, Soft waves on the distant ocean, Deep rest, Calm and persistent tide. Imagine that it's early morning, The winter air is cool and crisp and you're heading outside for a walk just as the sun begins to rise. You're wrapped up where it's warm against the elements and can fully enjoy the peace and quiet of this morning. As you head out, You feel the crunch of snow underneath your feet, The air is fresh and there's a sense of renewal all around you. In the distance, You can hear the deep groan of ice moving. You feel wonderfully alive and privileged to be here witnessing this amazingly beautiful moment. The sky begins to change colour and shape as the sun continues its journey in a new day of fresh possibilities. Soft clouds dart across the sky, Each one makes the blue even more beautiful than the last. Marvel at the patterns created by the clouds, The sky and the sunrise as the blue is streaked with reds, Oranges and pinks. Pausing for a moment, You take a deep breath in, Feeling the cool air fill your lungs. As you exhale and your breath flogs the air in front of you, It seems as though all your worries and fears are released into this beautiful winter morning. Walking onwards through the snow, You notice the sounds of birds singing in distant trees. A running song greets the day and reminds you that the circle of life without stopping in nature continues to flow regardless of any influences. You notice the sounds, The calls of different birds without knowing which birds they are. Just notice the different tone and clarity of the sounds as you continue to walk across the beautiful fresh snow. On your journey, You come across a stream filled with clear, Icy cold water. The surface of the stream has been frozen solid, Temporarily halting the flow of the water. As you carefully step towards the stream, You notice your reflection. The person gazing back at you has a steady smile and an inner calm that you didn't even realise you possessed. This is the inner you, The real you, And they will stay with you through thick and thin. Looking deeper, You notice that the water in the stream hasn't stopped flowing. Underneath the frozen surface, It continues to move and to flow. You smile as you realise the surface of the water hides the true nature of what's happening underneath. This is true of the stream and of so many other areas of nature too. Even in yourself, As you didn't notice how calm and steady you were underneath, You decide to continue on with your walk, Following the stream, Enjoying the sound of the soft crunch of snow underneath your feet and the fresh air blowing away the cobwebs. Gazing back, You notice your footprints in the snow, Tracing your path. You've come a long way to get here, Walking through deep snow, Icy patches and rough terrain, But it's all been worth it as you arrive in front of a beautiful frozen lake. The rising sun deflects softly over the surface of the icy water and you're glad to be wearing sunglasses so as not to be startled by the glare. Gazing all around you, Taking in the full scene, You decide to sit down in the snow as the sun continues its journey into the sky. A smile dances across your face as you sit and wonder, Enjoying the beauty of nature. Now the time has come to head back, You take one last look around the lake, Noticing the frosty wonderland, And you turn to head back the route that you came, Treading carefully on your previous footsteps. Walking back along the side of the stream, Back to where you noticed your reflection, Listening to the birds sing, Noticing the clouds in the sky, The beautiful blue above, The brightness of the snow, The sense of peace and calm that you've created on your walk, Going to take with you into the rest of your day. Whenever you see your reflection, You'll be reminded of that steady, Calm that lives within you, Underneath the surface, The part of you that's always flowing despite the weather on the surface. You can visit this lake again, Just simply by closing your eyes and taking another crisp winter air, And pause for a while, Listen to the birds, Watch the frozen land around you. Now we bring the attention back to the space behind the closed eyes, Back to the eyebrow centre, Back to listening, Hearing my voice. At this point, Take a deep breath in, And remember your resolve, Your sankalpa, The one that you used at the start of the practice. Repeat the same resolve, In the same words, With the same attitude and emphasis. Please repeat your sankalpa three times, Clearly, Knowing that this affirmation has become a reality in your life. Draw the attention back to the breath, I'm aware of your natural breathing, Awareness of breathing, Complete relaxation and focus. Notice your physical body, And draw your attention to the meeting points between the body and the surface you're laying on. Take your mind outside, Develop awareness of the room you're in, Walls, Picture the colour, Anything that's on the walls, The ceiling, The nature that's in the room with you. Then draw your attention to any noises you hear, In the distance, Outside the room you're in, Outside the building you're in, Slowly bringing your attention to noises within the room, The sound of your heart beating, The sound of your breath, Quietly focused noises within the room. Lie quietly for a few moments, Keep your eyes closed, Enjoying the last few moments of your yoga nidra practice. Slowly begin to move your body and stretch yourself, Move in any way that feels good for you. Please take your time, There's no hurry. Maybe you want to roll onto your side, Come to a seated position from there. Whenever you're sure that you're wide awake, Sit up slowly and open your eyes. Your practice of yoga nidra is now complete.