Welcome to this yoga nidra for sleep.
It's perfect for you if you are having difficulty sleeping,
Getting to sleep or even getting back to sleep in the middle of the night.
The nidra is designed to be working whether you are alert and awake or whether you doze off.
So don't worry if you do fall asleep and the nidra won't bring you back.
It will guide you into a place where you will be fully relaxed and fully at ease.
So take a few moments to get really comfortable.
Get your pillows and your blanket just right.
Just take any little movements that feel helpful and then maybe take a couple of long exhalations out of the mouth.
And as you settle in know there's nothing for you to do.
You cannot fail at yoga nidra.
You do not have to go to sleep.
You just have to relax.
Sometimes the mind can feel really busy,
Really agitated and the practice of nidra is to help send a message to that busy mind and just give it permission to let go.
If any of the nidra doesn't resonate with you just use the time to breathe breathe and relax.
So just begin to notice the weight of your body resting on the surface beneath you.
Noticing the sensations on the back of your body.
Which parts of your body are touching the bed?
And where do you feel heaviest?
Maybe the back of your head or your shoulders or your lower back.
Where does your body feel heaviest?
Maybe your light is perhaps the backs of your ankles or your arm.
And imagine as if the whole back side of your body is melting,
Softening and releasing into the softness of your bed.
And then bringing your awareness to the front side of your body.
The parts of the body that are a little more open.
A little more breathable,
Movable,
The belly,
The chest,
The face.
Relax the little muscles around your eyes,
Around your mouth,
Within your jaw.
And then bring your awareness to the inside parts of you.
Maybe your tummy,
Maybe your heart.
And you don't have to feel your organs but just feel a sense of energy there.
Is there a heaviness or a lethargy?
Does it feel a little bit agitated or anxious?
Or is there a calmness and a softness?
And through our practice tonight,
We'll work with this softness,
With this calmness,
With this ease that will help us to relax from the inside out.
Repeat gently to yourself,
I am safe.
I am supported.
I am cared for.
I am safe.
I am supported.
I am cared for.
As you become aware of sensations in your jaw and in your mouth.
And now sense your left ear.
Your right ear.
Both ears together.
Sense your cheeks,
Your nose,
Your nostril.
Sense the flow of your breath inside your nostril.
Sense your left eye,
Your right eye.
The feeling of both eyes together.
Sense your forehead,
Soft and at ease.
Your scalp,
The back of your head,
Your neck,
Inside your throat.
Sense your left shoulder and shoulder blade.
Left upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Hand and fingers,
Entire left arm.
Relaxed and at ease.
Sense your right shoulder and shoulder blade.
Your right upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist.
Hand and fingers.
Entire right arm.
Relaxed and at ease.
Give up thinking.
And welcome both arms and both hands together.
Bring attention to the upper chest.
Middle of your chest.
Your tummy.
Bring attention to your upper back.
The middle of your back.
Your lower back.
Your entire torso.
The front side and the back side.
Let go of thinking.
Just feel your way.
Your entire torso.
Relaxed.
Soft.
Sense your pelvis.
Left hip.
Left thigh.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Foot.
Toes.
The entire left leg.
Relaxed.
At ease.
Soft.
And at peace.
Right hip.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Foot.
Toes.
The entire right leg.
Relaxed.
Soft.
Welcome both hips.
Legs.
And feet.
Together.
Both legs.
Relax.
And at ease.
And soft.
Together.
Sense the entire front body.
Back.
Back of the body.
Left side of the body.
Right side of the body.
Sensation inside of the body.
Sensation on the surface of the body.
The entire body.
Relaxed.
And at ease.
Soft.
And at peace.
Feel yourself an observer.
As the spacious awareness.
In which all of the sensations are coming and going.
Sense your breathing.
And heartbeat.
Slow.
Steady.
Regular.
Your entire body.
And mind.
Relaxed.
And at ease.
Soft.
And imagine yourself now.
In a place outside.
At night.
A place you feel really safe.
A place you can be.
Even though there are no lights around.
A place in nature.
Maybe on a mountain top.
Or a clearing in a forest.
Or maybe in your back garden.
It's completely dark.
The evening is warm.
You feel completely safe.
And as you look up at the sky.
You see more stars than you have ever seen before.
It's the kind of starry night that you see in photographs.
The kind of starry night where you can see the Milky Way.
All of the constellations.
And it's like the sky is peppered with stars.
And the more that you look.
The more stars that you see.
And a sense of calm washes over you.
For right now.
You know.
That all is exactly.
As it needs to be.
And you see.
With complete clarity.
And unwavering.
Unwavering certainty.
That you are exactly.
Where you need to be.
And you are content.
And you are free.
And you focus on one tiny star flickering.
At the vast sky.
And then you focus on another tiny star flickering.
And again at the vast sky.
And you focus on another tiny star flickering.
And again at the vast sky.
And you let yourself go.
You let your gaze become so wide.
And so soft.
That the stars dance around.
Patterns appear.
And disappear.
Colours.
Light.
You let.
Yourself go.
And you repeat.
To yourself.
I am safe.
I am supported.
I am cared for.
I am safe.
I am supported.
As you slowly drift away.
Drift away.
