The 8-Hour Sanctuary: Deep Yoga Nidra For Restorative Sleep

Welcome dear one,

This is a guided meditation done in a comfortable reclined position.

Make sure the room is quiet,

The surface you are lying on is firm but comfortable.

There is maybe something under the back of your knees such as a bolster,

A rolled blanket just to ease your lower back.

Using a folded blanket for your head to ensure that the chin is lower than the forehead.

Have a blanket next to you if you feel cold and maybe using an eye mask to cover your eyes so you are in darkness.

High expectations for comfort are important for this practice.

Spend the next few moments ensuring that you are comfortable as possible.

Make any small adjustments that will help to settle your body.

You may move at any point within your practice if you are uncomfortable but try to be as still as possible for this practice.

Make yourself aware of the room that you are in and imagine where you are positioned within it.

Are there any sounds outside of the room?

Can you hear them as pure sound without attaching a story or narrative to them?

Are there any sounds inside the room you are in?

Can you hear them as pure sound without attaching a story or narrative to them?

Let the sounds fall into the background of your awareness.

Begin to take five or six easeful breaths focusing on your exhale.

Allow each exhalation to ground your body becoming still.

Commit your weight to the support beneath you as though tension is falling through your body and into the ground underneath you.

Make an intention for your body to rest.

Make an intention for your body to rest deeply.

Bring your awareness to your jaw and let it slack a little.

Let the roof of your tongue soften and widen in your mouth.

Let your attention wander to the back of your eyes imagining a spacious deep in the sockets.

If your mind is busy try to move your focus from the front of your brain behind the forehead to the back of the brain.

Imagine thoughts and worries dropping back towards the ground.

Let the back of your throat relax and widen your shoulder blades.

Surrender to the support underneath you.

Let your lungs and organs rest in the back of your body.

Softening deeper with each exhale.

Softening deeper with each exhale.

Visualize the muscles of your arms softening away from the bones.

Visualize your skin softening away from the muscles.

Imagine your whole body settling into rest.

Imagine your whole body surrendering to rest.

Visualize your whole body resting deeply.

Permission to rest deeply.

As you are guided to various points throughout your body there is nothing to do except settle your attention on each part of your body with an intention to rest.

You may even use the word rest silently on each part of your body to help you relax.

Bring your awareness to the space between your eyebrows.

Rest.

The center of your throat.

Rest.

Make an intention for your right shoulder to rest and let your attention run down your upper arm to your right elbow.

Down your forearm and into the right wrist.

Tip of the right thumb.

Tip of the right index finger.

Tip of the right middle finger.

Tip of the right ring finger.

Tip of the little right finger.

Let your whole hand rest.

Bring your awareness to your right wrist.

Right elbow.

Right shoulder.

Let the whole right arm rest.

Move your attention to your throat.

Allow it to rest.

Bring awareness to your left shoulder.

Let your attention run down the upper arm to the left elbow.

Left wrist.

Tip of the left thumb.

Tip of the left index finger.

Tip of the left middle finger.

Tip of the left ring finger.

Tip of the left little finger.

Let your whole hand rest.

Bring your attention to your left wrist.

Left elbow.

Left shoulder.

Let the whole left arm rest.

Bring your attention back to your throat.

Rest.

Bring your attention to the center of your chest.

The right side of your chest.

The center of your chest.

The left side of your chest.

The navel.

The space in between the pubic bones.

Relax your internal organs.

Let the whole abdomen and torso rest.

Bring your attention to the center of your right hip.

Let your attention run down the thigh to the right knee.

Through the shin to the right ankle.

Tip of the right big toe.

Tip of the right second toe.

Tip of the right middle toe.

Tip of the right fourth toe.

Tip of the right little toe.

Right ankle.

Right knee.

Deep in the right hip.

Let the whole right leg rest.

Bring your attention to the space between the pubic bones.

Focus on the center of the left hip.

Let your attention run down the thigh to the left knee.

Through the shin to the left ankle.

Tip of the left big toe.

Tip of the left second toe.

Tip of the left middle toe.

Tip of the left fourth toe.

Tip of the left little toe.

Relax your left ankle.

Left knee.

Deep in the left hip.

Let the whole left leg rest.

Bring your awareness to the space in between the pubic bones.

Attention rising to the navel.

Let your whole abdomen rest.

Let the center of your chest rest.

Let the walls of the thorax relax.

Space in between the eyebrows.

Let your attention rest in between your eyebrows.

Let your whole body rest.

Your whole body rests.

Without changing anything,

Notice the rhythm of your breath.

Rest in the changing sensations of inhalation versus exhalation.

Rest in the changing sensations of your breath.

As you move into a mental version of alternate nostril breathing,

The body will remain still and the breath easy.

No force,

No strain.

Begin to visualize the breath moving in through the right nostril and out through the left nostril.

In through the left and out through the right.

Allow the breath to be as easy and as soothing as possible.

Imagine that the breath moves in from below the nostril and travels all the way up past the center of the eyebrows and into the middle of your brain.

Watch the breath fall,

Exhaling from the center of your brain all the way beyond the tip of the nostril.

See the breath move from nostril to the brain,

Brain to nostril with ease.

Add counting to your breath.

Count from 21 to 0.

If you lose count or finish,

Come back to 21.

Your next inhale through the right nostril will be,

Inhale right 21,

Exhale left 21,

Followed by inhale left 20,

Exhale right 20.

Continue this silent count for the next few moments.

No strain,

No force,

Easy breathing.

Let all the counting fall away.

Let all effort dissolve into deep rest.

Bring your attention to the front of your body,

From your face all the way through your chest and your torso to your legs and feet.

Let your whole body rest into the back of your body.

Let there be a feeling of weight in your body,

As your front body settles back.

Rest.

Front body rests into back body.

Imagine how it would feel for your whole body to feel weighty,

As though you have let yourself sink into the support of the ground.

Let your whole body explore a restful deep heaviness,

Sinking into deep rest.

Now imagine your back body floating up into your front body.

Whole body light,

Spacious,

Effortless.

Let your whole body feel light,

As though you are resting weightlessly.

Let yourself wander between these two opposites.

There is no rush.

Feel the body heavy.

Feel the body light.

Feel the body light.

Continue on your own with that pattern.

How might you feel all the sensations of weight and heaviness at the same time?

Can you feel these opposites at the same time?

Trying to merge the sensations of heavy and light within your whole being.

Can you rest deeply in between the two,

Neither heavy nor light?

The essence of both without striving or grasping.

Simply resting deeply in between the two,

Heavy and light.

A sense of deep,

Deep rest in your body.

A sense of deep,

Deep rest in your mind.

A sense of deep,

Deep rest in your whole being.

Unchanging.

Restful.

Whole.

Let your whole body rest.

Resting in the unchanging nature of your whole self.

Is there anything about this practice that you would like to remember?

A thought?

A feeling?

A sensation?

A memory?

A sense of deep rest.

No judgment if there is nothing.

Meet all of your experience as it is in this moment.

Notice how your body feels against the ground.

The weight of your muscles and bones.

Notice which parts of you are touching the ground.

The head,

The shoulder blades and ribs,

The back of the pelvis,

The flesh of your upper and lower legs and your heels.

Feel your breath move your body.

Notice the natural,

Easy rhythm of your breath.

As you take a deeper,

Richer breath,

How does that breath feel as sensation in your body?

How does the inhale feel in comparison to the exhale?

Remember where you are in the room.

Feel free to lazily open your eyes if it is helpful and then let your eyes fall closed again.

Slowly start to deepen your breath.

Begin to move your body.

Wiggle your fingers,

Your toes.

Have a stretch and a yawn.

Or bring your knees into your chest.

Make any movements that will gently help bring your body back to a wakeful state.

Gently roll onto your right side,

Resting your head on your arm.

Let your eyes open softly so you can take in some light.

Keeping your head heavy,

Use the top arm to help you come to a seated,

Comfortable position.

Bring your hands into prayer position.

Gently open your eyes and take plenty of time to move back into your day.

Namaste.