Welcome,
I'm Kristen and I'm here to help you ease back into sleep after waking in the middle of the night.
Know that if you are awake right now,
That nothing has gone wrong.
Waking in the middle of the night is natural.
You do not need to force sleep to return.
This practice is here to help you rest,
And rest is enough.
You may fall asleep during this yoga nidra,
Or you may simply rest quietly.
Both are deeply supportive.
Without changing your position,
Start to notice the surface beneath you.
The bed holding your weight.
The steadiness underneath your body.
Let the eyes remain closed.
The jaw soft.
The tongue heavy in the mouth.
Bring awareness to the breath just as it is.
Breathing in and breathing out.
If the mind feels active,
Allow the breath to become your anchor.
On each exhale,
Imagine the body sinking slightly downward.
As if gravity is gently increasing,
Inviting you to settle.
There is nowhere to go.
There is nothing to figure out.
Let your body,
Heart,
Mind,
And spirit settle down deeply into stillness.
Gently now offering yourself a sankalpa,
A quiet phrase for rest and safety.
Keeping it very simple,
You may be called to borrow a phrase,
I am safe,
Or I allow rest.
Sleep returns easily.
Choosing something that feels comforting rather than effortful.
Repeating it silently once or twice and then letting it go.
Knowing that it is being planted in the fertile ground of your subconscious and helping to lull you down and back into sleep.
Just bringing awareness now to the weight of your whole body.
The back of the head heavy against the pillow.
The shoulders sinking down into the bed.
The arms gently resting.
The hands warm and still.
The spine supported.
The pelvis heavy.
The legs relaxed.
The feet loose.
Just simply sensing and feeling the whole body complete.
Resting,
Being held.
Gently moving into a sequence of opposite to help the mind rest and settle down.
Just quietly noticing a sense of effort.
The subtle effort of trying to sleep.
Trying to solve.
Trying to rest.
And then inviting in non-effort.
Nothing to do.
Nothing to manage.
Nothing to solve.
Letting the opposite of effort and non-effort fuse together into a state of peaceful neutrality.
Noticing now the subtle alertness.
The part of you that is awake.
And then shifting into drowsiness.
Even the faintest hint of heaviness.
Allowing both to coexist without choosing either one.
Imagine yourself now floating in a warm and dark space.
Like being held in deep water.
Or wrapped in a soft cocoon.
Letting yourself simmer and sink into the healing elixir of peaceful rest that you are cultivating right now.
Soaking in its quiet,
Nourishing energy as it permeates through every layer of you.
And just trusting in the knowing that your body remembers how to sleep.
Letting everything melt away.
And letting yourself fall deeper and deeper into rest.
And no longer needing to listen closely.
My words can just fade into the background.
Allow yourself to rest in the safe darkness.
In the pause between breaths.
If thoughts arise,
Let them drift past without engagement.
If sleep comes,
Welcome it.
If it does not,
Allow yourself to rest anyway.
Both are healing.
If you're still awake,
Know this.
Deep rest is happening.
Your nervous system is settling.
Sleep often follows quietly without announcement.
Return to the feeling of heaviness.
Or gently repeat your sankalpa once more.
You are safe.
You can rest now.
Letting go completely.
Nothing is needed.
Only ease.
Only calm.
Drifting deeper with each gentle breath.
Your body,
Your mind,
And your whole being can rest as sleep returns naturally.
Namaste.
