Welcome.
My name is Lucy and I'll be guiding you off to sleep.
So unlike a traditional yoga nidra practice,
You do not need to stay awake and aware.
You can drift off to sleep at any time.
Your body and mind will become still as you fall gently into the state of deep rest and then drift off to sleep.
Take your time to get comfortable in your bed.
Adjust your pillows and blankets and find a position that feels right for you.
Perhaps on your back or on your side.
You might try extra pillows or bolsters under your knees.
An eye covering to block out any light.
And if you need more time,
Pause the recording and come back when you feel ready.
As you're settling in,
Notice the soft sound of rain in the background.
Imagine you are lying here cozy in your bed with gentle rain falling outside.
The drops tapping softly on the roof,
The trees,
The earth.
Let that sound wash over you like a soft lullaby of your nervous system,
Washing away the energy of the day,
Calming your mind,
Calming your body.
Now bring your attention to your breath.
You don't need to change it,
Just notice it.
Feel the breath moving through your nose,
The slight coolness on the inhalation,
The gentle warmth of the exhalation.
Notice how the breath moves your body,
The rise of your chest,
The soft expansion of your belly.
There's nothing you need to do here,
Just noticing your body effortlessly breathing itself.
And now,
When you feel ready,
Let's take the physiological sigh to help your body relax more deeply.
Take a long,
Slow inhalation through the nose,
Filling your lungs completely,
And at the top,
Take a second,
Smaller sip of air in.
Let the breath out slowly through your mouth.
Let your shoulders drop,
Your jaw soften.
We'll do this two more times.
A long,
Full inhalation through the nose,
A small sip of air at the top,
And then a long,
Slow sigh out through the mouth.
One more time at your own pace.
As your breath returns to its natural rhythm,
Notice the effect in your body.
Scanning through your body,
Your jaw,
Face,
Shoulders.
Notice if there are any areas you can soften,
In your face,
Your body.
Melting away tension,
And rest deeper into the surface beneath you.
Come back to simply noticing the breath.
Feel the gentle movement of air in your nose,
The rhythm of your chest and belly.
Let your attention just rest there,
As the soft sound of the rain continues in the background,
Steady and soothing.
As we move into the state of feeling and sensing,
Give yourself permission to rest deeply.
Resting your body,
Resting your mind.
Start by placing your attention at the mind's eye center,
The center of the forehead,
The right eyebrow,
Temple,
Cheekbone,
The right eye and all of the little muscles behind the eye,
Resting back.
Left eyebrow,
Temple,
Cheekbone,
The left eye and all of the muscles behind the eye,
Resting back.
The right nostril,
The left nostril,
Upper lip,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
The tip of the tongue,
The teeth and the gums,
Inside of the right cheek,
Inside of the left cheek,
The jaw,
Left and right,
The right ear,
The left ear,
The crown of the head,
The back of the head,
Back of the neck,
The throat center,
The right side of the chest,
Right collarbone,
Shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Forearm,
The palm of the hand and back of the hand,
Right thumb,
First finger,
Second,
Third,
Little finger.
Attention moving from the tips of the fingers,
Through the right hand,
Up the right arm,
The right shoulder,
To the right side of the chest,
The left side of the chest,
Left collarbone,
Shoulder,
Upper arm,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
The right side of the chest,
Left thumb,
First finger,
Second,
Third,
Little finger.
Attention moving from the tips of the fingers,
Through the left hand and arm,
To the left side of the chest,
The waist,
Belly,
Pelvic bone,
The right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
The lower leg,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Little toe.
Attention moving from the tips of the toes,
The right foot,
Up the right leg,
To the right hip,
Moving through the pelvic bowl,
To the left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
Little toe,
Awareness moving from the tips of the toes,
Through the foot,
Up the left leg,
Through the left hip,
The left side of the body,
The left side of the chest and arm,
Awareness filling the left side of the body,
Throughout the left side of the body and the right hemisphere of the brain,
Left body,
Right brain,
Moving your awareness to the right side of the body,
The right foot,
Right leg,
Right side of the body and arm,
Awareness throughout the right side of the body,
The right side of the body and the left hemisphere of the brain,
Right body,
Left brain,
And now feel sensation throughout the whole body,
The right side and the left side of the body,
The right and the left hemisphere of the brain,
Feeling sensation throughout the whole body now,
Returning your attention to the breath in the body,
The air moving in and out,
With each breath in,
Invite lightness and softness,
With each breath out,
Sink deeper into relaxation,
Letting go of thoughts,
Letting go of tension,
Inhaling,
Sensing lightness,
Exhale,
Sinking deeper,
Without changing your breath in any way,
Start to count your inhalation and exhalation,
Counting down from 18,
Inhale 18,
Exhale 18,
Inhale 17,
Exhale 17,
Continuing down at your own pace,
Bring your attention to the space in front of your closed eyes,
Rest your mind in this infinite space,
Notice any darkness,
Color or patterns,
Or images that may appear,
Welcome the image of gentle rain on water,
Or raindrops on the surface of a still lake,
Each drop creating soft ripples that slowly fade,
Now let your mind rest in the sound of the rain,
Imagine you are lying in a quiet forest,
Listening to the rain falling through the trees,
Drops landing on leaves,
On branches,
On the soft soil,
Each drop inviting you to let go,
To rest,
To release,
The sound of the rain all around you,
Steady and soothing,
Welcome in the space to dream,
Your mind resting in to the dream state,
Moving into the quiet place of dreams,
Drifting off,
Drifting on to sleep,
Drifting off,
