Yoga Nidra For Night Shift Workers

Welcome to Yoga Nidra for night shift workers.

Yoga Nidra is sometimes referred to as non-sleep deep rest and it promotes deep relaxation without sleep by bringing you to a state between wakefulness and sleep.

This offers an opportunity for profound relaxation and recovery.

Studies have proven that Yoga Nidra improves sleep quality and reduces the amount of sleep needed by providing a restorative state akin to sleep and by inducing brainwave patterns similar to those in deep sleep.

Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman has stated that Yoga Nidra can act as a sleep substitute for recovery since it can mimic sleep-like states.

Taking a light nap cannot provide the same amount of recovery and rest that Yoga Nidra can.

That's why Yoga Nidra is an invaluable practice for night shift workers to reset your circadian rhythm,

Ease the stress of irregular sleep schedules and restore energy.

So I invite you to lie on the floor if you can.

Avoid practicing Yoga Nidra on your bed because you're more likely to fall asleep there.

But make yourself as comfortable as you can be.

You're welcome to use pillows either under your head and under your knees.

Make sure you're warm.

And if you have an eye mask,

You're welcome to place that over your eyes.

Falling asleep in Yoga Nidra is okay.

While we want to avoid falling asleep if we can,

Don't worry if you do.

The part of you that I'm speaking to during a Yoga Nidra practice is always listening,

Even if you fall asleep.

For this non-sleep deep rest practice,

We're going to be doing a scan of the body by simply bringing your awareness to different parts of the body at my suggestion.

And there's nothing that you need to do.

You don't need to move or try to control the body in any way.

You just have to be aware of it.

In Yoga Nidra,

There's no right or wrong way to practice.

All you have to do is welcome,

Recognize and witness whatever comes up for you throughout this practice.

Whether that is physical or emotional.

Or simply things that you become aware of in your environment while you're practicing Nidra.

So I invite you to get as comfortable as you can.

Perhaps let a few sighs out of your mouth.

Taking a big breath in.

And let it all go.

And repeat that a few more times if you need to.

And see if you can make yourself even 10% more relaxed than you currently are.

Relax your face.

Relax your head.

Relax your shoulders and arms.

Relax your chest.

Your belly.

And your back.

Relax your hips.

Relax your legs.

Relax your feet.

Now notice everything that you are aware of in this moment.

It can be external things in your room or it can be internal things from your body or your mind.

Whatever comes up,

Just try to welcome,

Recognize and just witness it without judgment.

Again,

There's no right or wrong.

There's no good or bad.

It just is what it is.

You might bring your awareness to some sounds that you can hear.

Whether they're coming from your environment or simply notice the sound of my voice.

Notice any smells.

And pay attention to the temperature of the air.

How does it feel against your skin right now?

Perhaps you can feel the sensation of clothing or a blanket over your body.

And again,

Just be aware of what that feels like.

Bring your awareness to the internal happenings of your being right now.

If there are any thoughts or emotions going through your body,

Just welcome,

Recognize and witness that without judgment.

Whatever it is,

Is whatever it is.

Perhaps you can notice the sensation of your breath.

Feeling it coming in and out of your body.

You don't have to change it or manipulate it in any way.

Just be aware of your breath.

Now,

Be aware of the sound of my voice speaking to you as you practice yoga nidra.

Again,

Be aware of your breath.

And now come back to the sound of my voice.

And for a moment,

Be aware of both your breath and the sound of my voice at the same time.

You are aware of your breath and you are aware of the sound of my voice,

Both happening simultaneously.

Now we're going to set an intention for this yoga nidra practice.

This is a positive statement of truth that is framed in the present.

Try to make it as specific as you can.

It can be something like,

I am on the road to and fill in the blank.

Or I have everything inside of me that I need to and fill in the blank.

Or maybe the universe wants to bless me with and fill in the blank.

Repeat your intention silently to yourself a few more times.

Now we will begin to layer our awareness even deeper.

So bring your awareness to the sensation of mouth.

There's nothing to do about it.

There's no right or wrong.

Just be aware of mouth.

Become aware of the sensation of tongue.

Of teeth.

Of the inside of your cheeks.

Become aware of the sensation of lips.

Feel the sensation of chin and jaw.

Feel the sensation of your eyes.

Notice how they feel just sitting in the sockets.

Be aware of your eyelids and your eyebrows.

Feel the sensation of nose and of forehead.

Feel the sensation of your ears and your cheeks.

Feel the entire sensation of face.

Feeling your entire face as sensation.

Bring your awareness to the crown of your head.

Feel the sensation of scalp stretching to the back of your head.

Feel your entire head as one ball of sensation.

Now bring your awareness to your throat.

Welcome,

Recognize and witness the sensation of throat.

Feel the sensation of your entire neck.

Now bring your awareness to your right shoulder.

Feel the sensation of your entire right arm from top to bottom.

Feeling your upper arm,

Right elbow,

Right forearm,

Right wrist.

And bring your awareness to the sensation of right hand.

Feeling the palm of your hand,

The back of your hand.

Feel your right thumb,

Right index finger,

Middle finger,

Fourth finger,

Little finger.

And feel the sensation of your entire right arm from your shoulder to the tips of your finger.

Bring your awareness to your left shoulder.

It's nothing to do about it,

Just feel left shoulder.

Feel your entire left arm,

Beginning with the upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist.

Now feel your left hand,

Feeling the palm and the back of the hand.

The left thumb,

Left index finger,

Middle finger,

Fourth finger,

Little finger.

Feel the sensation of your entire left arm from the shoulder to the fingernails.

Bring your awareness back to your right arm,

Feeling it from top to bottom.

Bring your awareness back to your left arm,

Feeling it from top to bottom.

Right arm,

Left arm.

Bring your awareness to your right thumb.

Now bring your awareness to your left thumb.

Back to the right thumb.

Back to the left thumb.

Now feel both of your thumbs at the same time.

Not as if they are two separate things,

But imagine they are one thing.

You're feeling the sensation of thumb.

It doesn't have to make sense,

But just try to feel both thumbs as one object.

Now bring your awareness to the sensation of chest.

Feel the sensation of belly.

Perhaps you can even feel the sensation of heart beat and breath.

Bring your awareness to your back and your spine.

Now bring your awareness to your pelvis.

There's nothing to do about it.

Simply welcome,

Recognize and witness the sensation of pelvis.

Bring your awareness into your right thigh.

Feeling the front and back of thigh.

Feel the sensation of your right knee.

Feel the sensation of your right lower leg.

Feeling the shin and the calf.

Bring your awareness to your right ankle.

And your right foot.

Feeling the sole of the foot.

The top of the foot.

The big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

And little toe.

Now feel the sensation of your entire right leg from top to bottom.

Bring your awareness now to your left thigh.

Feeling the top and bottom of it.

Feel the sensation of left knee.

And of the lower leg.

Ankle.

Sole of foot.

Top of the foot.

Now feel your left big toe as sensation.

Feel the second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

And fifth toe.

Feel the entire left leg now from top to bottom.

Simply feeling it as sensation.

No judgement.

Nothing is right or wrong.

Nothing is good or bad.

This is just left leg.

Bring your awareness back to your right leg.

Feeling it from top to bottom.

Feel the left leg again.

Right leg.

Left leg.

Bring your awareness to your right big toe.

Bring your awareness to your left big toe.

Right toe.

Left toe.

Now feel both of your toes at the same time.

Again,

Not as though they're two separate objects.

But your toes are just one object.

You're feeling them both simultaneously.

Now bring your awareness to your right big toe and your left thumb.

You're feeling your right big toe and your left thumb at the same time.

Now bring your awareness to your left big toe and your right thumb.

Feeling your left big toe and your right thumb at the same time.

Bring your awareness to all four points now.

Your two big toes and your two thumbs.

You're feeling all four points simultaneously.

They're not four separate objects but they're just one sensation.

Remember these things don't always have to make sense.

Just try your best to feel all four points at the same time.

Now I want you to adopt the feeling of being large.

Doesn't need to make sense.

Just feel large.

You are large.

Now adopt the feeling of being small.

You are small.

You're large again.

And now you're small.

Now for a moment I invite you to feel both large and small at the same time.

Doesn't need to make sense.

You are just large and you are small.

Now adopt the feeling of being hot.

Now adopt the feeling of being cold.

You're hot again.

Now you're cold again.

And for a moment adopt the feeling of being both hot and cold.

And cold at the same time.

You feel both hot and cold.

There's no judgement.

Simply welcome,

Recognise and witness anything that's happening for you as a result of these suggestions.

Now bring your awareness back to face and head.

Feeling the sensation of head.

Bring your awareness to the trunk of your body.

Feeling your chest,

Your belly and your back.

Bring your awareness to both of your arms.

Resting either on the floor or on your body.

And feel the sensation of both of your hands.

Feel the sensation of your pelvis.

And feel both of your legs again.

Bring your awareness to the sensation of your feet.

And feel your entire body at once.

Resting here on the floor.

Simply feeling the sensation of body.

I invite you to recall your intention for this practice.

Your,

I am on the road to.

Or I have everything inside of me that I need to.

Or the universe wants to bless me with.

Now repeat your intention again quietly to yourself.

Because you've practised Yoga Nidra today,

You've helped your brain and body to recover from lost sleep.

You'll fall asleep more easily now when you choose to.

And you'll have more energy to go about your day and make use of your free time.

Whether you choose to get some tasks done or continue to rest.

Moving forward you will feel more rested and more at peace.

In a moment I will count backwards from 5.

Signalling the end of this Yoga Nidra practice.

5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Yoga Nidra is over.