Yoga Nidra For Insomnia With Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Welcome.

I invite you to begin preparing for today's practice by orienting to your space,

Letting your eyes wander to wherever they find themselves,

Perhaps the head and neck follow.

Notice what you see,

Hear,

Smell with a sense of curiosity.

Notice any doorways or windows,

The height of the ceiling,

Colors or textures.

Consider what may make your space feel more supportive or nurturing.

Take some time to set up your space now.

Please know that rest is deeply personal and you always have choices in your practice.

You may follow along with any guidance that aligns with you or at any point in the practice you may choose to follow your own inner guidance.

This may include moving your awareness away from the body and out into your space like we just did,

Working with a grounding object or whatever you personally find supportive.

You are your own greatest teacher.

I invite you to use any props you may have such as pillows,

Blankets,

Eye pillow or eye mask to help allow every part of your body to feel supported and at ease.

We will start by checking in with the body.

Notice if there are any adjustments or props that could help your feet or legs to feel more comfortable.

Perhaps a pillow or a rolled up blanket under the knees.

Now bringing awareness to the hips,

Torso,

Arms,

Hands.

See if there's any slight adjustment or prop that may bring more support or ease here.

Perhaps a warm blanket,

Something gently weighted over the stomach like a bean bag or pillow.

Perhaps propping the arms under pillows or folding them under a blanket.

Notice if you prefer to have the palms facing up more receptive or facing down more grounding.

Notice if you prefer to be reclined all the way,

Propped up by a bolster or pillow on a higher angle or fully seated.

Finally,

Bringing awareness to the neck,

Head and face.

Notice if you could use any changes here in terms of position,

Perhaps adding a rolled up blanket or pillow under the head or neck or an eye pillow or mask to allow the eyes to support and rest into.

Really take some time to get yourself as comfortable as possible.

If it feels accessible,

You may bring your awareness to your breath.

There's an option to simply observe here.

Or you may want to try taking two inhales followed by a longer exhale.

If you find this helps to settle your body,

You may try this breath a few times or at any point throughout this practice.

Notice if there's anything else that could allow for more support or ease in your body right now.

As you continue to settle in,

I will briefly discuss the mind-body relationship in the context of insomnia and then we will move into our practice,

Beginning with progressive muscle relaxation.

Our thoughts,

Feelings,

Sensations and behaviors all influence one another.

They have reciprocal relationships.

For instance,

You may have a sensation such as an increased heart rate or tensed muscles.

And then you may have a thought like,

I'll never sleep again or if I don't sleep now,

I will struggle tomorrow.

Then in response to those thoughts,

You may have a feeling like anxiety,

Which then creates a feedback loop and further impacts thoughts and so on.

Using mindfulness,

We can help disrupt this cycle by creating space between each of these reactions.

Imagine your inner experience as a river.

On the river floats by thoughts,

Feelings,

Sensations,

Perhaps images,

Colors.

Sometimes the river is slow moving and peaceful,

But other times the river may be rough and stormy.

Instead of struggling to swim in the rough water,

In mindfulness we sit on the bank of the river and non-judgmentally observe our inner experience move by.

We can then notice the river of inner experience move by.

During this time,

You may notice certain thoughts and feelings moving through your river of inner experience.

I invite you to notice when this is happening and gently step back to the river bank.

Simply observe the thoughts and feelings that come and go.

If any judgments arise about particular thoughts or feelings,

Simply observe the thoughts and feelings that come and go.

Please know it is very normal to have to gently redirect back to the river bank many times.

This is a part of the practice.

Be gentle with yourself.

If it feels accessible,

I invite you to take three slow breaths through the nose,

Seeing if you can gently expand through the belly,

Inflating like a balloon,

And then exhaling out the nose.

Imagine the balloon gently inflating,

And then on the exhale,

Imagining any tension in the body melting away.

Now moving into progressive muscle relaxation.

On the next inhale,

Clenching the fists,

Clenching them really tight,

Holding them both,

Holding,

And then releasing the hands,

The fingers,

Allowing the hands to release.

Imagine any tension falling away from the hands,

Letting the hands and fingers rest in whatever position is most comfortable for them.

And on the next inhale,

Tightening the biceps.

You may squeeze them,

Or you may draw your forearms towards them and squeeze,

Squeeze,

Squeeze,

Holding it,

And then relaxing the biceps,

Allowing the arms to melt into the ground,

Letting go.

Now tightening the triceps,

The undersides of your upper arms.

You may contract the muscles of this area,

Or you may extend your arms and lock the elbow,

Squeeze the muscles there,

Holding,

Squeezing,

And releasing,

Imagining tension melting away from the arms.

Now,

Tensing the muscles in your forehead by raising the eyebrows as high as you can,

Tensing,

Tensing,

Holding those eyebrows up by lover evenings tensing,

Holding those eyebrows up,

And then release.

Allow the forehead to be soft.

Letting go of any tension in the forehead.

Now tensing the muscles around your eyes by clenching the eyelids shut.

Holding,

Tightening,

And relax the eyes.

Eyes are soft.

Notice the sensation of the facial muscles releasing.

Imagine this sensation growing,

Spreading across the face.

Now tightening the jaw by opening your mouth so that you may feel some stretching around the mouth.

And tightening in the hinges of the jaw.

Just holding it open if that feels okay.

When you're ready releasing the jaw,

Let the jaw hang loose.

Think if your jaw prefers stillness or perhaps some movement.

Before settling into a position that feels restful for the face.

A position where the jaw can be at ease,

Where the tongue can be at ease,

The teeth and the gums.

Jaw is soft.

I'll let you to tighten the muscles of the neck by gently pushing the back of your head into the floor if you're laying down or the back of a chair if you're sitting up.

We're only isolating the muscles in the neck,

So if you find you're tensing anywhere else,

See if you can release.

Pushing,

Tightening,

Holding that.

And releasing,

Letting the neck and shoulders be soft.

Still breathing through the nose,

Feeling the weight of the head sinking into the surface you're on.

And at the same time,

Feeling the support of this surface for your head and neck.

With each exhale,

Releasing further.

Now moving on to the shoulders.

Bringing the shoulders up towards the ears,

Squeezing them,

Holding them up.

And releasing the shoulders,

Letting them drop.

And letting them find a position that helps them to feel at ease.

Now moving to the upper back,

Bringing the shoulder blades together,

Squeezing the shoulder blades together,

Tightening.

And releasing the shoulder blades.

Shoulders are soft,

Chest is soft.

Your breath moves freely.

And now tightening the stomach muscles,

Tightening up the stomach,

Holding,

Contracting all those muscles.

And then allowing the stomach to release.

The belly is soft.

The breath is easy.

And now tightening the glutes,

The hips,

Pelvic floor.

Tensing.

Still holding.

And then releasing these muscles,

Allowing these muscles to soften.

Feeling the weight of the pelvis sinking into the floor.

Pelvis is soft.

Hips are soft.

Now squeezing the muscles in the thighs,

All the way to the knees,

Holding.

Squeezing.

And releasing,

Letting go of any tension in the thighs.

And now tightening the calves.

You may pull the toes towards the knees if that feels okay for you,

Or just work on imagining tightening the calves.

And keeping your awareness with the calves.

Holding.

And releasing the calves.

Let the legs be soft.

Releasing into the ground.

And now clenching the feet by curling the toes downwards.

Holding.

Squeezing the feet.

And releasing.

Let your toes and your feet find a position that feels good for them.

Feet are soft.

And now just gently moving your awareness through your body,

Starting from the feet,

Slowly moving towards the head.

If you find any tension,

I invite you to hold and tighten,

And then release that area.

Working with your breath,

If that feels accessible.

Just on each exhale,

Imagine you are further releasing any remaining tension.

And also noticing the absence of tension.

Are you there instead?

What is this sensation like?

The feeling?

Any images or colors that arise?

See if you can allow this to grow and expand through the body.

Now bringing awareness to the heart.

Take a moment to check in with yourself to see if an intention or sankalpa arises to the surface for today's practice.

You may ask yourself,

How do I want to feel?

Or what do I need?

Perhaps you frame your intention around feeling rested,

Energized,

Or rejuvenated.

Whatever it is that you may need or desire.

I invite you to frame your intention as a simple present tense statement like,

I am deeply rested and nurtured.

Or you may use a general sankalpa like,

I am at ease and open to insight.

See if an intention organically flows through you.

And you may state this to yourself three times now.

I invite you to bring awareness back to the body.

Feeling the weight of the body on the floor softening.

Bringing awareness now to the right hand thumb.

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger.

Palm of the right hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Left hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger.

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Moving awareness now to the back of the body.

Right heel,

Left heel,

Right calf,

Left calf,

Right thigh,

Left thigh,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back,

The entire spine,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Back of the neck,

Back of the head,

Top of the head,

Forehead,

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Middle of the eyebrows,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Both lips together,

Chin,

Jaw,

Throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Upper abdomen,

Navel,

Lower abdomen,

Right groin,

Left groin,

The pelvic floor,

The whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

The whole right arm,

The whole left arm,

The whole face,

The whole head,

The whole torso,

The whole body,

The whole body,

The whole body.

.

.

.

I invite you to bring awareness to the breath,

Just simply noticing how the breath is,

Where the breath is,

Noticing the pauses between breaths.

Where do you notice the breath the most?

What is the quality of sensation in this place?

How does the breath move in this place?

How does the breath move through this place?

Comes and goes,

Just like the moving river,

Supporting and nourishing life.

Where do you notice the breath the least in your body?

Can you imagine breathing into this place,

Letting the breath flow through the entire body?

If it feels comfortable for you,

You may try slowing the breath down even further and gently extending the exhale.

You may also observe the breath simply as it is.

Follow your own inner guidance.

You may find the inner river of your experience slowing down,

Becoming a softer,

More peaceful river,

Gently ebbing and flowing with the pace of nature.

I invite you to bring to mind an emotion you're currently working with in your life right now.

What emotion seems to be most present for you?

And notice this without judgment.

Notice this emotion with a sense of curiosity and compassion.

Does this emotion have a location in the body?

Feel and sense into this.

Is there a size or shape?

Perhaps a color or texture?

Now,

Cultivating the opposite emotion to this.

What would the opposite of this emotion be for you?

Is there a location in the body for this emotion?

What kind of qualities or sensations arise?

Now moving back to the first emotion.

Notice the sensations present.

And moving back into the opposite.

Observing the sensations here.

Now allow yourself to hold the awareness of both of these emotions at the same time.

Holding awareness of all the sensation and emotion that arises with compassion.

Feeling them both together.

Now begin to sense any movement in your body.

Perhaps where the breath moves and breathes life through the body.

Pumping through veins,

Pulsating,

Aliveness.

Like river rapids running through mountains.

Notice where you feel the most movement in your body.

How does the movement draw your awareness?

Begin to sense any stillness in your body.

Like a serene pond without a ripple.

Soft,

Quiet.

Where do you feel the most stillness in your body?

And how does it draw your awareness?

Bringing attention back to movement.

Like raindrops dancing through the air.

Nourishing the earth.

Rejuvenating the land.

And back to the stillness.

Like glistening water droplets in a grassy meadow.

Now holding both the movement and the stillness together.

Where is the movement in your body?

Where is the stillness in your body?

And see if you can hold both of these in your awareness.

Now see and sense into the following.

Snow-fallen forest.

A turbulent river.

Freshly clean linens.

Soft fleece blanket.

Gently flowing stream.

Sheep grazing in a meadow.

Soft breeze.

Freshly picked lavender.

A hibernating bear.

A woman knitting.

Clouds floating in the sky.

Chamomile tea.

Starry night.

It's a clear night.

The stars are brilliant.

Shining bright.

You can see some hues of blue and purple.

Like you're glimpsing into the whole of the cosmos.

The stars and colors begin to fade to darkness.

Darkness as far as the eye can see in every direction.

Like a blank canvas of the mind.

Encapsulating all the different parts that comprise of yourself.

Including your vast subconscious mind.

There's nothing to do here.

You're simply being rather than doing.

Perhaps something arises.

Like shapes,

Colors,

Memories.

Perhaps there's nothing at all.

We simply notice what is with a sense of curiosity and compassion.

I'll now give you some unguided time.

A few minutes.

Simply notice.

Simply be.

Be.

Be.

Be.

Be.

As the darkness fades,

You see yourself on a grassy riverbank.

Watching the peaceful flow of the river.

In the distance,

There are snow covered mountain peaks.

In an evergreen forest.

You feel the warmth of the sun radiate through your body.

You feel the warmth of the sun in the ground beneath you.

There is a quiet chatter throughout the forest.

And a soft hum of the river in front of you.

You notice an energy or life force moving through the river.

Through the trees.

You start to notice that this same energy moves through your body.

And noticing the sensations of that life force.

Your aliveness.

And the interconnectedness of all beings.

You start to feel drawn to something in the distance.

Following your curiosity,

You see yourself walking alongside the river.

You notice that you're feeling an embodied felt sense connection to the river.

The trees.

A bird flying overhead.

You start feeling connected to everything around you.

As you see yourself continuing to walk along the river.

You notice there seems to be a trail that opens up in front of you.

You see luminous white mushrooms along this trail.

As if they are leading you somewhere.

They are bright,

Almost glowing and mystical.

You can feel that they too have this same life force moving through them.

You see yourself following a bend in the river.

And continuing to follow the path of mushrooms.

And on the other side of this bend appears one very large mushroom.

It's about a foot taller than you.

It's white.

And it seems to glow.

It feels vibrant with life.

And the chatter of the forest quiets as you see yourself walking closer.

You sense that this mushroom is a sentient being.

Filled with wisdom,

Presence,

And unconditional love.

Notice how this presence,

Wisdom,

And love shows up for you.

Where do you notice this in your body?

Is there a quality of sensation?

Then you see yourself reaching out and gently resting a hand on this magnificent mushroom.

And you suddenly feel a deep connection to this being.

And spontaneously your heart asks you,

What do I need?

Notice what may or may not arise with compassion.

Are there any images,

Colors,

Words,

Or even a sense of knowing that spontaneously arise?

Just listening quietly,

Patiently,

To see what arises.

The loving white glow of the mushroom fills your heart space.

And it expands.

And washes over your whole body.

Giving you a sense of being loved,

Of being nurtured.

The white glow of the mushroom fills your heart space.

And washes over your whole body.

From this place of deep rest,

Please recall again your intention or sankalpa.

Repeat your sankalpa to yourself three times now.

I invite you to gently bring your awareness back to the here and now.

Noticing how your breath ebbs and flows.

Feeling the weight of your body.

Starting to notice any sounds around you.

Any smells.

Begin inviting small movements at your own pace.

Perhaps wiggling fingers,

Toes.

Circling ankles or wrists.

Feeling if there's anything your body may need,

Stretching,

Movement,

Stillness.

Giving yourself permission to meet your needs.

When you notice the river of your inexperience becoming rough or stormy,

I invite you to step back onto the riverbank.

Simply observe with acceptance,

Compassion.

May you be rested.

May you be rejuvenated.

May you be nurtured.

Thank you for sharing your practice with me.