Yoga Nidra Guided Sleep Meditation

Welcome to this deeply restorative yoga nidra practice designed to help you unwind,

Let go of the day's stresses,

And prepare your body and mind for a night of deep restful sleep.

My name is Danielle and I'm so grateful to guide you on this journey.

As a yoga teacher with over a decade of experience,

I've created this practice specifically for those seeking deep rest and rejuvenation and to release tension after a long day.

This practice is here to support you.

Find a comfortable space where you can lie down and relax without interruptions.

Allow this time to be just for you,

A time to recharge and restore your sense of calm.

Lie down on your back,

Ideally on a yoga mat or your bed.

Place a cushion under your knees for support and cover yourself with a light blanket to stay warm.

Let your arms rest gently by your sides with your palms facing upward,

Open to receiving relaxation.

When you're ready,

Close your eyes and let your body settle.

Begin to feel the surface beneath you supporting your body.

Let go of any need to adjust or move.

Simply arrive in this moment.

Once you feel the surface beneath you supporting your body,

Ask yourself if there's anything else you can do to become 1% more comfortable.

Once you feel just right,

Let go of any need to adjust or move.

Simply arrive in this moment.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth with a soft gentle sigh.

Do this two more times.

Inhale deeply and exhale fully.

On the next exhale,

Imagine all the tension from your body melting away,

Fading into space.

Now take a few moments to notice the natural rhythm of your breath.

Observe how your body expands and softens with each inhalation and exhalation.

Allow your breath to guide you deeper into relaxation.

Feel your eyes becoming still and quiet.

Let your eyes find an inward gaze to the center of your being.

You might visualize a glowing light within.

Here bring to mind a positive intention for your practice.

A short phrase or affirmation such as,

I am calm and at peace or I allow myself to rest deeply.

I am calm and at peace or I allow myself to rest deeply.

You're more than welcome to create your own positive intention.

Once you have your intention,

Repeat your intention silently to yourself three times,

Feeling its truth as you say it.

Now we'll journey through the body,

Bringing your awareness to each body part that I mention.

And as I mention each space,

You might repeat that body part to yourself silently and allow that space to rest,

To release tension or to invite peace into that space.

You could visualize a warm glowing light moving into that space.

We'll begin now at the forehead.

Feel the space of the forehead relaxing between your eyebrows.

Shift to your eyes,

The outer part of the eyes,

Your eyelids,

The edges of the eye and behind the eye,

All relaxing.

Moving into your cheeks,

Relaxing both cheeks,

Drifting down to the jaw.

Unclench your jaw and relax the jaw.

Feel the tongue in your mouth,

Relaxed.

Moving into the back of the throat,

Moving down the throat,

Relaxing the throat,

Right into the collarbone,

Across the collarbone,

Over to the right shoulder.

Feel the right shoulder release,

Softening down into the upper arm,

Elbow.

Relaxing the lower arm,

The wrist,

Back of the hand,

Palm of the hand,

Each finger,

Thumb,

Index,

Middle,

Ring,

Pinky.

Feel the whole right hand relax,

The whole right arm,

Releasing tension across the collarbone to the left shoulder.

Relax the upper arm,

Down to the left elbow.

Lower left arm,

Left wrist,

Back of the left hand,

Palm of the left hand,

Each finger,

Thumb,

Index,

Middle,

Ring,

Pinky,

Finger.

The whole left hand relaxed,

Tension released from the whole left arm,

Back to the center of the collarbone,

Moving down to the center of the chest.

Both lungs,

Right and left lung,

Relaxing.

Abdomen,

Releasing tension in the abdomen and the organs nestled within,

Down to your stomach,

Softening your belly,

Feeling all the stress leaving the belly.

Relaxing deep within the belly,

Into the liver,

The pancreas,

The intestines,

All of these areas bathed in a warm,

Soothing light.

Feel the breath massaging these areas,

Encouraging calm and relaxation.

Bring awareness to your hips,

Both left and right hip.

Feel your pelvis,

This whole area,

The entire lower abdomen,

Dissolving tension.

Focus on your back,

Starting with the upper back,

Moving down to the middle back,

And the lower back.

The whole backside of the body,

Relaxing all the muscles that make up the back,

Then moving a little deeper into the lower back,

To your kidneys,

Nestled right in the back of your abdomen,

In your adrenal glands,

Resting on top of the kidneys.

Imagine a soothing,

Warm energy enveloping this area,

Recharging the organs that may be in overdrive.

Move your attention to the hips and the pelvis.

Again,

Feeling any tension release from the space,

And move into your right leg,

The thigh,

Down to your knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

And down into the foot,

The sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

And all five toes on your right foot.

Feel the whole foot releasing tension,

The whole right leg,

Heavy,

Relaxed,

Stress-free.

Shift over to the left leg,

Bringing the relaxation over to the left thigh,

Left knee,

Down to the calf,

The ankle,

Getting into the joints,

The heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the left foot,

And all five toes on the left foot,

The whole left foot relaxed,

Resting,

Resting the whole left leg,

Resting both right and left leg,

Rejuvenating the legs.

Now,

Scan the whole backside of your body,

From the top of your head down to your heels,

Feeling a deep connection to the earth beneath you,

Letting any remaining tension fade away that you feel,

Letting it fade off into the distance out of your body.

Now,

Bringing your focus to your breath,

Begin a gentle breathing pattern.

Inhale for a count of four,

Hold for a count of four,

And exhale for a count of six.

As you hear my voice,

We'll try it together.

Let's begin.

Ready?

Inhaling,

1,

2,

3,

4,

Hold,

2,

3,

4,

Exhale,

5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Repeating this pattern again.

Inhaling,

1,

2,

3,

4,

Hold,

1,

2,

3,

4,

Exhale,

6,

5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Inhaling,

1,

2,

3,

4,

Hold,

1,

2,

3,

4,

Exhale,

6,

5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Inhaling,

1,

2,

3,

4,

Hold,

1,

2,

3,

4,

Exhale,

6,

5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

And continue.

Feel your body becoming lighter with each breath.

Allow each exhale to release more tension.

Feel the body receiving a deeper calm.

Now,

Imagine yourself standing on a beach at sunset.

The sky is painted in hues of orange,

Pink,

And purple.

Feel the soft sand beneath your feet and the gentle breeze on your skin as you gaze at the horizon.

See the word calm.

Calm.

Calm is written across the sky.

Let its meaning wash over you,

Filling every cell of your being with tranquility.

The waves whisper a soothing rhythm,

Lulling you into an even deeper state of peace.

As you start to hear my voice again,

Bring your positive intention back to mind.

Imagine it now as if it's etched into the sand at your feet.

Repeat it silently to yourself three times,

Affirming its truth with your whole heart.

I am calm and at peace,

Or I allow myself to rest deeply,

Letting go of all burdens.

Now start to feel your physical body once again.

Feel the tips of the body,

The hands,

The feet,

The head,

The spine,

And feel the surface beneath you.

Just starting to move the body a bit,

Your fingers and your toes.

Wiggle them gently.

Take a breath in and breathe out slowly,

Just telling yourself it's time to move.

You might roll onto your left side into a fetal position,

Pausing here just for a moment,

Noticing how you feel,

Perhaps noticing that all burdens are released from your body.

You can push yourself up into a seated position of choice,

And try to keep your eyes closed without needing to awaken the eyes.

Just let your body naturally rise and bring your hands,

Fingertips to your forehead,

Thumbs to your cheekbones,

Letting your head just rest in your hands for a couple of breath cycles,

Feeling a little tension release from the back of the neck as you breathe out.

Soften your belly,

Just feeling the physical body,

The emotional body,

The mental body,

Just noticing the whole body in this state of peace.

If you're headed off to sleep,

Well,

You can roll right onto your side or stay where you are and drift into a deep,

Restful sleep.

If you are awakening and moving into the rest of the day,

You can push the head upwards into an easy seat.

Releasing the hands onto the heart space,

And from here,

You might say to yourself a gesture of gratitude for this time of rest and renewal.

Thank you for joining me in this Yoga Nidra practice for relaxation and sleep.

May you carry the sense of calm with you into your evening,

Throughout your day,

And into your life's journey.

I wish you peace,

Happiness,

And joy.

Namaste.