Yogic Sleep Meditation

Let us begin our yogic sleep meditation.

Lie down on your back with your knees slightly bent and supported.

Be sure that you are warm enough and that you will be comfortable for the duration of the practice.

It is best that you remain still during the sleep meditation so that both your body and brain have a chance to fully relax.

However,

If you become uncomfortable,

Please change your position.

Allow your eyes to slowly blink closed and do your best to keep them closed until our practice has ended.

The practice of the sleep meditation is a practice of yogic sleep that will guide you to the hypnagogic state,

The state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping.

Try to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice.

If you are unable to remain awake,

You will still receive benefits from this meditation,

But do your best to stay with me.

You will be asked to move your awareness to various bodily sensations,

Emotions,

And images.

Try not to concentrate on any one sensation,

Emotion,

Nor image as this may prevent you from relaxing.

Just let all of these sensations,

Emotions,

And images come and go.

Please use and absorb what you need in the moment from this meditation and leave the rest behind.

If your mind becomes distracted with thoughts and worries,

Gently and with compassion and love for yourself,

Come back to the sound of my voice.

Begin to be aware of any sounds you can hear in this moment.

Move your attention from sound to sound without labeling the source.

Do not strain.

Let the sounds come to you naturally.

Begin to focus on the most distant sounds that you can hear.

Let your sense of hearing radiate outward,

Finding these distant sounds and following them for a few moments.

Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds,

To sounds outside the building you are in,

To sounds inside the building you are in,

To sounds inside the room you are in.

Without opening your eyes,

Visualize the four walls of the room you are in,

The ceiling,

The floor,

Your body lying on the floor.

Visualize your body lying on the floor,

The position of your body,

Your clothes,

Your hair,

Your face.

Become acutely aware of the existence of your physical body lying on the floor.

Now become aware of your natural breath.

Become aware of your natural and spontaneous breath that moves in and out of your body without any effort.

Your natural breath flows in through both nostrils.

Notice the feeling of the breath as it flows in and out of your nostrils.

There is a sense of coolness as you inhale the breath.

Follow this feeling into your nose,

Your sinuses,

The back of your throat,

Into your lungs,

And even further down into your diaphragm and belly.

There is a sense of warmth as you exhale the breath.

Follow this feeling of warmth as it leaves your belly,

Diaphragm,

Lungs,

The back of your throat,

Your sinuses,

Your nose,

And out across your upper lip.

The natural breath flows through both nostrils during the inhale and the exhale.

Now allow your breath to become longer and slower.

Take a long,

Slow inhalation followed by a longer,

Slower exhalation.

Make your exhale even slower.

Notice the slight pause after the exhale.

Slow inhale,

Even slower exhale,

And pause.

Feel the urge to breathe in bubble up inside of you.

When you need to inhale,

Do so.

Take another long,

Slow inhale,

Another longer,

Slower exhale,

And pause where the body is neither breathing in nor out.

Keep breathing in this way for a few moments.

Now come back to the breath.

Now come back to the natural,

Effortless breath.

Release any control over the inhale or exhale.

Release any control over your breath.

Return to the natural,

Effortless,

Spontaneous breath.

Our sleep meditation begins now.

At this moment,

You should set your intention for your practice.

This can be a short,

Positive statement in simple language or just a few words.

Try to discover one naturally.

State your intention clearly and with awareness,

Silently to yourself,

Three times.

The intention you make during this meditation plants a seed in the fertile soil of your mind to bring about transformation and healing.

Also say to yourself,

I am practicing yogic sleep meditation.

I am awake and relaxed.

I am practicing yogic sleep meditation.

I am awake and relaxed.

I am practicing yogic sleep meditation.

I am awake and relaxed.

We will now begin a systematic journey of sensory awareness throughout the body.

You will move your awareness to different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named.

Say the name of the part to yourself and feel that part of your body but do not move any part.

We will begin on the right side.

Right hand thumb.

Right hand,

Second finger.

Right hand,

Third finger.

Right hand,

Fourth finger.

Right hand,

Fifth finger.

Palm of the right hand.

Back of the right hand.

Right wrist.

Right forearm.

Right elbow.

Right upper arm.

Right shoulder.

Right armpit.

Right waist.

Right hip.

Right thigh.

Right knee.

Right shin.

Right ankle.

Right heel.

Sole of the right foot.

Top of the right foot.

Right big toe.

Right second toe.

Right third toe.

Right fourth toe.

Right fifth toe.

Left hand thumb.

Left hand,

Second finger.

Left hand,

Third finger.

Left hand,

Fourth finger.

Left hand,

Fifth finger.

Palm of the left hand.

Back of the left hand.

Left wrist.

Left forearm.

Left elbow.

Left upper arm.

Left shoulder.

Left armpit.

Left waist.

Left hip.

Left thigh.

Left knee.

Left shin.

Left ankle.

Left heel.

Sole of the left foot.

Top of the left foot.

Left big toe.

Left second toe.

Left third toe.

Left fourth toe.

Left fifth toe.

Now go to the back of the body.

Right heel.

Left heel.

Right calf.

Left calf.

Back of the right thigh.

Back of the left thigh.

Right buttock.

Left buttock.

Lower back.

Middle back.

Upper back.

The entire spine.

Right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Back of your neck.

Back of your head.

Top of your head.

Your forehead.

Right temple.

Left temple.

Right ear.

Left ear.

Right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

Middle of the eyebrows.

Your third eye.

Right eye.

Left eye.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Right cheek.

Left cheek.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Both lips together.

Your chin.

Your jaw.

Your 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.

Your whole right leg.

Your whole left leg.

Your whole right arm.

Your whole left arm.

Your whole face.

Your whole head.

Your whole torso.

Your whole body.

Your whole body.

Your whole body.

Now imagine your whole body becoming light.

As though your body could float away from the floor and toward the ceiling.

Your head is light and weightless.

Your limbs are light and weightless.

Your torso is light and weightless.

Your whole body is light and weightless.

You are rising higher and higher away from the floor.

Now imagine your body becoming heavy.

Feel the heaviness in all parts of your body.

Each part is becoming heavier and heavier.

Your body is becoming heavier and heavier.

Your body is becoming heavier and heavier.

Your body is becoming heavier and heavier.

Your head is heavy.

Your limbs are heavy.

Your torso is heavy.

Your whole body is heavy.

So heavy that you are sinking down into the floor.

Sinking down into the floor.

Sinking down into the floor.

Now begin to awaken the experience of cold in your body.

The experience of chilly cold.

Imagine being outside in a cold,

Cold rain without enough clothing and no shelter.

You feel this chill permeating your entire body.

Your head is cold.

Your torso is cold.

Your limbs are cold.

Your whole body is cold.

Now allow the sensation of warmth to spread throughout your body.

Remember the feeling of heat in summer when you are out in the sun with no shade.

You feel this heat radiating through your entire body.

Your head is warm.

Your torso is warm.

Your limbs are warm.

Your whole body is warm.

Remember an experience of anxiety,

Intense anxiety and worry.

Feel the stress in your mind and body but do not concentrate on its source.

Feel the stress in your mind and body but do not concentrate on its source.

Create the feeling,

The experience of anxiety as clearly as possible in your body.

Now allow the feeling of complete calm to envelop you.

Manifest the experience of calm in your entire mind,

Body and emotions.

Feel calm emanating from your heart center out to every part of your body.

You are relaxed and aware.

You are safe.

You are completely calm.

Now begin to concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyelids before you appear as a large dark screen as though you were at a movie theater.

The screen is as high and as wide as the eyes can see.

Focus on this mind screen and become aware of any phenomena that manifests within it,

Colors,

Patterns and light.

Whatever you see is the manifesting state of your mind.

Continue your awareness of this space but do not become involved.

Practice detached awareness of the space in front of your eyes.

If any subtle images make themselves known,

Simply notice them without directing the images.

Let them appear as they are and then let them go.

If thoughts occur,

Let them come and let them go but continue watching the dark screen.

Continue this with detached awareness.

Do not become involved.

I will now quickly name a variety of different images.

Try to envision and feel them on the level of emotion,

Memory and imagination as best you can.

Try to make them feel more like you are in a movie theater.

Jump from image to image as soon as you hear it.

Let the images appear and then let them go.

There's no need to hold on to them.

An endless desert.

A peacock feather.

A good night's rest.

A full moon.

A dense forest.

Singing cicadas.

A foggy morning.

A steaming hot beverage.

A starry night.

A bright sunny day.

Flowers waving in a meadow.

A tall tree.

Receiving help from others.

Cool,

Clear,

Crisp water.

A relaxing afternoon.

Green grass.

Warm sand.

The wind in the trees.

Laughing with friends.

A warm embrace.

Love.

Crashing waves.

A burning candle.

A path in the woods.

A dog chasing after a ball.

A dream.

A chasing after a ball.

A vibrant sunset.

Taking a deep breath.

A cat stretching.

Rays of sun streaming through the clouds.

A doorway.

A beautiful garden path.

Your favorite song.

Sunlight dancing on water.

A babbling brook.

Your parents.

You as an infant.

You as a child.

You as a teenager.

You as a young adult.

Your reflection in the mirror now.

Your face now.

Your body lying on the floor now.

The sound of my voice.

The sound of my voice.

The sound of my voice.

It is now time to repeat the intention you made at the beginning of this meditation.

Please repeat your intention for yourself three times again right now.

Keeping your eyes closed,

Gently come back to the feeling of your breath.

Flowing in and out of your nostrils.

Come back to the sensation of your breath moving in and out of your body.

Maintain your awareness of your breath and also become aware of your physical body.

Your body is relaxed and lying on the floor.

Feel the container of your skin.

Feel the clothes and any props and blankets that are touching you.

Notice the heaviness of your body as it rests on the floor.

Move your awareness into all the parts of your body that are touching the floor.

The back of your heels,

Your calves,

Your thighs,

Your buttocks,

Your shoulder blades,

Your arms,

Your hands,

And your head.

Still keeping your eyes closed,

Visualize the room you are in.

Imagine where you are in the room and the other objects that are around you.

Stay here with this feeling until you feel ready to move.

There is no hurry,

But you may start by slowly moving your fingers and toes.

Rotating your ankles and wrists.

Take your time.

There is no hurry.

When you feel that you are fully present,

Gently blink your eyes open.

Roll over onto your side into a fetal position.

Stay on this side for a few more breaths.

When you feel ready,

Use your hands to push yourself up from the floor and allow your head to come up last.

Our yogic sleep meditation is now complete.