Yoga Nidra for sleep.
This is a practice to help you to drift to sleep into a deep and restful sleep.
Lay down comfortably and close your eyes.
Normally you would lay down on your back.
If you prefer to lay down on a side or in your stomach please do so.
Become aware of your breath as your chest rises and falls as you breathe.
Sense the feeling of relaxation washing over your entire body.
With each exhalation you feel yourself letting go of any thoughts,
Worries or concerns.
Take soft and deep breaths.
With each exhale let go of thought.
Allow a feeling of relaxation.
Now it's time to set your Sankalpa a heartfelt wish and hope for yourself.
This can be something big and life-changing or something smaller like inner peace or inner calm.
Setting a Sankalpa is like planting a seed into the subconscious mind.
Once you've chosen your Sankalpa repeat it silently in your mind three times.
We now begin to place our awareness on different areas of the body.
As I name each part of the body see if you can mentally place the following mantra to relaxation onto the body part that I name.
The mantra is relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Right hand thumb.
Feel and take all of your awareness to the right hand thumb.
Mentally repeat the mantra relaxed,
Calm and peaceful while sensing your thumb.
Feel a sense of relaxation.
Index finger.
Awareness to your index finger.
Repeat the mantra.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
Back of the hand.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Palm of the hand.
The wrist.
Lower arm.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Right shoulder.
Right armpit.
Side of the waist.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
The right hip.
The right thigh.
The right knee.
The lower leg.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
The ankle.
The sole of the foot.
The big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
The whole foot.
The whole right leg.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Now sense the entire right side of the body.
A wave of relaxation washes over the right side of your body.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Left side of the body.
Left hand thumb.
Take all of your awareness to the left hand thumb.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Index finger.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
Back of the hand.
Palm of the hand.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Wrist.
The lower arm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
The left shoulder.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
The armpit.
Side of the waist.
The left hip.
The left thigh.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
The left knee.
The lower leg.
The ankle.
Take all of your awareness to the left ankle.
The sole of the foot.
The big toe.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
The whole foot.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
The whole left leg.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Sense the entire left side of your body.
A wave of relaxation washes over the left side of your body.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Now bring your awareness to your lower back,
The middle back,
The upper back,
The whole back.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Take your awareness to the top of your head.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
The forehead.
The eyebrows.
The eyebrow center.
Take all of your awareness to the eyebrow center.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
The right eye.
The left eye.
Bridge of the nose.
The right nostril and the left nostril.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
The right and the left cheek.
The lips and the meeting point between the lips.
Your tongue and the jaw.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
The chin.
The whole face and head.
Feel your face and head together.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Both arms together.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Both legs together.
Heavy and relaxed.
Calm and peaceful.
Feel your whole physical body.
Allow a sense of deep relaxation washing over your body.
Relaxed,
Calm and peaceful.
Shift your awareness to your breath.
Feel the air at your nostrils.
Feel the air entering the nostril.
Feel the air as it exits the nostrils.
Sense the temperature of the air.
Is it warm or cold?
Now count your breaths.
Resting the awareness at your nostrils.
Count down from nine.
Breathe in for nine and out for nine.
Breathe in for eight and out for eight.
Continue to breathe and to count.
Bring the awareness to your chest.
Feel the breath at the chest.
The chest rises and falls with each breath.
Begin to count the breaths down from nine.
Take your awareness to the area of your belly.
Sense your belly moving in and out as you breathe.
Count your breaths,
Focusing on the movement of your belly.
Breathe in for nine,
Out for nine.
In for eight,
Out for eight.
Continue to focus on your breathing.
Namaste.
