Yoga Nidra For Sleep

Good evening.

This Yoganidra recording is intended to help you fall asleep.

There will be no end sound.

The recording will just fade away as you fall deeper and deeper asleep.

There is nothing for you to do other than listen to the sound of my voice.

Lie down in your bed in whatever way is most comfortable for you this evening.

Adjust your clothing and blankets so everything is just so.

You may like to have a light covering for the eyes to block out any external light.

Once you feel completely comfortable,

Begin to develop stillness.

Take a few deep conscious breaths,

Inhaling,

Filling up the lungs entirely from the bottom to the top.

Hold the breath at the top for a moment and exhale out the mouth with a sigh.

A few more just like that,

Inhaling deeply and fully.

Retaining the breath at the top,

Exhaling through the mouth with a sigh,

Letting that go,

Returning to a natural breath.

Allow each exhale to help you soften more and more into your bed.

Feel the muscles disengaging,

The bones settling into them,

The whole body surrendering to gravity.

Feel the forehead become smooth,

The eyes soften,

The jaw unclench.

Feel all the tension,

All the concerns,

All the worries of the day be relieved with each exhale.

Feel each breath as you exhale and feel each inhale bringing in a sense of peace and calm.

Feel as though you're inhaling up through the soles of your feet,

Inhaling peace and calm from the soles of your feet up to the crown of the head.

And feel as though you are exhaling the tension,

The cares and the worries out from the crown of the head,

Down out the soles of the feet.

Inhaling up,

Exhaling down.

Feel the breath wash over the body like waves of an ocean,

Lulling you into a deeper surrender.

A few more breaths,

Just like that,

Washing over the body.

And feel each breath as you inhale,

As you exhale,

As you exhale,

As you exhale,

As you exhale,

As you exhale,

As you exhale,

As you exhale,

As you exhale,

As you exhale,

As you exhale,

As you exhale.

Now begin to notice all the places that your body connects with the mattress or the support below.

The feet or the heels,

The backs of the legs.

Feel the whole spine.

Is it all connecting with the mattress or are parts hovering above?

Notice the back of the neck,

The arch that perhaps isn't touching or is being supported by a pillow.

And notice where the head is resting.

Let that go.

Take awareness to your ears,

To hearing.

Let your hearing search far and wide for every sound in your environment.

There's no need to name them or understand where they are coming from.

Just let your awareness jump from sound to sound,

Seeing how many different sounds you can find.

Noticing sounds far off in the distance,

Sounds inside your room.

Take the awareness closer still,

Noticing sounds coming from your own body,

Sounds of digestion,

The blood pulsing.

Can you hear your heart beat?

Noticing the sound of your breath.

Is the inhale or the exhale a little louder?

Focusing entirely on the sound of your own breathing.

Letting it fade away.

If you are working with a sankalpa,

An intention,

Bring it to mind now.

If you are not,

Use the intention,

I am calm and steady.

I am calm and steady.

Repeat your intention to yourself three times in your mind.

Release it.

Know it has been received.

Taking awareness now to a rotation of consciousness.

Letting the awareness move from point to point is named.

Nothing to do.

Just follow the sound of my voice.

If anywhere is difficult to connect with,

It's no problem,

Just keep moving.

If you begin to fall asleep,

Excellent,

Go with that.

There's nothing you'll be missing.

Moving awareness into the right hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Right side ribs,

Side waist,

Hip,

Upper leg,

Right side of the chest,

Right side of the chest,

Right side of the chest,

Right side of the chest,

Right side of the chest,

Right side of the chest,

Hip,

Upper leg,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

Whole right side of the body softening with awareness,

Becoming aware of the left hand thumb,

Index finger,

And the right thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Left side of the chest,

Right side of the chest,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Armpit,

Left side ribs,

Side waist,

Hip,

Upper leg,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second big toe,

Right big toe,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

Whole left side of the body softening,

Moving awareness up the back of the body and down the front,

Finding right heel,

Left heel,

Right calf,

Left calf,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

The whole spine tracing from bottom to top,

Top to bottom,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Back of the neck,

Back of the head,

Crown,

Forehead,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Eyebrow center,

Right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Bridge of the nose,

Tip of the nose,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Line where lips touch,

Gums,

Teeth,

Tongue,

Jaw,

Throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right chest,

Left chest,

Heart center,

Upper abdomen,

Navel,

Lower abdomen,

The whole pelvis,

Whole right leg and foot,

Whole left leg and foot,

Both legs and feet together,

Whole right arm and hand,

Whole left arm and hand,

Both arms and hands together.

Notice the connection points between the legs and the torso,

The arms and the torso,

Awareness of the entire torso,

The neck and the head,

Neck,

Head and torso,

Arms and legs together,

The whole body,

Awareness of the entire body,

Entire body.

Become aware again of your breath.

Feel the rising and falling of the navel.

Notice the abdomen expanding and contracting with each breath.

With awareness held here at the navel center,

Begin to count each breath backward from 54,

Repeating rising and falling like this,

Rising 54,

Falling 54,

Rising 53,

Falling 53 and so on,

Backward counting of each breath at the navel center.

Thank you.

Release the count at the navel,

Shift awareness to the nostrils,

Feel the breath coming in and out of the nostrils.

Begin to count each breath backward here at the nostrils,

Starting again with 54.

Release the count at the navel,

Shift awareness to the nostrils,

Release the count at the nostrils.

Now follow the breath from the nostrils down to the navel on the inhale,

From the navel out the nostrils on the exhale,

Follow the journey of the breath in and out the body and again count backward from 54.

Release the count at the navel,

Shift awareness to the nostrils,

Now release all awareness of the breath,

Move attention to the third eye center,

The back of the forehead behind the closed eyes,

See this place like a huge movie screen,

As tall and wide as you can see.

Begin to visualize yourself walking on a dirt path through a dense forest.

You are completely safe,

It feels like home.

Feel the temperature and humidity of the air,

Smell the moss,

The dirt,

The leaves,

Walking leisurely on this path through the forest.

You hear a stream perhaps up ahead,

It's getting a bit louder as you continue this stroll through the forest.

You're now approaching the stream,

It's shallow and warm,

You can take one or two steps to cross over it and continue on the path.

You notice up ahead a stone path leading away from your dirt path into a clearing,

You decide to follow that stone path and it leads you to a beautiful temple in the middle of the clearing.

This is your sacred temple of rest,

Notice all the colors,

The shape of the building,

The material it's made of as you approach.

Once you are there,

You try the door but it is locked,

You reach inside your pocket for the key,

Remove the key from your pocket and unlock the door entering your sacred temple.

Lock the door behind you and replace the key in your pocket.

In your temple you see everything that you need to rest,

The most comfortable bed or cushion,

Soft blankets,

Perhaps a warm fire in a fireplace.

Notice all the surroundings that are there just for you to get the most divine perfect night's sleep.

Curl up in whatever position or place that will best support you in this deep sleep.

Feel yourself settling in,

Feeling of drowsiness taking over.

Last few breaths of consciousness,

This beautiful sacred temple of rest.

Let yourself be loved to sleep by this imagery,

Completely at peace,

Feeling calm and steady,

Surrounded by everything you love,

Everything you hold most dear.

Thank you for watching!