Hi,
This is Julie.
Welcome to Tidal Night Yoga Nidra for Sleep.
Take a moment to just make yourself comfortable,
As comfortable as you can be.
There is no right position,
Only what allows your body to be held and to be well enough to rest.
And if it feels okay,
Allow the eyes to close.
And if not,
Let them soften.
Just like you're looking out toward the horizon at night.
Take a moment to notice the contact between your body and the surface beneath you.
The way that your body is received.
Like being supported by calm deep water.
You may want to feel the weight of your body settling,
Held and floating at the same time.
Nothing to grip onto,
Nothing to resist.
Just allow yourself to feel a sense of ease or safety.
This could feel like floating,
Or resting in a quiet cove.
Or it could be very neutral.
Anything is okay.
There's no need to search,
Even good enough is enough.
Let this feeling remain gently in the background,
Like the steady presence of the ocean through the night.
And if you wish,
You may now gently introduce your sankalpa,
Your intention.
This is a short,
Simple phrase that's offered like a whisper to the sea.
You could choose something nourishing,
Something like I am safe.
Or my body knows how to rest.
Or I allow sleep to come in like the tide.
If you're partaking in this,
Repeat your sankalpa silently to yourself,
Three times.
Letting the intention settle like a small stone sinking softly into deep water.
Now we'll now move our awareness through the body,
Like a slow tide touching the shore.
There's no need to move or imagine,
Just notice.
Now bringing awareness to the right side of the body.
Starting with the right thumb,
The index finger,
The middle finger,
The ring finger,
And the little finger.
The palm,
The back of the hand,
The wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
And shoulder.
Moving into the right side of the chest,
The right side of the waist,
The right hip,
The thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
And all five toes.
Now moving on to the left side,
Starting with the left thumb,
The index finger,
The middle finger,
The ring finger,
The little finger,
The palm of the hand,
The back,
The wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder.
The left side of the chest,
The left side of the waist,
Left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
And all five toes.
Now moving to the back of the body,
Like waves moving along the ocean floor.
To the back of the head,
The neck,
The upper back,
Middle back,
Lower back,
Back of the pelvis,
Back of the thighs,
Back of the knees,
Calves,
Heels.
And now to the front of the body,
Like it's washed gently by warm water.
Starting with the forehead,
The eyes,
Cheeks,
Jaw,
Throat,
Chest,
Upper abdomen,
Lower abdomen,
Pelvis,
Thighs,
Knees,
Shins,
Tops of the feet,
And finally the whole body at once.
Floating,
Held,
Heavy,
Still,
Like resting in a vast quiet sea.
And now you may choose to bring your awareness to the natural breath.
I'll soon give you an option to focus on something else than the breath.
So with the breath not changing it in any way,
Just noticing where the breath is felt most easily.
It could be the gentle rise and fall of the tide,
Felt in the nostrils,
The chest,
Or the belly.
Simply observe one breath arriving,
And one breath leaving,
Like waves touching the shore,
Then receding.
And if following the breath feels too much,
Or if it gently wakes the mind,
You may release the breath completely.
Instead,
Rest your awareness on a non-breath anchor.
You might notice the weight of the body floating in the bed,
The steady dependable support beneath you,
Or a distant hush of sound,
Like waves far offshore.
You may also rest awareness in the space after the breath out,
A quiet pause,
Like still water between tides.
Nothing is required,
Nothing needs to be followed.
And whether your awareness rests on the breath,
On stillness,
Or sensation,
Allow that to drift naturally,
Without effort,
And without control.
And now we'll explore sensations in gentle pairs,
Like changing currents.
Begin with heaviness,
Sensing the body as heavy,
Dense,
Like it's sinking into water,
Yet fully supported.
Now sense lightness,
The body feeling light,
Buoyant,
Effortlessly floating.
Sense warmth,
A gentle warmth that spreads,
Like water warmed by distant currents.
Sense coolness,
A calm,
Refreshing coolness,
Like night ocean air.
And sense stillness,
No movement,
No pull,
Just quiet water.
Sense ease,
A soft comfort,
Or simply the absence of effort.
Like being carried by the tide.
Imagine yourself resting in the ocean at night.
The water is calm,
Dark,
Vast,
And completely safe.
There's no shore that you need to reach,
No direction to go to.
It's like you're floating on the threshold of sleep,
Held by slow tides,
Rocked gently,
Carried without effort.
Nothing to do,
Nothing to watch,
Nothing to understand.
And you may gently recall your sankalpa once more,
Repeat it silently three times,
As if you're releasing it into the water.
And now let it go completely.
There is no need to listen anymore.
Allow the practice to dissolve,
Like waves fading into the night.
And let rest soften into sleep.
In its own time.
