Yoga Nidra is a wonderful way to soothe your body and mind for a good night’s sleep. This short 10-minute Yoga Nidra script for sleep can be used at the end of a yoga practice or even in bed!
Make sure to set yourself up in a comfortable position to ensure maximum rest for this wonderful meditative practice.
Or practice along here:
10 Minute Yoga Nidra for Sleep Script
Settling
Take time to settle yourself into a comfortable position. If possible, lie on your back on a soft but firm surface with something underneath the back of the knees to support the lower back. Make sure the head is comfortable, and consider covering the eyes with something light.
Now take the time to make any final adjustments that might make you a little more comfortable so that you are not disturbed during the practice…
Bring your attention to any sounds that may be in the room or outside of the room, and let them wash over you as pure sound. There is no need to create a narrative or story around the noise. Just let it be there in the background…
Rotation of Consciousness
Now bring your attention to your breath. No need to change it or deepen it. Just notice the sensation of breath…. How does the inhale feel compared to the exhale?… How are they different?… How do you know?… Where do you feel the breath the most? In the belly or the chest?… The nose or the throat?… Let your breath fall into an easy sleepy rhythm. Let your body be breathed.
Now we’ll wander through the body. Follow my voice as we move to different places within you and when we leave each body part see if you can imagine that part of you resting more deeply into the support of the ground underneath you.
Bring your awareness to the space in between your eyebrows. Imagine shining the light of your awareness in the space in between your eyebrows. Watch the light of your awareness move to the throat… right shoulder… right elbow… right wrist… shine the light of your awareness on your right thumb tip… index finger…middle finger… ring finger… little finger… relax the right wrist… elbow… right shoulder… let your whole right arm rest deeply into the support of the ground underneath you.
Bring your awareness to your throat… left shoulder… left elbow… left wrist… shine the light of your awareness on your left thumb tip… index finger…middle finger… ring finger… little finger… relax the left wrist… elbow… left shoulder… let your whole left arm rest deeply into the support of the ground underneath you.
Bring your awareness back to the throat… center of the chest… left side of the chest… center of the chest… right side of the chest… shine the light of awareness on the center of the chest… the navel… pubic bones.
Shine the light of your awareness on the center of the right hip… right knee… right ankle… right big toe… second toe… third toe… fourth toe… little toe… center of the right ankle, light of awareness… right knee… center of the right hip… pubic bones… let your whole right leg rest deeply into the support of the ground underneath you.Shine the light of your awareness on the center of the left hip… left knee… left ankle… left big toe… second toe… third toe… fourth toe… little toe… center of the left ankle, light of awareness… left knee… center of the left hip… let your whole left leg rest deeply into the support of the ground underneath you.
Bring your attention to your pubic bones… navel… center of the chest… center of the throat… light of your awareness on the third eye, space between the eyebrows…. rest in the space in between the eyebrows.
Body Awareness
Let your attention wander to your front body from your face through your torso and pelvis and legs all the way down to the front of your feet and imagine, visualize your whole front body falling into the back of your body. Visualize your whole front body dropping into your back body with every exhalation…. Visualize all thoughts dropping from the front of your brain to the back of your brain. Visualize all thoughts dropping from the front of your brain to the back of your brain.
Rest in your back body… Rest into the support of the ground beneath you… Rest deeply…
Notice how it feels to rest and any sensations of rest within you. What are they and where do you feel them. Try to remember the sensations and feelings of rest so that you can come back to them at another time.
Coming Back
Bring yourself back to the sensation of your breath… Deepen the breath a little… and notice how it feels to make the breath a little richer, longer…
Become more aware of the sounds around you. Inside the room. Outside the room.
Make some small movements with your hands and your feet… begin to stretch your body and movements in any way you feel called to do so to bring this yoga nidra practice to an end.
Rest well.
Want to find out more about Yoga Nidra? Check out this Yoga Nidra for Sleep guide.
