Twenty-two minutes, five segments. The one structural difference from a classic nidra: there is no de-sophronisation. Never wake them.
Settling, without instruction
3 min[quiet from the first word and stay there — no bright welcome]
This is a yoga nidra for going to sleep, so there is nothing to follow and nothing you'll miss. If you drift off in the first few minutes, that's the practice working.
Lie however you'll actually sleep. Do the last of the arranging now — the pillow, the covers, the temperature. [pause for 25 seconds]
There's no intention to set tonight. A sankalpa is for a practice you come back from, and you're not coming back from this one. [pause for 25 seconds]
Let your eyes close. Let the day be finished, whether or not it feels finished. [pause for 30 seconds]
Rotation, slowed
7 min[deliberately slower than a waking nidra — roughly one part every two seconds, with the voice dropping throughout]
Attention moves through the body now. Nothing to do but hear each word.
Right hand, heavy. Thumb. Fingers. Palm. Wrist. Forearm. Elbow. Upper arm. Shoulder. Right hip. Thigh. Knee. Calf. Ankle. Foot. Toes.
Left hand, heavy. Thumb. Fingers. Palm. Wrist. Forearm. Elbow. Upper arm. Shoulder. Left hip. Thigh. Knee. Calf. Ankle. Foot. Toes.
The whole back, sinking into the bed. The shoulders letting go. [pause for 30 seconds]
The forehead, smooth. The eyes, heavy. The jaw, loose. The tongue resting away from the roof of the mouth. [pause for 40 seconds]
And the whole body, heavy, warm, done for the day. [long pause — 60 seconds]
Counting down the breath
5 min[counting down rather than the traditional 27 — shorter, and downward counting suits sleep better]
Become aware of the breath at the belly. Rising, falling. Don't change it. [pause for 30 seconds]
Count the breaths down from twenty. Silently, on each out-breath. Twenty. Nineteen. Eighteen. And on, down towards one.
If you lose the count, don't start again. Just let it go. Losing it is a good sign. [long pause — 2 minutes of silence]
Heavy and warm only
4 min[never introduce lightness or coolness here — both are alerting and will pull someone back out of sleep]
Feel heaviness. The whole body heavy, sinking further into the mattress with each breath out. [long pause — 60 seconds]
And warmth. In the hands. In the belly. Across the face. [long pause — 60 seconds]
Heavier. Warmer. [long pause — 75 seconds]
Thinning out
3 min[no return, no sankalpa, no counting up — lines get shorter and further apart until you simply stop speaking]
Nothing left to do. [pause for 50 seconds]
Heavy. Warm. Still. [pause for 60 seconds]
Sleep well. [stop speaking; let the recording run another 30 seconds, then fade]