Yoga Nidra To Help You Rest Deeply (With Music)

This Yoga Nidra was created to help guide you into deep rest. This Yoga Nidra meditation starts with settling in and then a breathing technique (ujjayi or ocean breathing) to help relax your nervous system before starting the Yoga Nidra. Then you will be guided through how to come up with your sankalpa, your heart’s intention, for your practice, and then led through a rotation of consciousness throughout your body, starting with your mind’s eye.

Examples of sankalpas that you can use for this practice: “I am resting deeply” or “I am peacefully present.” After the rotation of consciousness, you will be guided into sensing opposite sensations (heavy then light), then guided through a rotation of images, then pure awareness, and then repeating your sankalpa 3 more times. At the conclusion, you will be guided into gently coming back to the present moment.

Music: Floating by Maura ten Hoopen

Transcript

Hello, I'm Amy Ruthie, And this is a yoga nidra for deep rest. Please lie down and make sure that you're as comfortable as possible. Every body part supported and comfortable. Close your eyes and begin to tune in to your body. Notice any tension that might be in your body. Check in with your forehead, Your jaw, All the tiny muscles in your face, Shoulders, Hands, Belly, Hips, Feet, And anywhere else where you might be holding tension. Really relax down. Get really comfortable here. Breathe in and out through your nose, And bring your focus inward. Watch your breath as it moves in and out of your lungs. Deepen your breath a bit here. Breathe in and out through your nose. Deepen your breath a bit here. Breathe in and out through your nose. Notice the flow of air in and out of your lungs for the next few rounds of breath. Deepen your breath a bit here. We'll practice a few rounds of ujjayi breath to help you settle in more and relax more deeply. In a moment, You'll inhale through your nose and then exhale through your mouth as if you're fogging a mirror with your mouth. So we'll try that together. Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your mouth and fog the mirror. Inhale through your nose. Exhale, Fog the mirror. Now, Close your mouth and inhale and exhale through your nose. And this time as you exhale, Slightly constrict the back of your throat as if you're fogging a mirror with your nose. So inhale through your nose. Exhale through your nose as if you're fogging a mirror. Inhale through your nose. Gentle, Slow exhale through your nose as if you're fogging a mirror. Three more times like that on your own. Now, Return to your natural position. Allow your body to breathe naturally. And check in with your heart and see if your heart is in need of anything right now. In a moment, You'll come up with your sankalpa, Which is your heart's desire. Your heart's longing. Go to your heart and ask your heart what it needs, What it desires. And if nothing bubbles up, That's okay. I'll provide examples in just a moment. So I'll give you some time and silence to check in with your heart and see what it needs. Take that response from your heart and turn it into a short positive statement in the present tense. Or you can use one of these examples. I am resting deeply. Or I am peacefully present. Repeat your sankalpa to yourself three times with full awareness. Now we'll flow to the body scan. In a moment, I'll name different parts of the body. And for this part, You don't have to do anything. Just keep your body still and quiet and bring a gentle awareness to each of the body parts. You don't have to think about it. You don't have to focus on it. Simply bring a gentle awareness to each of the body parts that I name. Starting with the center of your forehead, Your mind's eye, Base of the throat, Right shoulder, Right elbow, Wrist, Right thumb, Second finger, Third finger, Fourth finger, Fifth finger, Back to the wrist, Elbow, Shoulder, Base of the throat, Left shoulder, Left elbow, Second finger, Third finger, Fourth finger, Fifth finger, Back to the wrist, Elbow, Shoulder, Pit of the throat, Center of the chest, Right side of the chest, Center of the chest, Left side of the chest, Navel, Pubic bone, Right hip, Right knee, Ankle, Right big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth toe, Fifth toe, Back to the ankle, Knee, Pubic bone, Left knee, Left big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth toe, Fifth toe, Back to the ankle, Pubic bone, Navel, Heart center, Base of the throat, Center of the forehead, Mind's eye, Center, The whole body, Sense the whole body, Awareness and deep relaxation floating through the whole body, Without changing anything, Notice your natural breath, Watch your body breathing, Unaltered breath, For the next few cycles of breath, Bring awareness to the right side of your body, The whole right side of your body, The left side of your body, The whole left side of your body, The front side of your body, Sensation in the front side of your body, The back side of your body, From the back of the head down to your heels, The whole back side of the body, The whole body, All body parts breathing as one, Moving or thinking about it, Imagine that your whole body is heavy, Heavy as if your whole body is full of sand, Sinking into the surface beneath you, Now imagine the whole body is light, Light like a feather, Floating above the surface beneath you, Back to the sensation of heaviness, Body heavy like a large rock, Sinking into the surface beneath you, Back to the feeling of lightness, Feeling light, Body feels light and weightless, Now sense both heavy and light at the same time, Heavy and light simultaneously, Simultaneously, Now bring your awareness to your mind's eye, The point between your eyebrows, And allow the following images to be projected at your mind's eye as if on a movie screen, A large beautiful tree, A pink blooming flower, A seed that's sprouting, A yellow butterfly landing on a flower, A large bird soaring through the sky, Fluffy white clouds floating by, The sun shining through the clouds, The sun setting over the horizon, Bring your awareness back to your natural breath, Watch your natural breath, Your body breathing naturally, Your natural rate of breath, I'll leave you here for a few moments to watch your body breathing, Resting deeply, Back to your sankalpa, Your heart's intention, Your heart's desire, And repeat that to yourself three more times with full awareness, Feeling it in your whole body, Slowly begin to deepen your breath, Softly deepen your inhale, Lengthen your exhale, For the next five breaths count each breath, Inhale and exhale for one, And work your way up to five, Slowly waking up the body, Keep your eyes closed, And notice where the surface beneath you is touching your body, Notice sounds around your environment, Notice any light that might be coming through your eyelids, Any colors coming through, And notice how you feel in your body right now, That you can always come back to this peaceful place when you need it, Take your time and start to open your eyes, I'm Amy Ruthie, And thanks for allowing me to guide you on this yoga nidra journey, I hope that you feel deeply relaxed and peaceful, Namaste.