Deepen Into Rest Yoga Nidra

Deepen into Rest Yoga Nidra

A short guided practice to help your body transition into rest. Listen at bedtime or whenever you need to restore your energy.
17 minutes. This practice begins with gentle ocean waves and ends with silence.

Transcript

This short guided practice is here to help your body transition into rest. You can use this Yoga Nidra listening at bedtime or at any time that you need to reset your nervous system. Welcome to this deep sleep reset Yoga Nidra. Find a comfortable position lying down on your back if possible. Allow your legs to extend naturally, Arms resting slightly away from your body. Face your palms upwards, Now gently close your eyes, Take a slow deep breath in through your nose. When you're ready exhale softly through your mouth, Again inhale deeply and exhale allowing the body to begin to settle. Once more take a deep inhale, Feel the belly and the chest expand and as you exhale continue that sense of settling and grounding into the earth beneath you. Let your breath return to its natural breathing rhythm, Follow the breath in and follow the breath out. Bring your awareness to the simple fact that you are here, Resting, There is nothing to do, There's nowhere to go. This is a space where your nervous system can begin to slow down and recalibrate. If it feels natural set a quiet intention for this practice. Perhaps you could say I allow my body to deeply rest or I am safe to let go or create a personal statement that resonates for you, Repeating it three times inwardly. Now we'll gently move awareness through the body, Bring your attention to your right hand, Right foot, Right thumb, Index finger, Middle finger, Ring finger, Little finger, Palm of the hand, Back of the hand, Right wrist, Forearm, Elbow, Upper arm, Shoulder, Right side of the chest, Waist, Hip, Right thigh, Knee, Lower leg, Ankle, Top of the right foot, Sole of the foot, Big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth and fifth toe. Sense the whole right side of the body tingling with sensation. Now shift awareness to the left side and allow the awareness to settle on the left hand, Right foot, Left hand thumb, Index finger, Middle finger, Ring finger, Little finger, Palm, Back of the hand and the wrist. Awareness on the forearm, Elbow, Upper arm, Shoulder, Left side of the chest, Waist, Hip, Left thigh, Knee, Lower leg, Ankle, Top of the foot, Sole of the foot, Big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth and the fifth toe. Now become aware of the back of your body, Back of the head, Head, Heavy, Shoulders, Softening, Upper back, Middle back, Lower back, Back of your pelvis, Hips, Buttocks, Backs of the legs and the heels of both feet. Now bring awareness to the front of your body, Top of the head, Forehead, Both eyes, Resting, Cheeks, Softening, Jaw, Releasing, The tongue, Heavy, Unlocking the root of the tongue, Throat, Chest, Abdomen, Pelvis and sense the whole body, Feeling, Sensation, Movement of energy, The whole body together. Bring awareness to your breath, Notice the natural rise of your chest and the gentle fall on the exhale, Without changing anything, Simply observe the natural breath. Now begin to deepen the breath very slightly as we inhale for the count of four, So take a breath in and a breath out and as you next inhale count four, Three, Two, One, Exhaling for six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Inhale four, Three, Two, One, Exhale six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Once more in your own pace for four, Exhaling for six, Counting your own, Allowing this long exhale to signal to your nervous system that it is safe to relax and let go. Continue for a few more rounds of counting in for four, Exhaling for six at your own counting rhythm. If at any time you want to just return to a natural breath then simply follow what feels right for you and wherever you are in your counting after your next exhale allow the breath to find its own natural rhythm once more. Gently in and gently out, Releasing all counting, Begin to notice how your body is feeling, Perhaps areas that feel soft, Tight, Holding, Aching, Areas that are letting go, Simply observing your own experience without trying to fix or change anything, Just bringing a gentle loving awareness. As you observe your body lying in this space you might imagine your exhales gently softening these areas as if the body is gently unwinding. You might feel heaviness, Warmth or a sense of sinking, Letting go into gravity and allowing the space that you're lying in to deeply hold you, Embrace you. Now could you imagine a place where you feel completely at ease, Somewhere in nature, This could be somewhere real or imagined, A peaceful natural setting or perhaps just a simple soft dark space where you can float and be. Notice the details, The temperature of the air in this space, The quality of the light or darkness, The sense of stillness all around you. Here your body knows how to rest, There is nothing required of you, Allow yourself to be fully in this space at peace. Now release this image and simply rest in awareness, You may notice the body is deeply relaxed, The mind remaining completely aware of the experience. This is a state where restoration happens most naturally, You can allow yourself to remain here effortless, Supported, At ease. You may choose to float into a deep sleep or if you're listening to this recording at some other point in your day, When you're ready you can begin to bring gentle awareness back to your breath. Notice your body lying here, The surface beneath you and the space around you, Slowly deepen your breath, Gently wiggle fingers and toes, Perhaps stretch your body. You may like to move on to your side body and rest before opening your eyes, Take a moment to notice how you feel, Perhaps calmer, Quieter or settled. This is a state you can return to and over time your body learns to access it more easily, Especially at night. Thank you for listening to this recording, May you be well, May you be happy, May you be peaceful.