Hi and welcome to this yoga nidra titled free to rest Yoga nidra meditation is different from other meditation practices and that it doesn't require any effort or concentration at all It actually just requires you to be effortless and let go In Today's world as a mental health therapist I encounter a lot of people who feel guilty or unable or unsafe to rest We know for sure that the science around reducing stress and allowing rest allowing ourselves to be effortless for any period of time can bring rejuvenation and real restoration to the nervous system Yoga nidra Yoga nidra means yogic sleep or a state where you feel like your whole body is so gentle and So still it's almost as if you feel as if you're asleep But your conscious state is in slight awareness sort of how you feel when you're drifting off to sleep every night The scientific term is NSDR or non sleep deep rest meditation You can liken it to a full mind and full body massage There is no wrong way to do yoga nidra Whatever conscious state your body and mind guide you towards this during this yoga nidra meditation is exactly What your body and mind need at this moment It is recommended that you be completely comfortable in a laying down position like in Shavasana Laying flat on your back Or on your side or sitting if you prefer If you are sitting Definitely using several props to support yourself.
So you may allow your body To lay in complete effortlessness and be at ease So go ahead and begin the process of landing in a supportive bodily state Observing yourself with compassion Using pillows Blankets to get completely comfortable and cozy You may want to put a pillow under your head or under your knees Take all the time you need to just make sure that your body Is completely supported and cozy Just noticing how your body feels in this position Feel free at any time to make any adjustments to fidget in any way to get a hundred percent comfortable Any movement no matter how tiny towards adjustment is that of self nourishment Now you may close your eyes Or leave them slightly opened if that feels more comfortable to you.
You always have options here Taking a breath Exhaling And allowing your jaw and tongue to soften Allowing the eyes And the muscles behind the eyes to soften Just allowing the brain and the mind to release any tightness To just soften and lighten.
There's nowhere else to go.
Nowhere else to be Just letting the shoulders melt into the surface beneath you Letting the torso Allowing gravity to take hold My hips and legs feeling heavy and effortless Letting a sensation of landing in the supported space Feeling held by the earth beneath you Welcoming the simultaneous gentle softness and stillness to the body Just be here now listening to the sound of my voice To any sound in this recording To any of the sounds around you That is all that is needed of you in this moment Allowing yourself to be free to land in healing rest Now taking two deep sips of air in Holding and slowly releasing them out of the mouth Again two deep sips through the nose Filling to the top of the head hold Open the mouth sighing letting it all go Letting yourself become effortless and one last time two deep sips of air filling the lungs All the way to the top of the head Slowly releasing Allowing a sense of effortlessness to take over the entire body Now Bringing your awareness into the energy and the space of the heart Just bringing forward an intention for this yoga nidra meditation An intention In which yoga nidra it's called a sankalpa This intention is your heart's desire a Heartfelt wish a prayer that lives deep within you It's already present in your heart,
There's no need to search your mind Just allow it to pop up If you don't have a sankalpa that you're already working with and consistently using I will give you a phrase an affirmation an Example sankalpa that you can use for this moment and make your own if you feel called to I am free to rest at every layer of my being And I'll give you some space to repeat it three times I Am free to rest at every layer of my being Now allowing a glowing light imagining a glowing light That holds a felt sense of softness To begin to cultivate at the center of the heart As you bring your awareness into your chest into your heart space Allowing a glowing softness to envelop it And as I bring your awareness to different parts of your body Allow that glowing light and softness to follow to that space You may want to repeat the area of the body after I say it or You may just feel completely effortless and allow that softness to ripple through that part of the body Moving a soft light a soft awareness to the tip of the tongue To the root of the tongue In the center of the throat To the roof and the mouth To the right inside of the mouth Left inside To the gums Right temple The muscles behind the right eye The cheekbone To the binds I center space between the eyebrows To the left Left eye Muscles behind the eye Mind's eye center Right ear Right ear canal Listening Space between the ears Heart center Right shoulder Wrist Palm of the right hand Third finger Fourth finger Fifth finger The right hand Wrist Right shoulder Heart center Left shoulder Palm of the left hand Left thumb Second finger Third finger Fourth finger Fifth finger Wrist Left elbow Palm of the left hand Heart center Diaphragm The entire bowl of the pelvis The sole of the foot Second toe Third toe Fifth toe The entire left leg The entire right side of the body The entire right side of the body Radiant Resting With buzzing life force energy The entire right side of the body And the left side of the brain Now giving time to cross the meridian The center of the body Now the left side of the body The entire left side of the body Radiating With rest Buzzing With life force energy The entire left side of the body And the right side of the brain The entire body free And at rest With ease and stillness Effortless And at rest Noticing your organic natural breath The slow and steady rise and fall of the effortless breath Just being with that soft and gentle wave of breath And the ocean of prana and air surrounding you Surrounding your being This gentle ripple of air Softly moving in and out Free to rest Like a beautiful blue jay bird Perched On a nest On a brown branch On a beautiful tree Full of emerald leaves And red coral flowers Luminous sunlight Sparkling through the tree branches Warm and soft Gentle ripple of a breeze Dancing through the leaves The sound of the gentle wind and air Eternally flowing Endlessly around you Abundant Never ending The roots of the tree Grounded deep Within the earth Allowing yourself to be free at rest Just being here In deep,
Effortless rest Within every layer of your being Deep within your eternal self This gentle repose This gentle,
Effortless softness That lives within your being Lives within your rest Allowing the space of sacred stillness And freedom Of just being at rest In this deep,
Organic,
Restful state We welcome our intention Our sankalpa once more I am free to rest On every layer of my being Allowing the felt sense of this deep,
Heartfelt,
Eternal truth To anchor into every cell of your being Now bringing your awareness Back into the room where you are Back into the space you're in Noticing the space that is surrounding your body Noticing the edges of your body Laying on the surface beneath you On the supportive earth that holds you Now I invite you to take a deep,
Rejuvenating breath in Listen,
Releasing Again,
Another rejuvenating breath in Letting it all go And one last,
Rejuvenating breath to bring you back into the space you're in Open the mouth,
Letting it all go You may want to move slowly By gently wiggling your fingers and toes Moving softly Free to move gently To continue to allow this energy of this yoga nidra Into your awakened state Gently moving the head from side to side Allowing a morning stretch if that feels good Just allowing your body to move in any way it wishes right now You may want to journal after this Or just allow yourself to move slowly today And the rest of the day Moving freely with rest and peace In every cell of your body And allowing the peace that the rest brings flowing through your body Thank you for allowing me to guide you today Thank you so much.
Namaste
