Yoga Nidra For Deep Relaxation
This 20-minute yoga nidra was created to help bring about a sense of calm in a busy day, or aid in coming to a deeply relaxed state before sleep. Best if listened to in a space that feels safe and you won't be interrupted. Enjoy!
Transcript
Welcome to Yoga Nidra.
While practicing Yoga Nidra,
Try not to fall asleep completely.
The secret of the practice is to reach and sustain the state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping,
The hypnagogic state.
My voice will act as an anchor to keep you relaxed and in the present moment.
If the mind becomes overactive with thoughts,
Continue listening with your full attention.
If you feel yourself drifting,
Return to the sound of my voice and continue with the practice.
This practice will be about 20 minutes long.
Be sure that you're able to devote this time for your relaxation in a comfortable,
Safe place.
Find a reclining position on the floor or on the bed with your head and knees supported so that you can remain in this position for the entire practice.
Rest your hands either on the floor beside you or on your body.
Make sure that you are warm enough that the room will remain quiet and you will not be disturbed and that you have given yourself time to relax.
Take a moment to make any last adjustments to your body or to your clothing so that you can be completely comfortable and at ease.
Let's begin.
Allowing yourself first to sink down into the bed or the floor,
Letting the bones and the muscles release and let go.
Notice that the floor comes up to support your body.
And notice your breath easy and calm.
The inhale is cool and the exhale is warm.
Radiate your sense of hearing outward to take in all the ambient noises that are occurring.
Listen for the most distant sounds and follow them for a few moments.
Try to listen without labeling the sound.
Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds,
Those sounds outside of the building and then sounds inside the building.
Sounds inside the room.
Sounds arising from your own body.
Can you hear the sound of your breath moving in and out of your body?
Follow this slow and steady rhythm without trying to change it.
Feel the fullness of the inhalation and the surrender of the exhalation.
Notice that with each breath,
The body becomes more relaxed and centered.
At this moment,
Call upon an intention that you would like to set for the practice.
Perhaps your intention is to bring a sense of joy and well-being or perhaps relief from a physical or emotional pain.
Your intention could simply be to stay alert during the practice.
The intention should be simple,
One line and in the present tense.
Such as,
My intention is that I feel calm and present in my practice and in my body today.
Take a moment to think of the intention that you would like to set.
And then state it to yourself silently three times.
The intention recited during Yoga Nidra plants the wish for self-discovery and transformation deep within your mind and will come to fruition with patience and repetition.
Now I will take you through a sensory journey through the pathways of the physical body.
As you hear the different parts of your body mentioned,
Repeat the name of the part silently and bring your awareness to that part.
Notice the transitions from the mention of one part to another.
Keep yourself alert and focused on the sensations coming from the body.
We will begin with the right hand thumb.
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Underarm,
Chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Groin,
Buttock,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Left hand thumb.
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Underarm,
Chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Groin,
Buttock,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel.
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Move your awareness to the top of the head.
Forehead,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow.
Eyebrow center,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Whole nose,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Jaw,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right chest,
Left chest,
Heart center,
Upper abdomen,
Belly button,
Lower abdomen,
Right groin,
Left groin,
Pelvic floor,
Tailbone,
Sacrum,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
The entire spine from the tailbone up to the base of the skull.
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
Crown of the head.
Now feel the whole right arm,
The whole left arm,
Both arms together,
The whole right leg,
The whole left leg,
Both legs together.
The entire torso,
The face,
The head,
The body,
The whole body,
Your entire body.
Continue to feel the entire body and notice that each part of the body feels very heavy and grounded into the earth.
The arms are heavy,
The legs are heavy,
The head is heavy,
The torso is heavy,
The body is feeling so heavy and grounded.
It feels as though it is sinking down into the floor.
Now experience the whole body becoming light and buoyant.
A floating and weightless sensation comes into the arms and legs,
The head and torso feeling light and floating.
The whole body feels so weightless that you feel as though you're rising from the floor,
Floating up towards the ceiling.
Return to the sensation of your body resting in peace,
Comfort and safety as we continue the practice.
Begin to concentrate on the dark space in front of your closed eyelids.
Imagine before you a screen as if you were at the theatre.
The mind screen is as high and as wide as the eyes can see.
Concentrate on this screen and become aware of movement of light and shadow,
Swirls or flashes of colour,
Patterns and images.
Whatever you see is within your mind,
Try not to worry about the content.
Practice being a witness to your awareness with detachment from judgement about whatever arises.
I'm going to give you some images to visualize on the screen behind your eyes.
Imagine a peacock feather,
Your front door,
A full moon,
A bright blue flame,
A foggy morning,
The clear tone of a bell,
An unfinished puzzle,
A path through the woods,
A display of fireworks,
A bird in flight,
A thriving garden,
A dog wagging its tail,
A sandy beach,
The shape of your body lying on the floor.
It is time to repeat your intention.
Please repeat the same statement made at the beginning of the practice three times silently to yourself.
Nurture this deeply planted wish for self-transformation and healing.
Coming back again,
Noticing the breath moving your body,
Noticing that the inhale is cool and the exhale is warm.
Noticing the ribs moving apart from each other on the inhale and the release of the exhale.
And then begin to listen once again to all the sounds that you can hear in this moment.
Allow each sound to bring awareness of the moments that are passing.
Can you hear the sound of your breath moving in and out of your nostrils?
Can you feel your belly expand with each inhalation and surrender with each exhalation?
As your awareness of the breath deepens,
Become aware of the physical body resting in yoga nidra.
Visualize your body laying on the floor.
Imagine your location in the room.
See the other furnishings in the room.
Become aware of the time of day.
When you are ready to bring conscious movement into the body,
Begin by wiggling the fingers and toes.
Move the hands and feet and slowly stretch the hands and feet out.
Move the hands and feet and slowly stretch the arms and legs.
Take your time.
Bend the knees and slowly roll over to your side.
Take some time in this position.
Utilize your breath.
And when the time is right,
Come to seated.
Take a moment here placing hands on heart.
And sense inward to the stillness created in your body and in your mind.
Sending you much love,
Health and happiness.
Thank you for spending this time with me.
4.8 (139)
Recent Reviews
Miree
February 1, 2025
❤️❤️❤️
Shuman
December 4, 2023
Thank you. An excellent session. I benefitted a great deal from this Love Shuman