Yoga Nidra To Soften: I Release

This Yoga Nidra is a gentle invitation to let go and rest deeply.
Through a body scan, breathing and a quiet visualization by the sea, you are guided in releasing tension from the body, the heart, and the mind.
Allow yourself to soften, to be held, and to release — just as you are.
This practice is especially supportive when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally full, tired, or simply in need of deep rest.
Find a comfortable position and give yourself permission to release.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to this Yoga Nidra session. My name is Julie and I will be guiding you on this journey. Yoga Nidra is also known as yogic sleep. This practice will allow your body to rest as if it were asleep. While your mind remains awake and aware, You will continue to hear the sound of my voice throughout. If you notice that you drift into sleep, Welcome it with kindness and without judgment. It may simply be exactly what your body needs today. Begin by settling into a comfortable resting position, Ideally lying down, And if you prefer, You may also choose to sit. Feel free to pause this audio while you get settled and begin again once everything feels ready. And you arrive. You have arrived. This is your time. A time to rest, To soften, To release. A time to return to yourself. Your body now feels fully comfortable. Let the ground beneath you receive your weight. Let it hold you without asking anything in return. There is nothing you need to carry right now. No role to play. No expectations to meet. Just this moment. Just this breath. Let your arms rest gently by your sides, Palms facing upward in a gesture of openness. Let your legs fall open naturally. Your feet are relaxed. Softly close your eyes, As if you're turning inward toward a quiet, Safe space. Take a deep breath in through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth. Let's do that again. Inhale deeply and exhale with a sigh. Let your breath begin to soften. Let your body begin to settle. Let your mind begin to quiet. You are safe here. You're held. You are allowed to let go. Now that your body has begun to soften, We'll move into a gentle body scan. This is not a search for tension, But an invitation to feel, To notice, To welcome whatever is present, Sensation, Emotion, Memory, Or silence. You don't need to change anything. You don't need to fix anything. You are simply here to witness with kindness, To feel, To soften, To release. Start by bringing your awareness to the crown of your head. Imagine a soft light resting here, Like the first morning sun. Let it warm the skin. Let it melt into the scalp. Feel the top of your head softening. Let your awareness gently move down to your forehead. Notice if there's anything holding here, Any effort. Let the forehead smooth. Let it widen. Let it release. Now feel into your eyes. Let them rest deeply in their sockets. Let the muscles around them soften. Let your gaze turn inward towards stillness. Notice your cheeks, Your jaw, Your mouth. Is there any clenching, Any gripping there? If so, It's okay. You don't need to push it away. Just breathe into it. Invite it to soften. Let your tongue rest gently in your mouth. Let your lips part slightly. Let your face be free. Continue by bringing your attention to your throat. There is a place where many emotions live, And that might be your throat. All the words unspoken, The truth held back. Notice what's there. Is there tightness? Is there spaciousness? Is there a feeling? Whatever you find, Welcome it. Breathe into it. Let the throat open gently. Now move to your shoulders, These strong, Loyal parts of you that carry so much. Feel into them. Notice their weight. And notice if they are holding anything for you at the moment. And if they are, You can say, Thank you. And you can say, You don't have to hold it anymore. Let the shoulders melt. Let them drop. Feel into your chest. Notice the rise and fall of your breath. Notice the rhythm. Notice the heart beating beneath it all. Is there any emotion here? Any longing? Is there peace? Whatever you find, Let it be. Let it move through you like a wave. Let it be felt. Let it be released. Now bring your awareness to your belly, This tender center of intuition and feeling. Let it soften. Let it expand with each inhale and fall with each exhale. And if there's tightness, Breathe into it. If there's emotion, Let it be. You are safe to feel. You are safe to release. Now move to your pelvis, Your hips, Your lower back, These deep rooted places. Feel into them. Notice what's there here. Let the muscles soften. Let the bones rest. And let the earth beneath you hold it all. Feel into your legs now, The thighs, The knees, The calves. Let them be heavy. Let them be still. Let them be free. And finally your feet, The soles, The arches, The toes. Let them relax. Let them open. Let them rest. Now feel your whole body, From the crown of your head to the tip of the toes. The whole body as a field of sensation, A landscape of emotion, A body that is softening, A body that is releasing, A body that is safe. And continue by taking a deep breath in and exhale slowly. Let everything settle. Let everything be. Bring your awareness to your breath, Gentle, Steady, Always with you. There's no need to control it, Just notice it. Feel the inhale as it enters and feel the exhale as it leaves. And let the breath be soft and spacious. Inhale through the nose and maybe for this time exhale slowly through the mouth. Let the exhale be longer than the inhale. Let it feel like a wave, A wave washing through you, A wave that carries away tension, A wave that carries away holding, Carrying away what no longer serves. Let the breath become a rhythm of release. Let each exhale be a soft surrender. You're breathing in spaciousness and you're breathing out everything you no longer need. If emotions arise, Let them ride the breath. If memories surface, Let them be carried on the exhale. You don't need to hold anything. You don't need to resist anything. You are safe to feel. You are safe to release. Let the breath keep its natural flow now, Soft, Effortless, Free. Now we'll explore the language of sensation, The contrast between tightness and release. Feeling it, Not just thinking it. Begin by remembering the feeling of tightness. Notice it, Not judging it. Perhaps you felt it earlier in your shoulders or in your jaw or in your belly. Feel into the memory of tension. What does it feel like in the body? Is it sharp? Is it dense? Is it dense? Is it small? And now shift your awareness to the feeling of release. The softening, The melting, The opening. What does it feel like in your body to release? Is it spacious? Is it warm? Is it light? Now imagine tightness as a small closed fist and release as an open palm. Feel the difference between this closed fist and this open palm. Feel the shift. Not forcing anything. Simply allowing. Allowing the body to speak, The heart to soften. You're safe to expand. You're safe to release. Now you're going to visit a quiet place inside you. A place that feels calm, Safe, Peaceful. Just let the image come like dreams. You find yourself standing at the edge of a quiet cliff by the sea. The sun is warm on your skin, Not too hot, Just gentle and golden. The air smells of salt and wildflowers. You hear a soft sound, The sound of the waves rolling in and out, Like a slow breath. Far above, A seabird glides across the sky. It swings wide and free. Far out on the water, You see a few small sailboats drifting slowly, Peacefully. Everything here moves with ease, And so do you. You begin to walk slowly and take a path down that brings you towards the shore. The sand is soft and nicely warm under your feet. Each step feels grounding, Steady. The breeze brushes your face, Light and kind. You feel alone, But not lonely. You feel held by the sky, The sea, The earth. You feel fully at peace. You come to a quiet spot between two smooth rocks. It's like a little nest, Open to the sea but protected from the wind. You sit down here, On a sun-warmed stone. You feel the warmth beneath you. You hear the waves nearby. You see the seabird again, Circling slowly. You see the sailboats, Still drifting far away. You feel still, Quiet, Safe. This is your place, Your sanctuary. Here you can rest, And let go. In front of you, There's a small tide pool, A shallow bowl of water left by the sea. It's clear and still like glass. And you hold something in your hands, A small shell. This shell holds everything you've been carrying. The tension, The worry, The pressure, The stories that no longer help you. You look at the shell for a moment, And then gently you place it into the tide pool, And the water takes it. Slowly, Quietly, It drifts away, Back to the sea, Back to the deep. And you feel lighter, You feel free. You sit quietly, Watching the water, Watching the seabirds, The sailboats, The waves rolling in and out. And you begin to remember, Remembering all the things you lived through, All the ways you've grown, All the quiet moments of courage, All the times you kept going, Even when it was hard. You remember your strength, You remember your softness, You remember your truth. You are exactly where you're meant to be. There is no need to rush, No need to regret, No need to be anything other than who you are. You are enough. You are whole. You are perfect in your becoming. Let these words settle in your heart, Let them echo through your body, Let them become part of you. You're safe, You're loved, You're free. And slowly begin to leave the shore, The sea, The sailboats, The birds. Bring your awareness back to your body. Feel the support beneath you, Feel the breath moving gently in and out, And feel the spaciousness you've created. Start to gently wiggle your fingers, Your toes, Or maybe you just want to still lie down here or sit quietly. Take all the time you need. If you want to finish your practice, Make bigger movement, Maybe you want to yawn, Maybe you want to stretch. If you were lying down, You can roll on one of your sides, And on your next inhale you can gently push yourself into a sitting position. Take a deep breath in, And a long breath out. Thank yourself for taking the time to release. Thank you very much for practicing together. I hope to see you soon. Namaste.