15 Minute Yoga Nidra | Welcome In Rest

If your mind feels busy, your body tense, or your nervous system overwhelmed, this gentle Yoga Nidra practice invites you to slow down and rest deeply. Using principles of non-sleep deep rest, this guided practice helps settle the nervous system, ease stress, and cultivate a sense of calm and balance. Regular practice can support your body’s natural ability to restore itself. Even a few minutes of consistent rest can have a meaningful effect over time. Let this be your space to pause, soften, and reconnect with a sense of ease.

Transcript

Welcome. This short practice offers a space for your nervous system to unwind and to restore balance. Because the nervous system responds to repetition, Each time you come back to this practice, You are beginning to rewire the brain. Begin by getting yourself as comfortable and cozy as possible. Using any props to support you. Such as a pillow underneath your knees. Under your head perhaps. A blanket for warmth. And something over the eyes to block out any light. Don't make any final adjustments for optimal comfort. So your body may be still. Invite yourself now to begin to sink into stillness. Allowing gravity to gently pull your body down. A full surrender to rest. Allowing your awareness to begin to shift. From the external world. Into your inner world. To go from thinking. To sensing. Feel the body's contact with the surface below you. Feel the whole face softening. The shoulders and arms softening. The torso, Hips and legs. Softening down. Allowing any tension or stress of the day. To melt down into the earth. Become aware of the natural rhythm of your breath. Watch the breath gently and effortlessly. Flowing in and out of the body. Like a wave. Rolling in. And rolling out. Letting the cares of the world flow out of the body on each exhale. As if being washed away with the tide. And we'll begin to lengthen the exhale. By breathing out as if through a straw, The lips pursed. Creating a slow, Steady stream of air. Gently signaling to the body to relax and settle. Take an inhale through the nose. And then exhale slowly through that imaginary straw. Long and steady. Continuing at your own pace. Allowing each exhale to guide you deeper into rest. Into this moment. In this breath. And now letting that breath go. Awareness again to the natural flow. Of your effortless breath. And now we'll draw in an intention or sankalpa. Letting your attention settle at your heart space. Deep within your heart you might ask yourself. What is it that I truly desire? What is it that my heart truly longs for? If you don't have one, You might use. . . I allow healing through stillness. I allow healing through stillness. Or, I welcome renewal and rest. I welcome renewal and rest. Choose one that resonates with you. And mentally repeat it three times. Allowing it to settle deep within. Like a seed being planted. And now we'll allow awareness to rotate throughout the body. As you scan your awareness around the body. Notice every muscle becoming still and relaxed. Bring your awareness to the right hand. All five fingers. Lower arm. Upper arm. Shoulder. Right side of the waist. Bye. Lower leg. The whole right foot. And now sense the whole right side of the body. Awareness to the left hand. All five fingers. Lower arm. Upper arm. Shoulder. Left side of the waist. Thigh. Lower leg. The whole left foot. And now sense the whole left side of the body. Let your awareness float up to the forehead. All the muscles surrounding both eyes. Temples. Cheekbones. Right ear. Left ear. Both lips. Sense the fullness of the tongue. Throat. Collarbones. Chest. Belly. Sense the whole torso. And now allow your awareness to settle on the whole right leg. And awareness to the whole left leg. And now sense both legs together. Just sense the whole right arm. And now the whole left arm. And sense both arms together. And now sense the whole body. The whole body from the crown of the head. To the tips of the fingers and tips of the toes. Observe the fully relaxed state. Of the body. Awareness of the whole body resting here. And bring your awareness back again to the soothing ebb and flow of the natural breath. And now can you imagine inhaling from the sacrum. Up to the base of the neck. And then exhaling. From the base of the neck down to the sacrum. Just imagine. Breathing from the sacrum to the neck on the inhalation. Neck to sacrum on the exhalation. And then letting that breath go. And calling in your sankalpa or intention. That seed that you planted at the beginning. I allow healing through stillness. Or I welcome renewal and rest. Repeat the same one if you had your own. Mentally repeat it three times. Let the feeling of it spread gently through the body. And as you bring your awareness back. To the space of the room that you're in. Notice the effects this practice has had on your nervous system. The pause and the noticing is a way we can build new neural circuits. Begin to notice any sounds around you. And you might begin to deepen the breath. Take a deep inhale through the nose. And an exhale out through the mouth. Inviting small movements in the fingers and the toes. Maybe rolling the wrists and the ankles. Stretching the arms overhead. Maybe even a yawn comes in. You might choose to stay here longer. Or begin to slowly bring yourself up. To a seated position. Taking your time. I wish you a peaceful rest of the day. Namaste.