Mini Yoga Nidra

This is a short practice that you can use as a afternoon refresher or a quick bedtime meditation. Yoga nidra or the scientific name, Non Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) is a practice that helps you completely relax. In this effortless meditation practice the body sleeps but the mind is calm and aware of the guidance. This has profound effects on the nervous system, the body and its healing capacity, and especially the brain. I would love to hear about your experience with this practice! Please comment

Transcript

Hello, My name is Kumari and I'm so happy you decided to meditate with me today. Get yourself into the most comfortable position you can create. You can lie down or be seated, Whatever helps you feel the most supported and relaxed. Be sure to silence your phone and let anyone in your space know that you're meditating for a little bit and maybe even covering your eyes to block out any light. Imagine that your body and mind are like a computer you're shutting down for the day, Closing all the tabs and powering all the way down, Turning it off. This is where the practice of yoga nidra or non sleep deep rest takes you. In your stillness, In your allowance of my voice to guide you, You are essentially powering down your nervous system. Are there any other adjustments or fidgeting you need to do in order to completely become still? Take a moment here to make any more adjustments. Bringing your awareness to your ears, Listening but not labeling any sounds you hear within your space. The ears simply listening and bring your attention to your body now. Could you start to sense the weight of your body here, Sinking down, Heavy, Feeling into this sense of release, Of letting go effortlessly. Bringing your attention to the breath now, The easy, Natural, Gentle flow of your breath, Like waves rolling in and out. Next we can do a breathing practice to help you settle in even more and begin to let go in your mind. It's called the physiological sigh and it's like this two sips of air in through your nose and a nice long audible exhale through your mouth. So go ahead and practice along with me now. Extending the exhale. Letting it all go. Two more times. Just noticing the effect of the breath, Feeling so relaxed and at ease now. So we'll bring an intention into this practice. When we speak an intention in this relaxed state, It's like planting a seed deep in the subconscious. So I invite you to speak this intention in your mind after me. I allow myself to rest deeply. I allow myself to rest deeply. I allow myself to rest deeply. Next on our mini yoga nidra journey, We'll do a rotation of awareness around the body. As you follow my voice, Bring your awareness to each place I mentioned. Beginning with the right thumb, First finger, Second, Third, And the small finger, The top of the hand, And then the whole palm. And sensing your whole right hand, The wrist, Elbow, Shoulder, And the right collarbone, The right side of the chest, The right side of the rib cage, The right side of the waist, The right hip, Knee, Ankle, The top of the foot, The sole of the foot, And all five of your toes, The big toe, Second toe, Third, Fourth, And the small little toe on your right foot. Now softly shift your awareness to your left thumb, First finger, Second, Third, And the small finger on the left hand, The top of the hand, And the palm of the hand. Seeing your entire left hand, The wrist, Elbow, Shoulder, The left collarbone, The left side of the chest, The left rib cage, The left waist, Hip, Knee, Ankle, And the top of the foot, And the sole of the left foot, And the big toe, Second toe, Third, Fourth, And the small toe on the left foot. And moving now to the space just below the navel, Now to the space just above the navel, And to the center of the chest, The hollow of the throat, The inside of your mouth, Sensing the tongue, The insides of the cheeks, The gums, And the teeth, The roof of the mouth, And the space beneath the tongue, Sensing and feeling the subtle energy in the inside of your mouth, The lips, Nose, The nostrils, And the air flowing in and out of your nostrils, To the right eye, The left eye, Both eyes at the same time, Sensing and feeling both eyes, To the right ear, Deep into the ear canal, And over to the left ear, Deep in the ear canal, And now both ears at the same time, And placing your awareness now at the center of the forehead, And now the crown of the head, And your whole scalp, Your whole scalp, Beginning now to focus on your breath again, Your natural breath moving in and out, In and out, Gently expanding and contracting with no effort, Your breath within your body. Now the next time you inhale, Pause at the top of your breath, And then exhale, And pause again, And start to really feel into the space at the top of your inhale, And at the bottom of your exhale, Dwelling in the spaces of stillness at the top and bottom of your breath. Stay with this for several more conscious breaths. And now letting the focus on the breath dissolve, And continue to breathe. If you isolate all your awareness to the right side of the body, The right foot, Leg, Hip, Side body, Hand, And arm, And the right hemisphere of your brain, The whole right side of the body. Just allow your awareness to drift to the whole left side of your body, The foot, Leg, Hip, Side body, Hand, Arm, And the left hemisphere of your brain. Now float your attention back to the right side, The right side, And moving attention back to the left side, And the left side. Just let your awareness wash over your whole body, Sensing your whole body as one harmonious field of energy, Your whole body energetically shimmering, Your entire body deeply resting as if you were resting on a cloud, Softly held, Weightless, Floating, Floating in the shimmering radiance of your true nature, Held, Complete ease. Repeating the intention three more times, I allow myself to rest deeply. I allow myself to rest deeply. I allow myself to rest deeply. Rest here now until you hear my voice again. Rest here now until you hear my voice again. Rest here now until you hear my voice again. And here now, Begin to perceive your breath again, Your soft, Easy breath flowing in, Within your still body. And the inhale, And the exhale. And could you welcome some deeper breaths now? Feel your belly gently rise all the way up to your lungs, Filling completely, Exhaling out all of your breath, Maybe even feeling a soft squeeze at the abdomen. A few more like this as we begin to power up the body and mind. Deep breaths. Begin to invite your body to move a bit and just let it happen organically. Take your time nice and slow. And returning your awareness to your listening ears and your whole being refreshed, Recalibrated. In your own sweet time, Opening your eyes as completion of this short yoga nidra practice. Thank you so much for joining me. I hope the next thing you move into feels peaceful, Whether it's going on with your day or turning off this recording to fall into a deep sleep. Again, My name is Kumari and I love sharing these meditations each week with you. And if you feel inspired, I would love to hear from you in the comments. How was this for you? And also where are you listening in from? I hope we can stay connected as I continue to build my community here. And if you'd like, You can subscribe and enjoy my fresh yoga nidra practices each week. Wishing you all the best. Thank you so much. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Namaste.

Reviews

Thank you for this lovely, shorter nidra. This length is so useful for afternoons when I need a quick-ish recharge. I find your voice and manner very calming and friendly. The music extending for a min after the session was complete was nice as well.