Yoga Nidra to Let Go - Beginners
Yoga Nidra is a powerful form of meditation, also called 'the yogic sleep'. This is a guided 20-minute practice, which will take you into a deep conscious rest state, somewhere between being awake and being asleep. Allow your body and mind to experience deep release, and over the long run improve your sleep & reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety. Yoga Nidra is usually practiced lying down in stillness. This practice is accessible to everyone.
Transcript
Hi,
And welcome to this yoga nidra practice.
Yoga nidra is a form of guided meditation which is practiced lying down in complete stillness.
I invite you to take as much time as you need to find a comfortable position.
You can use additional pillows and place them behind your knees or under your head for extra comfort.
Take off your glasses and untie your hair to avoid any tension in the head.
If lying down is not an option for you,
You can practice sat on a sofa for example,
Making sure your body is fully supported.
Also be mindful to be warm enough,
As we will lie in stillness for a while,
Your body temperature will drop,
So have a blanket handy to cover yourself.
The aim of yoga nidra is not to fall asleep.
It is to reach deep and conscious relaxation,
A state somewhere between being awake and being asleep.
If you do fall asleep,
It's okay.
Simply reconnect to the sound of my voice when you come back.
Know that there is no right or wrong way to practice yoga nidra,
Simply because you have nothing to do but to let yourself be guided.
At any time during the practice,
If it gets too intense and you feel the need to move a little,
To open your eyes or even to come out of the practice,
Please feel free to do so and join back when you feel ready.
Now it's time to come to lie on your back and make any final adjustments needed before you transition into stillness.
Take a deep breath into the nose,
Exhale through the mouth and close down your eyes.
Start to think of an intention for your practice,
A short positive affirmation expressed at the present tense.
This intention is like a little seed which you are sowing now and which will grow throughout the practice until maybe it becomes reality.
If nothing comes to mind,
Feel free to use the following example.
I am loved.
I am surrounded by love.
Now repeat your intention three times in your head and slowly let it go.
The practice of yoga nidra starts now.
Bring your awareness on the surface upon which your body lies.
Observe the parts of your body that are in contact with this surface.
Notice the heaviness of some parts,
Like your head,
The upper back and shoulders,
The pelvis.
Now observe the curves of your body that are not in contact with the surface,
The back of the neck,
The low back,
The back of your knees.
Become aware of the space in which you are and start to notice the sounds close to you in the room.
Can you identify them?
Let this go and little by little let your awareness travel further to notice the sounds outside of the room.
In the flat or maybe further in the street.
Note if you can perceive maybe the sound of the wind,
The hum of the city,
The song of a bird.
Identify the noises and slowly let them go.
I am now going to name one by one different parts of your body.
Let your awareness travel to the parts I'm calling and see if you can relax and soften it a little more.
Relax the right big toe,
The second right toe,
The third right toe,
The fourth right toe,
The right little toe,
The sole of the right foot,
The top of the right foot,
The entire right foot,
The right ankle,
The right shin,
The right knee,
The right thigh,
The right hip,
The entire right leg,
The left big toe,
The second left toe,
The third left toe,
The fourth left toe,
The left little toe,
The sole of the left foot,
The top of the left foot,
The entire left foot,
The left ankle,
The left shin,
The left knee,
The left thigh,
The left hip,
The entire left leg,
The right thumb,
The right index finger,
The right middle finger,
The right ring finger,
The right pinky finger,
The palm of the right hand,
The entire right hand,
The right wrist,
The right forearm,
The right elbow,
The right shoulder,
The entire right arm,
The left thumb,
The left index finger,
The left middle finger,
The left ring finger,
The left pinky finger,
The palm of the left hand,
The entire left hand,
The left wrist,
The left forearm,
The left elbow,
The left shoulder,
The entire left arm,
The right shoulder blade,
The left shoulder blade,
The space between the shoulder blades,
The mid back,
The low back,
The entire back,
The right side of the waist,
The left side of the waist,
The belly,
The chest,
The entire torso,
The throat,
The jaw,
The tongue in the mouth,
The nose,
The right cheek,
The left cheek,
The right eye,
The left eye,
The right eyebrow,
The left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
The forehead,
The entire face,
The top of the head,
The back of the head,
The entire head,
The entire torso,
The right arm,
The left arm,
Both arms together,
The entire upper body,
The right leg,
The left leg,
Both legs together,
The entire lower body,
The upper and lower body together,
The entire body,
The entire body,
The entire body is relaxed,
You are feeling warm,
Sat by the fireplace,
You feel the soft warmth coming from the flames on your face,
You're getting warmer and warmer,
You're lying down on a beach in the afternoon,
The sun heating your eyes hidden underneath their eyelids,
You're hot,
Hot like the burning heat from the asphalt on a summer day,
You're sweating,
Hot like getting in a car parked in the sun for hours,
You are feeling cold,
You're dipping your toes in the water of a cold lake and your entire body shivers,
You're getting colder and colder,
A long outdoor walk in the winter,
You can't feel your toes anymore,
The cold wind blowing in the tunnels of the tube,
It's cold,
You're hot,
Sat on the burning leather seats of the car,
You're cold,
A winter walk and the icy wind sting in your face,
Hot then cold,
You're switching between heat and cold,
Cold then hot,
Hot,
Cold,
The two feelings together,
Your body is softening,
Soft,
No structure like a rag doll,
You don't have bones,
As your body softens it takes more and more space on the floor,
Like butter melting in a hot pan,
Your skin,
Your muscles slowly spreading on the floor,
Your body is soft,
Its outline is disappearing,
Every curve is moving,
Flattening to hug the shape of the floor,
Your body is hardening,
Like the wax of a cooling down candle,
It slowly returns to its initial shape,
Your skin stretches like a piece of fabric being pulled on each side,
Like the lava of an erupted volcano that is solidifying,
You're getting hard,
Your joints do not exist anymore,
Hard like a statue,
Your body is softening,
Soft like a rag doll,
Your body is hardening,
Hard and still like a statue,
Soft then hard,
You're switching between softness and hardness,
Hard then soft,
Soft,
Hard,
The two feelings together.
I am now going to pronounce words,
Let the images of these words come to your mind,
But let go of their meaning,
The fire crackling,
Sinking your toes in the sand,
The distant sound of children playing,
The smell of toasted bread,
Chocolate ice cream,
A lake,
A phone vibrating,
The rain pouring against the window,
The smell of freshly cut grass,
A frothy coffee with milk,
A bed of orange leaves in the autumn,
A cactus,
The purr of a cat,
Dry seaweed on the seaside,
The sharpness of a green apple,
Sleeping in a cold bed,
The sweet and sour taste of an Asian dish,
The white vapor trail of a plane in the sky,
You're lying in bed,
The curtains are slightly open,
You watch the silent little plane fly across,
Its white vapor trail slowly disappearing in the sky,
It's a beautiful crisp morning in spring,
The sun is floating the white walls of the room,
Under the bed sheets,
Wrapped in a blanket,
Wrapped in the warmth of a long night's sleep,
You're feeling relaxed,
Comfortable,
Everything is quiet,
In the distance,
The humming of the city waking up,
You lift the duvet and sit down on the bed,
You shiver,
You stand up and walk towards the kitchen,
The cold tiles on your bare feet,
The sound of the coffee brewing,
Holding the warm cup in your hand,
You slowly walk towards the entrance door,
You open it,
In front of you,
A beach,
Empty and quiet,
Far ahead,
The sea disappearing over the horizon,
You walk down the few steps,
The salty wind is rushing into your hair,
You feel the warm sand under your feet,
You drink a sip of coffee,
You're relaxed,
It's peaceful,
In the distance,
The sounds of children playing,
You hear some music,
It's far away,
You catch sight of a little pink shape on the beach,
You start walking towards it,
The music is getting closer,
It's an ice cream truck,
You come up to it,
Through the window,
The lady merchant smiles at you,
She's old,
A bleached blonde hair contrasts with the dark colour of her craggy skin,
Damaged by the sun,
Chocolate ice cream you say,
She hands it to you and sets off again,
The music slowly fades out,
You sit on the beach and discreetly sink your toes in the sand,
The eternal rumble of the waves,
Your phone vibrates in your pocket,
You look down at the screen and smile,
Someone is thinking of you,
You are loved,
You are surrounded by love,
Slowly start to become aware again of the space in which you are,
Notice again the surface on which your body lies,
Notice your breath and start to deepen it by taking a long breath in and a long breath out,
Slowly bring some movement back in your body,
Move your fingertips,
Your toes,
You can roll your head side to side if that feels nice,
Take any gentle movement that you need to slowly resurface,
When you're ready,
Bring your knees into your chest and let yourself roll onto one side,
Take a short pause with your eyes still closed if you can,
Come back into a seated posture to close the practice,
Take a moment to feel grateful for taking this time for yourself,
Then slowly open your eyes.
Thank you for practicing yoga nidra with me.
I wish to see you again soon.
