Hi my name is Alice and this is a yoga nidra practice for anxiety.
The practice of yoga nidra is especially useful in moments when the mind gets overactive and when we experience feelings of overwhelm.
Yoga nidra enables you to shift the attention from mind to body in order to find balance,
Reset your nervous system and sharpen your focus and concentration.
To begin lie down on a comfortable surface that is not a bed to help prevent falling asleep.
None of the following instructions are mandatory but they are recommended to put your body in the most relaxed state in which it will benefit the practice better.
You can cover yourself to ensure your body is warm for the duration of the practice.
Feel free to slide a bolster or a pillow behind your knees and head and eventually cover your eyes to block out light.
Stress and anxiety is the fruit of identifying with the mind.
Stress and anxiety exists because of the thoughts we may have about past experiences or worries and insecurities we have about future experiences.
When we let the mind take over it is easy to define ourselves with these thoughts.
Overthinking can become a second nature and it gets harder and harder to shift perspective.
The practice of yoga nidra is designed to help us bring our focus back to the body and breath in order to move the attention away from the mind and to be fully into the present moment.
In the present moment in this very instant in this exact second only can you become aware that worries don't exist even if it's just for a brief moment of release.
The practice of yoga nidra starts now.
Begin to notice the sounds around you.
Allow yourself to observe what is present around you.
First in the room in which you are then move the attention further away outside of the room and let your awareness expand as you hear and as you mentally identify the voice noises.
If you wish to practice with a sankalpa,
A special intention for the practice,
You can now state it in your mind.
A sankalpa is a positive truth,
Something from yourself to yourself which you'd like to transform or embody during the practice.
If you don't have a sankalpa I invite you to use one of the following that resonates with you.
Peace is available to me.
I feel serene.
Now repeat your sankalpa in your head three times.
Let it sink within yourself and know that you can return to this intention as many times as you want until its meaning has become true.
We will now start moving the consciousness around the body.
I am going to mention certain points of your body and as I do so I invite you to let your awareness travel there.
I invite you to put all your attention onto the specific point mentioned and try even to feel it.
If you find this challenging feel free to mentally repeat the name of the point.
Begin on your right thumb.
Bring all your awareness to your right thumb.
Then move your awareness onto the index finger,
The middle finger,
The ring finger,
The pinky finger,
The palm of your hand,
The back of your hand,
Wrists,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder.
Move your awareness onto the right side of your chest.
Wrap the right ribs in your awareness and let it slide along the waistline and onto the right hip.
Feel it down along the right thigh,
The right knee,
The lower leg,
The ankle,
Top of the right foot,
Sole of the right foot,
The toes.
Feel the whole right leg,
The whole right side of the torso,
The whole right arm,
The whole right side of the body,
The whole right side of the body wrapped in awareness.
Now move the awareness onto your left thumb.
Bring all your awareness to your left thumb.
Then move your awareness onto the index finger,
The middle finger,
The ring finger,
The palm of your hand,
The back of your hand,
The wrists,
The forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder.
Move your awareness onto the left side of your chest,
Left side of the ribcage,
Left side of the waistline,
Left hip.
Let the awareness slide down along the left thigh,
The knee,
The lower leg,
The ankle,
Top of the left foot,
Sole of the left foot,
The toes.
Feel the whole left leg,
The whole left side of the torso,
The whole left arm,
The whole left side of the body,
The whole left side of the body wrapped in awareness.
Now move the awareness back onto the soles of your feet,
Both feet,
Backs of the heels,
The calves,
Crease of the knees,
Back of the thighs,
The bum,
The low back,
Mid back,
Upper back,
The shoulder blades,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head.
Feel the crown of your head.
Now let the awareness move forward and onto the forehead,
The space between your eyebrows,
The right eye and the left eye,
Both eyes together,
The right nostril and the left nostril,
Both nostrils together,
The lips and chin,
The throat,
The chest with the sternum at its center,
Belly button,
The whole belly,
The pelvic floor.
Let the awareness spill onto the front of both thighs,
The knees,
The shins,
The top of both feet and all ten toes.
Feel the whole back body,
The whole front body,
The whole head,
The whole face,
The whole body.
Lie here aware of your whole entire body,
Your whole body being relaxed,
The whole body.
Now shift your focus from the body to the breath.
Become aware of your breath as this living energy stream that runs in and out of the body.
Feel the perpetual flow of the breath in your breathing body.
Could you begin to invite an equal breathing rhythm?
You may gently lengthen the in-breath to a count of three or four and then exhaling in the same length for three or four.
Effortlessly equalizing,
Balancing the breath without strain and you might stay with this count,
This rhythm of breath or if it's comfortable you may now lengthen the exhale again.
So if you were inhaling for three or four you may now exhale for four or five.
Gently lengthening the out-breath to help diffuse a sense of calm and relaxation in the body and in the brain.
Breathing in for three or four,
Breathing out for four or five.
And now let this breath go and let it return to its natural pace.
Begin to notice the surface beneath you again Feel your body on this surface.
Slowly become aware of the space around you placing your body into that space.
You can start to invite some gentle movements back into the body.
Wiggle your fingers,
Your toes.
Gently awaken the body Let the body stretch or yawn as it wakes up for the second time today.
Take a moment here.
Let the practice and its benefits simmer for a short while before you slowly and gently open your eyes.
Thank you so much for practicing with me.
I hope to see you again soon.
