20-Minute Yoga Nidra For Deep Relaxation

Join me for this 20-minute Yoga Nidra practice that will leave you feeling deeply relaxed and rejuvenated! Yoga Nidra is a deeply relaxing practice that helps to settle the nervous system, with the intention of leaving you feeling rested and rejuvenated. It is often referred to as “yogic sleep” or “non-sleep deep rest” because it takes you into a state between waking and sleeping. This practice is perfect if you’re feeling stressed, anxious, tired, or overwhelmed. Enjoy!
Music credit: Chris Collins

Transcript

Hello and welcome to today's yoga nidra practice. I'm Amanda and I'll be guiding you through your practice today. Begin by lying on your back in a comfortable position. You can place a bolster under your knees to support the legs or a pillow underneath your head to support the neck. Perhaps you place an eye mask over your eyes and a blanket over your body. Begin to get nice and comfortable and settle in for your yoga nidra practice today. As you settle in, Make sure that your body is supported so that you can completely let go and relax. Adjust the head, Neck, Shoulders, Pelvis, Hips. Relax completely into the support beneath you. What could you do to get 1% more comfortable here? Begin to tune into your breath. Feel the flow of the natural inhale and exhale of your body. Feel your chest rise and fall as you inhale and exhale. Feel your belly rise and fall as you inhale and exhale. Feel your back expand into the earth beneath you as you inhale and exhale. Take 3 deep inhales and exhales together as we continue to settle in for our practice. As you're ready, Take a deep inhale breath in through your nose. Feel the chest, Belly, Lungs rise and fall as you inhale and exhale. As you're ready, Exhale through your mouth and let all your air go. Twice more just like that. Deep inhale breath and as you're ready exhale side out. Once more just like that. Deep inhale breath and then exhale side out. Now I invite you to set an intention or a sankalpa for your practice. This could be a word, A thought, A feeling, Anything that you'd like for this time together. And if there isn't anything that you're working with, I'll invite you to use the sankalpa I am deeply relaxed. I am deeply relaxed. I am deeply relaxed. Repeat your sankalpa to yourself three times as you settle in. Begin to invite your attention to your body. We will gently scan the body following the guidance of my voice. Imagine your attention flowing like the water in a small stream or a gentle river from one point to the next, Creating a cascade of relaxation through your entire body. Your body remains in stillness and quiet, Relaxing the eyes, The mouth, The jaw. Allow your tongue to be heavy in your mouth. Relax the tip of your nose, The right nostril, The left nostril, Your neck, Your shoulders, The right arm, The right elbow, The wrist, The palm, And the fingers. Relax. Relax the thumb, The second finger, Third finger, Fourth finger, Fifth finger. Relax your waist, Your right hip, Your knee, Ankle, The foot, All of your toes, The big toe, The second toe, The third toe, The fourth toe, The fifth toe. Relax the whole right side of the body. Relax the whole right side of the body. Bring your awareness back to the center of your heart. Feel into your heart space. Shift your awareness to the left shoulder, The left arm, The elbow, Wrist, Second finger, Third finger, Fourth finger, Fifth finger. Feel your foot, All five of your toes, Your first toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth toe, Fifth toe. Feel the whole right side of the body, The whole body, Front and back, Left and right, The whole body. Now sense your breath deep inside the body. Feel the natural inhale and exhale of the breath. Feel the ebb and flow, The rise and fall. Feel the inhalation. Feel the exhalation. Feel the breath in the belly. Feel the belly expand in all directions and then empty out. Feel the rise and fall of your belly, The subtle rise and fall as you inhale and exhale, Breathing in and out. As you continue to feel your inhales and exhales, We're going to go on a journey. You are in a field surrounded by tall grass fluttering in the wind. You begin to look around you. There are hills and mountains surrounding you. In the distance, You see a forest. You begin to walk towards the forest. You feel the sensation of the grass against your body as you walk. You hear the sounds of nature around you. You feel the sensation of the warm sun on your skin. And as you enter into the forest, You are shadowed by the trees standing tall above you. You no longer hear the sound of the wind, But instead the sounds of the forest. Leaves rustling, Birds chirping. The forest provides a sense of warmth, Peace, And stillness. There is a path ahead of you that you begin to follow. You feel the soft earth underneath your feet as you begin to follow that path. You bathe in the peace of the forest. The sun peeks through the leaves of the trees above you. As you walk, You wiggle your toes ever so slightly to feel the earth beneath you. You feel a sense of calm, Groundedness as you continue to walk through the forest. Notice your surroundings. What do you see? What do you hear? What sensations do you feel? What animals are present? You begin to hear the sounds of a small stream in the distance. The sound of water flowing. And as you continue to walk, You can see the stream. You can see the clear water flowing over the rocks. You can hear the birds chirping in the trees. The sun peeking through the leaves. Up ahead, There is a bridge crossing over the small stream. You begin to walk over the bridge, Taking a moment to stop at the top. Peering over and watching the stream for just one more moment. Enjoying the sounds of trickling water and chirping birds. The rhythms of nature. You continue to walk over the bridge and follow the path. We'll take a few more moments wandering along the path. Observing the trees that you see. The colors of the leaves. The animals that you hear. The sensations that you feel. Bring attention back to the right side of the body. The whole right side. Sensing the whole right side of the body. Bring attention back to the left side of the body. The whole left side. Sensing the whole left side of the body. Now bring attention back to both sides of the body simultaneously. The whole body. The whole body. I am deeply relaxed. I am deeply relaxed. I am deeply relaxed. Now begin to feel the inhale and exhale. In and out of your body. Observing the rise and fall of your belly. Feel the natural rhythm of your inhale and exhale. As you inhale and exhale, Begin to count from one to five. Inhaling for one. Exhaling for one. Continue at your own pace. Release the counting of your breath. Come back to your natural inhale and exhale. Begin to sense the earth beneath your body. And the room around you. Start to awaken your body. Slowly nodding the head side to side. Wiggling fingers and toes. Perhaps taking a big stretch. Just like you were waking up for the first time today. If that feels good for you. You can roll onto one side in a fetal position. Perhaps explore fluttering the eyes back open. Reacquainting yourself with the room around you. Taking your time. Moving slowly and gently. As you leave your yoga nidra practice. And as we finish up our practice. Just tuning into how you feel. Mentally, Physically, Emotionally. As you are ready, Slowly make your way back to a seated position. Thank you so much for practicing with me today. I hope that this practice has been rejuvenating for you. I'll see you next time. Namaste.