Yoga Nidra - Deep Relaxation
by Amy Gaster
This is a guided 25-minute Yoga Nidra without music. Yoga Nidra means yogic sleep. It is deeply restorative for the nervous system. A beautiful practice to reset and support healing of all kinds; physical, mental, and emotional, rest the body and mind, support restlessness, and insomnia, and more. Can be done lying on the floor, in your bed, or seated. Blankets, pillows, eye pillows, and anything else that will help you be comfortable is recommended but not necessary.
Transcript
Welcome to yoga nidra.
Begin to get ready for yoga nidra practice.
Perhaps you're lying down on the floor in the comfort of your own bed,
Seated in a chair,
Or on a couch.
If you're lying on the floor or in your bed,
Keep your feet apart and the palms of the hands facing upwards.
Wherever you are,
Utilizing any props,
Blankets,
Pillows,
Eye pillows that you have so that you're as comfortable as possible.
Close your eyes.
Notice if you can be 5 or 10% more comfortable in whatever position you've chosen.
Now is the time to make any adjustments so that moving forward,
You are as motionless as possible.
For just this time,
Release your worries and concentrate on the practice of yoga nidra.
Forget all that is to come after and all that has come before.
Take a long deep breath in and sigh it out.
Doing that two more times.
Long deep breath in,
Sighing out,
Feeling yourself letting go,
Relaxing deeper.
Allow your breath now to be natural and unchanged.
Become aware of outside sounds.
Become aware of distant sounds outside of the building or room.
Allow your sense of hearing to range into the distance.
And then gradually withdraw it back into this building,
Back into the room.
Develop your awareness of this room and yourself lying on the floor or bed or wherever you are.
Become aware of your body in the room you're in.
Become aware of your breathing.
No need to change your breathing.
Just be conscious that you are breathing.
Awareness of your breath and awareness of your body.
Touch of temperature against your skin.
Touch of your clothes.
Touch of the surface beneath you.
The intention of the yoga practice is to remain awake.
Although at times we may find ourselves slipping into a sleeping state,
Do your best to stay awake and alert.
Now set your sankopa.
A sankopa is a deep heartfelt desire,
Intention or resolve.
Ask yourself,
In your life right now.
What is your deepest,
Most heartfelt desire?
Repeat it to yourself three times to your heart,
Like a mancha.
Now apply full awareness and feeling.
Now we will move into the rotation of consciousness.
We'll bring awareness of different parts of the body by taking a trip through the body.
Allow your mind to jump freely from one part to the next.
Allow my voice to become like your voice as we move systematically through each area of the body.
Beginning with a right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Lower arm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Right side.
Waist.
Right hip.
Right thigh.
The whole kneecap.
Calf muscle.
Ankle.
Heel.
The whole of the right foot.
Top of the foot.
Right toes.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth toe.
Awareness of the left side beginning with the left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Palm of the left hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Lower arm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Side.
Waist.
Hip.
Left thigh.
Left kneecap.
Calf muscle.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the left foot.
Top of the foot.
Left toes.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third.
Fourth.
And fifth.
Awareness of the top of the head.
Awareness of the top of the head.
Forehead.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Eyebrow center.
Right eyelid.
Left eyelid.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Chin.
Jaw.
Throat.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Right chest.
Left chest.
Middle of the chest.
Navel.
Upper abdomen.
Lower abdomen.
Right groin.
Left groin.
Right thigh.
Left thigh.
Right knee.
Left knee.
Right calf muscle.
Left calf muscle.
Right ankle.
Left ankle.
Right toes.
Left toes.
Awareness of the whole back body now.
The whole back body lying on the floor seated.
Right sole of the foot.
Left sole of the foot.
Right heel.
Left heel.
Right calf muscle.
Left calf muscle.
Back of the right knee.
Back of the left knee.
Back of the right thigh.
Back of the left thigh.
The surface they rest upon.
Right buttock.
Left buttock.
Right hip.
Left hip.
The whole spine.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Back of the neck.
Back of the head.
The crown of the head.
The whole head like a giant orb of sensation.
Awareness of the major parts.
Whole right leg.
Whole left leg.
Both legs together.
Whole right arm.
Whole left arm.
Both arms together.
The whole head and face.
The whole head and face smooth,
Relaxed.
Whole of the back body together.
Whole of the front body together.
The whole body.
Awareness of the whole body.
Together.
Become aware of the meeting parts between body and floor.
Concentrate on them for a short time.
Feel the meeting points between the body and the floor intensely,
Evenly.
Bring your attention to the soles of the feet.
Feel the skin on the soles of your feet.
From the heels to the tips of the toes.
Go to the palms of your hands.
Feel the skin on the palms of your hands and fingers.
Feel the skin and become aware of the lines on your palms and fingers.
Full awareness.
Bring your awareness to the face.
Become aware of the skin on your face.
Develop your awareness of the skin on your face.
Become aware of the skin on your forehead,
Cheeks,
And chin.
Become aware of any lines on your face.
Bring your attention to the eyelids.
Feel the meeting points between the eyelids.
And now the lips.
Feel the meeting points between the lips.
Awareness of the meeting points between the lips.
Spacious.
Aware.
Now bring your attention to the natural breath.
Become aware that you are breathing quietly and slowly.
Become conscious of your breathing,
Nothing else.
Concentrate now on the flow of the breath between the navel and throat.
Feel the breath moving along this passage.
As you inhale,
The air rises from the navel to the throat.
As you exhale,
It falls from throat to navel.
Now become aware of the breath through the nostrils.
The natural breath flowing through both nostrils and meeting at the top to form a triangle.
Think of the breaths as starting separately from a distance,
Drawing near.
And uniting in the eyebrow center.
Now begin to count down from 10 on each exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale 10.
Inhale.
Exhale 9.
If you lose your count or complete,
Simply begin again.
Exhale.
Letting that go.
Become aware of chikasha,
The inner space you see behind your forehead.
Develop your awareness of the space,
An infinite space that extends as far as you can see,
As low or as high and as wide as you can see.
Become aware of the space behind your forehead at the third eye.
Be totally aware but not involved.
Observe it as if you're watching a movie.
What you see is a projection of your subconscious.
Watch the space carefully for any colors or patterns that may emerge.
No effort,
Just awareness.
Continue to bring your awareness to the space,
Awareness of the eyebrow center.
Now become aware of a golden door.
Become aware of a big,
Solid,
Golden door.
Try to open that door.
Now you're on the other side of the door at the entrance of a dark cave.
Visualize that dark cave.
Deep within that cave,
You can see a flaming light.
Go towards that light.
See what you can find.
Within that light,
There is a small golden egg,
Very bright.
A small golden egg.
Small as a mustard seed.
Very small,
Very bright.
Intensify your visualization and see the golden egg within the flaming light.
These are symbols of yourself.
Big self and little self.
Leave the flaming light now.
Leave the golden egg and pass back through the golden door.
Bring your awareness back to the eyebrow center once again.
Become aware of the eyebrow center.
I'm letting that go now.
Remember your sankalpa,
Your heartfelt desire or resolve.
Remember the resolve you made at the beginning of the practice.
This is a time to repeat your sankalpa.
State your sankalpa three times to your heart,
Like a mantra.
Frame it in the positive present tense with full feeling and emphasis.
Giving thanks and letting it go.
Become aware of your breathing.
Become aware of the natural breath.
Become aware of the breath through the nostrils.
Develop total awareness of the nostril breath.
The body being breathed.
Extend this awareness to every area of the body.
You may deepen your breath now.
As you inhale,
Feel the life giving force permeate your whole body.
Nothing stopping the healing energy arriving within you now,
And the healing forces of energy surrounding you like rivers.
Take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath.
Become aware of your relaxed body.
Become aware of your physical existence.
Awareness of your surroundings.
The floor you're lying on.
The room you're in.
Externalize your attention.
As you're ready,
Begin to make small movements in the body.
Remember where you are,
What you've been practicing,
What time of day it is.
Take your time preparing to sit up,
Perhaps rolling to one side and curling the knees in first.
There is no hurry.
Take your time to set up slowly and open your eyes.
Hariyom Tat Sat.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
Thank you for practicing.
4.6 (136)
Recent Reviews
Diana
August 18, 2025
I was surprised by the rapid fire, body scan and how quickly it relaxed me. What a wonderful new discovery.
Mimi
September 10, 2023
Simple, clear delivery, no long introduction, and no fluff. Perfect for for a deep rest. Thanks!
Isabel
May 9, 2022
Great very relaxing, nice pace simple but effective, added bonus no background music. 😊 thank you