Yoga Nidra - Beneath The Starry Sky - 20-Minute Practice

Settle into a comfortable position and allow your body to begin to relax. This 20-minute Yoga Nidra gently guides you into deep rest, supporting release of tension and quieting the mind. Through gentle prompts and visualisations, you’ll be invited to notice sensations, breath, and the subtle rhythms of your body.

By the end, you’ll feel grounded, refreshed, and more at ease, as if you’ve rested deeply without moving a muscle.

Image Credit: Sindre Fs, Pexels

Transcript

Yoga Nidra. Beneath the starry sky. Get yourself really comfortable now. Lying down, Supported, Maybe a blanket over you, A pillow beneath your head or knees. Take a moment to gently adjust so that your body can be completely at ease. If you feel happy to, Close your eyes and begin to notice the natural rhythm of your breath. No need to change it, Just arriving. A slow inhale through the nose and an easy sigh out of the mouth. And again inhale and exhale, Softening the weight of the body onto the ground beneath you. Feel held, Supported, Nothing to do, Nowhere to go. Bring your awareness to the points of contact between your body and the floor. Back of the heels, Calves, Thighs and hips. Upper back, Shoulders. Arms resting, Back of the head. Feel the whole body settling as if the earth is gently receiving you. Let the jaw soften, The tongue rest in the mouth, The space between the eyebrows smooth. You are safe to rest here. Now bring your awareness to your breath. Noticing the rise of the belly as you inhale and the soft fall as you exhale. Like a quiet wave, Rolling in and out. No effort, Just the body breathing itself. Let each exhale be a little longer, A little softer, As if the body is unwinding one layer at a time. We'll move the awareness through the body now, Gently, Lightly and at times you may notice a small point of light, Like a star softly glowing. No need to imagine perfectly, Just a sense. So bring in awareness now to your right hand thumb. First finger, Second finger, Third finger, Fourth finger. Center of the palm a small warm star gently glowing. Back of the hand, Wrist, Forearm, Elbow, Upper arm, Shoulder. A steady point of light quietly shining on your right shoulder. Right side of the waist, Right hip, A soft golden star warm and grounded. Thigh, Right knee, A gentle flicker of light. Shoulders, Shin, Ankle, Top of the foot, Sole of the foot, A small star. A tiny star on your big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth toe, Fifth toe. Allowing your awareness now to drift to your left hand thumb. First finger, Second finger, Third finger, Fourth finger. Center of the palm a small glowing star. Back of the hand, Wrist, Forearm, Elbow, Upper arm, Left shoulder a quiet steady light. Left side of the waist, Left hip warm grounded. Thigh, Knee, A soft flicker. Your shin, Ankle, Top of the foot, Sole of the foot, A resting point of light. A tiny star on your big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth toe, Fifth toe. Back of the body, Back of the head a subtle star like a distant point in the night sky. Shoulder blades, Between the shoulder blades a small steady glow. Mid back, Lower back, Base of the spine a deep grounded light. Back of the legs and at your heels two soft points of light anchoring you. Front of the body, Forehead, Center of the forehead a clear gentle star. Space between the eyebrows a slightly brighter point of light. Eyes, Cheeks, Lips, Center of the chest a warm open glow like a star shining from within. Now sensing the whole body as if scattered with these quiet points of light like a constellation not fixed just gently present, Resting, Glowing softly. Now imagine you are laying outside on a clear calm evening. The ground beneath you is warm, Steady, Supporting you completely. Above you an open sky vast and endless and as your eyes rest behind closed lids you begin to sense the night sky, Deep, Spacious. One star appears and then another. Soft points of light scattered across the sky, Each star steady, Quietly shining. Notice how the mind responds to this space. No rush, No noise, Just openness as you gaze upwards. There is nothing to hold on to and nothing you need to figure out, Just space and in that space a sense of ease. Imagine now that each exhale allows your body to soften further into the earth and each inhale gently expands your awareness. Awareness outward into the night sky as if your breath connects you. Body resting below, Awareness opening above. You might begin to feel as though the edges of your body soften, Not disappearing but becoming less defined. Held between earth and sky, Safe, Spacious. The stars continue to quietly shine, Unhurried, Unaffected. A reminder that everything does not need to be sold tonight. Some things can simply be held in a wider space. Rest here under this vast sky. The invitation now is to perhaps visualise a blanket wrapped around you, The gentle coolness of night air on your face, The scent of grass or earth. A sky full of stars, A small cloud drifting across the sky, The quiet of the world settling, A distant glow on the horizon. The feeling of space all around you, Nothing closing in, Just openness. Darkness, Dark sky, Pinpoints of light, Endless space, Stillness, A single star, Quiet, Softness. Nothing to do, Nowhere to go. Notice now the feeling of your whole body, Resting, Breathing, Supported from below, Open above. See if you can hold both at once, Grounded and spacious, Nothing to fix, Nothing missing, Just this quiet awareness. Let that feeling settle gently through the body. Begin to deepen the breath slightly. Feel the body once again. Come back to the room and notice the room around you. Gently wiggle the fingers, The toes. Take a slow stretch if that feels right. And when you're ready, Rolling softly to one side, Pausing there for a moment. In your own time, Slowly making your way up, Keeping a sense of that quiet space within you as you return. The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete. Thank you for practicing with me today. Om Shanti. Namaste.