Yoga Nidra For Stress Relief

This Yoga Nidra for stress relief is a 30-minute practice for you to relax and release tension, stress and anxiety. It includes progressive muscle relaxation, therefore it can also be a great practice for people that suffer from chronic pain and/or chronic conditions.

Transcript

Hello and welcome,

I'm Beatrice and this is a yoga nidra meditation for you to feel less stressed more at ease and hopefully more relaxed.

So whenever you're ready for it you can come down to your back on the ground in bed but if you're really really tired maybe don't be directly in bed but rather you be on the ground on your yoga mat or on a rug.

Take your time to assess how you're feeling and really really make the position as comfortable as possible for your body.

So if there's any lower back pain make sure that your knees are bent and the feet flat to the ground,

Knees supporting each other so they're really falling against each other and supporting each other.

If that doesn't work for you,

If you'd rather have the legs straight or straightish but you have some lower back pain you can bring a bolster or a rounded up blanket underneath your knees to give your knees a little bit of softness and bring that softness to support the lower back.

And try to have either way the feet wider than the hips.

If there's no lower back pain you can just have the legs straight and let the feet fall out to the sides.

So anywhere they will normally go without you having to think about it.

And then trying to see how you feel in the back,

If there's any adjustment you need to make,

Trying to relax the shoulders,

The arms.

If you can have the arms wide,

Palms facing up right on the ground.

If that doesn't work for you you can bend the elbows and bring the hands to your belly or one to the belly,

One to the chest.

Again anything that works for you to support your shoulders.

And again anything else that you would like to support your body that's welcome.

A pillow under the head,

A blanket if you're cold.

Maybe take your time to get into your body and on the ground,

On the bed into this moment.

Remind yourself to be aware and alert throughout this practice.

And if you're ready you can close your eyes or maybe soften the gaze if closing your eyes if it makes you feel uncomfortable.

Either way trying to have the muscles around the eyes to be as soft as possible.

Please take a big breath in through the nose and sigh out through the mouth.

You can do this a few more times before we start.

To begin our practice let's set to sankalpa or a personal intention,

A personal resolve.

Take a moment to really feel your heart's desires.

Maybe place a hand on your heart and take a moment to let this intention come from within you rather than from your mind or your thoughts or what you think you should be or do.

Something that really lights up,

Ignites your energy.

Trying to be simple,

Positive and brief.

And whenever you have this intention with you use the present tense as if it had already happened and repeat it to yourself for three heartfelt times.

On your third time take a big breath in and as you exhale let that intention go.

Now bring your awareness to your breathing,

Noticing your breath just as it is.

And in your own way remind yourself to stay aware and alert throughout the process.

Resting and relaxing and letting go of muscular tension if you can.

And feeling to notice where the back of your head touches the surface it's on.

Feeling that very place of contact.

Let your head become more and more supported by allowing it to rest into this support.

Now become aware of your face.

And begin by squeezing and tensing the eyes and the forehead,

Crunching up the nose.

Maybe bringing that tension all the way to the lips and the mouth,

The whole face.

Holding it for a second and then completely let go.

Letting all the muscles soften,

Allowing the forehead to smooth out,

The eyes to rest.

Letting relaxation nigh arrives to your nose.

Letting go of tension around your mouth.

If you wish even parting your lips lightly but definitely having some space in between the teeth.

Allowing the corners of your lips to completely let go.

Simply let your whole face soften and relax.

More and more.

Now bring your awareness to your right arm.

Become aware of your all right arm.

From your hand all the way up into the shoulder.

Now tighten your hand into the fist.

Squeeze that fist and move the tension all the way up the arm into the shoulder.

Relax for a second.

Now open your fingers up wide all at once,

Letting go of the squeezing,

All the tension,

Allowing the muscles to relax.

Being aware of all sensations.

Now bring your awareness to your right leg.

And from your hip all the way down into the foot.

Begin to tense up all the muscles in the leg.

Feeling this tension.

As you exhale all at once,

Relax and let go.

Feel the muscles release.

Feel the leg being heavy and relaxed.

Shift your awareness over to your left hand.

And feel the whole of the left arm from the hand up into the shoulder.

Begin by making a fist with that left hand and feel the tension moving up from the fist into the shoulder.

And all together let go of the fingers,

Let them open out wide and let go of all the tension down the arm.

Bring your awareness now to the left leg from the hip all the way down to the foot.

Begin to squeeze all the muscles in your left leg.

Feel the squeeze.

And now let go.

Feel the heaviness in this leg as well.

The heaviness of both legs together.

Noticing how your mind can be relaxed yet present and alert.

You may begin to feel some heaviness.

It's not going to happen.

Bring your awareness now to the hips and the glutes and squeeze all this muscles.

Feel the tension.

Now relax feeling this tension melt away.

Come to the abdomen and see if you can hold the abdomen in tight just for a moment.

As you exhale let the belly soften and relax.

Softening all the muscles more and more feeling the release.

Letting go of more and more tension breathing freely.

Bring your awareness now to your neck and your throat.

To your jaw.

And open your mouth and move your jaw from side to side and all around letting go of tension around the jaw.

Now let the jaw relax and become still.

Letting your teeth part slightly.

Relaxing the corners of the lips.

Now press your tongue against the roof of your mouth right at the back of your teeth.

And then let go relaxing your tongue and resting it in your mouth.

Notice the whole mouth,

The space in it.

Even though your eyes are closed squeeze your eyes and your forehead and feel the tension.

All together let go.

Become aware more and more of your breathing.

Really notice your breath as it comes and goes.

Again take your awareness to your head and face.

Take a big breath in.

And let it go feeling your face relax even more.

All around the forehead,

Around the eyes,

Your nose,

Your cheeks.

All around your mouth softening both inside and outside.

And guide your awareness now to your arms.

Taking a big breath in.

Then letting go.

Feeling your arms rest and relax more and more.

Now allowing them to become as still as possible.

Now become aware of your legs.

Take a conscious breath in.

And breathe out feeling the legs become even heavier.

Notice the steep stillness.

So no doubt if you wanted to you could move but you're consciously deciding to stay.

And staying feels so much better.

Now bring your awareness to the hip area.

Consciously breathing in becoming more and more aware of your hips.

As you breathe out relaxing your hips even more letting go of all the muscles around them.

Feeling the heaviness,

The stillness,

The relaxation.

Now bring your awareness to your belly.

Take a big breath in.

As you exhale let your belly soften.

Letting go of all tensions in and around your belly.

Take your awareness up to the chest area.

And feeling the heart,

The lungs.

Take a full breath in.

As you exhale soften that chest area.

Bringing your whole chest into a comfortable relaxation.

Feeling the breath going and letting your awareness rest all around your heart.

Letting go of all the muscles.

Letting them relax and the body relax completely.

Noticing how comfortable you are,

How heavy and still you feel.

Feeling a sense of relaxation all around you and a sense of calmness,

Of quiet peace.

And just let it happen.

Let any feeling,

Sensation be.

Just being aware of how this relaxation feels.

Just notice what you are experiencing here and now.

Feel the peace.

Feel the peace.

Now bring back to mind your sankapa,

Your intention.

Remember it.

Just for a moment.

The same one that you made at the beginning.

Once you have it,

Repeat it once again for three heartfelt times.

Say it with your heart.

Really feel it.

And as you let go of your breath.

When you exhale,

Let that intention go with it.

Go with your breath.

Knowing you can always come back to your intention.

You can always meditate on it.

And plant it deep inside to become more and more rooted within you.

Now begin to bring your awareness back to your breath.

Simply follow that breath in and out the body.

Through the nostrils,

Through the movement of your abdomen.

To awaken with each breath.

And bringing your awareness now to the chest.

And your heart.

And how does the breath feel there?

Begin to become more and more aware of your body.

Bring your awareness to the top of your head and feel your head and your face.

Begin to feel more and more awake in your face and your head.

Behind your eyelids,

Noticing your sense of vision.

Listen,

Sounds,

Beginning to awake your sense of hearing,

Listening.

Awaken that sense more and more on all of the senses.

Listening to the sounds in the room.

It even sounds outside of your rooms,

Outside of your building.

Now let your attention fall down to the neck and the throat.

If you'd like to do so,

Please roll your head from side to side,

Beginning to wake up.

Begin that movement for a couple of times and becoming still again.

Let your awareness flow down through the spine and down the arms and down the legs.

When you're ready,

You can begin to stretch your whole body,

Moving and waking up your whole being.

Begin to come into full awareness,

Wakefulness.

Whenever you're ready,

Ever so gently and mindfully roll onto your side and help yourself up to a comfortable seat.

You can rest your hands on your knees or on your lap or anywhere that's comfortable for you.

And if you want to,

Keep your eyes closed or close your eyes again and just notice this sense of relaxation and peace and calmness,

Maybe even joy.

You can stay here with this sense for as long as you want to.

Whenever you want to,

You can start to blink your eyes open and starting to take the world in and coming back to the world.

Beginning to feel present and awake and if you need to,

Taking a stretch if that feels good.

Thank you so much for practicing with me and I hope this was helpful.