Deep Body Relaxation

A longer guided Yoga Nidra to encourage awareness and relaxation throughout your whole body. This is best done lying down in a comfortable place and can be a good preparation for sleep. There is no music but the practice finishes with a ending bell.

Transcript

Welcome,

This is Emily from Emily Rose Yoga.

I'm going to guide you through a yoga nidra or a deep relaxation for the body today.

And that's going to take about 20 minutes.

So you want to find a space where you can relax,

You won't be disturbed,

It's quiet if possible.

So if you need to pause the recording to readjust yourself,

Then please feel free to do that.

And you might like to gather some props,

A pillow far under your head if you're going to lie down,

And perhaps a blanket if you're feeling a little cold.

And this practice is usually done lying on your back in the Shavasana or flat on your back,

Legs slightly apart and hands resting down beside you.

If you prefer you can sit up but try to come into a nice relaxed position.

Allow yourself to start to settle onto the ground that you are lying on.

And we'll use the breath to encourage relaxation in the body.

So together taking a nice deep breath in through the nose if you can.

And then open your mouth and sigh the breath out.

Just do two more breaths like that on your own.

And as you allow the breath to fall out of your body,

See if you can encourage or invite the flesh of the body to settle and relax and release into the ground that supports you.

And you can allow your breath now just to settle into a natural rhythm.

Letting go of any control of your breath for now.

We're going to move through each part of the body inviting relaxation into the body as we move through from the toes to the top of the head.

So start to bring your awareness into the very tips of your toes of your left foot.

You can feel the big toe,

The second toe,

The third toe,

The fourth toe and the little toe.

You direct your attention into the insides of your toes.

See if you can feel them from the inside out.

You might feel the touch of any clothing or the air on your skin.

Maybe the spaces between the toes.

And then see if you can really consciously relax each of your toes.

You might help you to do that on your exhale so that you use the breath out to encourage a deep release in the tissues of your toes.

Moving your awareness now up into the sole of the foot.

Feeling the sole of the foot and then consciously relaxing the sole of your foot.

Bring the attention to the top of the foot.

Feel the top of the foot from the inside and then allow a release so that you're not forcing but simply letting the tension float away.

And if it still feels tense allow that to be exactly as it is.

Move your focus up to your left ankle,

Relaxing the left ankle.

Moving up to feel the calf of the left leg and the shin,

The whole lower leg releases.

Relax your left knee.

Relax the big muscles and tissues of the upper leg.

And bring softness and release into the left hip,

The left buttock and the left side of the pelvis.

Relax your whole left leg.

Bring your attention across your hips and down your right leg to your right big toe.

Relaxing each of your toes on your right foot,

Your right big toe,

Your second toe,

Your third toe,

Fourth toe and little toe.

Relax the sole and the top of the right foot.

Relax your right ankle.

Relax the calf and the shin and the knee,

The whole lower leg relaxed and heavy.

Relax the front and back of the upper leg.

Soften your right hip,

Your right buttock and the right side of your pelvis.

Bring your focus into the centre of your pelvis.

As the right leg is completely heavy on the floor,

The left leg is heavy,

Both legs relax and allow the whole pelvis to soften,

Supported.

Feel the lower belly and the inside out.

With each breath allow more softness into your belly.

Allow the tissues of the lower back to spread and soften.

And then lift your awareness up the spine into the upper belly,

The mid spine.

As best you can allow this area to soften and spread.

Let your attention travel up into the ribs.

Feeling each rib,

Front,

Back and sides.

Perhaps feeling the breath at this space.

Again,

If you can with each of the out breaths,

Allow more release through the chest and the ribs.

Let your shoulder blades soften into the earth.

And as you do that allow the front of your chest to spread and release.

Allow your awareness to come across the tops of your shoulders and down into the tips of your fingers of each hand.

Feeling the thumbs,

The second fingers,

Third fingers,

Fourth fingers and little fingers.

Feeling the tips of the fingers running down into the palms of the hands,

Feeling from the inside out.

Let your whole hands start to soften and release.

Fronts and backs up into the wrist.

Let your awareness travel up your lower arms and your elbows and your upper arms and allow the arms to be heavy and relaxed.

The tops of your shoulders soften.

As best you can.

Allowing the neck to relax the throat and the back of the neck.

Bring your attention up into your jaw,

Noticing what you feel here in the mouth and the jaw and the cheeks.

The base of the skull.

As best you can allow this space to soften and release.

Allow the tissues around the forehead and the eyes and the cheekbones to spread and soften.

Allow your ears to relax.

The scalp,

The back of the head and the very top of your head.

Allow the whole of your face and your head to relax.

Allow the whole body to relax,

Held by the ground,

Soft,

Free from tension.

Let your breath be soft.

Become aware of the natural inhalation and exhalation.

Very slowly.

You might start to deepen your breath.

Draw the breath in a little deeper down into the belly.

You might even imagine that you're sending that breath into the very tips of your fingers and your toes and the top of your head so that you bathe your body in this energising breath.

Take a couple of deep breaths in and out.

As you come back to really feel your body on the ground,

You might start to bring a little movement back into the body now,

Wiggling the fingers and the toes.

It feels good for you to have a stretch.

You can have a stretch.

And then whenever you're ready,

You can start to make your way back up.

You can stay here for a little longer if you like.

Just take a moment to notice how you feel.

Perhaps to offer up any benefits or insights you might have gained out into the world,

Someone who needs some positivity today.

Thank you once again for practising with me today.

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day or evening.

Namaste.

Reviews

These body audit type meditations are surprisingly effective - thank you