Non-Sleep Deep Rest For A Stressful Day

Sometimes in the middle of a busy, stressful day, you just need to catch a break. A little rest for your mind. Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) or yoga nidra meditation is one of the best ways to do just that. So find a quiet spot in your office meeting room, on a sofa, or just sit at your desk with earphones on and spend the next 25 minutes with me in this Non-Sleep Deep Rest.

Transcript

You're having one of those days,

Things are busy,

Nothing's going right and you just need to catch a break.

This is your invitation to join me for the next few moments and take a little rest.

So wherever you are,

Whatever you're doing,

Find yourself in a comfortable position.

You're welcome to do this sitting down on a chair or lying down on the floor on a yoga mat,

Perhaps even lying down on the sofa at home or in the meeting room if you are at work.

And let's take the next few moments to get as comfortable as you can and starting to tune into what is present right now.

Noticing if the mind is full of thoughts,

That's okay.

If there's any other anxieties that might be present,

Just tell them you're going to put them aside for just a little while but you really need to take this time to tune in.

This time for you,

Bringing attention to the breath,

Noticing the inhales and the exhales.

If it's helpful you might like to place your right hand on your belly,

Left hand on the heart and then noticing the rising and falling with each inhale and each exhale.

Now there's no need to fix or change anything,

Simply becoming aware and noticing which parts of the body are rising as you inhale and which parts of the body are releasing as you exhale.

Now let's start to deepen the breath,

Inhaling from deep in the belly.

So feel the belly expanding into the right hand as you inhale and watch the breath travel through the ribcage expanding in all directions all the way up into the left hand rising as the chest expands and then as you exhale watch the chest releasing,

Left hand falling,

Ribcage releasing,

Right hand falling as your belly releases.

Continuing in your own time,

Deep belly breath on the inhale,

Deep belly breath on the exhale.

Taking your time,

There's nowhere else you need to be,

Nothing else you need to do.

Simply be here with the breath,

Watching these deep belly breaths,

Rising on the inhale,

Releasing on the exhale.

Now releasing all control of the breath,

Releasing the hands beside you if you're lying down,

Palms facing up to the sky and then simply notice how you are feeling right now in this moment as your breath comes back to its natural breathing pace,

No control in the breath and perhaps in just a few short moments you might feel a little lighter,

A little more expanded,

Perhaps if there might still be some latent thoughts left behind that's okay too.

Let's go a little deeper on this journey as we continue to explore the breath in this yoga nidra.

You might like to set an intention for this practice today.

It could very simply be staying present with these sensations moment to moment or if there's another intention you'd like to work with today,

Go ahead and feel into it.

Now noticing if whatever intention you set today supports a deeper heartfelt desire that you have for this life.

If nothing arises,

This too is your experience.

You might like to simply stay curious and feel into if I had a heartfelt desire for this life,

What might it be?

Stating this desire in the present tense and then bringing yourself to this quiet space inside you.

Perhaps you might already be here noticing how even through any of the changing sensations you might be feeling or thoughts or emotions that might be present,

There's an ease and an openness that's also present.

You can always bring yourself back to the sense of ease at any time during this practice.

Now bringing attention to the crown of the head and noticing sensations in the crown of the head.

Is there perhaps a tightness here or a softening here?

And then traveling these sensations from the crown of the head through the forehead and the back of the head at the same time.

Then traveling sensations down the front of the face as well as the back of the head at the same time all the way down into the neck and into the throat.

Bringing attention into the throat,

Noticing if there's any tension here or perhaps there's some relaxation or softening.

There's no need to fix or change,

Simply notice what is here in this moment.

And then bringing attention across the tops of both shoulders at the same time and traveling sensations all the way down both arms at the same time through both elbows,

Through the forearms,

Into both wrists,

Both hands,

And all ten fingers at the same time as sensation.

Now bringing attention back to the throat,

Noticing if sensations now in the throat feel like they felt just a moment ago.

Perhaps different sensations are arising,

Staying with what is here in this moment.

Now traveling sensations from the throat all the way down through the chest,

Front and back,

Down through the torso,

And all the way down into the belly,

Front and back.

Traveling sensation down through the hips and pelvis and then both thighs front and back at the same time.

Noticing all of the sensations as you move through the legs at the same time,

All the way down into the feet.

Noticing if there is any tension or relaxation as you move all the way through both soles of the feet and all ten toes at the same time.

Now bringing attention to the front side of the body as sensation,

Lighting up with a vibrancy.

Now moving attention to the back side of the body,

Back side of the body lighting up with sensation.

Now front and back of the body at the same time as vibrant radiant sensation.

Noticing all of the sensations that might be present.

Noticing an ease that is also present.

Now bringing attention to the breath.

Once again deep belly breaths on the inhale,

Deep belly breaths on the exhale.

In your own time watching the breath move through the body,

Expanding through the ribcage in all directions on the inhale and watch the breath releasing and watch the body releasing on the exhale all the way down to the belly and noticing an ease and an openness,

Relaxation as you watch the breath move through the body.

You might like to continue here deep belly breaths in your own count or you're welcome to come along with me and begin to count the breath.

So let's count four counts on the inhale,

Four counts on the exhale and let's begin together exhaling the last breath and let's begin.

Inhale one,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale one,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhale one,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale one,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Continuing in your own count.

Deep belly breaths,

Four counts on the inhale.

Deep belly breaths,

Four counts on the exhale.

Now let's release all count of the breath coming back to a natural breathing pace.

Notice what is arising in mind and body.

Notice any physical sensations,

Thoughts or emotions that might be present and even through it all notice this deeper presence and awareness,

This ease and a spaciousness that's also here.

Let's take this breathing practice one more step deeper moving into box breathing.

We'll inhale for a count of four,

Hold at the top of the inhale for a count of four,

Exhale for a count of four,

Hold at the end of the exhale for another count of four.

So that's inhale four counts,

Hold four counts,

Exhale four counts,

Hold four counts.

You might like to continue with your deep belly breaths in your own count or you might like to continue inhaling for four and exhaling for four in your own count but if you'd like to try this box breathing with me,

Let's exhale together and begin.

Inhale one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold two,

Three,

Four,

Exhale one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Inhale one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Exhale one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Inhale one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Exhale one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold one,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Continuing in your own count.

If that count was too fast for you,

You might like to slow it down.

If it was too slow for you,

You might like to speed it up.

Trying this now in your own time,

In your own count.

If at any point you start to lose count,

Bring yourself back to one and start again or perhaps you might like to simply continue with deep belly breaths.

Watching the belly rising on the inhale,

Releasing on the exhale,

Finishing up your last round,

Ending with a hold at the end of your exhale and whenever you finished,

Simply releasing all control of the breath,

Releasing all counting of the breath and come back to a natural breathing rhythm and notice what is arising in body and mind.

Notice this ease and openness and perhaps a deeper presence that is also here.

This presence is always here within you,

A part of you.

This spacious,

Timeless you.

Now feeling into your deepest heartfelt desire once again,

Stating it in the present tense,

Recalling the intention you set at the start of this practice and know that this desire and this intention will be with you,

Carrying you through even beyond this practice,

Through the coming days.

This yoga nidra is now complete.

In your own time,

Wherever you are,

You might like to slowly wriggle the fingers and wriggle the toes.

Give yourself a nice big stretch as you inhale,

Raise the arms overhead,

Stretch it out,

Bringing movement back into the body and then exhale,

Releasing.

If you're lying down,

You might like to inhale,

Draw the knees into your chest,

Give yourself a nice squeeze and exhale,

Release.

Very gently moving yourself back up to a seated position again if you're lying down and if you're sitting up,

Very gently open your eyes.

Notice how you might be feeling right now,

Ready to continue the rest of your day.

Have a beautiful one!

Reviews

I felt great after completing this meditation session - calm, recharged, and focused. Thank you!

Lovely gentle guidance, with a lovely practice. Thank you.