Yoga Nidra To Reduce Stress + Anxiety

This 25-minute yoga nidra meditation can help you reduce any anxiety and stress you might be feeling. Listen to this guided relaxation technique to help you feel into where the anxious thought or emotion may be showing up in the physical body, then working with its opposite sensation... observe how you might just be moved through it. Working somatically, observe as the stress response and anxiety reduces by the end of this yoga nidra meditation.

Transcript

Let's begin today by laying down in a comfortable position,

Arranging your body so that you feel completely supported to welcome a deep state of relaxation.

Allow your legs to be apart,

Arms away from the body,

Palms turned upwards,

And maybe a little support under the head,

A little support underneath the knees,

If this helps to give your lower back a little bit of ease today.

And as we begin this practice of Yoganidra,

Notice if there's anything you might do or adjust to be that little bit more comfortable in your body and mind.

At any point today you experience any discomfort,

Welcome it as a messenger,

Inviting you to re-adjust your body or asking you to listen to whatever emotion,

Thought or image that is emerging,

Simply observing whatever arises with curiosity and an openness.

Just listen to what these messengers have to tell you today,

Allowing your senses to be wide open.

And perhaps starting with an intention for today's practice,

What brought you here today?

How would you like to feel at the end of this practice?

Perhaps even stepping into that feeling right now,

If it's a sense of peace,

Openness,

Calm.

And perhaps this intention supports a deeper heartfelt desire,

Really opening with a sense of curiosity.

There might perhaps be a deeper heartfelt desire for what brought you here today.

Affirming this heartfelt desire in the present tense.

For example,

I am peace,

I am grounded,

I am centered.

Perhaps your heartfelt desire might be a deeper yearning to awaken to who you really are.

Big,

Unbounded,

Beautiful you.

Just taking your time,

Feeling into this heartfelt desire.

There's no rush,

Nowhere else you need to be.

And as we open into this practice,

I'd like to invite you into your inner sanctuary.

This is your happy place.

Perhaps you might know this place,

Somewhere in real life or perhaps in your imagination.

Is there somewhere you like to go to that brings about these feelings of calm,

Grounded,

Open,

Secure feelings within you?

Perhaps it's somewhere in nature,

The forest,

A lake.

Somewhere you might be really familiar with or perhaps somewhere in your imagination.

Perhaps this is your favorite room in your favorite house.

And as you step into this place,

Look around you.

What do you see?

What do you hear?

What do you smell really bringing this place to life?

Awakening all five senses,

Feeling happy,

Alive,

Anchored and grounded.

From this anchored,

Grounded space that's always here,

Feeling into this open,

Secure and held feelings of safety.

Know that at any point today,

You can always bring yourself back to your inner sanctuary.

Your happy place that you're in right now.

Bringing attention to the left side of the body.

Let's start by sensing and feeling into the left side of the face,

All the way up the cheeks,

All the way up the temples to the forehead.

And then feeling into the left side of the crown of the head,

Left side of the back of the head.

Traveling sensation all the way down the left side of the neck,

Down the tops of the left side of the shoulders.

And really sensing and feeling away all the way down the left arm,

Left elbow,

Forearm,

Left palm of the hand and all five fingertips.

Now feeling and sensing sensation down the left chest.

Feeling sensation all the way down the waist,

Into the left hip.

Now moving and traveling sensation all the way down the left leg,

From the thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

The entire left foot and all five toes on the left side.

Now sensing and feeling the entire left side of the body lighting up as vibrant sensation.

Now moving over to the right side of the body,

Let's travel up the right side of the face starting from the cheek,

Traveling up the right temple,

Up to the right forehead,

Traveling around the crown of the head,

Down the right side of the back of the head,

The right side of the back of the neck.

Moving sensation down the top of the right shoulder and then moving sensation all the way down the right arm.

Really sensing and feeling into the right elbow,

Right forearm,

Palm of the hand,

All five fingers on the right side.

Now traveling sensation from the right chest,

All the way down the torso into the right waist,

Hip and then traveling sensation all the way down the right leg,

Moving from the thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Right foot and all five toes on the right side.

Now feeling the entire right side of the body as a radiant,

Vibrant sensation,

Lighting up with the right side of the body.

Now moving attention into the left side of the body from the top of the head all the way down to the toes.

Once again feeling the left side of the body as radiant sensation,

Feeling the energy,

Pulsation,

Perhaps a tingling and then moving attention over to the right side of the body once again from the crown of the head all the way down to the tips of the toes,

The entire right side of the body lighting up as radiant,

Vibrant sensation.

One more time shifting attention to the left side of the body and really sensing and feeling all the way from the inside of the body into the skin boundary and beyond the skin boundary of the left side and then shifting attention to the right side of the body,

Moving and traveling from the inside of the body all the way out to the skin boundary and then beyond the skin boundary on the right side.

Now feeling both sides of the body at the same time lighting up as radiant,

Vibrant sensation.

Feeling this energy,

Perhaps a tingling,

A warmth,

Traveling all the way through from the inside of the body,

Moving its way into the skin boundary and beyond the skin boundary.

If it's helpful weaving in sensations of your inner sanctuary,

Your happy place,

Anchored,

Grounded,

Open and held.

Now bringing attention to the breath,

Starting to deepen the inhales and deepen the exhales.

Now mentally divide the body down the midline into left and right sides of feeling sensation.

At the top of your next inhale,

Retain the breath for several seconds.

Shift your attention across the midline into the left side of the body.

Feel sensation only in the left side of the body.

During the exhale,

Feel that you're breathing only through the left nostril and the breath is saturating the left side of the body,

Exploring sensations throughout the left side of the body.

Inhale through the left side of the body,

Deepening sensations as you inhale through the left side of the body.

At the top of the next inhale,

Retain the breath for several seconds.

Then this time shift attention across the midline over to the right side of the body.

Feel only sensation through the right nostril and right side of the body.

And as you exhale,

Breath saturates the right side of the body,

Exploring sensations down the right side of the body.

Deepening sensations on the next inhale as you continue to inhale through the right side of the body.

Continue breathing in this manner,

Exploring sensations in the left side of the body as you exhale.

Deepening the sensations on the left side as you inhale,

Retaining the breath at the top of the inhale,

Then shifting attention over to the right on the next exhale.

Deepening into the sensations on the inhale.

At the top of the inhale,

While retaining the breath,

Shift the attention over to the opposite side and then exhale,

Feeling into the sensations on this side.

Deepen the sensations as you inhale,

Retaining the breath at the top of the inhale and then shifting attention into the opposite side.

Continue a few rounds in your own time.

And at the end of the next inhale,

Releasing all control of the breath,

Resting here for a few moments,

And noticing sensations in the mind,

Body,

Breath.

Now bringing attention to any anxious thought or emotion that you might like to work with today.

As you recall,

Any of this anxiety,

Simply letting go of the labels attached to it,

But perhaps feel into what physical sensations it's bringing up in your body.

Is there a tightness or constriction,

And where in the body might this be showing up at?

Perhaps it's around the throat,

Around the heart space,

Or the solar plexus,

Or perhaps it's the belly.

No need to label,

No need to judge it,

Simply noticing what is present and showing up as physical sensations in the body.

Just feeling and sensing your way into the body.

At any point that starts to feel too challenging for you,

If it's helpful,

Recalling your inner sanctuary and taking yourself back there again.

The feelings of anchored,

Grounded,

Centered security.

But if you're working with this anxious thought or emotion,

Feeling into the physical sensations within the body that any of this anxiety might be bringing up,

And simply noticing these physical sensations in the body.

Everything just as it is.

Now is there an opposite to this physical sensation?

Is there an opposite to this anxious thought or emotion,

And how might that be coming up in the body?

Where in the body do you feel its opposite?

Might there be an openness or a lightness?

Perhaps it's a space just around the constriction or tightness?

Perhaps it's in a different part within the body.

But just for a few moments,

Sense and feel into where you can feel the opposite.

And if no opposite is present,

This too is your experience.

Everything just as it is.

If it's helpful,

You might like to turn to your inner sanctuary,

Bringing about these feelings of anchored,

Grounded,

Open,

Security,

Your happy place.

And then once again,

Cycling into feeling the physical sensations in the body of the anxiety,

Once again feeling into where there might be a tightness or constriction.

Is there a warmth?

Perhaps there's a coolness to it?

Perhaps there's a sense of tension,

Intense muscles around the area?

And then once again cycling into the opposite of this physical sensation.

What does the opposite of this feel like?

Is it open?

Light?

Is there a relaxed quality about it?

And then just for a few more moments in your own time,

Simply cycling between the physical sensations that this anxiety brings about and then cycling into the opposite of it.

If it's helpful,

You might like to use your inhales and exhales or as you inhale,

Feeling into physical sensations that this anxiety brings up and as you exhale,

Feeling into the opposite.

And perhaps you might like to use the anchored,

Grounded feelings from your inner sanctuary as the opposite.

And then if you're able to,

I'd like to invite you to hold both of these physical sensations together at the same time.

The openness,

The constriction,

The lightness,

The tension,

Both at the same time.

If this is challenging or no sensation is present,

This too is your experience.

Feeling just as it is.

At any point,

You can always weave in the sensations of your inner sanctuary,

Bringing yourself home to your happy place,

Feeling anchored,

Grounded,

Open and held.

Even through all of the changing physical sensations,

Emotions and thoughts,

There is a deeper awareness that is always present,

Opening into this deep presence and being,

This joy of being that is always here.

Even through all of the changing sensations,

Emotions and thoughts,

Let go and simply open and surrender to the vast,

Open,

Spacious awareness that is always here.

Let go and surrender to this moment.

Feeling if thoughts arise or if emotions arise.

All of these changing sensations through ever-unchanging awareness,

Touching back into your heartfelt desire once again.

I am peace.

I am centered.

I am grounded.

Moving into your intention for this practice.

Once again weaving in sensations from your inner sanctuary.

And know that this anchored,

Grounded center is always within you.

It's always here for you to come home to.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Reviews

Thank you for offering these practices. I keep coming back to your calming and nurishing guidance.There is something in your voice that makes me feel uplifted and rejuvenated.🧡

Relaxing!! This was a great way to slow down for sleep. It would also help in times of stress or anxiety.