Welcome to this 10-minute Yoga Nidra session.
I'm Femke Droog and I designed this practice to help you step out of overwhelm,
Ease anxiety and reset your mind and body.
You can do this lying down or sitting comfortably.
If you're seated,
Ensure your feet are flat on the ground and your back is supported.
Please close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Let your hands rest on your thighs or by your side.
Then,
Take a moment to pause.
Bring your attention to the contact points between your body and the surface supporting you.
Feel the weight of your body sinking into the chair,
Into the floor or your bed.
Now take a deep breath in through your nose,
Hold it gently for a moment and then sigh it out through your mouth and let any tension flow out with your exhale.
Then repeat this two times more.
You inhale deeply,
You pause and then you exhale slowly,
Releasing any stress or tightness.
We will now use the sighing breath to calm the body and reset your nervous system.
This is one of the most effective ways to calm down and deal with overwhelm and anxiety.
So let's go through it.
You inhale through your nose and just before your lungs get full,
You take a second shorter sip of air through your nose and then you exhale slowly and completely through your mouth as if you're sighing out relief.
So you inhale through your nose and just as it feels full,
You take a short second sip of air through your nose again and then you exhale slowly and completely through your mouth and you sigh it out.
Let's do it one more time together.
You inhale deeply through your nose.
Take a second sip and then you exhale slowly.
Refine now a comfortable rhythm for yourself,
So keep on doing the sighing breath for two more minutes at your own pace.
I'll keep track of the time,
So don't worry about that.
And while you're breathing in and out,
Feel your shoulders drop and feel how your chest softens with each exhale.
Imagine with that exhale tension melting away like water flowing out of a jar.
Picture your mind clearing,
Creating space for calm and clarity.
Now let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
Shift your awareness to your body and let's start at the top of your head.
Notice your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your jaw.
Do you sense any tension there?
And allow it to soften.
Then move on to your neck and your shoulders and imagine any tension just dripping away.
Then feel your chest and your abdomen rise and fall naturally with your breath.
Notice your arms and your hands and let them feel heavy and at ease.
Then bring your attention to your legs and your feet,
Letting them relax fully and into the ground.
And feel how your entire body is supported and safe.
Then imagine yourself standing in the middle of a gentle flowing river.
The water representing your thoughts and your tasks,
Always moving but not overwhelming,
Just flowing around you.
And see yourself standing there,
Firm,
Steady and in control while the river is flowing around you.
With you,
You remain calm and untouched by its rush.
And stay with this image.
Feel your feet grounded,
Your mind clear,
Your heart steady.
Now silently repeat to yourself,
I am calm.
I am grounded.
And I can handle what comes next.
Take a deep breath through your nose,
Pulse and exhale fully through your mouth.
And when you're ready,
You can wiggle your toes,
Wiggle your fingers and open your eyes.
And you feel refreshed and ready to move forward with a sense of clarity and calm.
Thank you for taking these 10 minutes to take care of yourself.
Return to this practice whenever you need to reset or to find calm amidst the busyness of life.
If you want to have more practices like this,
Please visit my profile,
Febcadero,
And you'll find free meditations at your disposal or courses you can take.
Thank you for joining me.
We'll see you next time.
