Deep Rest Yoga Nidra

This is a Yoga Nidra practice for deep relaxation. This is a beginner friendly meditation that you can lie down comfortably and listen to. Take this time for yourself to calm the mind or enter a space of clarity amidst a busy or stressful day.

Note: This practice ends when you are asked to activate your fingers and toes.

Transcript

So just preparing now for the practice of Yoga Nidra.

So lying down comfortably,

Taking off any glasses,

Any spectacles,

Perhaps using a blanket for warmth and perhaps placing something underneath the knees,

A cushion or a bolster just to help take any pressure out of your lower back.

And starting to move towards becoming completely still with the body.

So just making any final little adjustments,

Letting the feet splay out to the sides and closing down the eyes.

So letting the eyeballs sink into the back of the head.

Just noticing your whole body resting against the bed or the floor.

Noticing the weight of the body sinking downwards.

And the slight pressure of the ground or the bed coming upwards towards the body.

So noticing where those two forces meet.

Coming to rest the tip of the tongue on the top of the mouth and breathing only through the nose if you can.

Just letting your breath find a natural comfortable rhythm,

An easy rhythm.

Noticing your whole body,

Your legs becoming more relaxed,

Your arms,

Your shoulders sinking towards the earth,

Your belly relaxed,

Your chest,

The back of your neck,

The back of your head and the face.

Just allowing a softening from the forehead through the eyes,

The nose,

The lips and the chin.

Just allowing the whole face to be soft,

The breath to be soft and easy.

Perhaps noticing with your breath how you're breathing and perhaps noticing what nostril is clearer.

So what nostril does the breath pass through more easily.

So we're not looking to change anything here.

So we're just looking to become aware of your breath and how you're breathing.

So now with your breath just starting to gently increase the depth of your breath.

So a little bit of a longer inhalation breath and a little bit longer exhalation breath.

A little bit longer inhalation breath and a little bit longer exhalation breath.

Just continuing to breathe in this way for just a few more moments.

Good and just releasing any control of the breath.

So just allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.

As we move into the yoga nidra practice.

So as I mentioned a part of the body I just want you to place your attention,

Your awareness onto that part of the body becoming aware of it.

And we don't want to try and move that part of the body but just become aware of the body and then I will mention the next part of the body.

So the practice just involves moving your attention from part to part.

Also starting your attention on your right hand thumb,

The right hand thumb,

The second finger,

The middle finger,

The ring finger and the little finger.

The palm of the right hand,

The back of the right hand,

The right wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

The right side of the chest,

The right side of the waist,

The right hip,

The right thigh,

The right knee,

The right lower leg,

The right ankle,

The right foot,

The sole of the right foot,

The big toe,

The second toe,

The third toe,

The fourth toe and the fifth toe to the left side of the body.

So starting at the left hand thumb,

Left hand thumb,

The second finger,

The third finger,

The ring finger,

The little finger,

The palm of the left hand,

The back of the left hand,

The left wrist,

The left forearm,

The left elbow,

The left upper arm,

The left shoulder,

The left side of the chest,

The left waist,

The left hip,

The left thigh,

Left knee,

The left lower leg,

The left ankle,

The left foot,

The sole of the left foot,

The big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and fifth toe.

And starting at the top of the head,

The top of the head,

Moving down to the face,

To the forehead,

The left eye,

The right eye,

The nose,

The left cheek,

The right cheek,

The lips,

The tongue,

The chin,

The front of the throat,

The left side of the chest,

The right side of the chest,

The center of the chest,

The upper belly,

The middle of the belly,

The lower belly,

The groin,

The top of the left leg,

The top of the left foot.

The top of the right leg,

The top of the right foot.

The sole of the left foot,

The sole of the right foot.

The back of the left leg,

The back of the right leg,

The left buttock,

The right buttock,

The left side,

The lower back,

The right side of your lower back,

The middle of the back,

The left upper back,

The right upper back,

The whole upper back,

The back of the neck,

The back of the head,

And to the top of the head,

The top of the head.

So bigger parts now,

So both legs together,

Becoming aware of both legs together,

The hips,

The back of the body,

The front of the torso,

The neck,

The whole head,

And both arms together,

Becoming aware of both arms together.

So becoming aware of the head,

Both arms,

The whole torso,

And both legs,

Both legs,

Torso,

Both arms,

And head,

And the head,

Both arms,

The torso,

And both legs,

Becoming aware of the whole body together,

The whole body together,

The whole body together,

The whole body together.

So noticing sensations throughout the body,

The legs,

The spine,

The head,

And the chest.

So with your attention and with your skills of the mind,

I want you to develop the sensation throughout your body,

Developing the sensation of heat in your body,

Of heat radiating throughout your whole body.

Good.

And now developing the sensation of coolness throughout your body,

The sensation of coolness throughout your whole body.

Perhaps there was a time in the past when you were exposed to coolness or coldness,

So with your mind developing that sensation again,

A sensation of coolness throughout your body,

Of coolness throughout the body.

Good.

And now developing the sensation of heaviness throughout your body,

The sensation of heaviness throughout your body,

Feeling like your whole body is being drawn and sunken down into the floor,

Down into the earth,

Developing the sensation of heaviness throughout your body.

And now developing the sensation throughout your whole body of lightness,

Of lightness,

Like your whole body is lifting,

Becoming buoyant and lifting off the floor with the sensation of lightness throughout your whole body,

Of lightness.

And just releasing the practice,

Just allowing your body to settle,

Allowing your breath to settle back to a natural pace.

Now developing in our mind's eye images,

Developing the image of a white sailboat,

Of a white sailboat.

And now developing the image in the mind's eye of a baby smiling,

Of a baby smiling.

And now developing the image of a candle flame,

Of a candle flame.

And now developing the image of an eagle soaring,

Of an eagle soaring through the sky,

The image of an eagle soaring.

And now developing the image in the mind's eye of wind moving through the trees,

Of wind moving through the trees.

And now developing the image in the mind's eye of a dense rainforest,

Of a dense rainforest.

And now developing the image of a gentle campfire,

The image of a campfire.

And just releasing that practice,

Letting your mind be free of the images,

Becoming aware of the body once again,

Becoming aware of both legs,

Spine,

The chest,

The arms and the head,

Becoming aware of our breathing through the nostrils.

And with our breathing just making our breath a little faster,

A little faster.

And as we do so,

Sensing the breath entering the body and traveling throughout our arms and down our legs and up into our head,

Filling this body with breath,

Filling this body with life,

Feeling a lightness as the breath enters the body.

And when you're ready,

Starting to activate the fingers,

Activate the toes.

Reviews

I liked that very much. Simple and straightforward

Great practice for deep rest. I wanted to find a new Yoga Nidra meditation so I didn't fall asleep (I usually do these at night!) This one is just perfect for my needs. Thank you for this gift.

Wonderful straightforward yoga nidra. No music or other distracting elements. Has wake up instructions at end. Would probably sleep through them if I did doze off, so not a problem for the wee hours. 12/23/23

I love how minimalist this yoga nidra is. The voice is very nice and even throughout. I will absolutely be using this session more often.

Very beautiful Nidra practice. Your voice is so smooth and peaceful. Did wait for a closing but still a wonderful practice.

Loved it, thank you 🙏

So nice. So relaxing

Really lovely practice. Easy to listen to the gentle voice and follow the clear instructions. Thank you 🙏

Lovely guided body scan and images

Works well asleep before end

Lovely meditation and full body awareness. Feeling refreshed, calm and peaceful. Thank you ☺🙏☯️