Yoga Nidra For Pregnancy & Birth

As a birth doula and meditation teacher, I created this Yoga Nidra to be used during pregnancy, to help mothers-to-be access deep relaxation and deep rest, as they prepare for a peaceful and empowering birth. If you are new to Yoga Nidra, it is a very gentle, beginner-friendly, deeply restorative meditation, practiced from a comfortable lying down position. Please enjoy this practice and know that your birth

Transcript

This Yoganidra meditation is intended to be used during pregnancy to help you deeply relax and prepare for a peaceful,

Empowering birth.

Let this meditation be an opportunity to connect with intention to your baby,

Embracing the magic and the mystery of this new beginning.

If you're new to Yoganidra,

It is a simple,

Beginner-friendly meditation practiced from a comfortable,

Lying down position.

So take your time and get settled,

Lying down in your bed in whatever position is most comfortable for you.

If you're not sure how to place your body,

You might like to try lying on your left side with a pillow between your knees,

Your hands cradled beneath your head.

Give yourself a few minutes to become settled,

Relaxed,

And as comfortable and cozy as possible,

Maybe covering yourself with a blanket,

Perhaps placing a thin eye pillow or even a scarf lightly over your eyes to block out any light.

As you continue to adjust your position and settle in,

Take a slow,

Steady breath in through your nose and then gradually,

Gently release the breath out through your mouth.

Do this twice more.

Begin to soften and release any tension you might be carrying,

Creating a sense of spaciousness,

A feeling of allowing,

Recognizing that from this moment on,

There is nothing to do and nowhere to be.

This time and this practice is for you.

Let your fingers and your hands become loose,

Your legs and feet heavy.

Feel your eyes and lips lightly closed,

Your jaw and shoulders relaxed.

Feel that your breath is natural,

Effortless.

And as you feel into the natural rhythm of your breath,

Invite in a feeling of trust in the natural unfolding of your pregnancy.

Let your breath guide you to find ease and relaxation in this moment and in every moment,

To let go,

To trust,

And to be at peace with what is.

And now begin to visualize yourself.

Visualize yourself resting deeply,

Prepared for Yoganidra,

Mentally tracing around the shape of your body.

Visualize around your entire body,

Tracing around the curves of your belly,

Your breasts,

Sensing your softness,

Your strength,

Aware of your own beauty,

The beauty of your body,

And the beauty of the life you're nurturing inside you.

And now gently guide awareness deep into your heart space,

Feeling into this space,

And see if you can become aware of your heartbeat.

And as you witness the ever-present beating of your heart,

Recognize that you don't have to tell your heart to beat.

You don't have to do anything.

With every beat of your heart,

You're already nourishing your baby.

Begin to notice your breath here in the space of your heart,

Feeling into the gentle,

Spontaneous,

Effortless expansion and release created with every breath.

And recognize that you don't need to tell your body to breathe.

You don't need to do anything.

Allow yourself to trust fully in your body.

It knows what to do.

And see if you can deepen awareness of your breath here,

Imagining that you are breathing in and out of your heart space.

Every breath you draw into your heart space,

Feel a sense of softness,

Spaciousness,

Openness,

And receptivity.

And with every breath that flows out of your heart,

Allow your body to release its weight more and more onto the surface beneath.

Let yourself feel fully held,

Fully supported.

Each in-breath softens.

Each out-breath releases.

Each breath creating more spaciousness,

More peace in your body,

Your heart,

And your mind.

With every breath in,

Draw in a deep sense of trust.

And with every breath out,

Let go of your worries.

Breathing in trust,

Breathing out fear,

Breathing in peace,

Breathing out worry.

Remember that there is no right or wrong way to give birth.

Consciously giving yourself permission to release your plans,

Your worries,

And your inhibitions.

Create a sense of trust in your own experience,

In your own journey,

Knowing that you will bring your baby into the world in whatever way is right for you.

Continue to observe your breath flowing in and out,

Effortless,

Easy,

Spontaneous breath.

Know that you are breathing perfectly,

Drawing in exactly as much oxygen as you need with every breath.

And become aware that the natural process of relaxation happens the same way your heart beats,

The same way your breath flows.

Nothing to do,

Pure being,

Trusting,

Allowing,

And letting go.

See if you can create the feeling of energy and awareness expanding with each breath in.

And with each breath out,

Feel energy and awareness drawn more and more deeply inward.

With each breath in,

Feel as though your breath creates a radiant field of light surrounding your whole being,

Visualizing yourself shining brightly,

Illuminated,

Expansive,

And fully in your power.

And with each breath out,

Have the sensation that this energy and radiance is gathered,

Collected,

And drawn deep within,

Creating a single vibrant point of light in the center of the heart space.

Into the heart space,

Mentally speak a positive intention for this moment or for birth,

Realizing that what you think can change how you feel.

Positive thoughts create positive feelings,

And positive feelings create positive experiences.

You might like to use the intention,

I open to my journey into motherhood with deep trust.

Or in birth,

I speak my truth and honor my experience.

Or perhaps,

I step into my strength and power as a woman and a mother.

Use an intention that resonates deeply and speak it mentally to yourself with full feeling,

Sensing that it lands in the innermost space of your being.

Repeat this intention twice more with full strength and full trust.

At this time in the practice,

The awareness will move through the body,

A journey of consciousness.

As each body part is named,

Let your awareness land lightly on the part as you mentally repeat its name.

Beginning on the right side of the body,

Draw all attention into the right hand thumb,

Feeling it and mentally repeating right hand thumb.

You like this,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Lower arm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Side of your right breast,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Ankle,

Sole,

Top of the right foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

Whole right side of the body,

Whole right side.

Awareness to the left side,

Left hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Middle finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Lower arm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Side of your left breast,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Ankle,

Shoulder,

Shoulder,

Sole,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

Whole left side of the body.

Guide awareness to the back of the body and simply feel each part as it's named.

Awareness of the right heel,

Left heel,

Right calf,

Left calf,

Back of right knee,

Back of left knee,

Back of right thigh,

Back of left thigh,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

Spinal column,

Tailbone to midbrain,

Midbrain to tailbone,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

The space between,

Back of the neck,

Back of the head,

Top of the head,

Forehead,

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

The eyebrow center,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Bridge of nose,

Tip of nose,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

The whole nose,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Both lips,

Inside the mouth feeling the tongue,

Teeth,

Gums,

Right side of jaw,

Left side of jaw,

The chin,

The whole jaw,

The whole face,

The whole head,

Front of the neck,

Throat pit,

Right breast,

Left breast,

Heart center,

The roundness,

The swell of your abdomen,

The right side of your abdomen,

The left side of your abdomen,

Whole abdomen,

Feel your whole abdomen and feel your baby inside,

Inside your belly,

Feel that your baby can sense your attention,

Feel the whole of your belly,

The fullness and stretch of your belly,

The right side of your pelvis,

Left side of your pelvis,

Whole pelvic girdle,

The whole pelvic girdle,

Feel the bones of your pelvis supporting you and your baby,

Feel your womb and your baby within your womb,

Visualize your baby more and more ready to move down into the birth canal to gently enter the world,

Your child's first journey,

Feel your body holding your baby and feel that your body is becoming ready for birth,

Aware of your whole trunk,

Your full belly,

Your breasts,

The whole trunk of your body,

Your neck,

Your head,

Both legs,

Both feet,

Both arms,

Both hands,

Deeply aware of your whole body,

Your whole body,

Your baby within your body,

Aware of your baby within your body,

Safe,

Held and protected,

More deeply connected to your breath,

Aware that every breath you draw gives life and vitality to your baby,

Feeling into the nourishing nature of the in-breath,

The purifying nature of the out-breath,

Let your body breathe spontaneously,

Feeling into your breath's natural rhythm,

Knowing that there is no rush,

No hurry,

That there is no right or wrong way to breathe,

Your body knows what to do.

Now begin to explore creating a slow and steady breath.

You might like to add a count,

In two three,

Out two three,

In two three,

Out two three,

Taking some time to explore the breath and the count until you find a pace that feels the rhythm of the breath soothe you.

Let it guide you into a deeper state of peace and ease.

Begin to feel the breath moving through you like a wave and create the sensation that you are riding the breath,

Surfing the slow rolling waves,

Feeling into the movement of each breath,

The way it ebbs and flows,

The way it creates a rising and falling sensation in your body.

Feel into the pathway the breath takes through your body,

Feeling it in your nostrils and feeling it travel down into your throat,

Feel your breath moving into your heart space,

Bring it down into your belly,

Down into your womb,

Feel that you are breathing with your baby,

Every breath nurturing,

Sending nourishment.

Remember that your breath is always there for you,

Even when you feel overwhelmed or afraid.

By changing your breath,

You can change everything.

Continue to feel each breath traveling through you,

Moving through your body,

Journeying deep down into your womb,

Giving life force to your baby.

Gently guide awareness into the heart space,

Resting here and opening your awareness to whatever arises.

Remember that your breath is always there for you,

Even when you feel overwhelmed or afraid.

Gently guide awareness up to the space of the mind.

Gently gaze into the space behind the closed eyes and visualize in this space a mountain.

Gaze up at it.

See and know the strength of the mountain.

Feel this strength within you,

Embody it.

The strength,

The steadiness of a mountain.

Embrace the rising and falling waves of the ocean.

Embody this flow and feel into the expansive nature of the ocean.

The full moon,

The full moon shining luminous above you.

Embody its radiance and see yourself as luminous,

Radiant.

The rising sun,

The rising sun,

A new day,

Feeling into this sense of possibility the potential of new beginnings.

Now visualize your baby within you,

Seeing your baby shape and form deep within your womb.

See the way your baby is nestled inside,

Peaceful,

Protected and held.

Know that your baby is growing more and more ready to enter the world,

To meet you,

To draw breath and to know the warmth of your embrace.

But now remember your positive intention made at the beginning of the practice.

Remember it and repeat it mentally three times with strength and feeling.

Become aware of your natural breath,

Noticing its depth and rhythm.

Be aware of your breath nourishing you,

Nourishing your baby,

Filling you both with energy and life force.

Begin very slowly and gently,

Begin to breathe in a little deeper and breathe out a little longer,

Shifting from a natural breath to a conscious breath.

Feel your breath reawakening you,

Body and mind.

And begin to feel back into your body,

Noticing how you feel,

Feeling your body lying on the bed,

Feeling the clothes covering you,

Remembering the room around you.

Remembering the day of the week,

The time of the day,

And knowing that the practice of yoga nidra has come to an end.

And remember that this experience of deep relaxation,

Of trust and ease,

Of deep peace is available to you in every moment.

When you're ready,

Start to introduce movement,

Mindfully moving your body in whatever way feels best for you right now,

Taking as much time as you need to make your way up into a seated position,

Or perhaps continue to rest lying down,

Enjoying this moment of peace just for you.

Reviews

Invites trust into the birth journey, whatever arises. Loved the body scan and affirmations prompt

What a beautiful journey home 🤍 thank you 🙏

Very beautiful! Voice so soothing. Visualizations powerful. I feel empowered, at peace and ready for birth!

Lovely 🥰

Amazing

Soooo relaxing..😌

My favorite pregnancy meditation

Lovely thank you!

Perfect ! Thank you for this share this really suit me and my baby!

So beautiful! I want to listen every day!

This put me to sleep! Very relaxing!