40-Minute Yoga Nidra To Relax Your Body + Mind

This Yoga Nidra practice will guide you to relax your body and mind and connect with your inner truth through a heartfelt vow or intention. The practice involved a body scan, where you will focus your awareness on different body parts, releasing any felt tension. The session concluded with a guided meditation and appreciation for the presence of a loved one, emphasizing the importance of self-care and mindfulness.

Background music provided by 8-Hour Binaural Beats Podcast.

Transcript

Make your way on to your back and use any props to help you feel most comfortable.

This could include a pillow under your head,

A cozy blanket on your body,

A bolster under your knees.

Relax and settle into this comfortable position,

Allowing your body to become completely relaxed.

Let your arms and legs soften,

Feeling the support of what is ever beneath you.

If you need to,

Feel free to move or adjust your position until you can find stillness.

The practice of yoga nidra has now begun.

Gently close your eyes and take a deep breath in.

And as you exhale,

Release any and all tension from your body.

Feel yourself sinking into a state of effortless relaxation.

Let your mind soften and your breath flow naturally.

There's nothing to do,

Nowhere to be.

Just rest here in complete stillness.

Throughout this practice,

You may drift in and out of consciousness.

If you fall asleep,

Know that you will still absorb all the benefits of yoga nidra.

Try,

However,

To remain awake,

Yet completely relaxed.

If at any moment you need to adjust your body or open your eyes,

You are free to do so.

You are in control of this entire journey,

And you are completely safe.

Now take a moment to connect with your inner truth.

A sankalpa is a heartfelt vow,

A deep intention that reflects the essence of your being.

Remember,

You are already whole and perfect as you are.

Your sankalpa brings to light an aspect of yourself that is ready to be expressed.

In this stillness,

Ask yourself,

What does my heart truly desire?

What patterns do I wish to transform?

What am I ready to step into?

Once your sankalpa arises,

Keep it short,

Simple,

And in the present tense as if it's already true.

For example,

I am at peace.

I am enough.

Take this intention and gently plant it in the fertile soil of your awareness.

Press that your sankalpa is already manifesting,

Growing stronger with each breath.

Now repeat that sankalpa in your head three times.

We will now begin a rotation of consciousness body scan.

As you hear my voice,

Name different body parts.

Without moving,

Guide your focused awareness there.

If you feel any tension,

Allow all tension to melt away.

Begin on the right side of your body.

Bring your awareness to your right thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Pinky finger,

Palm of your hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Underarm,

Right side of the ribcage and lung,

Waistline,

Thigh,

Knee,

Heel,

Heel,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Top of the right foot,

Sole of the right foot,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Baby toe.

Hold the entire right side of your body in your awareness,

The whole right side.

Feel your right side with 100% of your awareness now.

Move your awareness to your left hand,

Left thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Pinky finger,

Palm of the back of your hand,

The back of your hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Underarm,

Left side of the ribcage and lung,

Waistline,

Thigh,

Kneecap,

Shin,

Ankle,

Top of the left foot,

Sole of the left foot,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Baby toe.

Wash the entire left side of your body with your awareness,

Whole left side.

Feel the entire left side of your body now.

Now to explore the back of your body,

Moving from right to left fairly quickly.

Feel the sole of your right foot,

The sole of your left foot,

The soles of both of your feet together.

The back of your right heel,

The back of your left heel,

Both heels together.

The right calf,

The left calf,

Both calves together.

Back of your right knee,

Back of your left knee,

The backs of both knees simultaneously.

Right hamstring,

Left hamstring,

Both sets of hamstrings together.

Right buttocks,

Left buttocks,

Both sides of your buttocks.

Back of your pelvis,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back.

Feel your right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Both shoulder blades together.

Right arm,

Left arm,

Both arms together.

Back of your neck,

Back of your head,

The crown of your head.

Feel your entire back body.

Now feel the crown of your head,

Your forehead,

Your right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Both eyebrows together.

Brow center,

Right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

Both eyelids together.

Right eyeball,

Left eyeball,

Both eyes together.

Feel your right nostril,

Left nostril,

Both nostrils together.

The bridge of your nose,

Tip of your nose,

Your whole entire nose.

Feel your upper lip,

Lower lip,

Both lips together.

Feel your chin,

Feel the right side of your jaw,

The left side of your jaw,

And both sides of your jaw all together.

Feel that.

And feel your whole face.

Feel the right side of your head,

The left side of your head.

Now feel both sides of your head together.

Feel the right side of your throat,

Left side of your throat.

Feel your whole neck and throat together.

Feel your right collarbone,

Your left collarbone,

Both collarbones together,

The right side of your chest,

The left side of your chest,

Both sides of your chest together,

Your whole chest all together.

Feel the area of your abdomen from your ribs to your belly button,

Low belly,

Pelvis,

Root of your pelvic floor,

Both thighs,

Both kneecaps,

Both shin,

Both ankles,

Tops of both of your feet.

Feel your right leg from your toes to your hip.

Feel your left leg from your toes to your hip.

Feel the entirety of both of your legs together.

Feel your right arm from your fingertips to your shoulder,

Your left arm from your fingertips to shoulder.

Now feel both arms together.

Keep your arms and your legs in your awareness.

Add your torso and your head to your feeling,

Your experience of now.

Feel and sense your entire body,

Your whole body.

Feel your whole body together simultaneously right now,

Whole body awareness.

Now let's explore the pairing of opposite.

As I name each pair,

Allow yourself to visualize or feel each quality deeply.

Allow these sensations to wash over you,

Noticing how they feel in your body and mind.

The feeling of being hot,

The feeling of being hot,

The heat,

The feeling of being cold,

So cold.

Heavy as lead,

So heavy here on the floor.

Your body is heavy here in this space,

So heavy.

Being light as a feather,

So light you can float.

A sense of being hard,

A sense of being soft.

Bring to mind the qualities of how it feels to be rigid and what it feels like to move fluidly,

Ebbing and flowing with what life presents,

Feeling like an outsider,

The sense of belonging.

As you hear the next pairing of words,

Visualize what's being described as quickly or slowly as they are named.

A newborn puppy,

A river flowing,

The smell of freshly baked cookies,

Hugging a loved one,

A bird taking flight,

The smell of brand new shoes,

A rainstorm,

A full moon,

Fresh sheets,

Booking a flight,

Listening to your favorite song,

Freshly brushed teeth,

Your childhood home,

A tall mountain,

The sound of my voice.

Now imagine yourself walking through a huge meadow.

It's a beautiful day,

And the sun is shining down on you.

The warmth of the sun envelops your entire being.

The grass feels soft beneath your feet,

And the faint scent of wildflowers mingles with the crisp hint of autumn in the fresh air.

You breathe it in deeply,

Feeling energized and peaceful at the same time.

As you continue to walk through the meadow,

You notice a path gently emerging ahead,

Leading into a forest.

It's the middle of the day,

And you feel safe,

Excited even,

To see where this path leads.

The possibilities feel endless as you step into the cool shade of the forest.

A gentle breeze stirs the leaves,

Creating a soft rustling sound as you walk.

While you meander along the winding path,

You take in the sights of the trees and wildlife around you.

See what you see,

Hear what you hear,

Feel what you feel,

And take a deep breath and take it all in.

As you walk around the next turn,

You come across the clearing with a stone table and two chairs.

Since you've been out walking,

The seat looks inviting,

Offering you a moment of rest.

You take a seat and look around,

Feeling the serenity of the space surrounding you.

Then as you glance across the table,

You notice someone sitting in the other chair,

A person you deeply admire,

Respect,

And love.

How wonderful they are with you right now.

It's so good to see them.

Notice how your heart feels when you see them.

Is it joy,

Gratitude,

Perhaps a sense of peace washes over you?

As you sit with them,

Take a moment to truly appreciate their presence and the role they play in your life.

As you look at them,

Feel the warmth and connection grow between you.

Notice how your energy shifts as they sit with you,

How your heart responds,

Perhaps expanding with joy or softening with gratitude.

The two of you take a little time to reconnect and enjoy each other's company.

It feels incredible to be in each other's presence.

This person is here with you for a reason and has a very important message to share with you.

Take a moment to reflect on the message they've shared with you.

How does it feel in your body?

What emotions surface?

Take a deep breath and let their words sink deeply into your heart.

How will you carry this message with you as you continue your journey?

Feel the strength of their wisdom merge with your inner knowing,

Guiding you from within.

What is the lesson to be gained from their message?

Trust your inner wisdom,

Your inner knowing.

What is the lesson to be gained from their message?

Knowing that your intuition is always there to support you on your path.

Take a deep breath and with your exhale,

Let go of any remaining tension.

Gently bring your full awareness into your heart space.

As you rest your awareness there,

Feel the warmth,

The light,

And the vastness within.

Let yourself sink deeper into the quiet stillness of the heart,

Allowing all thoughts,

Emotions,

And sensations to simply be.

You are safe here.

You are whole here.

This sacred space,

Take deep breaths.

With each breath,

Soften more into the heart,

Surrendering fully to this moment of peace and presence.

As we near the close of our practice,

Return to your sankalpa.

Feel it alive within you as a seed that has been nurtured through this deep rest.

Gently repeat it to yourself once again three times,

Knowing that it is already unfolding in your life.

Trust in its power,

Knowing that each time you return to it,

You bring it more fully into being.

With your next breath,

Anchor this intention into your heart,

Carrying it with you as you return to your day.

It is always there guiding and supporting you.

Begin to deepen your breath,

Very gently reawakening your body,

A gentle small movement.

When you're ready,

You might stretch,

Taking your arms up overhead,

Making that long full body stretch.

Imagine an option to roll on to your right side or left side,

Hurling into a fetal position,

Resting here for a few moments,

Allowing yourself to transition softly.

Practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

When you're ready,

You can use your hands to gently press yourself up into a comfortable position that's seated,

Keeping your eyes closed and your awareness turned inward.

Take your time,

Bringing your focus to the sense of peace and calm that you've created.

Realize here with you in each moment that you take time for stillness.

Take time for yourself.

Take a big,

Deep breath in through your nose.

Open your mouth,

Let it go,

And do that one more time.

Big,

Deep breath in.

Open mouth,

Exhale,

Let it go.

Slowly begin to flutter your eyes open.

You come back into the room.

Just take a moment to look around you,

One shoulder,

Maybe all the way around,

Reorienting yourself back into the space.

Look up and down.

Thank you for allowing me to guide you through this yoga nidra practice.

Namaste.

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