Yoga Nidra For Deep Relaxation

Welcome to this yoga nidra practice. Yoga nidra, often referred to as "yogic sleep," is a powerful technique for deep relaxation and inner exploration. This practice offers us a unique opportunity to settle into an extraordinarily relaxed state of being, bringing us to the threshold between sleep and wakefulness. In yoga nidra, we remain consciously aware while systematically relaxing the body and mind. This state of conscious relaxation allows us to access deeper layers of our consciousness, promoting physical rejuvenation, emotional balance, and mental clarity. During this practice, you'll be guided through various stages, including body scanning, breath awareness, and visualization. Remember, there's no "right" way to experience yoga nidra. Your only task is to remain as aware as possible while allowing yourself to relax completely.

Transcript

Welcome to this Yoga Nidra practice.

Yoga Nidra or yogic sleep is a practice that allows us to come into a state of being that is somewhere between sleep and wakefulness.

And it is considered to be one of the deepest possible states of relaxation we can achieve while remaining fully conscious.

Now that being said,

There is a possibility you will fall asleep during this practice.

So if there is anywhere that you need to be,

I do encourage you to set an alarm before settling in so that you can completely and fully relax.

Alright,

Let's go ahead and get started.

Welcome again to this Yoga Nidra practice.

I'm going to invite you to begin by finding a comfortable position lying down.

You might rest on the floor on your yoga mat.

You might rest in the comfort of your bed.

And just take whatever time you need to get really cozy and comfortable so your body can completely relax.

You might place a cushion behind the backs of the knees.

You might support behind the head with a pillow.

Feel free to cover yourself up with a blanket to stay warm.

Take your time to settle in and allow your body to settle into the ground or the bed beneath you.

Yoga Nidra offers us a state of conscious relaxation where we remain aware while inviting the body and mind to deeply rest.

There's nothing you need to do here except follow the sound of my voice.

If your mind wanders,

Simply bring it back without judgment.

I invite you to take a long,

Slow,

Deep breath in.

And as you exhale,

Imagine letting go of any tension in your body.

Allow yourself to become heavy,

Sinking into the support beneath you.

Releasing any hold on the physical world around you,

Knowing for this practice you have nowhere to be and nothing to do.

Now bring to mind your sankalpa,

Your deep resolve or heartfelt intention.

Intuitively feel into this.

It could be something you wish to cultivate in your life,

Maybe more self-trust,

Inner peace or the ability to release control.

Your sankalpa should be stated in the present tense as if it's already true.

For example,

I am at peace with myself or I trust in my inner wisdom.

So take a moment to tune into your sankalpa and silently state your sankalpa three times,

Allowing it to sink into your subconscious.

We'll now move through a body scan,

Bringing awareness to each part of the body.

And so as I name each part,

Simply bring your attention there and then release it.

So there's no need to move or tense any muscles.

Just observe the sensations present.

Begin by bringing awareness to the crown of your head.

Feel any sensations here,

Tingling,

Pressure,

Temperature.

Move to your scalp.

Notice the contact between your hair and scalp with the surface beneath you.

Bring awareness now to your face,

Starting with your forehead.

Feel the entire span of your forehead from temple to temple.

Notice any tension here and allow it to soften.

Move to your right eyebrow.

Feel its shape,

The hair,

The skin underneath.

Now your left eyebrow.

Notice if one eyebrow feels different from the other.

Bring attention to the space between your eyebrows.

This is your third eye,

A point of intuition and inner wisdom.

Allow this area to relax and soften.

Focus on your right eyelid.

Feel its weight,

Its delicate skin.

Now your left eyelid.

Allow your eyes to relax deeply in their sockets as if they're gently falling back into your head.

Move to your right eye.

Without moving,

Sense the eyeball itself,

The muscles around it.

Now your left eye.

Let both eyes soften and release any holding.

Imagine your eyes becoming heavy and still.

Bring awareness now to your left eye.

Imagine your eyes becoming heavy and still.

Bring awareness to your right ear.

Feel its outer shape,

The ear canal,

The earlobe.

Now your left ear.

Feel its outer shape,

The ear canal,

The earlobe.

Notice any sounds you may be hearing,

Allowing them to come and go without judgment.

Focus on your right cheek.

Feel the skin,

The muscles underneath.

Now your left cheek.

Allow both cheeks to relax and soften as if gently melting.

Bring attention to your nose.

Feel the bridge of your nose.

The nostrils,

The passage of air as you breathe.

Notice the coolness of the inhale and the warmth of the exhale.

Move to your upper lip.

Notice its shape,

Any sensation here.

Now your lower lip.

Allow your mouth to soften.

Perhaps allowing a small space between your lips.

Let your tongue relax,

Resting gently in your mouth.

Guide your awareness to your chin.

Feel its shape,

The skin,

The bone underneath.

Now your jaw.

Notice if you're holding any tension here and allow it to release.

Let your jaw hang loose.

Creating space between your upper and lower teeth.

Move to your neck and throat.

Feel the front of your neck,

The sides,

The back.

Allow any tension in your throat to dissolve.

Imagine your throat becoming open and relaxed.

Bring awareness to your right collarbone.

Feel its length from your shoulder to your sternum.

Imagine any tension melting away from this area.

Now your left collarbone.

Feel its length from your shoulder to your sternum.

Imagine any tension just melting away,

Letting it go.

Allow both collarbones to soften and relax.

Focus now on your right chest.

Feel the skin,

The muscles,

Perhaps the beat of your heart.

And now your left chest.

The skin,

The muscles,

Perhaps the beat of your heart.

Allow your chest to soften and expand with each breath,

Creating a sense of spaciousness.

Bring your awareness now to the middle of your chest,

Your heart center.

Imagine a warm,

Gentle light here,

Radiating peace and compassion throughout your body.

Allow this area to soften and open.

Move now to your upper abdomen.

Feel the rise and fall as you breathe.

Let your belly be soft and relaxed,

Free from any tension or holding.

Now your navel region.

Notice any sensations of hunger or fullness.

Observing without judgment.

Moving now to your lower belly.

Feel the depth of your belly,

The support it provides to your lower back.

Allow this area to become heavy and relaxed,

Sinking into the surface beneath you.

Bring awareness to your right hip.

Feel the weight of it,

The connection to your leg and torso.

And now your left hip.

Allow both hips to release and let go,

Becoming heavy and relaxed.

Move down to your right thigh.

Feel its entire length,

The muscles,

The skin.

Imagine any tension flowing out through your leg.

Now your left thigh.

Feel its entire length,

The muscles,

The skin,

Allowing it to soften and relax completely.

Guide your awareness to your right knee.

Feel the kneecap.

Feel the kneecap,

The bend of the knee,

The connection it makes between your thigh and lower leg.

Now your left knee.

Front of the knee,

Back of the knee,

Sides of the knee.

Let both knees relax and release any holding.

Guiding your attention to your right calf.

Feel the muscles here,

Any sensations present.

And now your left calf.

Allow both calves to become soft and heavy.

Move to your right ankle.

Feel the bones,

The joints,

Any sensations here.

Now your left ankle.

Feel the bones,

The joints.

Notice any sensations here.

Let both ankles relax deeply.

Guide your awareness to your right foot.

Feel your heel,

The arch,

The ball of your foot.

Your left foot,

The heel,

The arch,

The ball of the foot.

Allow both feet to become heavy and relaxed as if they're sinking into the earth.

Bring awareness now to your right toes.

Right toes.

Big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Little toe.

Feel each toe individually and then all together.

Now your left toes.

Big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Little toe.

Feel each toe individually and then all together.

Let all of your toes relax and spread slightly.

Guide your awareness to your right hand.

Feel your right thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Little finger.

Notice any sensations in each finger.

Note the palm of your hand.

The back of your right hand.

Allow your entire right hand to relax deeply.

Bring awareness to your right wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Feel the entire length of your arm,

Allowing any tension to melt away.

Now your right shoulder,

Letting it become heavy and soft.

Repeating this process with your left arm.

Left thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Little finger.

The palm of the left hand.

The back of the hand.

Your left wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm and shoulder.

Allow your entire left arm to relax completely.

Now,

Bring awareness to the back of your body.

Feel your right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

And the space between them.

Allow any tension here to release.

Focus on your upper back.

Middle back.

Lower back.

Feel the contact your back makes with the surface beneath you.

Let your entire back body relax and sink into the support beneath you.

Bring attention to your buttocks.

Feel their weight,

Their connection to your hips and legs.

Allow this area to soften and relax.

And finally,

Bring your awareness back to the crown of your head.

Take a moment to scan your entire body from head to toe.

Noticing the deep state of relaxation you've cultivated.

Feel your whole body resting in complete relaxation.

Heavy,

Yet comfortable.

Alert,

Yet deeply at ease.

Shift your focus now to your head.

Shift your focus now to the rhythm of your breath.

There's no need to change it.

Simply observe its natural rhythm.

Notice the cool air entering your nostrils as you inhale.

Feel it traveling down the back of your throat,

Into your lungs.

Observe the slight pause at the top of the inhalation.

As you exhale,

Feel the warmer air leaving your body.

Notice how it feels passing through your nasal passages and over your upper lip.

Observe the slight pause at the bottom of the exhalation.

Bring awareness to your mouth.

Notice the taste on your tongue,

The texture of your palate.

Feel the space between your upper and lower teeth.

Now feel your belly gently rising with each inhale.

And falling with each exhale.

Notice how your ribcage expands and contracts with each breath.

Allow each breath to deepen your state of relaxation.

With every exhale,

Let go a little more.

Imagine your body feeling heavy,

As if you're sinking deep into the earth beneath you.

Feel the weight in every part of your body.

Now let go.

Let go of every part of your body.

Now imagine your body feeling light,

As if you could float away.

Feel a sense of weightlessness throughout your entire being.

Feel warmth spreading through your body,

Starting from your core and radiating outward towards your limbs.

Imagine that you're basking in warm sunlight.

Now imagine a cool breeze washing over your skin,

Starting from the top of your head and moving down to your toes.

Experience a feeling of expansiveness,

As if your consciousness extends beyond the boundaries of your physical body.

And then bring your awareness to a single point,

Maybe the space between your eyebrows or the center of your chest.

And I'll invite you to that.

You can imagine yourself standing right at the edge of a serene lake.

The water is calm and mirror-like,

Reflecting the sky above.

Feel the soft earth beneath your feet grounding you.

Wiggle your toes and feel the texture of the ground.

Take a deep breath in,

Filling your lungs with crisp,

Clean air.

As you exhale,

Feel any remaining tension leaving your body.

Notice the scent of pine trees and fresh water.

Listen to the sounds around you,

The gentle lapping of water against the shore,

The rustling of leaves in a soft breeze,

Perhaps the distant call of a bird.

These sounds remind you that movement and change are natural parts of life.

Look out across the water and see a small boat tied to a nearby dock.

This boat represents your journey through life,

A vessel of transformation and self-discovery.

Notice its color,

Its shape,

How it gently bobs on the water.

As you make your way to the boat,

As you step into the boat,

Feel a sense of trust in yourself and in the journey ahead.

Feel the texture of the boat beneath your feet,

The gentle rocking motion.

You don't need to control every aspect of the ride.

The gentle current will guide you.

Push off from the shore and feel the boat gliding smoothly across the lake.

The water supports you effortlessly.

Just as this boat stays afloat without your effort,

Trust that you are supported in your life's journey.

As you float,

Notice how the perspective of the shore changes.

This reminds you that every challenge or change in life offers a new viewpoint,

A chance to see things differently.

Notice the play of light on the water,

The reflection of clouds drifting by.

Feel the warmth of sun on your skin,

Nurturing and revitalizing you.

The warmth represents your inner wisdom,

Always there to guide and comfort you.

Let it sink deep into your bones.

Take a moment to appreciate the beauty around you and within you.

You are exactly where you need to be on your journey.

Feel a profound sense of peace and acceptance wash over you.

Slowly begin to bring your awareness to the surface of your body.

Slowly begin to bring your awareness back to your physical body.

Start by becoming aware of the sounds in the room around you.

Next,

Begin to bring attention to your breath.

Notice the rhythm of your inhalations and exhalations.

Begin to notice the points of contact between your body and the support beneath you.

Feel the weight of your body pressing down.

Gently wiggle your fingers and toes,

Reawakening the limbs.

Gently wiggle your fingers and toes,

Reawakening the limbs.

Take a deep breath all the way in.

And as you exhale,

Feel yourself becoming more present in your surroundings.

When you feel ready,

You may want to make some small movements,

Maybe stretching your arms and legs.

Bring to mind the sankalpa you set at the beginning of this practice.

Silently repeat it to yourself three times,

Knowing that this intention has been planted in your subconscious ready to flourish in your daily life.

Take a moment to express gratitude for this time you've given yourself for rest and renewal.

When you feel ready,

You can slowly open your eyes and return to a comfortable seated position.

Take as much time as you need to rest and recharge before moving on with your day.