Yoga Nidra For Deep Rest

This Yoga Nidra practice brings the body into deep rest while allowing the mind to remain quietly aware. You’ll soften tension, ease the nervous system, and experience calm stillness. A restorative meditation for grounding, clarity, and replenishment.

Transcript

Hello and welcome.

My name is Jodi and this is Yoga Nidra.

Yoga Nidra is a practice of yogic sleep that guides you to a state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping.

You will be functioning on the levels of hearing and awareness and the only thing that you need to do is get comfortable and follow my voice.

During this class,

Find a comfortable position on your back with the knees slightly bent,

Perhaps supported by a pillow or bolster.

This will help to relieve tension in the low back and it helps you to remain comfortable and still throughout this practice.

Make sure that you're warm enough and that your position is one that you will be comfortable with for the duration of this session.

If you wish,

You can use eye pillows for your eyes and hands.

Eye pillows used in the hands can help you feel more grounded and relaxed.

It is best that you remain still during Yoga Nidra so that both your body and brain have a chance to fully relax.

However,

If you become uncomfortable,

Please feel free to change position.

During this practice,

I will ask you to follow my voice as we rotate our awareness through the various parts of the body.

You'll also be moved through a guided imagery sequence.

If at any point during the practice you feel an unpleasant feeling or sensation,

Feel free to sit up or to open your eyes.

And it is okay to do this practice with your eyes open.

At the end of the practice,

I will guide you out of the Yoga Nidra meditation.

And now,

Let us begin.

As we begin,

Become aware of any sounds you can hear in this moment without strain.

Begin to focus on the most distant sounds that you can hear.

Let your sense of hearing radiate outward,

Searching out those distant sounds and following them for a few moments.

Move your attention from sound to sound without labeling the source.

And then gradually bring your attention to closer sounds.

From sounds outside the building,

To sounds inside the building,

To sounds inside the room.

Without opening your eyes,

Now visualize the four walls of the room.

The ceiling,

The floor,

And your body lying on the floor or on your cushion.

Visualize your body lying,

The position of your body,

Your clothes,

Your hair,

Your face.

Become acutely aware of your physical body as it's lying on the floor or cushions.

Now become aware of your natural breath.

Your natural and spontaneous breath that moves in and out of your body without any effort.

The natural breath flows in and out through both nostrils.

Notice the feeling of the breath as it comes in and out of your nostrils.

Notice if there's a sense of coolness as you inhale the breath.

Follow this feeling into your nose,

Your sinuses,

The back of your throat,

And into your lungs.

Notice if there's a sense of warmth as you exhale the breath.

The natural breath flows through both nostrils during the inhale and the exhale.

Allow your breath to become longer and slower.

Take a long,

Slow inhalation,

Followed by a longer,

Slower exhalation.

Make your exhale even slower.

Notice the slight pause after the exhale.

And then take another slow inhale,

Another even slower exhale,

And then pause.

Feel the urge to breathe in bubble up inside of you,

And when you need to inhale,

Please do so.

Take a long,

Slow inhale,

A longer,

Slower exhale,

And then pause where the body is neither breathing in nor out.

Please continue breathing in this way for several rounds of breath.

Now,

Go back to your natural breath,

Releasing any control over the inhale or exhale.

The practice of Yoga Nidra begins now.

Say to yourself,

I am practicing Yoga Nidra.

I am awake and relaxed.

If it's in your practice today,

Take a moment to set your intention,

And to say the intention quietly to yourself is a short,

Positive statement in simple language,

Such as,

I am calm,

Or I am peaceful.

Restate your intention clearly and with resolve two or three times.

The intention you make during Yoga Nidra plants a seed in the fertile soil of your mind to bring that thought into fruition.

We will now begin a systematic journey of awareness throughout the body.

You will move your awareness to different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named.

As I guide you,

Please feel that part of your body,

But do not move any part.

The practice begins on the right side.

Notice your right hand thumb,

Right second finger,

Right third finger,

Right fourth finger,

Right fifth finger,

The palm of your hand,

The back of the right hand,

The right wrist,

The right forearm,

Right elbow,

Right upper arm,

Right shoulder,

Right armpit,

Right waist,

Right hip,

Right thigh,

Right knee,

Right calf,

Right ankle,

Right heel,

The right sole of the foot,

The top of the right foot,

The right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And fifth toe.

Notice your left hand thumb,

Left second finger,

Left third finger,

Left fourth finger,

Left fifth finger,

Left palm of the hand,

The back of the left hand,

Left wrist,

Left forearm,

Left elbow,

Left upper arm,

Left shoulder,

Left armpit,

Left waist,

Left hip,

Left thigh,

Left knee,

Left calf,

Left ankle,

Left heel,

Left sole of the foot,

Top of the left foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Now go to the back of the body.

Notice the right heel,

The left heel,

The right calf,

The left calf,

The right thigh,

The left thigh,

The right hip,

The left hip,

The lower back,

The middle back,

The upper back,

The entire spine.

Notice the right shoulder blade,

The left shoulder blade,

The back of the neck,

The back of the head.

Notice the top of the head,

The forehead,

The right temple,

The left temple,

The right ear,

The left ear,

The right nostril,

The left nostril,

The right cheek,

The left cheek,

The upper lip,

The lower lip.

Notice both lips together.

Notice your chin,

The jaw,

The throat,

The right collarbone,

The left collarbone.

Notice the right side of the chest,

The left side of the chest,

The upper abdomen,

The navel,

The lower abdomen,

The right groin crease,

The left groin crease.

Notice the right whole leg,

The whole left leg,

The whole right arm,

The whole left arm,

The whole face,

The whole head,

The whole torso,

The whole body.

Notice the whole body.

Notice the whole body.

Now we'll explore opposing sensations.

Imagine the whole body becoming very light,

As though your body could float away from the floor and toward the ceiling.

The head is light and weightless.

The limbs are light and weightless.

The torso is light and weightless.

The whole body is light and weightless.

Imagine you are rising higher and higher away from the floor.

Now imagine your body becoming heavy.

Feel the heaviness in all parts of the body,

Each part becoming heavier and heavier and heavier.

The head is heavy.

The limbs are heavy.

The torso is heavy.

The whole body is heavy.

So heavy that it is sinking down into the floor.

Awaken the experience of cold in the body,

The experience of chilly cold.

Imagine being outside in winter without enough warm clothing.

You feel this chill permeating your entire body.

Now allow the sense of warmth to spread throughout the entire body.

Remember the feeling of heat in summer when you're out in the sun with no shade.

You feel heat radiating onto your skin,

Heat all around the body.

Now recollect the experience of anxiety,

Intense anxiety and worry.

Feel the stress in your mind and body,

But do not concentrate on its source.

Create the experience of anxiety as clearly as possible.

Now allow the feeling of complete calm to envelope you.

Manifest the experience of calm in your entire mind,

Body and emotions.

You are relaxed and aware.

You are completely calm.

Now begin to concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyelids.

Imagine before you a transparent screen as though you were at the movie theater.

The screen is as high and as wide as the eyes can see.

Concentrate on this mind screen and become aware of what you see,

Such as colors,

Patterns and light.

Continue your awareness of the screen,

But try not to become involved.

Practice detached awareness only,

Meaning just watching,

Noticing what you see,

All without interpretation or judgment.

If any subtle images make themselves known,

Simply notice them without directing the images.

If thoughts occur,

Let them come and go,

But continue watching the dark space.

Continue with detached awareness.

Now a number of different things will be named.

Try to envision them on the level of emotion,

Memory and imagination as best as you can.

Move from image to image as soon as you hear it.

A red desert.

A peacock feather.

A monk meditating.

A doctor's office.

A good night's rest.

A full moon.

Your reflection in a mirror.

A foggy morning.

Waiting for results.

Sun shining overhead.

A bouquet of flowers.

A tall tree.

Receiving help from others.

Cool,

Clear water.

Making appointments.

A relaxing afternoon.

Laughing with friends.

A warm embrace.

A burning candle.

A temple on a mountain.

A path in the woods.

A vibrant sunset.

Taking a deep breath.

A cat stretching.

A beautiful garden path.

Your favorite song.

The sound of my voice.

Your body lying on the floor.

Your body lying on the floor or cushion.

Notice your body lying on the floor or cushion.

Now bring your awareness back into your body.

Feel your body supported by the floor or cushion.

Pause your mind.

Once again,

Bring awareness to your breath.

It is now time to repeat your intention.

Please repeat the same statement that you made to yourself at the beginning of this practice three times in a row.

Now,

Come back to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out.

Maintain your awareness of breath and at the same time develop your awareness of your physical body.

Notice your body as it is relaxed and lying on the floor or cushion.

And feel the sensation of the clothes and props that are touching you.

Bring awareness into all the points that are touching the floor or the cushions.

The back of your heels,

Back of the legs,

The hips,

Backside ribs,

Arms,

And head.

Notice the placement of your hands.

Do not open your eyes yet.

Take a moment to visualize the surrounding room.

Imagine where you are in the room and the other objects that are around you.

Start to slowly move your hands and feet.

Take your time.

Perhaps move your head gently from side to side.

As you are ready,

Allow these small movements to become slightly larger movements.

Perhaps reach for the sky or take a big stretch.

As you are ready,

Move on to your right side.

Stay here for a few moments.

And then use your hands against the floor or cushion and the strength of your arms to press yourself up to a seated position.

Find a comfortable seat and pause.

Notice the sensation of being seated upright.

Bring your hands to your heart or together in front of your heart or simply rest them in your lap.

And take a moment to honor yourself for taking this time for your well-being.

Thank you for taking the time and resources to be part of this virtual mindfulness community.

The goodness in me honors the goodness in you.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.