This Yoga Nidra session is designed to help you relax on a flight.
Whether to take your mind off things during take-off or to help you fall asleep on the airplane,
This session is your friend.
You can follow my voice to calm your mind and slow your thoughts.
So try to make yourself as comfortable as possible in your airplane seat.
Place both feet firmly on the floor,
Sit up straight and place your hands on your knees or in your lap.
Don't worry about your fellow travelers watching you.
They have no idea what you're doing.
To them,
You are just listening to your headphones.
They have no idea that you have decided to right now,
In this very minute,
Choose to take care of yourself.
To have some me-time on this flight.
They can't see that from the outside and even if they do,
They'll quickly lose interest and will mind their own business in a heartbeat.
So feel free to close your eyes and focus on my voice.
I will guide you through this relaxing Yoga Nidra session.
At the end of the session,
I won't bring you back to a fully awakened state,
As you might want to doze off as you come closer and closer to your destination.
Now slowly become aware of your breath.
Feel where it is without wanting to change it.
Maybe the anticipation of the flight quickens your breath or perhaps you notice that your breath is quite slow.
It could be deep in your belly or high in your lungs or even in your throat.
Just notice it.
No judgment.
No good or bad.
Maybe you can slowly become aware of the sounds around you.
Other passengers talking or laughing,
A service announcement by the flight crew or sounds unfamiliar to you,
Like the airplane engine.
The sound may become more intense during take-off.
Maybe it's a rumbling,
Rushing or whooshing sound.
Just notice it.
And can you distinguish any smells in the airplane?
Perhaps you catch a hint of perfume from the person sitting next to you or maybe the flight attendants are preparing a meal.
Or you might smell nothing at all.
Feel the air temperature.
Is it hot or is it cold?
Maybe it feels a bit dry.
And without opening your eyes,
Get a sense of how dark or light it is.
Are the cabin lights dimmed?
Does the sun shine through the windows?
Are the screens on the seats illuminating the airplane?
And while you notice all these sensations,
You simply keep breathing naturally.
You taking this moment to tune in with yourself is like this flight.
You're on your way to the runway,
Finding the perfect spot to stop just before liftoff,
Where everything comes to a halt.
This is your moment to breathe,
To do nothing.
To recharge yourself for the journey ahead.
You need this to accelerate,
To pick up speed.
It might feel bumpy and noisy as you lift off and feel the full force of ascending.
But it's not going to last.
You'll soon reach a height where you know it's high enough.
You'll feel you're there and you can relax and glide.
While you pay attention to your breath,
The world below you gets smaller and smaller.
When you breathe out,
Your point of departure becomes more distant.
When you breathe in,
Your destination comes closer.
Just like in life,
Breathing in and out brings you closer to where you need to be.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
In and out.
In and out.
Become aware of your body.
Feel how you're sitting on your chair,
How your body touches the fabric of the chair.
And bring your attention to your feet.
Feel your right foot and imagine that you gently catch your toes with your thumb and index finger,
One by one.
Give an imaginary squeeze in your right big toe.
You gently grab your second toe.
Put some pressure on your third toe.
A friendly squeeze in your fourth toe.
And give some extra love to your little toe.
Imagine giving your whole foot a rub,
Massaging the bottom of your right foot and rubbing your ankle.
And then slowly move upwards to your shin.
Feel how your shin becomes warm and relaxed just by paying attention to it.
And then turn to the back of your lower leg,
To your calf.
The relaxation and calmness set in here too.
And they spread to your upper leg.
Feel how your upper leg rests on your seat.
Feel the support of your seat and how your upper leg lets go of all tension.
Your entire right leg softens and is released from any tension.
Now let's move your attention to your left foot.
Imagine that you now gently squeeze all your left toes.
Start with your big toe and slowly move to your second toe.
Squeeze your third toe and grab hold of your fourth toe.
Finish with your little toe,
A gentle squeeze.
Imagine that you rub your left foot with warm,
Soft hands,
Massaging the ball of your foot,
Your heel and your ankle.
You move up to your shin and feel it warm up and relax.
The back of your leg,
Your calf softens.
It's at ease.
You follow the bend of your knee to your upper leg.
It's supported.
There's no effort there.
Feel how the back of your upper leg rests on the chair and let the top of your upper leg melt all over it.
Your entire left leg is relaxed.
You've left all tension behind.
Bring your attention to your bum,
How it simply sits.
Notice your hip area,
How it feels very open and soft.
You relax into your hips and feel how this area carries your entire spine,
From top to bottom and back.
Feel how your lower back is supported and leans into the chair with ease.
Feel your lower back relax and calm down.
No resistance.
No effort.
Your upper back relaxes into the chair,
Feeling fully supported,
No tension,
No need to do anything.
And then move your focus to your belly.
Become aware of the rising and falling of your belly as you inhale and exhale.
As you inhale,
You feel your belly expand.
And as you exhale,
You feel it drop.
Slowly,
Steadily.
When you move up,
You have the same experience in your chest area.
On an inhale,
Your ribs expand and your chest rises.
And on the exhale,
Everything compresses,
Turns inward.
Inhale and exhale.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Let the feeling of breathing calm you,
Soothe you.
And now,
Focus on your right shoulder.
Bring some warmth and care to your right shoulder.
Slowly work your way down your arm.
From your upper arm,
To your elbow,
To your lower arm,
Your wrist,
And your entire body.
Your entire hand.
Let them all rest.
Give them a break.
Now put your attention on your right thumb,
Your index finger,
Your middle finger,
Ring finger,
And pinky.
Leave them as they are.
Fully relaxed.
No tension.
And then move to your left shoulder.
Feel it become heavy.
And let that sense of calmness spread through your entire left arm.
From your upper arm,
To your elbow,
To your lower arm,
To your wrist,
And your hand.
Full relaxation.
Become aware of your thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
And little finger.
Let your entire left arm relax.
Bring some softness into your collarbone,
Your throat,
Your neck,
Into the back of your head,
Top of your head,
And your face.
Let your entire face become soft.
Your forehead is soft.
Your eyebrows are soft.
Your eyes are soft.
Your ears are soft.
Your nose is soft.
Your cheeks are soft.
Your mouth is soft.
Your tongue is soft.
Your teeth are soft.
Your chin is soft.
There is nothing but softness.
Softness in your face.
Now bring your attention to the space between your eyebrows,
Your third eye.
Let it become so soft that you can melt into it.
Deeper and deeper.
Deeper into relaxation.
Deeper into calmness.
Deeper into silence.
Deeper into your true self.
Melt deeper and deeper.
While the world below you is becoming smaller and smaller,
You melt deeper into your subconscious world where everything is soft and light.
This is where you can set an intention if you like.
Just see what comes up.
Whatever comes up is exactly what should come up.
Now state your intention in positive words as if it's already here,
Already happening.
You can start your intention with I am or I have,
Like I am peaceful or I have an open mind.
Now repeat your intention silently three times and let it go.
Let it drift off with the clouds that surround you.
Your deepest desire has been heard.
Let it go.
Let's visualize those clouds.
You are surrounded by clouds.
Cool,
Soft,
Refreshing clouds that feel like comfy cushions.
They are all around you.
You test out a few,
Play with them.
They are bouncy and resilient,
Just like you.
You effortlessly jump from cloud to cloud until you find the perfect one.
This cloud embraces your body perfectly.
You lie down and let the cloud move you.
You drift off,
Knowingly,
Trustingly.
You dance with the clouds.
You float around with them and wander through the endless sky.
Always support it.
Always protect it.
The clouds make you feel light,
Weightless,
Pure bliss.
You feel uplifted and supported.
Peaceful rest.
Airborne.
