50 Minute Yoga Nidra For Grounding During Uncertain Times

Welcome to this 50-minute Yoga Nidra practice with Kristyn Rose. This is a gentle yet powerful invitation to ground into deep calm and presence during uncertain or challenging times. Supported by soothing music and the healing sounds of nature and birdsong, this practice will guide you into a state of restful awareness where the body can relax, the mind can soften, and the heart can return to ease. Yoga Nidra and mindfulness offer profound benefits for calming the nervous system, reducing anxiety, and anchoring into the here and now—reminding us that peace is always available within. Rest deeply and may you remember the inner peace and calm that's already here.

Transcript

Namaste,

A warm and heartfelt welcome.

My name is Kristen Rose and thank you so much for choosing to be here,

For choosing to walk this path,

For choosing to practice with me today.

This is a guided relaxation experience that may bring you into a unique and light altered state of consciousness known as yoga nidra,

Or conscious sleep,

Where the body can rest so deeply.

The mind becomes free of thoughts,

Purely just being.

The journey begins here and now.

I invite you to slowly and mindfully come down to rest on the earth.

Settling down and into a comfortable position,

Something that feels like shavasana.

A supine position on the back of the body,

With the arms and legs extended.

You might bring a bolster in behind the back of the knees,

A thin pillow in behind the back of the head,

Additional support beneath the hands or the forearms,

A piece of cloth to drape over top of the eyes.

Take your time,

There's no rush.

Some people even prefer to rest in a side-lying position,

With a pillow in between the knees.

Perhaps a blanket for warmth,

Optimal comfort throughout the whole body.

Settling in to a relaxed and peaceful place of stillness,

Making any final micro-adjustments to the body,

Allowing a sense of pleasantness to arise in the physical body,

To welcome in a sense of peace in the mind,

To allow the eyelids to become heavy,

Relax and unhinge the lower jaw,

Soften the muscle of the tongue inside the mouth,

Release any tension from around and behind the eyes and across the forehead,

Behind the center of the forehead,

And around the neck.

Allow the weights of the head and neck to rest back and down.

Allow the shoulders to soften down and away from the ears.

A wave of heaviness and relaxation ripples from the shoulders down to the elbows and both hands,

All of the tiny muscles and tendons in the hands releasing.

A natural curve arises in the fingers,

And yet both hands resting heavy,

Allow the whole upper chest to open and soften,

From collarbones down to the sternum,

The ribcage,

The diaphragm,

And the low belly coming to rest,

The vital organs,

Releasing any tension or momentum from the lower abdominal cavity,

The pelvis and the hips,

Becoming dense,

Becoming heavy,

And softening and relaxing.

Into the low back and sacrum,

This wave of heaviness and relaxation cascades from the hips down to the knees,

Ankles and heels resting on the earth,

And feel a sense of heaviness in both feet,

Softness in all ten toes,

The whole body surrendering to the activity of gravity,

To the gentle magnetic pull of the earth's core,

Surrender to the natural forces,

To the natural world around you now,

Of the macrocosm of the earth,

Drawing you down and into deep rest,

Turning your awareness now to the back hemisphere of the body,

To the contact points where the body meets the earth,

Scanning your awareness down and into each of these little contact points,

Feel a sense of the density,

The emensivity of the earth beneath the body,

Stretching out in all directions,

From within the body,

Notice these points of connection where you feel held by the earth,

On the next exhale,

Might you soften into these contact points,

On the next exhale,

Soften a little more,

A little more,

Sinking deeper and deeper down,

Into stillness,

The healing quietude,

That abides here now,

Letting your awareness come to rest on the breath,

Sensing the breath at the navel center,

As you re-establish a gentle diaphragmatic breath,

Simply by bringing your awareness to this region of the body,

Notice the rise and fall of the navel,

With each breath,

The gentle expansion and contraction of the lungs,

The breath gently pressing against the inner walls of the lungs on the inhale,

And a gentle softening of the tissues of the lungs on the exhale,

Welcoming in a gentle four-count breath,

Breathing in for one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold,

Release,

Exhale,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One,

Pause,

Inhale,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold,

Suspend the breath,

Exhale,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One,

Gentle pause,

Inhale,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold,

Exhale,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One,

Pause,

Inhale,

Exhale,

Momentary pause,

Exhale to an equal count,

Establish a balanced rhythm within the breath,

At your own pace,

There's no rush,

It's smoothing out the turning points between the breath,

The breath flows like a stream of oil,

Seamless and smooth,

Releasing the count,

As you bring your awareness up to rest at the crown of the head,

Visualize a golden point of light,

And from the crown of the head,

Begin to trace your awareness as golden light around the body,

Three times from right to left side,

Enveloping the whole body in a protective cocoon of golden light,

Cocoon the mind from any distractions in the external world,

The mind resting so deeply,

Follow the breath now down and into the heart space,

Breathe awareness and prana,

Vital life force energy down and into the heart,

Welcome a sankalpa,

You might borrow the phrase,

I root into the present moment,

And trust in the unfolding,

I root into the present moment,

And trust in the unfolding,

And mentally repeat this three times,

Resting deeply in a cocoon of peace and ease,

Guided by the song of the heart,

We will now begin a rotation of conscious awareness,

Throughout the body,

As the body and the eyes remain still,

Allow your awareness to flow seamlessly,

Like a thread of silk throughout the body,

Noticing sensations that are present in each region of the body as it is named,

You might mentally repeat the body part as it is named,

Begin to welcome all of your awareness,

To rest on sensations that are present within the mouth,

Notice,

Sense and feel the muscle of the tongue,

The tip of the tongue,

Root of the tongue,

Roof of the mouth,

Floor of the mouth,

Inside of the cheeks,

The teeth and the gums,

Upper lip,

Tip of the chin,

And the whole lower jaw,

Hinge points of the jaw,

Both ears,

The right ear,

Outer folds of the ear,

Earlobe,

The inner ear canal,

Notice the right ear already listening,

To the left ear,

Outer folds of the ear,

Earlobe,

Earlobe,

The inner ear canal,

Notice the left ear listening,

Attentively,

Both ears,

Open,

Receptive,

Listening,

To the space between the ears,

The tip of the nose,

The flow of breath in the right nostril,

The flow of breath in the left nostril,

Bridge of the nose,

The space between the brows,

The right brow,

Temple,

Cheekbone,

The right eye,

The inner space around and behind the eye,

The soft inner space around the eye,

The center of the forehead,

And hairline,

The whole scalp and hair,

Crown of the head,

Back of the head,

Center of the throat,

Pit of the throat,

Center of the chest,

The heart center,

Right side of the chest,

Shoulder,

Elbow,

Wrist,

Palm,

And back of the hand,

All five fingers,

Starting with the thumb,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

The tips of the fingers,

From fingertips,

Back to the right side of the chest,

Heart center,

Left side of the chest,

Shoulder,

Wrist,

Palm,

And back of the hand,

All five fingers,

Starting with the thumb,

One,

Two,

Three,

To the tips of the fingers,

From fingertips,

Back to the left side of the chest,

Heart center,

Right side of the chest,

Heart center,

Left side of the chest,

Heart center,

Navel center,

Pubic bone,

The right hip,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole,

And top of the foot,

Starting with the big toe,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

To the tips of the toes,

From toe tips,

Back to the right hip,

Navel center,

To the left hip,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole,

And top of the foot,

All five toes,

Starting with the big toe,

One,

Two,

To the tips of the toes,

From toe tips,

Back to the left hip,

Navel center,

To the low back and sacrum,

Mid back,

Upper back,

From the base of the spine,

To the atlas,

At the top of the spine,

Shoulder blades,

Back of the head,

Center of the forehead,

Awareness resting now at the center of the forehead,

From the center of the forehead,

Awareness spreading throughout the whole body,

The whole body resting so deeply now,

From toe tips,

Relaxation pours down into the toes,

Into both feet,

Both legs,

The whole trunk of the body,

Both arms,

The whole head and neck,

The whole body now,

Awareness spreading throughout the whole body,

As the body rests deeply,

Swaddled in a cocoon of peace and ease,

Completely held here,

And resting on the earth,

Deeply resting,

And breathing,

Notice the already present rhythm of the natural breath in the body,

Simply turning your awareness to notice the natural,

Seamless waves of breath in the body,

As the body breathes,

Bring awareness back to rest at the soles of the feet,

And as the body inhales,

Imagine a wave of breath and relaxation,

Rolling in from the soles of the feet,

Up to the crown of the head,

And as the body exhales,

Feel this tidal pull of relaxation,

As breath and awareness,

Pours back down and through the body,

Rolling out through the soles of the feet,

Just imagine,

Breath flowing in through the soles of the feet,

Up to the crown of the head,

And as the body exhales,

Dissolving away tension,

And exhale,

As breath and awareness,

Flows back down the body,

And out through the feet,

Releasing tension from the body,

Thoughts from the mind,

Clearing any debris,

Softening and untangling the nervous system,

As breath rolls in,

And rolls back out,

From the soles of the feet,

Bring awareness now up and into the knees,

As the body inhales,

Breath flows from the knees,

Up to the crown of the head,

And as the body exhales,

Breath and awareness,

Flows from the crown,

Back down to the knees,

Just imagine,

From the knees up to the base of the spine,

Just imagine now,

Breath,

Awareness,

And vital energy flowing from the base of the spine,

Up to the crown of the head on the inhale,

From the crown,

Back down to the base of the spine,

On the exhale,

From the base of the spine,

To the heart center,

Inhaling breath and awareness flows,

From the heart up to the crown,

And from the crown,

Back down to the heart,

From the heart center,

To the mind's eye center,

The center of the forehead,

Just imagine,

Breath flowing in through the mind's eye,

Up to the crown,

And exhaling from the crown,

Back down and out,

Through the center of the forehead,

Just imagine,

Notice,

Sense and feel,

The breath moving,

From the mind's eye to the crown,

From the crown out,

Through the mind's eye,

Letting that go now,

Allow the body now to dissolve into space,

The body resting in a sanctuary of peace,

And inner stillness,

And ease,

Allow the body to rest,

As still as a mountain,

The breath as calm,

And serene,

As the waters of the lake,

At the top of the mountain,

And the mind as calm,

And as spacious,

As the sky itself,

Resting as pure,

Spacious awareness,

Eternal awareness,

That's already here,

Simply dissolving body and mind,

Into infinite awareness,

That's already here,

From this soft and tranquil place,

Of inner stillness,

It is now time to recall your Sankalpa,

You may have borrowed,

Our roots into the present moment,

And trust in the unfolding,

Calling in your Sankalpa now mentally,

By remembering the breath,

Repetition three times,

Slowly bring awareness back down,

And into the heart,

Feel the very essence of your Sankalpa,

Notice the breath at the heart,

And slowly begin to deepen the breath,

You may now take a deeper and generous breath,

In through the nose,

Relax,

Exhale through the mouth,

Bringing awareness back down,

And into the body now,

Start to feel the earth,

Beneath the body,

And as the body continues to rest in stillness,

As the mind comes back to a place of wakefulness,

Resting in this nourishing liminal state,

Take a moment to notice how you feel,

Noticing any physical sensations,

Perhaps the felt sense of rest,

Or relaxation,

Noticing the quality of the mind,

Or the nervous system,

Just noticing the effects,

Of your Yoga Nidra practice today,

And taking time to integrate these effects,

For these effects become cumulative,

And the more that you practice,

The more you come to rest,

In this place of peace and ease,

In the body and the mind,

You might feel a natural call to rest here,

A little while longer,

If you are feeling ready to reawaken the body,

Just start by wiggling the fingers and the toes,

Maybe rotating the ankles or the wrists,

Or nodding the head from side to side,

Maybe reaching the arms up overhead,

And finding a gentle stretch,

A moan,

A groan,

Or even a yawn,

And slowly rolling to one side of the body,

And taking some time to linger here,

Be slow,

There is no rush,

You might notice or feel a deep sense of gratitude,

For taking this time for yourself,

Extending love and gratitude to you,

And also to all of our teachers,

All of those who have shared these ancient teachings,

And practices with us over time,

Gratitude to the traditions of our ancestors,

That we borrow these practices from,

Thank you,

Again,

My name is Kristen Rose,

And I feel so grateful that you are here today,

May you all be happy,

Healthy,

Peaceful and free,

Namaste.

Reviews

This yoga nidra brought me to a deep and relaxed state of peace, stillness and calm. I am grateful to receive such a gift this morning. Thank you so much Krysten.

Wonderful and I loved the thank you note to the tradition we borrow these practices from at the end! 🙏🏼

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