Yoga Nidra For Equanimity | NSDR To Find Peace Within

Enjoy this voice-only yoga Nidra or guided meditation practice to explore sensing opposite physical sensations in the body. This technique is used as a stepping stone towards harnessing a deep sense of equanimity, peace or calmness of the mind in any situation, calm or muddy waters. It invites you to develop a sense of resiliency, like becoming the eye of any storm. Yoga Nidra is an effortless meditative practice used to bring you into the deepest meditative states. Emerge feeling renewed.

Transcript

Namaste.

Welcome.

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

Choosing to show up for yourself first,

To dedicate this time and this practice all to you.

This yoga nidra practice is designed to help you cultivate a deep sense of equanimity,

A sense of calmness of the mind or evenness of the mind in any situation.

We have the potential to develop equanimity like becoming the eye of any storm,

This habit of the mind that is rarely disturbed,

Instilling a calming,

Gentle sense of complete presence,

Stillness within and without.

To achieve this,

We'll explore pratipaksha bhavana,

Cultivating opposite sensations within the body as a stepping stone on a journey towards developing a deep sense of emotional resiliency in your practice but also in this life.

I invite you now to take a few moments to settle down into your most comfortable position.

Yoga nidra is traditionally practiced in a supine position on the back of the body but you may wish instead to find a supported side-lying position or even a prone position on the belly.

If you are using this practice to dissolve into deep sleep,

You might even tuck yourself into bed.

It's important that the body is completely comfortable,

Supported,

Warm and cozy.

Make any final adjustments so that you could become even just the tiniest bit more comfortable.

Begin to close down the windows of the eyes and allow the eyelids to become heavy to welcome in the healing darkness.

You might reach for an eye pillow or covering or you may settle into the little hints of light beyond the eyelids,

Maintaining a gentle connection with the external world.

Adjust the pelvis and the hips,

Bring a little bit of space in between the ankles,

Soften the toes,

Gently tuck the shoulder blades under,

Relax the arms,

And for all the fingers you might flip the palms to face the sky and feel the chest and the heart space wide open.

A gesture of being open and receiving to whatever wisdom,

Healing,

Support and nourishment this practice has in store for you today.

Arriving here now fully with a beginner's mind,

Drink in a nice deep breath in through the nose.

Exhale,

Allow the whole body to become heavy sinking down,

Softening,

And settling into the support of the earth and the props beneath you now.

Relaxing into a deep knowing that there is nothing that you need to do,

Nowhere that you need to be.

Give yourself permission to just be here as you let go and soften away the thinking mind.

Settling down into this little inner sanctuary that you've created for yourself,

This home away from home.

Allow thoughts to dissolve away as you begin to focus your attention on sensing and feeling what's present here in this moment.

Shining the light of your awareness on everything that's present in your surroundings here.

Notice the density and the support of the ground beneath your body.

The gentle pull of the magnetic core of the earth.

The spaciousness of the sky above you and the air in the room all around you.

The humble embrace of gravity.

The weight of blankets.

The texture of your clothes.

Notice the gentle touch of air against the skin.

Places of coolness,

Warmth.

The sensation of the breath in the nose.

Welcome in the natural flow of the breath.

Notice where the breath enters and exits the body.

Feel into the volume of each individual breath.

The ebb and the flow.

The symbiotic relationship between the inhale and the exhale.

Feel the body being breathed and how the shape of the body changes with each breath you take.

Each breath sacred,

Ancient,

Wise,

Healing.

We'll begin to introduce the physiological side to calm the nervous system.

Inhaling two breaths of air in through the nose followed by a long smooth slow exhale through the mouth.

On your next inhale take two sips in.

Exhale a tsunami of breath energy releasing tension away from the body.

Again two sips in.

One breath out.

One more.

The whole body sinking.

Returning home to your natural breath as you settle down into the quietude of stillness.

The healing essence of the darkness.

Notice the ears not only hearing but listening deeply.

Welcoming sounds that are present here in the room around you.

Noticing sounds that are furthest away or outside of your space.

Sounds that are closest to you now.

The sounds of this recording.

The sound of the breath from within.

The sound of the heartbeat.

The experience of pratyahara withdrawing your senses as you turn and redirect the light of your awareness now to the center of the chest.

Tuning into the presence of the drum of your own heart.

The energy of the heartbeat like the center of your whole entire universe.

Give yourself permission to rest deeply.

Find the stillness and the healing that comes when you let go of the thinking mind and dissolve back into a state of pure awareness.

A nurturing place of just being.

Your birthright.

Relaxing back into the essence of who you really are.

Resting as your witnessing presence.

Seeing into the truth of who you really are.

The way that you perceive the external world.

For it is all just a perception of how you see yourself.

Disidentify from the stories,

Narratives,

Thought patterns and simply relax back into a deep sense of just being.

Become the eye of the storm or the depths of the ocean.

Open up to the truth of what is present here and now.

And as the mind wanders attaching itself to the past or the future,

Compassionately invite your attention back to the sound of my voice.

Guiding you back home to your center.

Guiding you to stay awake and aware while the body surrenders into deep regenerative sleep.

Trust that the body knows what it needs here.

Allow yourself to be here with what is already present.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

Everything just as it is.

Turn towards your heart center and what's present at the altar of the heart.

Tune into the wisdom that's already here.

Begin to call in your sankalpa.

A song that lives in the heart that longs to be heard.

You might use the phrase,

I am present,

Peaceful,

Calm and balanced in my life and in my heart.

Calling in your intention three times alongside three breaths affirming it.

Can you feel it?

From a place of peace and calm presence.

Let your awareness now rest in the clearing between the eyebrows.

The mind's eye center.

This place of witnessing presence.

Intelligence.

A deep and inner knowing of what's true.

Seeing beyond the manifested.

Like a drishti,

Allow your internal gaze to rest here between the eyebrows.

Feeling into this opening at the third eye.

Like a wave of relaxation.

A steady conscious realization of the peace that's already present here within you and without.

Begin to tune into the sensations that are already present here.

Allow yourself to turn into the sensations that already exist within the physical body.

Follow the sound of my voice as you draw your awareness throughout the body.

Awareness saturating each region from a place of pure witnessing presence.

Energy moving from point to point like a constant stream of consciousness.

The flow of sweet nectar of your awareness.

No judgment.

No resistance.

No attachment.

Simply just observe.

Awareness resting at the mind's eye.

All of your awareness and attention resting at the point between the eyebrows.

Drawing awareness up to the crown of the head.

The back of the head.

And the volume of space between the center of the forehead and the back of the head.

Sensing the eyebrows.

Smoothing out the eyebrows.

The temples.

Cheekbones.

The right eye.

Warm and radiant.

The eyelid.

The left eye.

The eyelid.

Both eyes relaxing back and down.

Softening into the space behind the eyes.

The bridge of the nose.

The tip of the nose.

The nasal flares.

And the breath within the nostrils.

The upper lip.

Lower lip.

The space between the lips.

Tip of the chin.

The whole lower jaw.

The hinge points of the jaw.

Tip of the tongue.

Root of the tongue.

Roof of the mouth.

And floor of the mouth.

Inside of the right cheek.

Inside of the left cheek.

The whole face relaxing.

The whole weight of the head softening back and down into your pillow.

The right ear.

The outer ear.

Eerlope.

Notice the ear listening.

The left ear.

Outer ear and earlope.

The ear listening deeply.

Both ears open.

Awakened aware.

Welcoming sounds.

All of the different layers of sounds.

Drawing awareness to the back of the throat.

The center of the chest.

Heart center.

Right side of the chest.

Collarbone.

Shoulder.

Upper arm.

Elbow.

Forearm.

Wrist.

Palm of the hand.

And back of the hand.

All five fingers on the right hand.

Thumb.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Tips of the fingers.

The space between the fingers.

The whole right hand and arm.

Alive with sensation.

Allowing awareness to fill the volume of the right hand and arm.

And noticing the space around the hand and arm.

The right side of the chest.

Center of the chest.

Left side of the chest.

Collarbone.

Shoulder.

Upper arm.

Elbow.

Forearm.

Wrist.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

All five fingers on the left hand.

Thumb.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

The tips of the fingers.

The spaces between the fingers.

The whole left hand.

The left arm.

Awareness filling the volume of the hand and arm together.

Awareness of sensations already present in the hand and arm.

Within and without.

Left side of the chest.

Center of the chest.

Heart center.

Rib cage.

Front and back.

Solar plexus.

Diaphragm.

Navel center.

And the low belly.

The pelvic bowl.

Low back and sacrum.

The right hip.

Upper leg.

Knee.

Lower leg.

Ankle.

Heel.

Soul of the right foot.

Top of the foot.

All five toes.

Big toe.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

The tips of the toes.

And the spaces between the toes.

The whole right foot.

The whole right leg.

Feeling sensations within the volume of the right foot and leg.

Energy.

Vitality.

Buzzing.

Warmth.

Shimmering sensation in the right leg.

Navel center.

The left hip.

Upper leg.

Knee.

Lower leg.

Ankle.

Heel.

Soul of the left foot.

Top of the foot.

All five toes on the left foot.

Big toe.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

The tips of the toes.

And the spaces between the toes.

The whole left foot.

And the whole left leg.

Radiant with sensation.

Simply observing what's already present here.

Your awareness just shining a light on what already exists within the physical body.

Sensing both feet simultaneously.

Both legs.

The whole torso.

Both arms.

Both hands.

The whole head and neck.

Sensing the whole body as one radiant being of vibrant energy.

Allowing awareness to saturate the entire body from the boundary of the body.

The surface of the skin.

To the very core of your being.

Trillions of cells.

Bones.

Muscles.

Tissues.

Vital organs.

The complexity of the intricate matrix of the body.

Alive.

Living.

Breathing.

Awake and aware.

From a place of your witnessing presence.

Simply just noticing.

Feeling the volume of the whole body inside and outside.

Beyond the boundary of the physical body.

Allow awareness to condense in the whole right side of the body.

Feeling the whole right side.

And left side of the brain.

Simultaneously.

Right side of the body.

Left side brain.

And the subtle energetic connection between the two.

Drawing awareness over to the left side of the body.

Sensing in the whole left side and right side of the brain.

Left side of the body.

Right side brain.

And the energetic connection between the two.

Sensing both sides of the body.

Both hemispheres of the brain.

Simultaneously.

Notice how you can feel both sides of the body and both hemispheres of the brain at the same time.

Now allow your awareness to settle on the back of the body.

The whole back side of the body.

As if there were an imaginary energetic line down the middle of the body.

Awareness filling from the midline to the whole back side of the body.

And now the whole front side of the body.

Awareness from the midline to the whole front side of the body.

Now sensing both the back and front hemispheres of the body.

The whole body.

Right.

Left.

Back.

Front.

Both hemispheres of the brain.

Simultaneously.

From the mind's eye center,

You're witnessing presence turning inward to what's already present here.

This deep inner knowing of what it feels like to exist within the layer or the sheath of the physical body.

Anamaya kosha.

The whole body resting deeply.

And as you rest,

Begin to notice the natural rhythm of the breath.

Simply observing the sensations of the breath within the physical body.

Notice where the breath enters and exits the body.

Sensing the breath in the nostrils.

The right nostril.

The left.

Sensing the breath in the back of the throat.

The breath filling the volume of the lungs.

Each breath inflating.

Deflating.

The expansion and contraction of the lungs.

Notice how the shape of the body changes naturally,

Effortlessly with each breath.

Relax into the experience of the body being breathed.

Compassionate observation of the breath breathing the body.

Letting that go.

We'll begin to explore pratipaksha bhavana.

Cultivating opposite sensations within the body.

Allow your awareness to rest at the mind's eye.

A place of observation,

Intelligence,

And knowing.

Relax back into a place of equanimity.

Your witnessing presence.

Without identifying with sensations.

Simply observe from a place of pure witnessing presence.

From the palace of the mind's eye center,

Begin to notice what it feels like within the boundary of the body.

Beneath the surface of the skin.

Sensing the whole physical body inside the boundary.

Feeling into the volume or density of the whole body.

Interoception.

What does it feel like inside of the body?

Now allow your awareness to shift outside and beyond the confines of the skin.

Exteroception.

Sensing and feeling beyond the boundary of the physical body.

What does outside of the body feel like?

Feeling the outer boundary of the body.

Now shifting awareness back to inside the boundary of the body.

Feeling within the boundary.

The volume of the body within.

And then again sensing outside the boundary of the body.

Now welcome in both sensations simultaneously.

Sensing both inside and outside the boundary of the physical body.

What does it feel like to experience both inner and outer environments simultaneously?

As if the boundary of the physical body could dissolve.

Dividing your attention to experience both inside and out.

Letting that go.

Now imagine the whole body as warm.

Feeling the whole body warm.

Where do you feel warmth in the body?

And now imagine the whole body cool.

What does coolness feel like in the body?

And where do you feel it?

Again welcoming the feeling of warmth throughout the body.

And again the feeling tones of coolness.

Like a cool breeze.

Now could you experience both sensations simultaneously?

Warmth and coolness.

Dividing your attention to experience both sensations at the same time.

Warmth and coolness.

Letting that go.

Now imagine the whole body as heavy.

Welcome in a sense of heaviness into the whole body.

What does heaviness feel like?

Where do you feel it?

And now a feeling tone of lightness.

Experience the feeling of lightness throughout the whole body.

Coming back to the feeling of heaviness.

The whole body resting heavy.

And again back to the feeling of lightness as if you were floating and spacious.

The whole body light.

Now welcome in both sensations simultaneously.

Heaviness and lightness at the same time.

The whole body heavy and light.

Letting that go.

I invite you to welcome in a sense of strength into the whole body.

What does it feel like for the whole body to be strong,

Solid?

Feeling internally like a great mountain.

A sense of strength throughout the physical body.

The mind solid,

Stable,

Undisturbed.

Sensing the whole body strong.

Now welcome in a sense of softness throughout the whole body.

The whole body soft and relaxed.

What does softness feel like?

Now welcome back a sense of strength.

What does strength feel like?

And again,

The feeling of softness.

Now welcome in both sensations strong and soft at the same time.

Simultaneously the whole body and mind strong yet soft simultaneously.

Letting that go.

Release the feeling tones.

Awareness resting at the mind's eye.

Give yourself permission to rest here now as pure witnessing presence.

A healing place of just being in stillness,

In silence,

Aware of what's present here.

Observing the ocean of awareness.

And everything around you is simply just waves at the surface.

Resting in a place of equanimity.

Undisturbed,

Peaceful,

Calm and whole.

Begin to call in your sankalpa.

I am present,

Peaceful,

Calm and balanced in my life and in my heart.

Calling it in,

Repeating it,

Sowing it like a seed into the subconscious mind.

Basking in the essence of a pure state of equanimity.

Pure witnessing presence from a calm and relaxed mind.

Harnessing the ability to step equally into calm and muddy waters.

But maintaining that deep sense of presence with what is.

Without resistance or attachment.

For you are so much more than just a physical body.

Your thoughts or your experiences.

You are a radiant being of divine light.

Slowly begin to welcome back in a sense of the earth beneath your body.

The room around you and where you are in the room.

The breath in the lungs.

Take a nice deep breath in and a deeper breath out.

Enjoy a moment here to notice how you feel.

How the physical body feels.

The breath.

The nervous system.

The quality of the mind.

Soaking up all of the therapeutic benefits of your experience.

The medicine of the deep rest that comes in the state of yoga nidra.

Knowing that these feeling tones of peace and equanimity can only build and accumulate with consistent practice.

You are welcome to come back home to this practice anytime you need it.

You might stay and rest as long as you need.

There's no rush.

It's important to take things slow.

Slowly emerging from your deeply relaxed state before stepping back into the world around you.

You might start to wiggle fingers and toes.

Nodding your head from side to side.

Slowly awakening the physical body.

You might enjoy a gentle stretch as if you were just waking up for the first time today.

Letting out any moans or groans.

I'd like to thank you so much for joining me today.

If you enjoyed this practice,

Please leave a like and a comment about what you liked.

How you feel.

Where you are coming from.

Or how this practice has supported you in your life in some way.

You can subscribe to get notified when I release new content each and every week.

And if there is something you would like to hear from me,

Please let me know.

I would love to create content specifically for you.

Knowing and trusting that the wisdom we can experience and absorb here within our practice has a ripple effect.

And starts to ripple out into our waking life,

Into our daily life.

And with consistent practice,

You'll begin to notice the benefits of yoga nidra.

If you are one of our students in the transformational sleep yoga nidra teacher training here at the school of living yoga,

I would love to hear from you in the comments.

And if you're interested in learning more about our online yoga nidra training,

I will leave a link below and at the end of this video and in the comments.

We have live trainings in Canada and Costa Rica and online trainings with amazing people from around the world who come together,

Who love yoga nidra,

And it's truly such a beautiful experience.

This practice has completely transformed my life for the better and I'm so grateful to share it here with you today.

May you all be happy.

May you all be healthy.

May you all be peaceful and may you all be free.

Namaste.

Reviews

An anchor of a practice as I prepare for a cross-country move. I feel bright gratitude for you sharing the practice with us.

Thank you 💕 that was so deeply restful 🙏

Very nice, long practice. It took a while to get me into that deep rest state. Will try again 🙏🏻

This session introduced to me the practice of holding opposites which I think will be very helpful in times when I am emotionally upset, see it, but cannot seem to self correct. I think this will be a helpful practice in resolving such difficulties. Thank you. I prefer the quiet, no background soundscape for guided meditations and thank you for that as well.

Thank you Kristyn. Struggling today with distracted and unclear mind… this practice has helped clear the muddy waters :)

So all encompassing . I feel thoroughly massaged and recalibrated. Peace and Equinimity is mine✨

Namasté, Kristyn.
Namasté from Bogotá, Colombia!

Loved it - tone, rhythym, just the right amount of speech - resemblance to your fellow canadian ally boothroyd - thank you

A beautiful practice that helped me a lot especially my night in the hospital after hup surgery.
Thank you.
Bookmarked.

Deep dive into peace. Very soothing. Thank you for sharing these practices. ☮️💖🙏🖖🪷

Life changing practice. Yoga Nidra has changed my life and I have to say this practice just had a big impact on me in challenging times. I am calm now during a very anxious time.
I will be coming back to this.
So thankful! 🙏🙏🙏

Amazing🙏