Yoga Nidra - Letting It Be

A pause for when it all feels too heavy.
So much of daily life asks us to perform: the roles we hold, the expectations we carry, the versions of ourselves we keep up for others. Over time it can leave us heavy and tired, and strangely cut off from what the body is trying to tell us. Felt sense is the quiet language of the body, the place where your real needs live before they become words.
This short yoga nidra is an invitation to stop holding it all together and listen. Moving gently between heaviness and lightness, you let the body speak, let its signals become clear, and surrender into the rest it has been asking for. Eleven minutes to set down the weight and come back to yourself. Ideal for tired days, overwhelm, or whenever you need a short, honest pause.

Transcript

The following is a shorter version of exploring the opposites. A 10 minute embodiment practice for when you're feeling heavy and instead of trying to push it away, This practice is an invitation to lean into it, To feel it fully, To feel your way through it and come out the other side feeling lighter and refreshed. So taking any comfortable position that works for you for yoga nidra, Reclining, Lying on your side or staying seated with support for your back and your head. I invite you to find a comfortable position that you can hold. Taking a deep full breath in through the nose and then sighing it out. One more time, Deep full breath in. And sighing it out. Become aware of your body resting on the ground, The back of your head, Your shoulders, Your arms, Your spine, Your hips, Your legs, Your heels. And resting fully into the support underneath you or behind you. Softening the face. And then becoming aware of your ears and the sounds coming in through the ears. Just notice. Noticing the world through the ears, So noticing the sounds and the spaces in between. And then noticing the sound of your breath, The subtle soft sound of your breath. Letting the ears receive what is there. However soft and subtle it may be. And then beginning to feel the breath at the nostrils, Feeling the movement of the air as it goes in and out. And then from here we'll count our breath backwards, Starting from 27. I'll guide the first few rounds. And then you can continue counting by yourself. If you find you lose track or you drift off, You can always come back to the beginning. Counting as follows. Inhale, 27. Exhale, 27. Inhale, 26. Exhale, 26. Inhale, 25. Exhale, 25. Keep counting the breaths at your own pace. Knowing you can always start over. Now releasing the count of your breaths. And following the sensation of the breath in through the nostrils down into the chest, Feeling the movement of your chest up and down. With the inhale and the exhale. And from the sensations in the chest. Letting your awareness expand into the whole of the body. Feeling all the contact points between your body and the support underneath you. An invitation to invite the sensation of heaviness into your body. Feeling as heavy as you can in the moment, Like your bones are made of lead. Feeling the weight of your muscles and your skin. And feeling gravity pull you deeper and deeper into the support underneath you. I invite you to release fully to this sensation. Feeling like you're sinking into the ground deeper and deeper. And surrendering to that feeling of sinking deeper and deeper. Complete heaviness in the whole of the body. The front of the body sinking into the back body and the back body sinking into the ground. Heaviness in the eyes, The cheeks, The jaw. Heaviness in the shoulders, The chest and the belly. Heaviness in the knees and the feet. Sinking deeper and deeper into the ground. On your next breath, I invite you to reverse that sensation, Inviting in a sense of lightness now. So feeling a sense of spaciousness. Coming alive in the whole of the body. Lightness and the skin on the front of the body, Lightness in the fingertips and the tips of your toes. Feeling lightness through the ribcage, Through the belly, Through the face. Lightness like a feather, Like the subtlest breeze, Could pick you up and carry you away. Feel that you're rising up and away from the mat. Lifting, Floating, Opening. And then on your next exhale, Again, Sinking back into heaviness, Sinking deeper, Melting into the ground. Being as heavy as you can be in this moment. Complete release. And then inhale again, Reversing, Opening up into lightness. Feel yourself floating, Rising, Lifting up, Up. And then exhale again, Sinking deeper, Melting, Releasing. And then once more, Inhale, Floating, Lifting, Rising. And then as you exhale, Finding the neutral space in between. Not quite heavy, Not quite light, But a little bit of both. Resting your awareness here throughout the whole of the body. Rooted alive. Floating but grounded. Present and at peace. And then slowly become aware of all the sounds around you once more. Inviting the world in through your ears. Become aware of your body resting on the mat. And then take as much time as you need here until you feel ready to move. Slowly opening up into the body with little subtle movements. Thank you so much for joining me. As always, An honor and a pleasure to guide you in practice. Hari Om.