Yoga Nidra For Deep Rest (Daring To Rest)

This yoga Nidra practice (based on the Dare to Rest program), invites you to take time for deep rest. In the place of deep rest, the mind, and body can heal, opening us up to new ways of being in the world. This is a practice that allows an opening to the space of deep stillness, creativity, love, and peace that resides within us all.

Transcript

Yoga nedra for deep rest. We are going to take some time together in the practice of yoga nedra So please take some time to lie down on your back Making yourself as comfortable as you can Lying on your back feeling free to make any adjustments that you need to allow you to settle with ease into this precious time with yourself And now notice the contact points between your body and the surface that you are resting on Feeling the support of the surface that you're on and the deep support of the earth beneath you Inviting a slowing into the body Letting your attention move towards your breath feeling the air on the skin and And listening now to the sounds around you. Here's a quote from the meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hanh on rest my dear friends Suppose someone is holding a pebble and throws it in the air and the pebble begins to fall down into a river After the pebble touches the surface of the water It allows itself to sink slowly into the river It will reach the bed of the river without any effort Once the pebble is at the bottom of the river it continues to rest It allows the water to pass by I Think the pebble reaches the bed of the river by the shortest path Because it allows itself to fall without making any effort We can allow ourselves to rest like a pebble We can allow ourselves to sink naturally without effort To the position of resting and so now relaxing the arms by the sides of the body Placing the hands in any position that is comfortable for you Feel the energy in your arms and in your hands Allowing the eyes to be gently closed as an invitation to journey inwards Invitation to journey inwards So sinking into this place of rest like a pebble dropping into the water Inviting yourself to come home to your body Sensing how the body is meeting the surface below you Sensing where you connect as well as the quality of the connection with the surface beneath you feeling the earth gently hold you and the air around embrace you now if you have a touchstone an Object from nature or an object that is comforting for you Hold it in your left hand and begin to feel a connection to it feeling its texture shape Perhaps its temperature Its energy and once you feel the connection to the touchstone Just see where you are guided to place the touchstone on or off the body So go ahead and find a place for your touchstone During yoga nidra the touchstone can absorb any energy you want it to hold And if you don't have a touchstone just feeling your inner sanctuary within you This might be a neutral place in the body Or an image of nature that brings you a feeling of comfort peace and calm So if any discomfort arises during this yoga nidra practice Or you do not want to follow my instructions Know that you always have this inner sanctuary to return to Or you can bring your awareness to your touchstone It's natural in yoga nidra to go in and out of conscious hearing The deepest part of you is always listening And now noticing the sounds outside the sounds inside the sounds of your breath and Taking a deep breath in and a slow audible breath out On your out breath allowing any held tension to release from the mind and body Taking another long slow deep breath in and exhale slowly letting it go letting the tension melt And taking one more deep breath in and as you exhale releasing it with a sigh Letting go of anything you're holding on to or thinking about letting it go into the earth The earth can hold everything while you rest It's time to give yourself permission to just be There's nothing to do Nowhere to go Saying gently to yourself. I give myself permission to rest And now it's time to set a heartfelt intention So listen for a while and let your intention emerge from your heart If you are open to it Perhaps ask yourself what does it mean to be free? Ask yourself. What does my heart long for? And if an intention emerges Allow yourself to imagine the intention as if it is already happening Repeating the intention now three times in the present tense as You repeat the intention allowing the words to settle at the heart center And now rest in divine stillness Allowing the intention to be planted like a seed in fertile soil And if no intention is present yet simply be Open to allowing the heart intention to arrive in its own way and time We'll begin now to take a journey through the landscape of your body When you hear the body part named You can say the name of the body part to yourself Sensing that area of your body Becoming aware of a softening a resting and a stillness at that particular body part Seeing if you can rotate awareness around the body with love Touching each place with your loving attention infused with gentle care Starting now at the left foot Feeling the left foot the right foot And both feet together aware now of the left knee the right knee Both knees together aware now of the left hip right hip both hips the left side of the torso the right side of the torso the whole torso left hand left hand right hand both hands left arm right arm both arms left shoulder right shoulder both shoulders the throat left side of the face right side of the face the whole face crown of the head back of the head back of the neck left side of the back right side of the back the whole back left buttock right buttock both buttocks back of the left leg back of the right leg back of both legs the heel of the left foot heel of the right foot both heels sole of the left foot sole of the right foot both soles whole of the left foot whole of the right foot both feet together now feeling the whole body the whole body bringing your awareness now to the darkness in the inner eyelids and let go completely and now it's time to bring awareness to your breath let the breath be center in your awareness existing entirely with your breath allowing your breath to be just as it is noticing how your breath flows without any direction or guidance from you just feeling and allowing the natural rhythm of breathing bringing your attention now to the short pause at the top of your in-breath and the pause at the end of your out-breath feeling the rise and fall of each inhalation each exhalation and the pause feeling the space at the top and at the bottom of each breath feeling the stillness there sensing the moving breath and the pause the moving breath and the stillness feeling the natural rhythm of breath and the stillness in the pause on the in-breath noticing where the breath is coming from on the out-breath feeling the open spacious expanse around you feeling the nourishment of the breath as you inhale feeling the merging of the breath with infinity as you exhale now as you inhale saying to yourself I am and as you exhale that I am that I am all that is we are all that is and now be still feeling the darkness in your inner eyelids bringing your attention to the body and now noticing any areas of tightness and holding feel any areas where you are suppressing or constricting or tightening just noticing what arises in this moment in your awareness in your body allowing space for whatever is here letting any noticing of tension or constriction be here with friendliness and now noticing areas of the body that feel soft relaxed light and pleasant noticing any areas of softness, Softening without analyzing just exploring each area allowing space for what is here exploring the sensations with openness allowing the body just to reveal itself and now bringing your attention back to the space between the eyebrows taking some time just sensing this open expansive inner awareness now imagine yourself walking slowly in nature along a beautiful river taking in the beauty of the trees and the greenery around you noticing the vastness of the sky above you feeling the solidity of the earth with each step beneath you on the way in this walk you're picking up a pebble feeling its soothing texture in your hands as you walk holding the pebble you follow the river to a clear safe space seeing yourself now sitting on the banks of the river as you sit in contemplation listening to the sounds of the water sensing the movement of your breath looking deeply into the water crystal clear and now seeing yourself dropping your pebble from your hand down into the water watching it sink down and down into the bed of the river as the river moves and the pebble rests seeing yourself now resting by the side of the river feeling the peace of this place and the deep rest of being sensing the space between your eyes allowing yourself to just rest in stillness in the sanctuary experiencing moments now of silence allow the silence to cover you cozy everything just as it is you just as you are and from the sanctuary of rest bringing your intention back into your awareness and now repeating your intention three times from your heart space allowing that intention to fill your whole being deepening your breath now and feeling and sensing a circle of wise beings around you a council of wise support in the form of guides, Teachers, Wise beings in whatever shape and form feeling their presence, Their support feeling them sending energy into areas that need it and now bringing attention to your heart taking time just to listen to the heart see if there's a message in the heart waiting for you listening in a new way whatever you receive, Even if it's nothing holding it with a gentle awareness and now for just a few more moments continue to stay in this place of silence awareness, Oneness aware of your heart very, Very slowly beginning to emerge from your yoga nidra feel your body connected to the surface beneath you grounded feel your clothing against your skin and you can slowly begin to move the body maybe checking where you want to move from which part of your body is calling out to move ever so slowly and then just allow yourself to make some small movements from that area notice the whole of you as you awaken notice the nectar of rest in your body and see if you can carry that nectar into your day into your life may we all be safe may we all be happy may we be rested may we take care of ourselves and each other with ease and with joy this completes yoga nidra

Reviews

Thank you so much for such a supportive nidra. It was exactly what I needed and I’ll look forward to revisiting your guidance again. Bless you! Xxx

Thank you for giving this special peace and rest. Most enjoyable

Wonderful:deeply relaxing and restorative, very soothing voice too, perfect pace,thank you 🙏

Wonderful. So peaceful, so restful, so repairing. Thank you Teacher.