Yoga Nidra For Calming, Rest And Relaxation
by Lisa Hands
This Yoga Nidra is a calming, relaxing practice that guides you into a state of conscious rest. Through gentle body scans, breath awareness, Sankalpa intention and visualisations you'll invite harmony to your body, mind and spirit, promoting deep relaxation, mental clarity, and emotional balance.
Transcript
Welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.
Let's begin by lying down and finding the pose of rest,
Or semi-reclining if this is more comfortable for you.
In Yoga Nidra,
We encourage the body to be as comfortable as possible.
We encourage the body to be able to let go and release.
Supporting yourself now with pillows under your head and knees to support the low back.
A blanket to cover yourself as your body temperature will lower as you rest.
Perhaps a covering for the eyes or gently softening your gaze.
Wriggling and settling into your space.
The legs hip-width distance and the feet softening away from each other.
The arms away from the sides of the body,
Palms gently rolling upwards.
Completely melt into this pose.
Settling into your Yoga Nidra nest.
Inhaling deeply,
Filling your lungs and exhaling,
Emptying your lungs with a deep sigh out.
Inhaling deeply,
Filling the lungs.
Exhaling and emptying your lungs with a deep sigh out.
With each breath,
Feel a wave of relaxation as you exhale.
Sinking deeper into your support beneath you.
Filling all the points of contact your body has.
Inviting stillness into your body.
Being aware of whatever you need,
You will receive.
And it will support you today.
Being aware of my voice and gently saying to yourself,
I will remain awake and aware throughout this Yoga Nidra practice.
Your Yoga Nidra practice has begun.
As you sense now your body resting in your space,
Imagine perhaps that you are drawing a circle of protection around you.
Around your whole body.
This protective circle can be made of anything you wish it to be.
Your favourite flowers,
Leaves,
Stars,
Light,
A circle of sand,
Whatever you need.
See and feel yourself resting inside this circle of protection.
And in this stillness,
Begin to feel the breath as it flows in through your nostrils.
Feel it flowing into your lungs.
Following each exhale all the way out to somewhere outside of your body.
Simply watching the breath flow in and out of your body.
Awareness at the navel.
Noticing the rise and fall as you breathe in and out.
And feeling yourself resting just as you are.
The support beneath you.
And slowly begin to travel your awareness through your whole body.
As you scan,
Notice if you feel areas of holding,
Of tension.
And softening here and letting your body adjust for perhaps another layer of comfort.
Awareness of the ears and sounds.
Sensing all the sounds around you.
Simply noticing them and your awareness moving from sound to sound.
Now releasing,
Listening to these sounds,
Knowing you are inside your circle of protection.
Listening to my voice as your awareness settles at your heart centre.
The energetic heart centre,
The centre of your chest.
Your breath easy and natural as you breathe awareness settling here.
Gentle movement of the body with each breath.
Now for your sankalpa,
Your heartfelt resolve.
That leads to your highest truth.
Something you wish to come true in your life.
A short present tense statement spoken with true feeling.
As though you are already living this.
You may already be working with or inviting in a sankalpa of your own.
Or perhaps it might be,
I am healthy,
Healed and whole.
Or I am deeply resting into every cell of my body.
Whatever you choose,
Saying your sankalpa to yourself three times now.
Releasing that now and we invite a rotation of consciousness throughout the body.
Sensing each body part as it's mentioned.
Notice now the parts of your body that are in contact with your support beneath you.
Begin with your feet and scan upwards.
Feel your heels touching the support.
Feel the next point where your body contacts the support beneath you.
And continue all the way until you get to the top of your head.
Calves and the support.
Backs of your thighs and the support.
Buttocks and the support.
The parts of your spine touching the support.
Shoulder blades and the support.
Back of your head and the support.
Your arms and the support.
And awareness to the crown of the head.
Awareness now to the inside of the mouth.
The inside of the cheeks.
The tongue.
The whole of the inside of the mouth.
The tip of the nose.
The right eye socket.
Left eye socket.
Eyebrow centre.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Inside the head.
The whole forehead.
The eyebrow centre.
The tip of the nose.
Tip of the chin.
The neck.
The hollow of the throat.
The right shoulder.
Right arm.
Tip of the right hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
And little finger.
The right armpit.
Right waist.
Right hip.
Right leg.
Right foot.
The right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And little toe.
Awareness now sweeping to the left shoulder.
The left arm.
The tip of the left hand thumb.
Index finger.
The middle finger.
Fourth finger.
And the little finger.
The left armpit.
Left waist.
Left hip.
Left leg.
Left foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And little toe.
Awareness sweeping now to the low belly.
To the navel centre.
Upper belly.
The heart centre.
Right side of the chest.
Left side of the chest.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
And the hollow of the throat.
The hollow of the throat.
Now the whole right side of the body.
The whole right side of the body.
And the whole left side of the body.
Now the right arm.
And the left leg.
Sense the right arm.
And the left leg.
And the left arm.
And the right leg.
And the left arm.
And the right leg.
Now the whole front of the body.
The whole front of the body.
The crown of the head.
The crown of the head.
The whole back body.
The whole back body.
The soles of the feet.
The soles of the feet.
And the whole body together.
The whole of your body together.
Whole body together.
Feel the whole body becoming heavier.
Feel your whole body breathing.
Feeling the rise and expansion on the inhale.
And the softening and easing on the exhale.
The rise and expansion on the inhale.
Feeling and sensing the softening and easing on the exhale.
As your body receives the inhalation,
Sense the earth support holding you,
Cradling you.
As though each inhalation the body rests more down towards the support,
Sensing the earth beneath you.
And feeling with every exhale your body eases and surrenders into the support beneath you.
The earth holding you.
Trusting you deserve to be held.
Every inhalation the body rests and moves towards the support,
The earth.
Every exhale your body eases and surrenders into the support of the earth beneath you.
Trusting you deserve to be held.
Begin now with counting your breaths backwards.
On the number 27.
No need to worry if you lose the count.
Just simply return back to 27.
Navel rising 27.
Navel falling 27.
Navel rising 26.
Navel falling 26.
Navel rising 25.
Navel falling 25.
And so on,
Making your way backwards to zero.
Tension releasing from your body and mind with each rising and falling of the navel.
You are releasing the counting now.
Sensing the earth holding you unconditionally.
Feeling your body and the earth breathing as one.
Now the awareness to the back of the eyelids.
As if you have a black screen ready to watch and sense the items I mention.
Coming to the mind without attachment.
Just noticing them and moving to the next.
A mountain with snow on its peak.
A mountain with snow on its peak.
A mountain with snow on its peak.
Snow drops.
Snow drops.
Snow drops.
Snow drops.
Beautiful sunrise.
Beautiful golden sunrise.
Beautiful golden sunrise.
Steaming hot cup of tea.
Steaming hot cup of tea.
Steaming hot cup of tea.
Cozy fluffy blanket.
Cozy fluffy blanket.
Cozy fluffy blanket.
A feather.
A feather.
A feather.
A feather.
A beautiful full moon.
A beautiful full moon.
A beautiful full moon.
A beautiful full moon.
The sounds of the waves lapping at the shore.
The sounds of the waves lapping at the shore.
The sounds of the waves lapping at the shore.
Now releasing the images and awareness returns to your heart centre once again.
Sensing the rising of the chest on the inhale.
And the softening on the exhale.
Awareness at your heart centre.
Gently returning now to your sankalpa.
Your heart felt resolved.
This may be your own or perhaps I am healthy,
Healed and whole.
Or I am deeply resting into every cell of my body.
I am deeply resting into every cell of my body.
Saying your sankalpa now to yourself three times as if it's already happening.
Releasing that now.
And welcoming yourself back.
Becoming aware of the whole body resting.
The whole body resting.
Within the circle of protection.
Sensing the shape your body is resting in.
Feeling safe and at ease.
Perhaps sensing the breath.
Sensing the support you are resting into.
Sensing the room that you are in.
And gently begin deepening your breath a little more.
Sensing sounds around you.
Distant sounds.
Sounds perhaps in the room that you are in.
Sound of your breathing.
Your heart beating.
Deepening the breath a little more.
Running the tip of your thumbs along the tips of your index fingers.
Wiggling your toes and your fingers a little more.
As you deepen a breath and the inhale find perhaps a gentle stretch.
Gently moving head side to side.
Hugging the knees to the chest.
Slowly roll onto your side.
Your practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
If you wish to stay and rest some more,
Maybe sleep now you may wish to do so while ensuring you are present and fully alert.
In return now to the remainder of your day.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
Thank you so much for joining me Namaste.
4.7 (18)
Recent Reviews
Jo
January 6, 2026
That was lovely