Let Go Of The Day Yoga Nidra
by Lara
Lie down, make yourself as comfortable as possible, and listen to the voice as you are guided through deep relaxation and a visualization that will help you release any tension you accumulated throughout the day from your body and mind. This practice will clean the slate and prepare you for a calm and deep sleep. It is a great way to transition between a busy period and a slower afternoon or evening. Surrender to the release of tension and savor the peace that yoga nidra induces.
Transcript
Lying down on a yoga mat on the floor or on your bed or couch,
Making yourself as comfortable as possible.
Doing a quick stretch with your arms above your head if that's comfortable and available and lengthening your whole body,
Stretching your toes out,
A deep inhale and then an exhale.
Exhale,
Relax the whole body,
Bring your arms down by your side,
Palms facing up,
And with each exhale feel your body start to sink heavier and heavier into the support beneath you.
So we are going to practice yoga nidra or yogic sleep and all you have to do is maintain awareness of my voice and of the feeling of your body.
The body will sleep but the mind remains awake.
Saying to yourself mentally now,
I will not sleep,
I will remain awake.
Feeling the breath,
Slow down,
Lengthening your exhales,
Making sure you are all the way empty and letting the inhale be naturally a bit deeper,
Observing the body as it adjusts to stillness,
To simply being.
Noticing your muscles start to relax and seeking any place in the body that you can soften using your breath to create space in that place and then exhaling out the tension.
Developing your awareness of your body from the head to the toes,
Become aware of your whole body lying here in stillness and become aware of the natural breath now that's easy and smooth,
No forcing,
Following the breath in and out of the body and extend your awareness to the sounds that you can hear as far away as you can,
Becoming aware of the furthest away sounds you can hear without analyzing the source of the sounds,
Just noticing each sound you can hear in the distance and then bring your awareness in closer to sounds,
Closer to you,
Maybe just outside your building or sounds just outside the room and then notice the sounds in the room and keeping your eyes closed,
Visualize the room that you're in,
The four walls,
The floor,
The ceiling and see your body lying in stillness in this room,
Breathing naturally and becoming more and more relaxed.
Now is the time to make your intention or resolve,
Short positive statement of something you want to be true in your life,
If you don't have one you can use,
I am enough,
So please repeat your resolve or intention three times to yourself mentally now,
And then letting it go,
We will move into the rotation of consciousness,
We'll move through the body part by part,
Just follow along with my voice and move your attention to the part of the body that I name,
Try not to concentrate too hard,
But just follow along and stay awake,
Bring your awareness to the right hand,
Right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the hand,
Right wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Right armpit,
Right waist,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Right knee,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel of the foot,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right toes,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Now to the left hand,
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the left hand,
Back of the hand,
Left wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left armpit,
Left waist,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel of the foot,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left toes,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Now to the back of the head,
Where it touches the floor or the pillow,
Feel the back of the head,
The right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
The whole spine,
The right hip,
Left hip,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Back of the right thigh,
Back of the left thigh,
Back of the right knee,
Back of the left knee,
Right calf muscle,
Left calf muscle,
Right ankle,
Left ankle,
Right heel,
Left heel,
Now to the top of the head,
Bring your awareness to the top of the head,
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Both lips together,
The chin,
The jaw,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
The centre of the chest,
Upper abdomen,
Navel,
Lower abdomen,
Right groin,
Left groin,
Right thigh,
Left thigh,
Right knee,
Left knee,
Right toes,
Left toes.
Now the major parts of the body feel the whole of the right leg and the whole of the left leg and both legs together.
Now the whole of the right arm,
The whole of the left arm,
And both arms together.
Now the whole of the back of the body,
All together,
And the whole of the front of the body,
All together.
The whole of the head,
Together.
Now the whole body.
Feel the whole body,
All together.
Visualize the whole body.
Lying in stillness in this room.
Become intensely aware of the whole body.
Bring your awareness now to the natural,
Quiet breath.
Become aware of the breath through the nostrils.
Feel the breath as it enters the nostrils and it leaves the nostrils.
Continue being aware of breathing,
The natural breath at the nostrils.
And we will count down from 27,
Counting the breaths backwards,
Like this.
Breathing in 27,
Breathing out 27.
Breathing in 26,
Breathing out 26.
Breathing in 25,
Breathing out 25.
Keep going at your own pace,
Counting down to one.
If you lose count,
Start again at 27.
Focusing all your awareness on counting the breath at the nostrils.
Total awareness of the breath at the nostrils.
Stay awake,
Stay conscious.
Keep counting.
If you lose count,
Start again at 27.
If you reach one,
Start again at 27.
Now let go of counting.
Become aware of your whole body,
From head to toe,
Lying in stillness.
Awareness of the whole body,
Breathing naturally.
Now we are going to travel into your past in the same way that you traveled from the past to the present,
Retracing the steps of your memory and consciousness backwards from this time.
So we're going to try to remember what happened from the present time to the time you got up this morning,
As if you were watching a film running in reverse,
Or a series of slides.
So remember back to the start of this yoga nidra session.
Then recall what you were doing in the half hour before that.
Remember the important objects and feelings in that time.
And then keep on proceeding in half hour or one hour stages to when you woke up this morning.
Stage by stage,
Visualize and recall what you were doing,
Thinking,
And feeling.
And when you have finished,
Bring your mind back to the present.
Focus on your body lying here in stillness.
Now coming back to present.
Becoming aware of your body lying in stillness,
In total relaxation.
Now repeat your resolve or intention three times to yourself mentally,
Knowing that it will come true.
Repeat it with maximum feeling and awareness three times now.
And now relax all efforts.
Bring your attention back to the natural breath flowing in and out of the nostrils.
Become aware of your physical body,
The shape your body is in,
And visualize your body lying on the support that you're on.
And now visualize the surrounding room without opening your eyes yet.
Visualize the room that you're in.
Notice any sounds in the room and any sounds further outside the room.
Lie in here quietly until your attention is completely externalized.
And once that is the case,
You can start moving your body slowly and gently and stretching yourself.
Please take your time.
There is no hurry.
And the practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
When you are sure that you are wide awake,
You can roll over to one side.
Take another moment to breathe.
Before slowly pushing yourself up to seated and opening your eyes.
Thank you for your patience.
