Yoga Nidra For Rest

This is a yoga nidra practice for deep rest and relaxation. In this meditation you will lying down and be guided to intentionally rest each part of your body, bringing awareness to your breath, focusing on reaching a deep restful state.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to your Yoga Nidra session. It's important to be comfortable for this practice, So spend the next few moments ensuring that you are as comfortable as possible. Make any small adjustments that will help you settle your body. You may move at any point within this practice if you are uncomfortable, But ideally Yoga Nidra is practiced in stillness. You want to be lying down in a safe space, Free from other noise and distractions, Perhaps placing a bolster or pillow under your knees, Maybe an eye mask, Whatever you need. Make yourself aware of the room that you are in and imagine where you are positioned within it. Can you hear any sounds outside of the room? Let the sounds fall into the background of your awareness. Begin to take a few easy breaths, Focusing on your exhale. Allow each exhale to ground your body. Allow your full weight to be supported by the earth beneath you. On the exhale, Imagine as though the tension is falling through your body and into the ground underneath you. Set the intention for your body to rest. Set the intention for your body to rest deeply. Bring your awareness to the hinge of your jaw and give it a little slack. Let your tongue soften inside your mouth. Let your attention wander to the back of your eyes, Imagining that your eyeballs are resting deep into the spaciousness of the sockets. If your mind is busy, Try to move your focus to your brain and imagine that you could drop the thoughts and worries back towards the ground. Let the back of your throat relax. Let your shoulder blades widen and surrender to the support underneath of you. Let your lungs and organs rest into the back of the body, Softening deeper with each exhale, Softening deeper with each exhale. Visualize the muscles of your arms softening away from the bones. Visualize your skin softening away from the muscles. Imagine your whole body settling into a restful state. Imagine your whole body surrendering to a deep rest. Visualize your whole body resting deeply. Give yourself permission to rest deeply. I will begin to guide you to various points on your body. There is nothing to do except settle your attention on each body part with an intention to rest and relax. You may like to repeat the word rest as you focus on each body part relaxing fully. Bring your awareness to the space between your eyebrows. Rest. The center of your throat. Rest. Set an intention for your right shoulder to rest and let your attention run down your upper arm to your right elbow, Down your forearm and into the right wrist. Tip of the right thumb, The tip of the index finger, Tip of the middle right finger, Tip of the right ring finger, Tip of the right little finger. Let the whole hand rest. Attention in the right wrist, Right elbow, Right shoulder. Let the whole right arm rest. Move your attention to your throat. Commit to rest. Bring your awareness to the left shoulder. Let your attention run down the upper arm to the left elbow, Left wrist, Tip of the left thumb, Tip of the left index finger, Tip of the left middle finger, Tip of the left ring finger, Tip of the little left finger. Let the whole left hand rest. Left wrist, Left elbow, Left shoulder. Let the whole left arm rest. Bring your attention back to your throat. Rest. Bring your attention to the center of your chest, To the right side of your chest, To the center of your chest, To the left side of your chest, To the navel, The space in between the pubic bones. Let the whole abdomen and torso rest. Bring your attention to the center of the right hip. Let your attention run down the thigh to the right knee, Through the shin to the right ankle, To the tip of the right big toe, Tip of the second toe, Tip of the right middle toe, Tip of the right fourth toe, Tip of the right little toe, Right ankle, Right knee, Deep in the right hip. Let the whole right leg rest. Come back to the space between your pubic bones. Move to the center of the left hip. Let your attention run down the thigh to the left knee, Through the shin to the left ankle, Tip of the left big toe, Tip of the second toe, Tip of the left middle toe, Tip of the left fourth toe, Tip of the left little toe, Left ankle, Left knee, Deep in the left hip. Let the whole left leg rest. Come back to the space between the pubic bones. Allow the attention rising to your navel. Let the whole belly rest. Moving up to the center of the chest, Let the walls of the throat relax. Space in between the eyebrows. Let your attention rest in between your eyebrows. Let your whole body rest. There is nothing your body wants to do more than rest. Without changing anything, Witness the rhythm of your breath. Rest in the changing sensations of inhale versus the exhale. Rest in the changing sensations of your breath. As I guide you into a mental version of alternate nostril breathing, The body will remain still and the breath will be easy, No force, No strain. Begin to visualize the breath moving in through the right nostril and out through the left nostril. In through the left and out through the right. Allow the breath to be easy and as soothing as possible. Imagine that the breath moves in from below the nostril and travels all the way up past the center of the eyebrows and into the middle of your brain. Watch the breath fall, Exhaling from the center of your brain all the way beyond the tip of the nostril. See the breath move from the nostril to the brain, From the brain to the nostril with ease. Add counting to your breath. Count from 21 to 0. If you lose count or finish, Come back to 21. Your next inhale through the right nostril will be inhale right 21, Exhale left 21, Followed by inhale left 20, Exhale right 20. Continue this count for a few moments. No strain, No force, Just easy breathing. If you get lost, Begin again at 21. Let all the counting fall away. Let all your effort dissolve into deep rest. Bring your attention to the front of your body, From your face all the way through your chest and torso to your legs and your feet. Let your whole front body rest into the back of your body. Let there be a feeling of weight in your body as your front body settles back, Rests. Front body rests into back body. Let your whole body explore this deep heaviness, Sinking into deep rest. Now imagine your back body floating up from your front body. Imagine the whole body being light and spacious, Completely effortless. Let your whole body feel light as you are resting weightlessly. Now let yourself wander between those two opposites. There is no rush. Feel the body be heavy, Then feel the body be light. Feel the body heavy, Feel the body light. Can you rest deeply in between the two, Neither heavy nor light, The essence of both without striving or grasping for either? Simply resting deeply between the two, Heavy and light. A sense of deep, Deep rest in your body. A sense of deep, Deep rest in your mind. A sense of deep, Deep rest in your whole being, Whole. Let your whole body rest, Resting in the nature of your whole authentic self. Notice how your body feels against the ground, The weight of your muscles and bones. Notice which parts of you are touching the ground, The head, The shoulder blades and ribs, The back of the pelvis, The flesh of your upper and lower legs and your heels. Feel your breath, Move your body. Notice the natural, Easy rhythm of your breath. As you take a deeper, Richer breath, How does it feel as a sensation in your body? How does the inhale feel compared to the exhale? Remember where you are in the room. Feel free to lazily open your eyes if that is helpful, And then let the eyes fall closed again. Begin to move your body, Wiggling your toes and fingers, A stretch to your arms and your legs. Make any gentle movements that will help bring your body back to a wakeful state. Gently roll over to your right side. Let your eyes open softly so that you can take in some light and some color. Keeping your head heavy, Use your top arm to help you come to a sit, Any comfortable seated position. Bring your hands to your body or to a prayer position at your chest, And just take a moment to close this yoga nidra practice in your own way. Return to any feelings or sensations of deep rest, Perhaps taking a deep breath in, Letting it go. Take plenty of time to come back and move into your day. Namaste.

Reviews

Love the alternate nostril breathing into brain - so relaxing