Yoga Nidra: The Still, Small Voice Within

A 30-minute Yoga Nidra meditation connecting to the still, small voice within. Enjoy deep relaxation, restoration, and re-connection with this guided practice; releasing tension, anxiety and stress, this Yoga Nidra offers an opportunity to enter the stillness within and re-connect with our true authentic self, our whole self.

Following the systematic practice of Yoga Nidra (omitting Sankalpa), this meditation includes deep relaxation, a body scan and Rotation of Consciousness, Opposites of calm and tension, Breathwork, Body Floor Awareness, and Rapid Visualization.

This practice has been created to give you the chance to create the space required to hear this voice within.

Transcript

Welcome to this practice of Yoga Nidra.

Taking Shavasana,

Lie flat on your back with your legs stretched out in front of you,

A little more than hip width apart.

Feet can fall out naturally and arms down by your sides,

Palms upwards.

And take a moment to align your spine straight from the crown of your head to the center line between your feet.

And just close down your eyes.

Make a resolve to not fall asleep in this practice.

Knowing your body will enter a state of deep relaxation but your mind will stay completely alert and awake.

And remember there's no effort required in Yoga Nidra,

Nothing for you to do other than just be present,

Here and now.

So make any final adjustments before you invite and enter complete stillness for the duration of the practice.

Stillness in both the body and the mind.

Knowing the quieter we become,

The more we are able to hear.

In connecting to this stillness,

This silence in ourselves,

We create space.

Space to pause,

To reflect,

To restore and renew.

And space which allows a connection to be found again.

A connection to our authentic self,

Our whole self,

In the space we now create with this stillness.

Become aware of how with every inhale and exhale,

Your body is invited to let go.

To exhale itself and rest here.

In this welcoming space of stillness.

And invite this stillness on your breath to enter and leave your body.

Inhaling and exhaling.

Equalizing and balancing.

And take an inhale now,

Deep into your belly and count for four on the inhale.

And then exhale it out through your mouth and just let everything go.

Inhale again for four.

And then exhaling through the mouth for four.

And continue in your own time with your own breath.

Inhaling through your nose for four.

And then exhaling through your nose for four.

Inhaling for four.

And exhaling again for four.

And just continue feeling this lovely sense of stillness in the center of your body as you inhale deep into your belly and exhale letting everything just sink further onto the ground beneath you.

And in this stillness,

Deep within,

We can listen to a new space.

The new space of this moment.

To the innermost part of ourselves.

To the still small voice within.

Returning your full focus and attention to your natural breath.

Moving gracefully in and out of your body without any effort.

Happening all by itself.

Be aware of the air as it enters your nostrils on the inhale and is released on your exhale.

Like a gentle breeze moving in and out of your body with ease.

Watch it in your mind's eye.

See your whole body lying here breathing with ease.

Just as an observer watching another.

And bring your awareness now to the sounds that you can hear.

Bring your attention now to the sounds inside your body.

Notice your heartbeat.

The rhythm of your breath.

Let go of the external world.

And receive the invitation to dive deep into your internal world.

Here in your interior.

Feel your body,

Your whole body,

Soften onto the ground.

Let all tension ease away.

Feel your head lying heavy,

Supported,

Held.

Allow a softening of your forehead.

Feel the wrinkles of your day just fade away.

Your eyes soften.

Your eyelids become heavy and still.

All tension releasing from your temples and cheeks.

Let your jaw drop.

Your teeth parting slightly.

Allow your tongue to rest at the bottom of your mouth with perhaps the tip of your tongue resting on the roof of your mouth or your back teeth.

Soften your throat imagining that warm gentle breeze passing over.

Softening.

Letting go.

On your next inhale feel a widening in your chest as on your exhale your shoulders drop down and relax.

Your arms lying heavy on the support beneath you.

Everything softening,

Melting,

Dissolving all tension away.

Your belly soft and loose.

The muscles in your thighs and calves,

Everything feeling heavy.

Everything heavy and soft.

All tension melting away.

Feel your whole body now sink onto the surface beneath you.

Releasing,

Unburdening into complete stillness.

We move to the rotation of consciousness.

Silently repeat each body part as it is named and visualize it in your mind's eye as we move around the body.

Now you may want to invite the idea of that breeze to float gently around your body or simply focus your attention,

Your choice,

Your practice.

Starting at the right hand thumb.

Really bring your full attention,

Your full awareness to your right hand thumb.

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Little finger,

Thumb and fingers together.

Palm of hand,

Back of hand,

Your right wrist,

Lower arm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

The right side of your chest,

Your right hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of foot,

Your right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and little toe.

All your toes together.

Now bring your attention to your left hand thumb.

Again your full attention,

Full awareness.

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger and little finger,

Thumb and fingers together.

The palm of your hand,

The back of your hand,

Your left wrist,

Lower arm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

The left side of your chest,

Your left hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of foot,

Your left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and little toe.

All your toes together.

Now bring your attention to the back body,

Starting at the heels,

Your calves,

The space behind both knees,

Backs of thighs,

Your glutes,

Your lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back,

Your neck and your head lying heavy on the ground.

Bringing your attention to the crown of your head,

Move your focus and full attention to your forehead.

Let this soften.

The space between your eyebrows,

Your right eyebrow and left eyebrow.

Right eye and left eye.

The bridge of your nose,

Your right nostril and left nostril.

Right temple,

Left temple.

Right cheek and left cheek.

Your top lip and bottom lip.

Your jaw,

Teeth,

Your tongue.

The inside of your mouth,

Right cheek and left cheek.

Your right ear,

Your left ear.

Your throat,

Your right collarbone and left.

The right side of your chest,

The left side of your chest,

Your navel,

Your belly,

Your pelvis,

The whole of your right leg,

The whole of your left leg,

Both legs at the same time.

The whole of your right arm and the whole of your left arm,

Both arms at the same time.

The whole of the front side of your body,

The whole of the back of your body,

The whole of the right side,

The left side,

The inside,

The outside.

Your whole body,

Your whole body,

Your whole body.

Your whole body now made radiant with the light of your awareness and attention,

Resting in the stillness within.

This stillness,

Let it permeate through your whole body.

Let it blossom into a feeling of calm,

Of peace and tranquility,

Serenity and inner quietude.

Now notice it shift.

Notice it shift to a feeling of tension.

Now feel this in your body all whilst you are resting here in this space.

Feel the calm and the peace and tranquility.

And then a feeling of tension.

And just move between these two states from a feeling of calm and of peace to a feeling of tension.

Just move between these two states of awareness.

Perhaps as you inhale you feel that tension coming into your body.

And then as you exhale you feel that wonderful calm and peace in your body.

Just continue.

Explore.

Be curious of these two different states.

All while you are resting here in this space.

Now hold these two states together.

Calm and tension together.

Tension and calm together.

And become aware of your body lying here.

Paying close attention to the places where your body is connected to the ground.

Notice the support beneath you in these places.

Allowing you,

Inviting you to release and let go further still.

Notice the stillness in these places as your body releases onto the ground.

Knowing it is fully supported and held here.

Let go to the stillness.

Bringing your attention back to your breath once again.

Notice your breath moving more gently now with your inhale and exhale.

Calmer.

Smoother.

Softer.

Your body breathing itself.

Your body knowing exactly what to do.

And imagine your breath is the warm gentle breeze now.

Coming from deep within.

From your place of stillness.

And breathe into your whole body.

The gentle warm wind carrying your breath and the very essence of your stillness within.

To every cell,

Muscle,

Tissue and bone in your body.

Breathing in and out.

Calmer.

Smoother.

Softer.

Now direct your breath to the very tip of your tailbone.

And on your next inhale,

Breathe this essence all the way up your spine to the crown of your head.

Exhaling,

Send the breath back down your spine to the tip of your tailbone.

Inhaling up your spine.

Exhaling down your spine.

Like the warm gentle breeze,

Send your essence of stillness.

Inhaling up your spine.

Exhaling down your spine.

This warm gentle breeze carrying your essence of stillness to your whole body.

I invite you now to bring your attention to the middle of your eyebrows.

I'm going to name a few things.

And in this space in the middle of your eyebrows,

Visualize what you hear.

The night sky lit up with the new moon and a thousand stars.

The golden sands of a long empty beach.

The sounds of morning birdsong.

A thunderstorm rumbling in the distance.

A waterfall of crystal blue water.

The morning mist over a calm sea.

A flock of birds flying low over a still lake.

Snow-capped mountains.

The sound of children laughing.

A single white rose.

A sunny summer's day in the countryside.

Smooth pebbles on a beach.

A field full of wildflowers.

The colors of sunrise,

Pinks,

Blues and the golden sun.

A babbling brook.

Fields of lavender as far as the eye can see.

A room to call your own.

The sound of the still small voice within.

In the words of Howard Thurman,

There is something in everyone that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine inside.

It is the only true guide you will ever have.

In your stillness,

What might you hear?

Now go beyond to the stillness that is pure,

Boundless awareness.

May today there be peace within.

May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.

May you use the gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content with yourself,

Just the way you are.

Be still and know that you are whole.

Bring your attention back to your breath once again and really breathe into your body as you land back into this space.

Become aware of the external world around you and with your eyes still closed,

Bring to mind the space that you're lying in and really see the walls and the floor and the ceiling as you return back into this space.

And know that the experience of this practice will stay with you long after you return to this space.

Feeling completely restored,

Completely renewed,

Completely reconnected to that still,

Small voice within.

And now just slowly open your eyes returning to your world.

May the peace which passes all understanding keep your heart and mind in the knowledge and presence of love.

This practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Reviews

Sublime- as is all of your nidras. Thank you so much!

Such peace, such bliss. Yet why was my inner voice saying “Help, help”?

Thank you, that is a beautiful nidra Kate. Chuck

Kate, another magnificent nidra!!! Your voice is so melodic and calming and I thank you so very much ❤️

Very peaceful. Pretty voice. Very balanced. Great nidra!