Nidra: Deep Rest Meditation

Explore this 30-minute Deep Rest meditation session, like yoga nidra. In this practice you can deeply relax your body and sense it on different levels (koshas). You can explore the physical, mental, emotional and energetic levels within yourself and grow your awareness of them. Listening to what your body wants to share with you, without judgment and with loving attention.

Transcript

Welcome to this practice of sleep meditation.

Know that everything that's offered through the practice is an invitation for you to follow,

Or feel free to modify or skip any invitations.

Now let's start the practice by taking a moment to settle into a relaxed position,

Laying down or seated,

Eyes open or closed,

Adjustment you can make to be just a little more comfortable.

And really take a moment to find that position.

And now imagine you could make a wish for anything right now.

What might it be?

What might be your best intention or outcome for this practice?

Perhaps for health,

For inner peace?

What is it you wish for right now?

And formulate your wish into a one-sentence affirmation in present time,

Such as,

I'm radiantly healthy,

Or whatever affirmation seems right for you.

And if it's helpful,

You can also include the intention to stay awake through this practice.

And once you have established your one-sentence wish or intention,

Affirm it silently to yourself now several times.

And we'll come back to this wish or intention towards the end of practice.

And now take a moment to recall or imagine a place where you feel a sense of calm,

Ease or safety.

It might be a room in your home or a place in nature.

It might be with someone you love or a pet.

You can imagine anything here in your sanctuary that contributes to a sense of ease and well-being.

And as you imagine yourself here,

Notice how you feel.

Take some time to feel the effects of being in your inner sanctuary.

You can bring the feeling of your sanctuary of inner peace with you through this practice,

So that it is available to you at any time.

And now become aware of the sensations of your whole body.

Feel the sensations of your body resting on the surface underneath it.

And now bring your attention to the sensations in your left foot.

Feel your left heel,

The sole of your foot,

The top of your foot,

And all of your toes.

Feeling the whole of your left foot.

And now feeling the sensations in your left ankle,

Your calf.

Feel the sensations in your right foot now.

Feel your right heel,

Sole of your foot,

Top of your foot,

And all of your toes.

Feel the whole of your right foot.

Feeling the sensations in your right ankle,

Calf.

With each invitation to feel the sensations in each part of your body,

Notice that it spontaneously relaxes without even trying to.

Feel your pelvis now.

The whole of your pelvis as sensation.

Now feel the sensations in your lower torso,

Your middle torso,

And your upper torso.

Now feel the whole of the torso at once.

As you continue to follow my invitations to feel sensations in your body,

You might be aware of a deepening sense of inner calm and peace.

Now feel your left shoulder.

Left upper arm.

Elbow.

Forearm.

Wrist.

Back of the hand.

Left thumb.

And all the fingers.

Feel the sensations in the whole of the left hand now.

Now feel your right shoulder.

Right upper arm.

Right elbow.

Elbow.

Forearm.

Wrist.

Back of the hand.

Right thumb.

And all of the fingers.

Feel the sensations in the whole of the right hand now.

Now feel both shoulders at once.

Feel the sensations in your neck,

The whole of your neck and throat.

Feel the back of your head now.

The top of your head.

Your forehead.

Feel the sensations of your facial muscles.

And now feel the sensations in your left ear.

Feel the sensations in your right ear.

Feel both ears at once now.

Feel the sensations in and around your left eye.

And now feel the sensations in and around your right eye.

Feel both eyes at once now.

Feel the sensations in and around your nose.

The movement of breath within the nostrils.

And the caress of air on the outside of your nose.

Feel the sensations in and around your mouth.

Your tongue.

Roof of your mouth.

Floor of your mouth.

Left side wall.

Right side wall.

Feel the whole of your mouth as sensation.

Now feel the whole of your head as sensation.

Feel your whole body now.

All the sensations in your whole body at once.

Notice how relaxed your body and mind might be.

And now bring your attention to your breath.

Begin to gradually slow your breathing down.

Relaxed,

Easy,

Slow breathing without any strain.

Do several rounds of this on your own.

Now count your breath down from five to zero.

With each inhale as a count and each exhale as a count.

You may notice yourself even more relaxed as a result of this breathing practice.

Now notice any emotions or thoughts that may be present.

And you might notice that emotions or thoughts will gradually dissolve and disappear if you don't engage in them.

Just let emotions or thoughts come and go.

And then feel and enjoy the absence of thought.

And when your next thought arises,

As soon as you notice it,

It dissolves again.

Attune yourself to the underlying ground of peace that is ever-present.

Now think of an emotion,

Thought or belief that you'd like to work with.

Perhaps one that creates some degree of suffering for you.

Perhaps a thought like,

I never have enough time.

And its opposite might be,

Sometimes I do have enough time.

You choose what emotion,

Thought or belief to work with and its opposite.

And when you're ready,

Recall the time when you had that emotion or thought.

When you believed or identified with it.

And notice how you felt at the time you took it to be true.

And where and how you felt it in your body.

And now recall a time when you had the opposite thought or emotion.

When you believed the thought to be true.

And notice how you feel as a result of identifying with this thought or belief or emotion.

And notice where and how you feel this one in your body.

Go back and forth a few times between these opposites.

Noticing what you feel as you identify with one and then the other.

And when you're ready,

Feel both opposites at once.

Feel your way into both at once by opening or widening the lens of feeling awareness.

Notice how you feel when you open to both at once.

You might feel the opposites dissolve or open into a sense of neutrality,

Expansion or wholeness.

Notice what you feel with both at once.

You might be aware of a deepening sense of inner peace or calm.

A sense of openness or expansion.

Let your attention rest here for a while.

Experiencing yourself as peaceful,

Open and expansive.

This is deeply soothing and nourishing for your body,

Mind and soul.

You might also notice an inner peace that may have been in the background of this practice since the beginning.

Relaxed,

Peaceful and calm.

And as you continue to feel this inner peace,

It may blossom into a subtle sense of joy or happiness.

No problem if it doesn't.

You might like to take a moment to recall a time of joy or happiness in your life.

Using memory or imagination to evoke the feeling of joy or happiness.

Feeling peace,

Joy or happiness.

Which may eventually blossom into a feeling of subtle bliss.

Now allow your wish for this practice to bubble back up into your awareness again.

From this place of physical and mental relaxation,

Imagine and feel it as true now.

Imagine your wish is true.

And take a moment to imagine your life with it as true.

What do you notice as you imagine your life with your wish or intention as already true?

And most importantly,

How do you feel with your wish come true?

Now as we move towards completion,

Feel your body resting here in this room.

Still aware of your wish come true,

To the degree that that's possible,

As a feeling in your heart.

You might like to set an intention to take this feeling with you into the rest of your day.

Along with the feeling of inner peace that may have pervaded the practice.

Gradually begin to deepen your breath.

Bringing gentle movement into your fingers and toes.

Slowly opening your eyes.

And perhaps bringing a stretch into your whole body,

If that feels right for you.

And then when you're ready,

You can roll to one side.

To eventually find your way to a seated position.

Taking the practice into your life.

And this finalizes the sleep meditation practice.

Thank you and namaste.

Reviews

Thank you. Loved the opposite thoughts And the remembering joy.

Love the buildup soft this meditation. Feeling call, relaxed and grounded. Will come back for more of this🙏🌿❤️