Nidra Nap

This is a short yoga Nidra practice designed to give you a moment of rest throughout the day. Practice in the afternoon instead of reaching for a coffee, or in the evening when you are ready to go to sleep. A good solution if you wake too early in the morning, too.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Rivika.

Thank you for being here.

This short yoga nidra practice is designed to allow you to pause,

To cultivate complete effortlessness.

Doing practices like this help alleviate stress,

Depression,

And anxiety by repairing and restoring the body on the deepest cellular level.

With this practice,

You are activating the parasympathetic nervous system,

Bringing yourself to enter a state of ultimate relaxation and allowing your body to heal itself.

This is a time for you to rest completely.

My favorite time to do this practice is in the middle of the day when I feel tired or sluggish.

You can also enjoy this practice in the morning or at night,

Whenever you need some rest.

Begin by finding a comfortable position.

Lay down on your back,

With your palms facing the sky and your knees and feet wider than your hips.

Place a pillow under the knees,

Under the head.

Cover your eyes and your body with a blanket if you can.

If you are at work or in transit,

Don't worry.

Just sit as comfortably as you can,

Leaning back and allowing the body to relax.

It is best if you remain completely still for the entire practice.

Try to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice.

Allow your entire body to feel heavy here.

Let your muscles and bones sink down into the earth.

Follow the sound of my voice as we move your awareness through various bodily sensations.

Try not to focus too intently,

As it may prevent you from relaxing.

The practice still has an effect if you drift off,

Since there is a part of you that is always listening.

Become aware of your own breathing.

Commit to stillness through your flesh and your bones.

As you feel your own breathing,

Arrive into deeper states of presence.

A natural breath flows in through both nostrils.

Notice the feeling of the breath as it comes in and out of your nostrils.

There is a sense of coolness as you inhale the breath.

Follow this feeling into your nose,

Your sinuses,

The back of the throat,

Into your lungs,

Your belly,

Your whole body.

There is a sense of warmth as you exhale the breath.

Feel this warmth on your upper lip as you breathe out.

The breath flows through both nostrils during the inhale and out both nostrils during the exhale.

Allow your breath to become longer and slower.

Take a long,

Slow inhale.

Take a longer,

Slower exhale.

As you become intimate with your own breathing,

Listen now for your sankalpa.

Your sankalpa is your resolve,

Your statement of intent,

What you long to heal today.

State to your sankalpa in present positive language.

An example for this practice could be,

I am rested.

I am healthy.

I am thriving.

Repeat your resolve a few times over to yourself with a bold sincerity so it gains power within you so you can feel it in your body.

We're moving now into a systematic journey of sensory awareness through your whole body.

Following my voice,

You'll move your awareness to different parts of your body as you hear them named.

You can repeat the part of the body to yourself as you feel this body part with all of your awareness,

But don't move.

The practice begins on the right side.

Feel your right hand thumb,

Bringing all of your attention to your right hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Feel the palm of the hand.

The back of the hand.

The wrist.

The forearm.

The elbow.

The crease of the elbow.

The upper arm.

The shoulder.

Your armpit.

Your ribs.

Your waist.

Feel your hip.

Your thigh.

Your knee.

The calf.

Ankle.

Heel.

The sole of the foot.

Top of the foot.

Right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Bring your attention to your left hand thumb.

Give all of your attention to your left thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Inner elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Armpit.

Ribs.

Waist.

Hip.

The front of the thigh.

The knee.

The calf.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sole of the foot.

Top of the foot.

Left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Moving your attention now to the back of the body.

Right heel.

Left heel.

Right calf.

Left calf.

Right thigh.

Left thigh.

To the buttocks.

To the lower back.

Middle back.

Upper back.

Feel your entire spine.

Feel your right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

The curve from the back of the neck.

The base of the skull.

Back of the head.

Feel the crown of the head.

Forehead.

Right temple.

Left temple.

Right ear.

Left ear.

The space between the ears.

Right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

In between the eyebrows.

Right eye.

Left eye.

Bridge of the nose.

Tip of the nose.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Right cheek.

Left cheek.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Both lips together.

Chin.

Jaw.

Neck.

Throat.

Right collarbone.

Left collarbone.

Your right side of the chest.

Left side of the chest.

Feel your lungs.

Your heart.

The abdomen.

Navel.

Lower belly.

Down into your groins.

The pelvic floor.

The whole right leg.

The whole left leg.

The whole right arm.

The whole left arm.

Bring your awareness to your whole face.

The whole head.

The whole torso.

Now flood your attention into the whole body.

The whole body.

The whole body.

With this whole body awareness,

Return to the sensations of breathing.

Feel the ease of the breath moving through the body.

Feel the ebb and flow within you.

Notice the sensation of expansion as you inhale,

Welcoming breath into the body.

Notice the natural contraction as you exhale.

As you inhale,

Notice how the expansion surpasses the limits of your physical body,

Of your skin.

As you exhale,

The contraction brings you deep inside your own consciousness.

Deep in your connection with this expansion and contraction,

With this ebb and flow.

Allow the limits of your physical body to dissolve.

How far can you feel yourself expand?

How deep can you go inwards?

As you play in this space of expansion and contraction,

Silently come back to your sankalpa.

Repeat your sankalpa as you return home to yourself.

Time stands still.

Feel your entire body,

Whole and present.

Allow the sensation of rest wash over you.

Feel gratitude washes over you and fills up your entire being.

Feel gratitude for your beautiful,

Healthy body.

Feel your entire body breathing.

Strong,

Rested.

Take a deeper breath,

One that brings you back to the room.

Keep your eyes closed and visualize the room around you.

Imagine where you are and the other objects that are around you.

Play here quietly until you feel ready to move.

Move your eyeballs with your eyes closed.

Start by slowly moving hands and feet.

Take your time.

There is no hurry.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

Finally roll over onto your right side.

Pause here for a few moments.

Use your hands to press up from the floor.

Bring your hands over your heart.

That's an intention for your day.

How do you want to feel?

Feel it now.

Remember this feeling.

Namaste.

Reviews

That was so deeply relaxing. I did drift off to sleep, but I woke up right when you said the yoga nidra is complete.

Wow, what an amazing soothing nap. Thank you so much.

This is one of my regular “go-to” practices. I find it very helpful when I need some extra rest. I find myself using it most in the afternoon when my energy level drops, but I’ve used it to get back to sleep in the middle of the night or to recharge in mid-morning after a restless night. Truly a wonderful yoga nidra-based practice.

I have lost count of the number of times I have come back to this one. Thank you Rivkah 🙏

Was perfect quick nap yoga nidra! Felt well rested and calm afterwards!

Thank you for guiding me out of a stress state and into balance.

Lovely, I needed a midday rest and didn’t have much time. This was just right and I feel refreshed. Thank you!

This has been my favorite track to go to each time my energy dips midday and between the yoga classes I teach. Instead of reaching for coffee, or scrolling, I do this beautiful nidra and it restores me. Grateful for you and this offering 🙏🏻

Fell into sleep quickly and woke up refreshed. Thank you so much Rivkah!

Woke up too early and tired. This gave me the needed rest to feel rested and energized. Thank you !!🙏🏽

Exactly what I needed after a sleepless night! Thank you 🙏🏻 😊

Thank you I now feel more energised and rested. 22 minutes has made a powerful difference. I am grateful for this yoga Nidra.

Rachel this is an exceptional experience as I follow my bodies signals and breathe naturally through this beautiful Yoga Nidra meditation. I feel refreshed and relaxed. Thank you 🙏.

I’ve been using this nidra for over a year on my lunchtime break! Love it

Thank you for this practice. Of the guided meditations that I use, this very practice I go back to in almost 50% of the time❣️🙏

Effective!😊
Great voice and instructions!
I highly recommend!

Phenomenal! Your voice is so soothing and this practice was perfect. Thank you.

Really good but y was I supposed to be on the floor?

The voice alone is incredibly relaxing! Lovely so lovely

I come back to this time and time again. I love this, it's extremely relaxing and very powerful. Thank you.