Deep Peace | Yoga Nidra

Allow yourself to rest deeply in this nourishing guided meditation. Yoga Nidra has numerous benefits including improved sleep quality, increased energy levels, and reduced stress and anxiety. Research shows it can also help to improve cognitive function, enhance neuroplasticity, and activate the relaxation response in the nervous system.

The music continues on long after the guidance ends to support sleep.

Binaural beats by Music of Wisdom

Transcript

Welcome to this practice of yoga nidra,

Which translates to yogic sleep.

This powerful guided meditation brings the practitioner into deep states of relaxation.

Yoga nidra helps to soothe the nervous system,

Allowing the body to relax and release tension.

It also helps to quiet the mind,

Soothe agitated emotions,

And bring us into a greater state of inner well-being.

For this practice,

I invite you to find a comfortable position lying down.

This could be in bed,

On the couch,

Maybe on the floor with some padding beneath you.

Of course,

If lying down isn't an option,

I invite you to get comfortable in a chair where you can lean back and really relax.

You may wish to have a pillow behind the head and also a pillow behind the knees to support the low back.

If it's chilly,

Have a blanket.

You may wish to have something to cover your eyes,

So you can really bring your awareness inside.

Take the feet a little wider than the hips.

Allow the toes to fall out to the sides.

Arms are alongside the body with the palms facing upward.

Take these next few moments to adjust the body however you need,

And then I invite you to find stillness.

We experience the greatest benefits of yoga nidra when we remain still during the practice.

Of course,

If you need to move at any time,

That's perfectly okay.

Once you're settled,

Allow the eyes to close.

Bring your attention to your breath.

Slowly breathe in,

Feel the belly and chest rising.

And slowly breathe out as you feel the weight of the body relaxing down.

Breathe in,

The body fills with breath.

Breathe out,

The body settles.

So much of our lives is spent with our attention on the outside world.

Our responsibilities,

Jobs,

Friends and family,

The challenges in the world.

We look for a sense of fulfillment and happiness outside of ourselves.

And although we may find it at times,

It is always temporary.

Just as our emotional experiences come and go,

Fulfillment from the outside world comes and goes.

For us to know a greater experience of true contentment,

Fulfillment,

Inner peace,

We are invited to spend more time cultivating inner stillness and silence.

To practice turning our attention inward to better understand and know ourselves.

Not just the parts of us that we accept and like,

But also the parts that we feel challenged by,

That we judge.

It is through embracing all parts of ourselves,

The parts we like and the parts we don't,

That we can truly experience the deep peace of our true nature.

Feel the bones becoming heavier,

The body is held by the support beneath you.

This is a time for rest,

Release,

And if you wish,

Deep sleep.

Notice the air moving across your skin.

Notice the sensations of the air as you breathe in and as you breathe out.

What are the qualities of the breath?

Ragged or smooth,

Deep or shallow.

Without changing the breath,

Notice your body breathing.

Then sense the rise and fall of the chest and the belly with each breath.

Silently say to yourself,

I give myself permission to rest.

I give myself permission to just be.

Sense the beating of your heart,

This magnificent heart that just keeps giving and giving.

Whether you are waking or sleeping,

Your heart is beating.

No matter what happens in your life,

The beauty of the heart always finds a way to be known again through a gentle smile,

A deep love,

The sweetness of gratitude.

Consider gratitude to your heart now for all of the ways that it is giving to you in every moment.

Deeper and deeper into the depths of your being,

Where there is a treasure chest of inner wisdom,

Unbounded love,

Deep inner knowingness.

This part of you inside that always knows exactly what you need.

And then ask your heart,

What is my deepest desire?

What is my deepest desire?

You might hear words,

Have feelings arise,

See images,

Trust this message from your heart.

And now create a sankalpa,

An intention statement that is spoken in the present tense.

And now from this desire,

Create your sankalpa,

An intention statement that is spoken in the present tense.

For example,

If your deepest desire is to feel truly loved,

Your sankalpa might be,

I am deeply loved and loving of myself.

Or if your deepest desire is to feel financially free,

Then you might say,

I am financially abundant and free.

I invite you to use the words,

I am,

When you create your sankalpa,

Or anything we say after I am,

We bring into creation in our lives.

Create your sankalpa and then repeat it in your mind three times.

Sense the air flowing in and out of the body.

And now allow your awareness to drift outward,

Moving far beyond the space around you.

Notice the sounds that you can hear from far away.

Rather than judging them as good or bad,

Pleasant or unpleasant.

Notice taking in the experience of the sound without needing to label it.

Become aware of the sounds in the space around you.

Become aware of the most subtle sounds.

Your breathing,

Quiet stirs around you.

Silently repeat to yourself,

I am aware.

I am awake.

I am aware.

I am awake.

As the body moves deeper and deeper into relaxation,

There is part of us who remains conscious in this liminal space where we have a taste of our infinite nature.

We will now move through a rotation of consciousness to bring us into greater relaxation.

As you hear me name different parts of the body,

I invite you to sense these areas while allowing the body to remain still.

Bring your awareness to your jaw.

Sense your lower lip,

Upper lip.

Feel your teeth and your gums.

Sense the tongue heavy and relaxed.

Become aware of the whole inside of the mouth.

Sense your cheeks,

The ball of the nose and both nostrils,

Bridge of the nose.

Sense the eyeballs and eye sockets,

Forehead,

Top of the head,

Back of the head.

Sense the sides of the head and both ears.

Become aware of the whole head and face.

Sense the neck and throat,

Right shoulder and armpit.

Feel the upper arm,

Elbow and the space inside of the elbow.

Sense the forearm,

Right wrist.

Feel the palm of the hand,

Back of the hand.

Sense right thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger.

Feel the whole right arm and hand relaxing down.

Bring your attention to your left shoulder and armpit,

Upper arm.

Sense the elbow and the space inside of the elbow.

Sense the forearm,

Left wrist.

Feel the palm of the hand,

Back of the hand.

Sense left thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger.

Feel the whole left arm and hand heavy and relaxed.

Sense your heart beating.

Feel your whole chest,

Solar plexus.

Sense the whole belly.

Bring your awareness to your upper back and shoulder blades.

Sense mid back,

Low back.

Feel buttocks,

Right hip,

Left hip.

Sense the whole pelvis heavy,

Relaxing down.

Feel right upper leg,

The front and back of the thigh.

Sense the knee and the space behind the knee.

Feel lower leg,

The shin and calf.

Right ankle.

Sense top of the foot,

Sole of the foot and heel.

Become aware of your right big toe.

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Become aware of the whole right leg and foot,

Heavy and relaxed.

Feel your left upper leg,

The front and back of the thigh.

Sense the knee and the space behind the knee.

Feel the lower leg,

Shin and calf.

Left ankle.

Top of the foot.

Sole of the foot and heel.

Sense left big toe.

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Become aware of the whole left leg and foot.

Slowly move your awareness to the base of the spine.

Sense the area just below the navel,

Solar plexus.

Feel your heart center.

Throat,

The space between the eyebrows,

Crown of the head.

Become aware of the whole body.

The whole body.

The whole body.

Recall your sankalpa.

Silently repeat it in your mind three times.

Gently repeat inside.

I am awake.

I am conscious.

I am consciousness.

Feel the weight of your body sinking down.

Your body feels like it's becoming really heavy.

Heavier and heavier sinking into the earth.

And now feel your body becoming lighter.

There is a buoyancy,

A lightness of being.

This lightness fills you,

Expands you.

And again feel your body becoming heavy.

The weight of the body being pulled down.

Heavier and heavier.

And the body becomes light again.

Lighter and lighter.

It feels like the body is rising up,

Lifting up.

As if your body is as light as a feather and could float off into the air.

There's so much lightness in your whole being.

Anything that has been weighing you down is dissolved now into this lightness.

This expansion from deep within.

There is a warmth within you and all around you.

As if you are in an ocean of light.

You might see yourself lying down on a beautiful lily pad.

Floating in this golden ocean of light.

Just as the depths of your inner being are still.

So is this ocean of light all around you.

Every fiber of your being is emitting a frequency of peace.

This peace is who you truly are.

And it is always within you.

Feel yourself being gently rocked in this ocean of golden light.

This unbounded peace.

In and all around you.

Every part of you is held in this light.

Whatever you are needing is being given in this moment.

Comfort for your heart.

Peace for your mind.

Healing and rest for your body.

A deep knowingness that you are cared for.

You are supported.

You are loved eternally.

You breathe in love.

And breathe out peace.

Love fills you.

And peace expands all around you.

If you are ready to drift into a deeply restful sleep.

Allow yourself to go deeper into this relaxation.

And ignore the ending guidance.

You are held.

You are cared for.

If you are ready to complete this practice.

Slowly bring your awareness back to the space around you.

Slowly letting in sensations of sound.

Temperature.

The air moving across your skin.

Feel the rise and fall of the belly and chest with each breath.

Very slowly start to move the fingers by gently touching the thumb to each one of the fingers.

Feel this vitality,

This aliveness in your touch.

Welcome the wholeness of you to this moment.

And this experience of the gift of having a physical body.

This ocean of light is always within you.

This peace is your true nature.

Move the body in any way that feels nourishing.

If you are on your back,

Bend the knees toward the chest.

And then slowly roll over onto one side.

Take your time.

When you are ready to come up to a seated position.

Use your hands to gently bring yourself up.

With the eyes closed,

Bring your palms to touch in front of your heart.

In this expression of gratitude,

Recall your sankalpa.

Repeat it three times in your mind.

Gently bow forward,

Offering yourself gratitude.

Offering gratitude to life,

To this moment,

To anything or anyone in your heart right now.

Let us take a slow deep breath in together.

Exhale through the mouth.

And whenever you feel ready,

Slowly open the eyes.

Thank you for sharing your practice with me today.

All my love.

Reviews

Beautifully nourishing nidra practice

Thank you 🙏

My favourite meditation, I've listened to it more than any other one on Insight Timer! When I need to sleep but I can't, I listen to it and always fall asleep no matter where I am, what's going on in my life or how I'm feeling. I've recommended it to my friends & family who also struggle with sleep, and I'll continue to do so.

Thank you for this beautiful meditation. Drifted off into a deep sleep. 🙏🏻

Your voice soothed my restless legs episode while trying so hard to go to sleep. You’ve become a trusted friend whom shows so much love and compassion. I know that when I see your name come up, after searching for a meditation, I can count on you to speak to my heart. Thank you 🙏🏻🥹😰😮‍💨

So lovely and restful and led me to a deep and peace filled slumber. Just what I needed! Thank you as always Selena!!

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Lovely soothing voice and words ! 🙏💓💐Thank you