Deep Rest | Yoga Nidra

Welcome deep rest and nourishment in this healing 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.

Binaural beats by Narek Mirzaei

Transcript

Welcome to this practice of Yoga Nidra.

Rest is the basis of activity,

Meaning our thoughts,

Emotions,

Behaviors,

And energy levels are all linked to how rested we are.

Yoga Nidra is a powerful ancient technique that was originally designed as a way to move into the ultimate state of freedom or Samadhi.

Today,

Many use Yoga Nidra because of its numerous benefits as it assists with relief of symptoms of anxiety,

Depression,

Insomnia.

It supports deeper rest and moving us from an experience of fight or flight to the relaxation response in the nervous system.

Yoga Nidra is neither waking or sleeping but rather a liminal state where we have the ability to touch into the subconscious mind and even plant intentional seeds of what we wish to see,

Feel,

And experience in our lives.

Whether you are using this technique for better sleep or to do deeper healing work,

Today's experience will support nourishment of body,

Mind,

Heart,

And spirit.

Let's begin by finding a comfortable position lying down.

If for any reason you can't lie down,

It's perfectly okay to be in a chair.

I invite you to have a pillow behind your knees,

Maybe something behind your neck or your head,

An eye pillow,

A blanket,

Whatever you need to feel really cozy and supported during this practice.

If you're able to,

I invite you to take a traditional Shavasana position.

The feet are a little wider than the hips.

Arms are alongside the body with the palms facing upward.

For these next few moments,

Make any final adjustments you need to be able to be settled during this practice.

To receive the greatest benefit from Yoga Nidra,

We allow the body to remain still.

Of course,

If at any time you need to move the body,

That's perfectly okay.

Once you're settled,

Close the eyes,

Take a slow deep breath in and out.

Feel your body relaxing down into the support beneath you,

Behind you.

Sense that the muscles are becoming heavier,

Softer,

Like any tension in the body is beginning to melt.

Sense the body being held in this moment,

Completely supported.

As you breathe in,

Feel the expansion in the belly and the ribcage.

And as you breathe out,

Feel the body settling a little more.

Feel your breath slowing down,

Becoming deeper.

This is a space for rest and even healing.

I invite you to consider that whatever is coming up in your mind,

Your emotions,

Your body in this moment,

Is okay.

It may not be comfortable,

But this is a time for rest.

There is no need to try to change or fix yourself,

To get rid of an experience inside.

As you focus on the sensations of the body breathing,

Allow anything else your mind might be holding on to to start to drift away.

You might imagine that your hand is gripping whatever this thought or feeling is,

And with your breath you are consciously letting go,

Opening your hand and releasing whatever it is.

During Yoga Nidra,

The body moves into a state of deep relaxation while the mind remains conscious.

Silently repeat to yourself in your mind,

I am awake and aware.

Sense the beating of your heart,

This heart that is so full of life,

So full of wisdom.

Imagine or feel that you are moving deeper into your heart,

Your energetic heart,

This space where the deepest wisdom lies within.

And now ask,

What is my heart's deepest desire?

Listen with an open mind and an open heart.

You can trust whatever arises.

And now from this deepest desire,

Let us create a Sankalpa,

An intention that is created in the present tense.

For example,

If my deepest desire is to experience great love in my life,

My Sankalpa might be,

I am full of love in every moment.

Or if my desire is,

I wish to be financially free,

My Sankalpa might be,

I am financially abundant beyond my wildest dreams now.

Create your Sankalpa.

And I invite you to use the words,

I am.

I am the two most powerful words in creation in any language.

For whatever we say after I am comes to fruition.

Create your Sankalpa and repeat it three times in your mind.

Become aware of the sounds far away.

And rather than labeling them as good or bad,

Or picturing where the sounds are coming from,

Practice allowing the sound to move into your awareness as an experience,

A sensation.

Notice one sound after another.

Notice the sounds in the space around you.

Become aware of the more subtle sounds,

Even the sounds inside of the body.

We will now move our awareness through the body.

As you hear me name different parts of the body,

Allow your mind to follow while the body remains still.

Become aware of your jaw.

Feel the jaw starting to hang and relax.

Move your awareness up to the lips.

Sense the teeth,

The gums,

The tongue heavy and relaxed.

Sense the whole inside of the mouth.

Become aware of the nose,

Cheeks.

Sense both eyes and the eye sockets.

Feel the small muscles in the forehead,

Spreading,

Softening.

Become aware of the scalp,

Both ears.

Open,

Receiving sound.

Sense the whole head and face.

Become aware of the throat and neck.

Sense the throat is opening,

Allowing the movement of breath,

Of energy,

Of truth.

Sense right shoulder,

Right armpit,

Upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm.

Sense the wrist,

Right hand palm,

Back of the hand.

Sense right thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger.

Become aware of left shoulder,

Left armpit,

Upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist.

Sense left hand palm,

Back of the hand,

Left thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger.

Become aware of the chest and the heart,

Beating in the chest.

Imagine the heart is filled with light,

Golden light,

Being pumped through the veins,

Filling every organ,

Every cell of the body with light.

Sense the whole belly.

Bring your awareness to the upper back and shoulder blades.

Feel the mid back,

Low back.

Sense buttocks,

Both hips,

The whole pelvis supported.

Feel right upper leg,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle.

Sense the top of the foot,

Sole of the foot and heel,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Become aware of left upper leg,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle.

Sense top of the foot,

Sole of the foot and heel.

Feel left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Become aware of the whole body,

The whole body,

The whole body.

Recall your sankalpa and silently repeat it in your mind three times.

Imagine you are sitting on soft green grass next to a gently flowing stream.

Become aware of any thoughts or emotions that are lingering and allow them to pass one by one like the water flowing across the rocks.

Sense the body breathing.

Feel how the air moves in and out of the body.

Sense the air moving across your skin.

Feel how this breath of life nourishes you,

How there is no effort needed for this breath to move.

Sense the coolness of the air as it moves in through your nostrils and the warmth of the air as it moves out.

Silently repeat to yourself,

I am awake and aware.

Feel your body becoming heavy,

Heavier and heavier,

Like it's being weighted down,

Sinking down into the earth.

And now feel yourself becoming lighter,

Lifting up off of this support behind you.

Filling you with buoyancy as if you are as light as a feather.

Again feel yourself becoming heavy,

Heavier and heavier,

Being pulled into the depths of the earth where you are safe and held.

And again feel yourself becoming lighter,

Lighter and lighter.

Every cell of your body is filled with light.

You start to lift up off of the earth,

Floating in this space of total peace,

Complete freedom.

Imagine yourself lying on your back,

Floating in a motionless ocean of golden light.

There is a peaceful stillness within you and all around you.

You feel so held,

Comforted and safe in this ocean of golden light.

Your body feels light and expanded.

Your eyes are closed as you gently float on this still ocean of peace.

The warmth of the light fills you with feelings of comfort and deep ease.

There is nothing to do,

Nothing to achieve,

Nothing to fix or change in this sacred place where there is no time.

You can rest deeply.

Become aware of your heart center.

See,

Feel a beautiful light emanating from your heart.

There is such wisdom in your heart,

A treasure waiting for you to discover it.

Open your mind as you listen to and feel the wisdom of your heart.

What messages does your heart wish to share with you right now?

Sense the breath.

Sense the spaciousness all around you,

Within you.

Feel your body held and supported.

Sense the breath flowing in and out.

Begin to deepen your breath.

Feel this life force and this light vibrating in every fiber of your being.

Feel the light within expanding.

Slowly move your fingers and toes,

Welcoming consciousness back to this moment in time and space.

Stretch,

Gently move your body in any way that feels good.

If you're on your back,

You may wish to bend your knees,

Roll over onto one side and slowly come up to a seat with the eyes still closed.

Recall your sankalpa and repeat it three times.

Place your palms over your heart center.

Offer yourself gratitude for taking this healing time for yourself.

Whenever you're ready,

Slowly open the eyes.

I invite you to move slowly with gentleness and kindness toward yourself.

Thank you for joining me for this practice.

All my love.

Reviews

💕

Amazing, thanks 🙏🏻

Maravilloso

Blissfully expansive. I return to your yoga nidras and healing meditations so frequently, Selena, and they’ve been immense, immense support in helping me heal from a new illness. Many thanks 🙏🏼

Thank you.

Powerful practice.
Thank you.
💖

A stunning yoga nidra, thank you. Beautiful intro at the beginning and context throughout. Great for beginners to the practice and for rests during the day. Next time I'll use it for a daytime practice - I didnt realise it wasn't meant for sleep, and so I stayed awake/ aware throughout. But still, I loved it.

Thank you

Ahhhhmazing🙏I love floating

Selena’s voice is her super power. This is a very relaxing yoga nidra. I listened to it twice on an overnight flight and felt rested. Be aware that there is a long pause (I opened my eyes to see that I hadn’t accidentally turned off the recording).

Thank you 🙏🏻

Thank you very much for this very restorative practice!

Outstanding yoga nidra practice. Deepest gratitude 🙏

A beautiful nourishing practice. Thank you Selena 🙏❤️

This style of Yoga Nidra really takes you into a deeper and deeper rest without falling asleep.

Beautiful relaxed yoga nitra with that gentle voice.
Thank you

The best! Both times I've tried this, I slept deeply and felt that it was longer than 60 minutes. I wish there were a 90 minute version as well as one that doesn't have the wake-up at the end. Please make/upload these when you have a chance :)

So wonderful!°•♡Lovely offering!~
Thank you so kindly for this practice~
Namaste❣️°•☆✨️🙏🏼°•🪷