Yoga Nidra For Deep Relaxation

This 25-minute Yoga Nidra meditation is intended to help you relax and rest deeply. This track may be used any time of the day, including at night to assist with falling asleep. The following meditation includes setting an intention, rotation of consciousness, breathing techniques, and a beach theme visualization. The soft ocean sounds in the background will guide you into a place of deep and peaceful rest.

Transcript

Welcome to this yoga nidra practice,

A deep and relaxing meditation experience that may allow you to let go of distractions and worries and connect with your deeper self.

Please lie down on your back and relax in a comfortable position with your palms facing up and your feet falling gently out to the side.

Position your head comfortably with your head and neck in a neutral position.

Feel free to place a blanket under your head or a bolster under your knees.

Whatever you choose to feel very comfortable and at ease.

Now begin to soften or close your eyes and allow your body to slowly relax and settle into the space surrounding you,

Coming to a place of stillness and remaining still throughout the practice.

If you notice discomfort anywhere in your body at any time,

First observe it.

If it continues to bother you,

Please make any necessary adjustment and then come back to a place of stillness.

Begin by taking a deep breath and as you exhale let go of all worries and distracting thoughts.

Allow your mind to relax completely.

Now follow the sound of my voice throughout the practice.

Notice the natural coming and going of your breath,

Expanding your abdomen with each inhale and then deflating with each exhale.

With each exhale a deeper settling,

A deeper sense of well-being and a deeper release the day.

Begin to feel the natural pulse and throb of the life force working throughout your body as you breathe in and as you breathe out.

Feel the natural and beautiful sensations of each inhale and exhale,

The flows of energy and sensation.

Now allow the sound and easy rhythm of your breath to further relax your body.

Allow each breath to flow through you like a rolling wave in the ocean.

Begin to observe the sounds outside and inside the room.

Sounds far away and the sounds as close as your breath.

Breathing in and out,

Feel awareness of your body from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.

Now is the time to set your intention.

This can be an intention or an affirmation that you state to yourself in the present tense.

Try to find what comes naturally to you and repeat your intention or affirmation in your mind three times with full awareness,

Sincerity and faith.

Expect and affirm every desire you declare will manifest in your life.

We will now begin a journey of sensory awareness throughout the body.

You will transfer your awareness to different parts of the physical body while remaining still.

Allow your mind to quickly transition from part to part.

As you remain alert,

It is not necessary to strain to follow my voice.

It should be a relaxing journey throughout your body.

Think of the part of the body or see it in your mind's eye,

Whichever you find easier,

But you do not need to move the part of the body that's being mentioned.

The practice begins on the right side.

Right hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

Left hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Now go to the back of the body.

Right heel,

Left heel,

Right calf,

Left calf,

Right thigh,

Left thigh,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back,

The entire spine,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Back of the neck,

Back of the head,

Top of the head,

Forehead,

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Middle of the eyebrows,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Left eye,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Both lips together,

Chin,

Jaw,

Throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Upper abdomen,

Navel,

Lower abdomen,

Right groin,

Left groin,

The pelvic floor,

The whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

Left leg,

Whole right arm,

Whole left arm,

The whole face,

The whole head,

The whole torso,

The whole body,

The whole body,

The whole body.

Remaining awake and aware,

Feel your whole physical body resting,

Completely still and relaxed,

Softening and sinking.

Visualize your whole body relaxed and resting on the earth.

Return your awareness to your breath.

Feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest,

Rib cage,

And abdomen with each slow breath and feel the nourishing energy of the breath flowing through you.

Visualize the front of your body and the space between your navel and throat.

Begin to visualize your breath rising from your navel to your throat with each inhale and slowly descending with each exhale.

Now listen to the soft sound of your breath and notice how it sounds and feels as the breath is moving through you easily without effort.

As you continue to visualize your breath rising from your navel to your throat,

Begin to count your breath,

Descending from 10 to 1.

Inhale breath rising 10,

Exhale breath descending 10.

Inhale breath rising 9,

Exhale breath descending 9.

Continue on with your breathing,

Maintaining awareness.

If you lose track of the counting,

Begin again 10.

Now return from the practice of counting.

Awaken the sensation of heat in your body,

Imagining that you are outside on a scorching hot sunny day.

You can feel the sweat running down your body,

Feel the intense heat on your skin.

Even your clothes are so hot from the blazing sun,

They begin to heat up on your skin.

Now allow the sensation of heat to fade away.

Experience the sensation of intense cold.

Imagine you are standing in the snow with no shoes on.

Visualize the goosebumps rising on your skin as your whole body is shivering.

Now allow the sensation of cold to fade away.

Awaken the sensation of being wet.

You are walking outside in a jungle during torrential rain.

Water is dripping down from your hair and your drenched clothes are heavy and sticking to your skin.

Now allow this wet sensation to dissipate.

Experience the sensation of being dry.

You are standing outside in the middle of the desert.

Your skin feels parched and tingles from the lack of moisture.

Your throat is so dry,

Your eyes are dry and you are craving even a single drop of water.

Now allow the sensation of intense dryness to leave you.

Concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyelids.

In this space,

Begin to notice the screen of your mind.

This space extends as high and wide and distant as the eye can see.

Concentrate on this mind screen and become aware of any patterns,

Colors,

Or light you may see.

Whatever you see manifested by your mind,

Continue to be aware of this space,

But do not become involved.

Practice detached awareness only.

Now intensify your imagination and allow yourself to take this journey with me.

Imagine you are at your favorite beach,

Walking along the shore.

The sun is rising,

Illuminating brilliant shades of pink and orange in the clouds.

You can feel the sea breeze tickling your skin,

Smell the salt in the air,

And feel the squeeze of sand between your toes.

You can hear the sound of gentle waves rolling onto the sand.

You look out over the endless expanse of blue-green water,

And you notice a pod of dolphins swimming close to the shore,

Right where you are walking.

You stop to watch them,

And you see one dolphin jump out of the water and then dive down so gracefully,

Its tail is the last thing to disappear beneath the surface of the water.

Another dolphin jumps up even higher,

Doing a flip in the air before entering the water nose first,

Without making a splash.

You see two dolphins chasing each other.

They swim through the water so fast that they produce weights on the nearly flat water.

You smile as you observe the dolphins playing.

You flash back to when you were a child.

Back in those youthful days,

You would skip or run or dance to your favorite songs,

But you don't do those things as much anymore,

Because there are so many serious things to do,

And you are expected to act like an adult.

But you glance around and notice the beach is empty,

And you are alone.

You begin to laugh,

And you find yourself skipping through the sand and along the shoreline,

Watching the ocean water splash all around you.

You allow this playful feeling to wash over you like a rolling wave.

You break into a run.

You dance.

You sing.

You even lie down in the sand and feel the earth supported beneath you.

Your body melts into the sand,

And the sand melts into your body.

Your body becomes heavy in the sand,

Surrounded by the warmth of the sun.

Surrounded by the warmth of the sun,

And the years seem to drift away.

You feel happy and full of joy,

Like an innocent child.

You are so free.

You raise your arms up in the air and spin around,

Inhaling a breath of life that has never felt so renewing.

Now allow these images to slowly fade away.

Come back to your intention or affirmation,

And repeat it to yourself three times with full awareness,

Sincerity,

And faith.

Now return your attention to the rhythm and soft sound of your natural breath,

Feeling its flow in and out of your nostrils.

As you maintain awareness of your slow,

Easy breath,

Develop your awareness of your state physical relaxation.

Notice your whole body resting.

Notice the parts of your body that are touching the surface beneath you.

Your head your head and upper back,

Your elbows and hands,

Your buttocks,

Your calves,

And your heels,

All melting into the surface beneath you.

Begin to notice the sounds outside the room.

Notice the sounds inside the room.

Visualize the floors,

The windows,

The walls,

And the ceiling in the room where you are relaxing.

Slowly begin to find gentle,

Mindful movements by maybe wiggling your fingers and toes first as you begin to slowly stretch and roll over to one side.

Resting here on one side for five deep breaths before slowly making your way back up to a seated position.

With so much love and gratitude,

This practice of yoga nidra is now complete.