Yoga Nidra 20-Minute Deep Relaxation

This is a 20-minute Yoga Nidra meditation practice for deep relaxation. This meditation practice will help reduce stress and anxiety, quieten the mind, releases any tension or pain, and allows you to connect fully with yourself.

Transcript

Welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.

This practice will take approximately 20 minutes,

So take some time now to get yourself comfortable.

Lying on your back with your knee supported,

And make sure that you're warm enough and that your position is one that you will be comfortable for the duration of the practice.

It is best to remain still during Yoga Nidra so that both your body and your brain have a chance to fully relax.

However,

If you become uncomfortable,

Please feel free to change position at any time.

Allow your eyes to close and keep them closed until the practice has ended.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is the practice of yogic sleep that will guide you into a hypnagogic state,

A state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping,

Although you are to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice.

You'll be asked to move your awareness to various bodily sensations,

Emotions and images.

During this meditation,

If the mind becomes overactive with thoughts,

Just come back to the sound of my voice.

Become aware of any sounds you can hear in this moment.

Begin by focusing on the most distant sounds that you can hear,

Allowing your hearing to extend right out,

Searching out those distant sounds and following them for a few moments.

Move your attention from sound to sound without labelling the source.

Gradually bring your attention to the closest sounds to sounds within the room or even sounds within your own body.

Without opening your eyes,

Visualise your body lying on the floor,

The position of your body,

Your clothes,

Your hair,

Your face.

Become acutely aware of the existence of your physical body lying on the floor or the surface beneath you.

Become aware of your natural breath.

Become aware of your natural and spontaneous breath that moves in and out of your body without any effort.

The natural breath flows in and out without effort.

Notice the feeling of the breath as it flows in and out of your body.

Perhaps you notice a sense of coolness as you inhale the breath.

Follow this feeling into your nose,

Your sinuses,

The back of your throat and into your lungs.

And perhaps you notice a sensation of warmth as you exhale the breath.

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

The natural breath flows through both nostrils during the inhalation and the exhalation.

Allow your breath to become longer and slower.

Take a long slow inhalation followed by a longer slower exhalation.

Take another long slow inhalation followed by a longer slower exhalation.

Now go back to the natural easy breath releasing any control over the inhalation and the exhalation.

The practice of Yoga Nidra begins now.

At this moment you should make your intention or resolve or set your Senkalpa.

This is a short positive statement in simple language.

Try to discover one naturally.

Please state your intention clearly and with awareness three times as if it's happening now.

The intention you make during Yoga Nidra plants a seed in the fertile soil of your mind to bring about transformation and healing.

Say to yourself I am practicing Yoga Nidra.

I am awake and relaxed.

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

You will move your awareness to the different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named.

Please say the name of the part to yourself and feel that part of your body but do not move any part.

The practice begins on the right hand side of your body.

Take your focus now to the right hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Palm of your hand,

Back of your hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Right side of the waist,

Right side of the waist,

Right 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.

Taking your focus now to the left hand side of the body,

The 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,

Left side of the waist,

Left 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 take your awareness to the back of your body,

Right heel,

Left heel,

Right calf,

Left calf,

Right thigh,

Left thigh,

Right buttocks,

Left buttocks,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back,

The entire spine,

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,

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,

The upper abdominal region,

Navel,

The lower abdominal region,

Whole of the right leg,

Whole of the left leg,

Whole right arm,

Whole left arm,

The whole face,

The whole head,

The whole torso,

The whole body,

Whole body,

The whole body.

Now imagine the whole body becoming light,

As though your body could float away from the surface beneath you towards the ceiling.

Your head is light and weightless,

Your limbs are light and weightless,

Your torso is light and weightless,

Your whole body,

The whole body is light and weightless,

So light that you are rising higher and higher away from the floor.

Now imagine your body becoming heavy.

Feel the heaviness in all parts of your body.

Each part is becoming heavier and heavier and heavier.

Your head is heavy,

Your limbs are heavy,

Your torso is heavy,

Your whole body,

The whole body is heavy,

So heavy that it is sinking down into the floor.

Now a number of different things will be named and you should envision them as best you can.

Jump from image to image as soon as you hear them.

A red desert,

Red desert.

Peacock feather,

Peacock feather.

Full moon,

Full moon.

Foggy morning,

Foggy morning.

Sun shining overhead,

Sun shining overhead.

Bouquet of flowers,

Bouquet of flowers.

A tall tree,

Tall tree.

Cool,

Clear water,

Cool,

Clear water.

A warm embrace,

Warm embrace.

Burning candle,

Burning candle.

Path in the woods,

Path in the woods.

Vibrant sunset,

Vibrant sunset.

Taking a deep breath,

Taking a deep breath.

Cat stretching,

Cat stretching.

A beautiful garden path,

A beautiful garden path.

A red rose,

Red rose.

Beautiful music,

Beautiful music.

Your body lying on the floor,

Your body lying on the floor or the surface beneath you.

And now it's time to repeat your intention.

Please repeat the same statement you made at the beginning of the practice three times mentally now.

Come back to the feeling of the breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.

Maintain your awareness of the breath and at the same time develop your awareness of your physical body.

Your body is relaxed and lying on the floor or the surface beneath you.

Feel the container of your skin and the clothes and the props that are touching you.

Notice the heaviness of your body as it rests on the floor or the surface beneath you.

And take your awareness to all of the points that are touching the surface beneath you.

The back of your heels,

Thighs,

Buttocks,

Shoulder blades,

Arms,

Hands and head.

Do not open your eyes yet but visualize the surrounding room.

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

Lie quietly until you feel ready to move.

Start by slowly moving your hands and your feet.

Take your time,

There's no hurry.

And when you're sure that you are fully awake,

Gently open your eyes.

Perhaps rolling over to your right side and stay on the right side for a few more moments.

It's taking your time.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Reviews

Good- calming voice. I don’t remember hearing the end…. Would do it again🌺

Excellent helped so much

I really enjoyed this yoga nidra. It has a nice flow and allowed me to stay fully present and aware. I felt calm and grounded at the end. Thank you. 💖

Relaxing beautiful

Wonderful!

Wow! A lovely calming meditation. I feel so light, relaxed and centred. Thank you Tamika ❤️🙏🏻❤️

A very relaxing & intuitive meditation. Tamika guides you reassuringly through the steps with her soulful & warming voice… I felt at ease throughout the meditation & a sense of well-being ensued.
Thankyou

Thanks Tam! Wonderful lying meditation! The instructions helped me relax without falling asleep!