Approaching Fear With Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra is a systematic form of meditation that brings you to a deep state of relaxation. This yoga Nidra practice includes a visualization where we explore the impact of fear in our lives and how to approach it differently.
Transcript
Please get ready for yoga nidra.
Go ahead and lay down and make yourself comfortable.
Let your feet splay out,
Arms alongside your body,
Palms facing up.
And go ahead and close your eyes.
Adjusting any clothing,
Blankets,
Making yourself as comfortable as you can,
Trying to commit to not moving during this practice.
Go ahead and take a deep breath in and as you breathe out,
Feel calmness spread throughout the body.
Become aware of sounds in the distance.
Follow each sound for a few seconds.
Move your attention from sound to sound.
Gradually bring your attention to sounds closer to you.
Develop an awareness of the space surrounding you without opening your eyes.
Visualize your immediate surroundings.
Total awareness of your body lying in perfect stillness.
At this moment,
You should set your intention,
Your sankalpa.
You should be a short,
Positive,
Present tense statement.
Examples are,
I am compassionate.
I am forgiving.
I am patient.
I am kind.
Try to discover one naturally.
State your sankalpa three times mentally to yourself with feeling and awareness.
We will now begin our rotation of consciousness by bringing your awareness to different parts of your body as quickly as possible.
The mind is to jump from point to point,
And you can also envision that part of your body light up with a blue light.
We're going to start on the right side.
Bring your awareness to your right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
And fifth.
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Side,
Waist,
Hip,
Hamstring,
Right thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of the right foot,
Right toes,
Big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
And fifth.
Bring your awareness to your left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Side,
Waist,
Hip,
Hamstring,
Left thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of the left foot,
Left toes,
Big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
And fifth.
Go to the top of the head,
Top of the head,
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Jaw,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right chest,
Left chest,
Middle of the chest,
Right knee,
Left knee,
Right ankle,
Left ankle,
Right toes,
Left toes.
Now go to the back,
Right heel,
Left heel,
Right ankle,
Left ankle,
Right calf muscle,
Left calf muscle,
Back of the right knee,
Back of the left knee,
Back of the right thigh,
Back of the left thigh,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Right hip,
Left hip,
Whole spine,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
Top of the head.
Now the major parts of the body,
Whole of the right leg,
Whole of the left leg,
Both legs together,
Whole of the right arm,
Whole of the left arm,
Both arms together,
Whole of the front together,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Visualize the whole body.
Concentrate on the body,
Lying on the floor and become aware of the meeting points between the body and the floor,
Head,
Shoulders,
Arms,
Back,
Buttock,
Thighs,
Calves,
Heel,
Whole body and the floor.
Maintain your awareness to your breath and draw your attention to the natural inhale and exhale.
Feel the breath moving along the passage between the navel and the throat,
Noticing the rise and fall of your breath.
Maintain your awareness and at the same time start counting your breath backwards as following.
I am breathing in 27.
I am breathing out 27.
I am breathing in 26.
I am breathing out 26 and so on.
If you have a few more minutes to use track,
Just start from the beginning.
Count yourself mentally as you follow the rise and fall of your breath from navel to throat and back again.
If you have a few more minutes to use track,
Just start from the beginning.
If you have a few more minutes to use track,
Just start from the beginning.
If you have a few more minutes to use track,
Just start from the beginning.
Go ahead and stop counting your breath.
And awaken the feeling of heaviness in the body,
The feeling of heaviness.
Your whole body is feeling heavy,
Heavy like granite,
Heavy like lead.
Become aware of heaviness in every single part of the body.
Awaken the feeling of lightness.
Awaken the feeling of lightness.
Light like a feather,
Like a cloud.
A sensation of lightness and weightlessness in all parts of the body.
Awareness of lightness.
Awaken the sensation of cold.
Awaken the sensation of cold in the body.
Cold like ice,
Like snow.
Awareness of coldness.
Awaken the sensation of heat.
Awaken the sensation of heat in your body.
Hot like the sun,
Like fire.
Heat all around the body.
Awareness of heat.
Fear is something that we all encounter at some point in our lives.
It can be temporary,
Fleeting,
Or more constant and persistent.
Fear stems from various sources,
Some rational,
Some irrational.
Fear from external forces or fear from internal forces.
Fear from external sources may include messages we receive from media,
Society,
Family,
And so on.
Fear from internal forces might stem from old stories and limiting self beliefs.
Regardless of the source,
Fear can be debilitating and can prevent us from living fully.
It can prevent us from stepping outside of our comfort zone and hold us back from potential growth opportunities.
Fear can prevent us from living according to our values.
To pursue our dreams,
To connect with others as well as with ourselves.
Holding on to fear can also manifest in physical discomfort and tension.
And take a moment and bring your awareness to your physical body.
Scanning your body from head to toe for any tension you might hold on to at this time.
Starting with forehead,
Eyes,
Chest,
Shoulders,
Back,
Legs.
Where do you typically store fear in your body?
Bring your awareness to this area of your body.
Focus your attention here.
Approach this area with curiosity.
If your fear had a shape,
What would it be?
What is the texture?
The density?
The color?
Examine it carefully.
Without judgment.
Just with curiosity.
Look at the fear with curiosity,
Compassion and acceptance.
Acknowledging and accepting its presence.
At this moment,
Guide your breath to this area and deepen your breath.
Let this area expand.
Let the fear become porous and let your breath immerse this area with a white light.
Envision this area immersed in a white light and let the light expand throughout your body.
Let the light expand beyond your body and let it light up the space surrounding you.
Let the healing white light touch your soul and let it expand and radiate out into the world.
At this point,
Bring your awareness to your San Calpa,
Your intention,
And repeat it three times with feeling and awareness.
Deepen your breath.
Make it stronger.
Become aware of your physical existence and your state of physical relaxation.
Develop an awareness of the space around you.
Develop an awareness of your body lying in perfect stillness.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
Begin to make your way up to a seated position or remain lying down.
The light in me honors the light in you.
Namaste.
4.7 (56)
Recent Reviews
Cynthia
August 16, 2025
Extremely soothing It worked beautifully go help me sleep!😴 Thank you 🙏
Andi
July 30, 2022
Calming and steady. Easy to stay focused and connected without distracting background music. Nice calm ending with choice to sit up or stay lying down. Respectful.
Denise
March 19, 2020
Thank you so very much Susanne. This is a beautiful meditation practice during this crazy time of fear and panic. Thank you for being a voice of reason and calm.