Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation
by Jesse Carter
This 43-minute yoga nidra begins with a grounding practice, creating a receptive space for the body to relax and unwind. I will guide your awareness through the entire body. After the body scan, there is spiraling rotation of awareness through the body before ending. While this is recorded in a forest, there are very nature sounds in the background. Thank you for listening!
Transcript
Welcome to this yoga nidra practice.
My name is Jesse Carter and I'll be your guide today.
This yoga nidra is being recorded in a forest in the midst of ancient bristlecone pine trees.
It is home to the oldest known tree in the world at over 4,
800 years old.
Enjoy your practice.
Taking any time you need to collect props that will enhance your comfort for this yoga nidra.
As you're ready,
Making your way into shavasana or another posture of your choice,
Laying down on the back and letting the feet fall about hips width apart.
Exploring the symmetry between the legs.
Letting go of any tension in the hips.
Gently lengthening through the spine.
All the way up through the crown of the head.
And softening the shoulders.
Letting your arms fall out to the side at a slight angle away from the body.
With the palms facing up and the fingers naturally curling back.
Releasing any tension in the face,
Around the eyes,
Unlocking the jaw,
Unlocking the tongue.
Inviting any small movements that allow your body to settle a little deeper.
Feel free to use any props that may enhance your comfort.
Explore the symmetry between the left and the right side.
Noticing any places of interest.
Noticing the sounds around you.
Noticing any sensations in the body,
On the skin,
The feeling of clothing,
The temperature of the air,
The movement of breath in and out through the nostrils.
Noticing the breath in and out through the nose.
Noticing the breath out through the nose.
Noticing the breath in and out through the nose.
Noticing the breath out through the nose.
Noticing the breath in and out through the nose.
Noticing the breath out through the nose.
Noticing the breath in and out through the nose.
Inhaling and feel the earth rise beneath you.
Exhaling and feeling the earth fall back away.
Inhaling and feeling the earth rise.
Exhaling and feeling the earth fall back away.
Again,
Noticing any places of tension in the body.
Giving your body to the earth for this practice.
Allowing yourself to feel held and supported.
Bringing awareness into the belly Inviting the next few breaths so that the belly,
The front and the sides of the body,
And even the back gently expand.
And exhaling and releasing all of the air inside.
Inhaling and feeling the mid-body expand in all directions.
Exhaling and releasing any air that may be left over in the lungs.
With the mind's eye,
Now drawing a line directly around the body.
Hugging the skin as tightly as possible.
You may choose an element such as fire or water or earth or a color to represent this circle around you.
Again,
Using the mind's eye,
Draw another circle several feet out from the first one.
Again,
Using an element or a color that feels appropriate for you in this moment.
Noticing how your body responds being at the center of these two circles.
Noticing also the beating of your heart and the space between each heartbeat.
And I'll invite you now to come up with a sankalpa for this practice.
A sankalpa is a heartfelt resolve spoken in the present tense as though it is already unfolding in your life.
It is a seed planted in the soil of your being.
Some examples of sankalpas may include I am at peace.
I have all the support I need.
I am whole.
Allow a sankalpa to arise from the beating of your heart or simply staying silent.
When something has arisen,
Repeating it to yourself or gently aloud three times.
We will now journey through the body shifting our awareness from one body part to the next.
Sensing it from the inside without trying to change or interpret any sensations that may occur.
We will move through until the whole body is complete and then I will introduce a short visualization.
Beginning this practice in the heart space.
The heart.
The upper chest.
The upper back.
The collarbones.
The shoulders.
The back of the neck.
The front of the throat.
The center of the throat.
The back of the tongue.
The hole inside the mouth.
All the teeth.
All the gums.
The tip of the tongue.
Both lips.
The chin.
The jawbone.
Both cheeks.
The right nostril.
The left nostril.
The tip of the nose.
The bridge of the nose.
The right eye.
The left eye.
The right eyebrow.
The left eyebrow.
Both eyes.
Both eyebrows.
The forehead.
The third eye.
The crown of the head.
The center of the mind.
Both ears.
The back of the skull.
The whole head.
The whole head.
The center of the throat.
Both collarbones.
The right shoulder.
Right armpit.
The upper right arm.
Right elbow and elbow crease.
The right forearm.
The right wrist.
The back of the right hand.
The palm of the right hand.
The right thumb.
The right forefinger.
The right middle finger.
The right ring finger.
The right pinky finger.
The tips of the fingers on the right hand.
The tips of the fingers on the right hand.
The nail beds on the fingers of the right hand.
The spaces between the fingers on the right hand.
The whole right hand.
The whole right hand.
The whole right hand.
The right arm from fingertips to shoulder.
The whole right arm.
The space between the right arm and the right side body.
The right side body from armpit to hip.
The pelvic bowl.
The left side body from hip to armpit.
The lower back.
The middle back.
The upper back.
The lower back.
The upper back.
The whole back.
The left shoulder.
The left armpit.
Left upper arm.
The left elbow and elbow crease.
The left forearm.
The left wrist.
The back of the left hand.
The left palm.
The left thumb.
The left forefinger.
The left middle finger.
The left ring finger.
The left pinky finger.
The tips of the fingers on the left hand.
The nail beds on the nails of the left hand.
The spaces between the fingers on the left hand.
The whole left hand.
The left arm from fingertips to shoulder.
The whole left arm.
The whole left arm.
The space between the left arm and the left side body.
The left side body.
Both left and right side bodies.
The upper chest.
The heart space.
The lungs.
The middle of the chest.
The solar plexus.
The belly.
All the internal organs in the belly.
The front of the torso.
The back of the torso.
The whole torso.
The upper half of the body.
The pelvic bowl.
The reproductive organs.
The left and right sides of the body.
The right hip.
The right upper leg.
The right knee.
The knee crease.
The right calf.
The right shin.
The right ankle.
The right heel.
The sole of the right foot.
The arch of the right foot.
The top of the right foot.
The right big toe.
The right second toe.
The right third toe.
The right fourth toe.
And the right pinky toe.
The tips of the toes on the right foot.
The nail beds on the toes of the right foot.
The spaces between the toes on the right foot.
The whole right foot.
The right leg from the tips of the toes to the hip.
The whole right leg.
The whole right leg.
The pelvic bowl.
The left hip.
The left upper leg.
The left knee.
The knee crease.
The left calf.
The left shin.
The right knee.
The left ankle.
The left heel.
The sole of the left foot.
The arch of the left foot.
The top of the left foot.
The left big toe.
The left second toe.
The left third toe.
The left fourth toe.
The left pinky toe.
The tips of the toes on the left foot.
The left heel.
The tips of the toes on the left foot.
The nail beds on the toes of the left foot.
The spaces between the toes on the left foot.
The whole left foot.
The left leg from the tips of the toes to the hip.
The whole left leg.
Both legs.
The space between the legs.
Both arms.
The whole torso.
The neck and head.
The throat.
The face.
The whole head.
The whole body.
From the crown of the head to the tips of the fingers and toes.
The whole body.
From the tips of the toes and fingers to the crown of the head.
The whole body.
Front,
Back and sides.
The whole body.
And the spaces between.
We will now move through a short visualization which you may choose to participate in or not.
Beginning in the toes of the right foot.
Allowing awareness and any energy that you may be aware of Begin spiraling in one direction in the toes.
Gently twisting,
Going above the toes to the right sides of the toes.
To the bottoms of the toes.
Back to the left sides of the toes.
To the tops.
To the right sides.
The bottoms.
The left sides.
Inviting a gentle twisting of your awareness to move into the right foot.
From the top of the right foot to the right side.
The sole.
The left side.
The top of the right foot.
Allowing this rotation to continue up to the ankle.
The front of the ankle.
The right side of the ankle.
The back of the ankle.
The left side of the ankle.
And continue up the shin.
The front of the right shin.
The right side of the right shin.
The right calf.
The left side of the right calf.
Back to the front.
To the front of the knee.
The right side of the right knee.
The back of the right knee.
The left side of the right knee.
The left side of the right knee.
And the front of the right knee.
To the front of the upper right leg.
The outer part of the upper right leg.
The back of the right upper leg.
And the inside of the right upper leg.
Back to the front.
Allowing the whole right leg to gently twist with awareness.
Allowing any energy that needs to be released to simply be released through the twisting motion.
Shifting into the left foot and the toes on the left foot.
Gently rotating the awareness in the same direction.
Starting on the tops of the toes to the right sides of the toes.
The bottoms of the toes.
The left sides of the left toes.
Back to the tops.
Into the foot and the top of the foot.
To the inside of the left foot.
The bottom of the left foot.
The outside of the left foot.
The inside of the left foot.
Back to the top.
Into the front of the ankle.
The inside of the left ankle.
The back of the left ankle.
The outside of the left ankle.
Moving up to the left shin.
The inside of the left calf.
The back of the left calf.
The outside of the left calf.
The front of the left knee.
The inside of the left knee.
The back of the left knee.
The inside of the left knee.
The back of the left knee.
The outside of the left knee.
The upper left leg.
The front.
To the inside.
To the back.
To the outside.
And the whole left leg.
Gently rotating awareness.
Both legs.
Rotating.
Both legs with rotating awareness.
And moving up into the pelvic bowl.
Starting at the front.
To the right side.
Of the hip.
And the right buttocks.
The left buttocks.
The outside of the left hip.
Returning to the front.
Up into the belly.
The front of the belly.
The right side of the belly.
The low back.
The left side of the belly.
The front of the belly.
The left side of the belly.
Allowing any energy to be released through this gentle twisting of awareness.
Moving into the upper part of the torso.
The front of the chest.
The right side of the chest.
And right ribcage.
Into the back.
And the left ribcage.
The left side of the chest.
Returning to the front.
Into the whole torso.
From the front of the torso.
To the left side of the chest.
And the left side of the chest.
And the right side of the chest.
And the left side of the chest.
And the right side of the chest.
And the left side of the chest.
And the right side of the chest.
And the left side of the chest.
Starting with the fingers.
Allowing energy to gently twist through the fingers.
Twisting through the wrists.
And forearms.
Through the elbows.
And upper arms.
Through both arms.
And both legs.
Through the torso.
To the front of the throat.
The right side of the throat.
The back of the neck.
The left side of the throat.
The front side.
Into the face.
The right side of the head.
The back of the head.
The left side of the head.
The face.
Simply rotating energy from the inside.
Allowing any stuck energy to be released through the gentle twisting.
Out through any part of the skin.
Down through the bottoms of the feet.
Out through the top of the head.
Beginning to slow this rotation.
Simply dropping effort and resting again in full body awareness.
Noticing the sound of your heart.
Noticing the sound of your heart.
Noticing the two circles around the body.
Bringing back your sankalpa and repeating it to yourself or aloud three times.
Bringing awareness into the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet.
For a few rounds of breath.
Imagining that the breath were moving in and out through the palms and soles.
Noticing now any sounds around you.
Noticing the back body on the earth.
Noticing the back body on the earth.
And any other sensations that may be present.
Clothing,
The temperature,
Hairs,
Jewelry.
And inviting small movements back following your own intuition.
Taking all the time you need here to transition.
Eventually rolling to one side.
And if it feels aligned with your practice,
Placing one hand on the ground or the surface beneath you.
And offering out into the world any benefit you may have received from this practice.
Eventually pushing yourself back up to a comfortable seated position.
Taking a deep breath together.
In and out.
And closing the practice.
Namaste.
4.8 (81)
Recent Reviews
Sharyn
November 17, 2024
This is a deeply calming and relaxing meditation. The soothing voice and pleasing cadence created such a feelng of trust. I loved the protection of the cirlces - an unusual experience in a yoga nidra for me. The spiraling relase of energy at the end brought everything together leaving me feeling completely centered within my protective circles. Highly recommended.
Jane
January 21, 2024
Thank you! Always grateful for the calmness and relaxation you proud through your voice. 🙏🏼☀️
Laura
September 9, 2023
Will definitely return to this one! Really interesting to rotate the awareness. Thank you Jesse!