Yoga Nidra (16 Minutes)

A basic yoga nidra practice with settling in, body awareness, breath awareness, and returning to outward awareness. This practice helps to relax the body and mind, relieving unnecessary stress and tension.

Transcript

Prepare for the practice of yoga nidra lasting for around 15 to 16 minutes. The suggested pose for yoga nidra is shavasana or lying on the back. Lying on the back does not suit you today. You may lie on the side, Sit up against the wall or sit fully supported in a chair that is comfortable to you. Take this time to get into position utilizing any props that will help you to maintain stillness throughout the practice. As the temperature of the body tends to drop during the practice, It may be helpful to cover up with a blanket or have one sitting near you so that you may cover up if you become cold. Be aware of the alignment of the body, Making sure the hips and shoulders are even. Spine is nice and long and the head is to the center. The hand should be a little away from the body with the palms facing either up towards the ceiling or in toward the body. This helps to externally rotate the shoulders and minimizes sensory input through the fingertips. The eyes can be gently closed or slightly open with a soft, Unfocused gaze. It can be useful to remove any tight items such as wristwatches or glasses as these may take the awareness away from the practice. Making any final adjustments needed so that you can remain comfortably still throughout the practice. It is recommended to remain as still as possible during yoga nidra, But if any aches or stiffness occur you may move, Do so with awareness and come back to stillness as soon as possible. Take a deep breath in, Hold it for a second or two, And on the exhale think letting go. Do this two more times. Say to yourself mentally, I am now practicing yoga nidra. I will stay awake for yoga nidra. Be aware of all the places where your body touches the floor. See if you can relax more completely into those points. Now extend the awareness outward, Listening for sounds in all directions. Listen for sounds outside of the room, Sounds within the room, Sounds close to or within the body, Such as the breath or abdominal sounds. Beginning the rotation through the body, The body remains still, But as each part is named the awareness moves to it by mentally picturing that part, Feeling the sensations on it, Or mentally repeating its name, Whatever works best. Starting as always on the right side of the body, Beware of the right hand thumb, Index finger, Middle finger, Ring finger, Little finger, Palm of the hand, Back of the hand, Wrist, Lower arm, Elbow, Upper arm, Shoulder, Armpit, Right side of the body, Right hip, Thigh, Knee, Lower leg, Ankle, Heel, Sole of the foot, Top of the foot, Right big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth toe, Fifth toe. Take the awareness to the left side, Left hand thumb, Index finger, Middle finger, Ring finger, Little finger, Palm of the hand, Back of the hand, Wrist, Lower arm, Elbow, Upper arm, Shoulder, Armpit, Left side of the body, Left hip, Thigh, Knee, Lower leg, Ankle, Heel, Sole of the foot, Top of the foot, Left big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth toe, Fifth toe. Stay awake, Bring the awareness to the top of the head, Forehead, Right temple, Left temple, Right eyebrow, Left eyebrow, Eyebrow center, Right eye, Left eye, Right ear, Left ear, Right cheek, Left cheek, Bridge of the nose, Tip of the nose, Right nostril, Left nostril, Upper lip, Lower lip, Teeth, Tongue, Jaw, Front of the neck, Right collarbone, Left collarbone, The hollow between, Right side of the chest, Left side of the chest, Center of the chest, Upper abdomen, Navel, Lower abdomen, Pelvis, Right buttock, Left buttock, Lower back, Middle back, Upper back, Right shoulder blade, Left shoulder blade, The whole spine, Back of the neck, Back of the head, Top of the head. Stay awake, Be aware of the entire right leg, Left leg, Right arm, Left arm, Torso, Neck and head, Both legs together, Both arms together, Torso, Neck and head. Be aware of the whole body, The whole body, The whole body. Focus the awareness of the body at the navel. Notice the rise and fall of the navel with each breath. With the next breath in, Think breathing in, Nine, Then breathing out, Nine, Breathing in eight, Breathing out eight and so on, Counting the breath backwards. When the count gets to zero, Begin again at nine. Awareness of the breath at the navel, Awareness of the counting. And if the count gets lost, Start over at nine. When the count gets to zero, Begin again at nine. Be aware of the breath at the navel and the counting. Now let go of the counting and let go of the awareness of the breath at the navel. Listen to the sound of your breathing. Sounds within the room, Sounds outside of the room. And the furthest sound that you can hear, Remember what this room looks like, The walls, Ceiling, Floor, The items in this room. Feel your place in the room, Feel the air move into and out of the body. Feel the weight of the clothing or blankets against your skin. Feel the weight of your body against the floor. Feel all the points where your body touches the floor. Then extend your awareness through your entire body. Be aware of your whole body from the top of your head all the way down through your fingers, All the way down through your toes. Be aware of the breath within your body. Begin to make your breath deeper. Breathe deeply and say to yourself mentally, This practice of yoga nidra is now complete. Start to introduce small movements into your fingers and toes. Allowing these movements to grow into your hands and feet, Arms and legs. Begin to stretch out and move in whatever way it feels appropriate for your body. Maybe turning your head gently from side to side, Reaching your arms overhead, Extending yourself through your entire body. You could bend the knees, Hug your knees into your chest, Gently rolling from side to side. And when you're ready, Rolling to one side and pausing for a breath or two. Slowly making your way up to a seated position. From here slowly going back into your day, Taking this piece with you.

Reviews

Chris, better than a power nap! Beautiful practice and all my thanks

👍a keeper

Great yoga nidra just what I needed. Namaste 🙏 🧘‍♀️🙏

Thankyou Chris. A.lovely, calm, accessible and constructive yoga nidra. A greatl start to my day.

I loved this and have saved it to my library. Will repeat this many times. Thank you!