Yoga Nidra To Soothe An Overactive Mind

Whether your mind is feeling overwhelmed or cluttered with unwanted thoughts, or it won’t stop reeling from anxiety, or you just feel like there’s too much to concentrate on right now, know that you are in the right place. Yoga nidra has so many proven benefits, one of which is to help clear your mind, thereby improving focus and concentration. This practice is accompanied by soothing music and nature sounds, including birds. It contains a body scan and breathing exercises proven to help calm an overactive mind and bring mental clarity. Namaste.

Transcript

Namaste My name is Amanda and thank you so much for joining me for this yoga nidra Designed to help soothe your mind Whether your mind is feeling overwhelmed or cluttered with unwanted thoughts Or it won't stop reeling from anxiety Or you just feel like there's too much to concentrate on right now Know that you are in the right place Yoga nidra has so many proven benefits One of which is an ability to help clear your mind thereby improving focus and concentration As you prepare for this practice I invite you to give yourself as much time as you require and Remember to turn off notifications so you won't be interrupted Ensure that your body is fully supported by bringing in props or bolsters where necessary Cover yourself with a blanket for warmth a weighted blanket is wonderful if you have one If not You might place a pillow Heating pad or hot water bottle Onto your abdomen for additional comfort and support You may also choose to cover your eyes with an eye covering to help remove unwanted light Gather everything you need to get cozy and settled in your yoga nidra nest Everything that you need to welcome in deep relaxation As you sink into the magical space It can only be found during yoga nidra As you begin to tune out the sounds in the environment around you Your focus will tune in to my voice If your mind wanders throughout the practice Which it naturally will Simply bring your focus back to my voice Allow my voice to be your anchor as it gently guides you When you're ready close down your eyes Allow a deep breath Your yoga nidra practice begins now Awareness falling onto your breath Breathing in deeply through your nose and exhaling through a slightly opened mouth On your next breath Could you extend your exhale just a little bit Stretching it out Making it long slow and intentional You might notice that with each deep breath and extended exhale The body releases a little bit more Each breath helps your body surrender to stillness Each breath helps your body to unwind built up tension and Let go of stress Each breath helps your body to relax and release And on your next inhale Silently bring in the mantra so hum Which roughly translates to I am Silently whispers so on your inhale And hum on your exhale So So Continue this mantra for the next few moments Release the mantra now and replace it with your sankalpa Your sankalpa is your heart's deepest desire or your truest intention for yourself If you don't have a sankalpa that you're currently working with For this practice You might use one word with your deepest heartfelt intention Peace Peace Silently repeat your sankalpa three times Each followed by a deep breath You might use the word peace You may release your sankalpa As you now follow my guidance on a rotation of consciousness Beginning with the tip of your tongue Inside the right cheek Inside the left cheek Right and left nostrils together Right cheekbone Temple right eye and eyelid Bridge of the nose Left cheekbone Temple The space in between the eyebrows Up to the crown of your head Down to the base of your neck Over to the right shoulder blade First finger Second To the space in between the fingers All of the right hand All of the right arm Back to the base of your neck Down the left shoulder blade First finger Second Third To the space in between the fingers Consciousness Awareness moving up the left arm Over to the pit of your throat Heart center Right side of the chest Right ribcage and lung Right waist Higher right side torso Back to heart center Left side of the chest Left ribcage and lung Left waist Entire left torso Heart center Navel Over to the right hip Heel Sole of the right foot Big toe Second Fourth The space in between the toes All of the right foot Heel Second The space in between each toe Pubic bone Pubic bowl Awareness now on the right glute Up to the lower back Base of the neck Over to the right ear Over to the left ear Up to the crown of your head To the tips of each toe Feel your body still and rest Feel your body held And supported Let your awareness fall seamlessly back onto your breath Breath flowing in And breath flowing out You might note the rise and fall of your abdomen with each breath You might feel the expansion and contraction of your lungs As breath moves in And then effortlessly flows out Each breath moving at its own rhythm Its own pace On your next inhale Let your attention fall onto breathing in through the right nostril Inhaling through the right nostril And then let your exhale flow out your left nostril Then inhaling through the left nostril And exhaling out the right nostril Then inhaling through the right nostril And exhaling out the left nostril Inhale left Exhale right Exhale right Continue this breathing pattern on your own for the next few moments You may release the alternate nostril breathing pattern And return now to your own natural breathing Without any effort or thought Just letting your body breathe in and breathe out Bringing back your sankalpa now Planting its seed deep within You may have used the word peace Silently repeat your sankalpa until you are called back Peace Peace Peace Release your sankalpa And begin a count on your next inhale Starting at the number 1 Count each inhale until you reach the number 7 On your next inhale, 1 Next inhale, 2 Next inhale, 3 Continue on your own until you reach 7 Release the count As you slowly begin to wake the body If you'd prefer to linger here a bit longer Now is a good time to remove your headphones Or to press pause on this recording Use the next few minutes to ever so slowly Bring yourself back to a wakeful state There is no rush Let your movements be slow and intentional Let your intuition guide you You might choose to slowly wiggle your fingers and toes Perhaps roll your ankles and wrists Your body might feel like a big stretch Or even a yawn or a sigh Perhaps you'll roll onto one side and remain there for a few moments From whatever your body feels like doing There is no right or wrong way To come back to a fully awakened state When you feel ready Softly flutter open your eyes And begin to bring in the sights around you Before you return to your day You might give yourself a few minutes to journal about your experience Perhaps write down any insights you may have had If you can, Please refrain from using technology for the next little while Refrain from checking text messages or emails Or even turning on the television Let some time pass before you bring in the energy of the internet or TV This time at the end for integration is just as important as the practice itself As you continue to return to a fully awakened state I'd like to once again express my gratitude to you for practicing with me today I appreciate you And if you're new to this platform, Please know that I have many other Yoga Nidra offerings that might also be of interest to you And if you've benefited from this practice Could you please leave a comment and let me know Not only because I'd love to hear from you But also because your comment will help others to find this recording And benefit from it as well May you move through your day feeling deep peace within Namaste

Reviews

Thank you. I’ve had a lot of stress in my life lately and the nervous energy and anxiousness built up in my body. It can take some time to calm the mind, but calming the body is a wonderful start and this yoga nidra really helped me with that today.

That was good! Love alternate nostril breathing. 🙏

Amanda’s Yoga Nidra meditations are blissful, calm and bring peace into my life. They are so helpful to me during this time in my life ❤️🙏

Thank you for such a wonderfully effective practice. I dozed off during this one, which I don’t normally do during nidra, but my body clearly really needed that. I feel so much calmer and more at peace. ❤️🙏

I used this yoga nidra to get back to sleep on a difficult night, your calm guidance through the bodyparts helped me focus and let go of thoughts, I woke up happy and refreshed, thank you!! 🌹