Yoga Nidra For Releasing Stress & Anxiety

Welcome to this Yoga Nidra.

Today it's my intention to help you release any stress and anxiety that you may be holding onto.

But first,

I invite you to make yourself comfortable.

Find a spot where you can fully settle in,

Allowing your body to completely feel supported.

I'd recommend lying down and use any props or blankets you may need to help you feel fully at ease.

As you settle into your space,

Remember this is your time,

So embrace it.

Make any last adjustments so that you can relax and focus on letting go and reconnecting with your natural state of inner calm and peace.

This practice will guide you through the five koshas or layers of the self,

Helping you gently release tension,

Restore balance and arrive at a place of peace and clarity.

To help you receive whatever you need from this practice,

I invite you to use your inner voice and repeat to yourself the following statement three times.

Here begins the practice of Yoga Nidra.

I will allow myself to release all tension and welcome calm into my body and mind.

Here begins the practice of Yoga Nidra.

I will allow myself to release all tension and welcome calm into my body and mind.

Here begins the practice of Yoga Nidra.

I will allow myself to release all tension and welcome calm into my body and mind.

In a moment,

I'm going to invite you to take three deep breaths to help you start to relax.

But first,

Begin by turning your attention inward,

Noticing how you feel in this moment.

When we take these three breaths together,

Invite calmness in and let go of what no longer serves you today.

Okay,

Imagine creating space within you,

Inhale deeply,

Feel your chest and belly expand and hold,

And as you exhale,

Visualize the weight of the day melting away.

Allow your shoulders to soften and your body to feel lighter.

Now bring your focus to ease and relaxation.

Now breathe in deeply and slowly,

Drawing in a soothing sense of calm and whole and exhale gently,

Releasing any remaining tension.

Final one,

Focus on surrender and stillness.

Take a deep,

Steady inhale,

Filling yourself with tranquility and hold,

And as you exhale,

Let your entire being settle completely,

Inviting a deep sense of ease and presence.

Allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm as your body sinks gently into the surface beneath you,

Fully supported and at peace.

As we journey inward,

Set a simple intention for this practice,

Using your inner voice I invite you to silently repeat three times to yourself,

I release all stress and tension,

I am calm,

I am at peace.

I release all stress and tension,

I am calm,

I am at peace.

I release all stress and tension,

I am calm,

I am at peace.

Now allow this intention to settle deep within you and let it guide you through our practice.

We are now going to relax our physical body,

I am going to guide your awareness gently through each part of your body,

Releasing and relaxing fully,

Step by step.

Simply follow the sound of my voice and allow your intention to rest wherever it is focused.

Begin with your right thumb,

Notice any sensations here and allow it all to soften,

As though it's in a bath of warm light.

Shift to your right index finger,

Feel it becoming soft and still,

Letting go of all effort.

Move to your middle finger,

Sense a wave of calm flowing through it,

Relaxing completely.

Focus on your ring finger,

Let it grow heavy,

Peaceful and at ease.

Now bring your awareness to your little finger,

Imagine it sinking gently,

Fully relaxed.

Move to the palm of your right hand,

Sense warmth spreading across the centre,

Soothing and grounding.

Shift your awareness to the back of your hand,

Allow it to rest deeply,

Tension dissolving.

Bring attention to your wrist,

Feel it loose,

Soft and free of any tightness.

Focus on your forearm,

Let it become heavy and still,

As though it's melting into the surface beneath you.

Move to your elbow,

Sense it softening,

Light and unburdened.

Now bring awareness to your upper arm,

Let it sink deeply,

Heavy and calm.

Finally focus on your shoulder,

Release all holding here,

Imagine it dropping down away from your ear,

Deeply relaxed.

Bring your attention to your left thumb,

Let it soften completely,

As though it is releasing any tension held within.

Shift to your left index finger,

Feel it peaceful and still,

Surrounded by warmth.

Move to your middle finger,

Imagine it resting as though cradled by a soft,

Gentle breeze.

Focus on your ring finger,

Let it grow soft and heavy,

Perfectly at ease.

Bring awareness to your little finger,

Allow it to release all tension,

Feeling calm and relaxed.

Shift to the palm of your left hand,

Sense a gentle glow spreading,

Soothing and grounding.

Move to the back of your hand,

Let it rest completely,

Tension melting away.

Focus on your wrist,

Imagine it becoming soft,

Free of any tightness.

Bring awareness to your forearm,

Feel it sinking deeper into relaxation,

As though held gently by the earth.

Shift to your elbow,

Let it release fully,

Unburdened and at ease.

Move to your upper arm,

Sense it becoming soft,

Still and deeply relaxed.

Finally focus on your left shoulder,

Imagine it softening and releasing,

Dropping away from your ear into a state of complete rest.

Bring awareness to your collarbones,

Feel them opening and softening,

Providing ease and spaciousness.

Shift to the chest,

Sense the gentle rise and fall of your breath,

Each exhale carrying away tension.

Focus on your ribcage,

Imagine it expanding with each inhale and releasing each exhale,

Calm and peaceful.

Move to your abdomen,

Let it soften and release,

Sinking deeply into comfort.

Bring attention to your lower back,

Imagine a wave of warmth spreading here,

Releasing all tightness.

Focus on your hips,

Let them feel grounded and stable as you melt through the surface beneath you.

Shift awareness to your right thigh,

Let it grow heavy,

Soft and completely at ease.

Move to your knee,

Imagine it free of any tension,

Light and relaxed.

Focus on your shin,

Feel it soft,

Calm and peaceful.

Bring attention to your calf,

Sense it grounding deeply,

Releasing any holding.

Shift to your ankle,

Allow it to feel loose and free,

As though suspended in space.

Now focus on the sole of your right foot,

Imagine it rooted and connected to the earth,

Calm and deeply relaxed.

Bring your attention to your left thigh,

Sense it softening as though wrapped in warmth.

Shift to your knee,

Let it release all tightness,

Light and at ease.

Focus on your shin,

Allow it to become calm,

Still and peaceful.

Move to your calf,

Imagine it is melting into relaxation,

Grounded and calm.

Bring awareness to your ankle,

Let it feel soft,

Loose and free.

Finally,

Focus on the sole of your left foot,

Feel it connected,

Peaceful and at one with the earth beneath.

Now let's move through your body one last time,

Allowing each area to relax even more deeply.

Bring your attention to your right leg,

Then your left leg,

Sense them both becoming soft,

Heavy and still.

Shift to your right arm,

Then to your left arm,

Feel them both resting deeply,

Completely relaxed and at peace.

Focus now on the front of your body,

Your chest,

Abdomen and the front of your legs,

Let them feel calm,

Warm and fully at ease.

Move to the back of your body,

Your shoulders,

Back and the backs of your legs,

Sense them sinking deeper,

Supported and completely relaxed.

Finally bring your awareness to your whole body,

Sense yourself as a single,

Unified presence,

Feel the deep stillness and peace spreading throughout every part of you.

We're now going to shift your focus to your breath,

The energetic body,

Feel the gentle rise and fall of the belly with each inhale and exhale.

Begin to start to count your breaths,

Gently and slowly,

Counting up to 100,

For example,

Inhale 1,

Exhale 2,

Inhale 3,

Exhale 4.

If you lose track,

Simply start again,

Feeling each breath deepen your sense of calm and peace.

Ok,

Let's begin,

Inhale 1,

Exhale 2,

Inhale 3,

Exhale 4 and you continue.

I invite you now to release the counting,

To simply observe your breath,

Noticing any changes in its rhythm,

Its depth and how naturally it flows.

You will now balance your mind by gently exploring opposing sensations,

Allow yourself to fully experience each feeling as it arises without overthinking it.

Simply let the sensations flow through you,

Bringing balance and harmony,

Begin by imagining your body as warm like sun soaked sand on a summer day.

Feel the gentle heat spreading through you,

Soothing and relaxing.

Now shift your awareness to coolness,

As though you're in a shady forest,

The air crisp and refreshing against your skin.

Picture yourself feeling light as if you're floating effortlessly on a soft cloud,

Let this weightlessness carry you.

Now feel the contrast of heaviness as though your body is sinking deeply into the earth,

Supported and grounded.

Imagine yourself energised,

Alive with a vibrant vitality as though every cell is buzzing with life,

Then allow this energy to transform into a deep calmness,

A soothing quiet that rests within you.

Sense your body expanding as though it's filling with the entire space around you,

Limitless and open.

Now feel it contracting,

Becoming small,

Contained and safe within a comforting embrace.

Let each of these sensations flow through you naturally,

Leaving behind a sense of balance,

Stillness and harmony within your mind and body.

With your eyes closed,

Begin to imagine a landscape stretching out before you,

This is the landscape of your life,

Picture it as vividly as you can,

Allowing it to reflect the journey you've walked so far.

Perhaps you see mountains representing the challenges you faced,

Rolling hills symbolising moments of ease and winding paths that twist and turn the unpredictability of life.

Maybe there are shaded forests where you pause to rest and sunlit meadows where joy and peace were abundant,

Allow your imagination to bring this path to life,

Rich with meaning and experience.

Now look back along this path,

See how far you've come,

Trace the moments of struggle and triumph,

The times you stumbled and the times you soared.

Notice how the journey has shaped you,

Honour every step that has brought you here to this moment.

As you walk forward,

Notice that you're carrying something,

A heavy rucksack on your back,

This rucksack represents the stress,

Anxieties and fears you've gathered along the way.

Feel how it affects your body,

The pull on your shoulders,

The heaviness in your step,

The way it makes your path seem harder and longer.

Pause for a moment,

Acknowledge this burden without judgement,

It's a natural part of life's journey but now is the time to decide.

Do you need to keep carrying all of this,

Or can you release what no longer serves you,

Making space for lightness and ease?

Imagine finding a peaceful spot along your path,

Perhaps it's a clearing underneath a grand ancient oak tree or besides a clear flowing stream,

Let this be a safe welcoming space where you can pause and rest.

Now gently set down the rucksack you've been carrying,

Feel the weight leave your body as you place it in front of you,

Take a deep breath and as you exhale notice how much lighter you feel already.

Open the rucksack and look inside,

What do you find?

Perhaps there are objects,

Symbols or even glowing stones representing your worries,

Fears or unspoken stresses.

Each one holds a part of what you've been carrying.

Pick up the first object,

What does it represent?

A regret from the past?

A fear of the future?

Hold it in your hands and honour it with the role it has played in your life,

Perhaps it's taught you a lesson,

Brought you strength or helped you grow.

When you're ready,

Take a deep breath in and as you exhale release it,

Maybe you place it in the flowing stream and watch it dissolve in the water,

Or let it rise into the sky like a feather on the wind,

See it transform and disappear leaving you lighter and freer.

I shall leave you for a little while to continue this process with each object in your rucksack,

Take your time,

Feel the lightness growing within you with every item that you release.

With each release notice the space opening up inside you,

Space for calm,

Clarity and new possibilities.

Your rucksack is now empty,

So set it aside,

Feel the ground beneath you,

The air around you,

The openness within you,

Look at your landscape again and notice how it's brighter and more vivid.

Notice the beauty and richness of the path ahead,

Unburdened and full of potential.

Take a moment to connect with the present moment,

Feel your breaths,

Steady and calm.

Feel your body,

Light and free,

Reflect on the power of letting go,

The strength it brings and the space it creates for joy and growth.

When you're ready,

Continue walking along your path,

As you do,

Notice how your steps feel now,

Maybe they feel lighter,

More confident,

Filled with ease.

Without the weight of the past,

You can see the beauty around you more clearly,

The warmth of the sun,

The gentle sway of the trees,

The endless horizon filled with possibility.

Remember that this practice is always here for you,

Whenever the weight feels heavy again,

You can return to this space,

Release what no longer serves you and find your lightness once more.

Take this sense of freedom with you,

Knowing that you have the power to walk your journey with clarity,

Calm and joy.

Now tell yourself three times using your inner voice,

I am calm,

I am free,

I am at peace.

I am calm,

I am free,

I am at peace.

I am calm,

I am free,

I am at peace.

Slowly return your awareness to your breath,

Your body and the space around you,

When you feel ready,

Gently wiggle your fingers and toes and open your eyes if they're closed still.

Here ends the practice of Yoga Nidra,

Carry these feelings of calm and inner peace into the rest of your day,

Knowing that this state of relaxation is always within you,

Think of this practice as a healing,

Calming space you can return to at any time.

Namaste.