Hello,
I'm Rachel Redd,
And you've made it.
You've arrived.
There's nothing you need to do now.
This is your time to rest,
To soften,
And to be held by the moment.
Let yourself get cozy,
Real cozy.
Lay down in your bed or somewhere restful.
Maybe you have your favorite blanket,
Your stuffed animal from childhood,
Or maybe a cat already on your chest.
That's great too.
You don't need to hold your body up anymore.
Let the ground do that.
If you're someone like me who usually tries hard to get it right,
Let me say this now.
You cannot mess up Yoga Nidra.
If you drift,
Snooze,
Or your mind runs off to your to-do list,
That's okay.
We're not here to fight sleep.
We're here to invite rest.
Take a moment to notice where your body meets the surface beneath you,
And feel that you are supported.
Now,
If you'd like,
Quietly offer yourself a simple intention for this practice.
It might be something like,
I allow myself to rest.
Or,
I am safe and supported.
It doesn't have to be anything fancy,
Just something your body will recognize as true.
So let that settle in the background as we begin.
Let's start by gently turning toward the breath.
No need to change it.
Just feel it.
Notice the inhale.
And the exhale.
The gentle rise.
And the slow fall.
Let your breath move in and out like waves on a peaceful shore.
Easy.
Rhythmic.
Unrushed.
If you like,
Start to follow the exhalation.
Like you're floating on your breath,
Gently sinking toward rest.
You could even imagine counting down from 10 to 1,
Each exhale taking you a little deeper.
10.
Exhale and soften.
9.
Exhale and let the day go.
8.
Continue silently on your own.
Release the count of your breath.
Now we'll begin to move awareness through the body.
Not to fix anything or feel anything special.
Just to gently shine a soft light of attention.
10.
And as you notice each body part that is named,
Bring your awareness to that area.
And simply notice it.
As if you were shining a light or maybe a butterfly were to land on that body part.
We'll start on the right side.
Bring your awareness to your right hand.
Right thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Right side of the chest.
Right side of the waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Shift awareness to the left side.
Left hand.
Left thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Left side of the chest.
Left side of the waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Now bring your awareness to the back of your body.
Back of your head.
Shoulder blades.
Spine.
Lower back.
Back of the pelvis.
Back of the thighs.
Backs of your knees.
Calves.
Heels.
Now the front of your body.
Forehead.
Eyebrows.
Eyelids.
Nose.
Cheeks.
Lips.
Jaw.
Throat.
Chest.
Heart space.
Ribs.
Belly.
Pelvis.
Front of the legs.
Knees.
Shins.
Tops of the feet.
We'll start this body awareness scan again from the beginning,
Continuing on the right side.
So let your awareness return to your right hand.
Right thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Right side of the chest.
Waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Shift awareness to the left side.
Left hand.
Left thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Left side of the chest.
Waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Bring your awareness to the back of your body.
The back of your head.
Shoulder blade.
Shoulder blades.
Spine.
Lower back.
The back of your pelvis.
The back of your thighs.
The backs of your knees.
Calves.
Heels.
Bottoms of your feet.
Now the front of the body.
Crown of your head.
Forehead.
Eyebrows.
Eyelids.
Nose.
Cheeks.
Lips.
Jaw.
Throat.
Chest.
Heart space.
Ribs.
Belly.
Pelvis.
Front of your legs.
Your knees.
Shins.
Tops of the feet.
And now feel the whole body.
Held.
Heavy.
Still.
Now let's explore some gentle opposites.
And if you don't feel them directly,
That's okay.
Just imagine.
That's enough.
Imagine your whole body feeling heavy.
Feeling heavy.
Sinking as if melting into the surface beneath you.
Every muscle.
Soft.
And weighted.
Now imagine your body feeling light.
Feeling light.
As if you were floating above the bed.
Weightless.
Like mist or clouds.
Now let go of the sensation of heaviness and lightness.
And recall the sensation of warmth.
Perhaps a sunbeam across your face.
A warm mug in your hands.
Let the memory fill your body.
Now imagine a sense of coolness.
A light breeze on your skin.
The cool side of your pillow.
Let your nervous system notice.
It's safe here.
You can rest.
Now if you'd like,
Gently follow me.
Into a short visualization.
You don't have to see it perfectly.
Just imagine the feeling.
Picture yourself walking through a serene forest at dusk.
The light is soft.
Like golden hour is folding into night blue.
The trees are tall.
Peaceful.
Ancient.
You can hear a gentle rustle of the wind through the leaves.
Smell the earthy ground beneath your feet.
Feel the cool air brushing against your face.
And as you keep walking,
You come to a clearing.
In this clearing,
There's a small lake.
Calm.
And still.
Almost like glass.
Moonlight now reflects across its surface.
And you sit by the shore.
There's nothing you need to do.
You are completely safe here.
Completely at ease.
Allow yourself to stay here for a few breaths.
Let the mind rest.
And let the body soften.
From here,
Return to the intention you set at the beginning.
No need to repeat it perfectly.
Just gently recall what you intended at the start of this meditation.
Let it settle into your body like a seed in soft earth.
Let it take root in the background,
In your subconscious.
And now,
Even the intention can rest.
Even the effort can fade.
Let the breath rest.
Let the mind rest.
Let you rest.
You are safe.
You are supported.
You are already whole.
If sleep arrives,
Let it come.
If you remain awake,
Let your mind rest.
Let your awareness float in this liminal space between wakefulness and sleep.
There's nothing you need to do.
No one you need to be.
The body knows how to rest.
The mind knows how to let go.
And you are already enough.
Let yourself drift now into sleep or deep rest.
Namaste.
