Welcome to this extended yoga nidra for deep rest.
My name is Sarah.
If this practice supports you,
You're warmly invited to follow me here on Inside Timer.
I share meditations designed to help you soften,
Release mental load,
And truly rest.
If your mind still feels busy from the day,
Or your body is tired but your thoughts haven't quite slowed down yet,
You're in the right place.
You may have been holding a lot today.
Not just what was visible,
But the quiet mental load beneath it all.
Perhaps things no one else can see.
The remembering,
The organizing,
The anticipating,
Planning,
Doing.
The constant background awareness,
The quiet responsibility of it all.
For now,
You can set it down.
Nothing needs your attention here.
Yoga nidra is a guided meditation that allows the body to rest deeply while the mind gradually settles.
This practice supports your nervous system in unwinding so sleep can arrive naturally.
There is nothing you need to achieve,
Nothing to get right.
If you fall asleep at any point,
That is completely welcome.
And if sleep doesn't come right away,
That's okay too.
Your body is still receiving the benefits of deep rest.
Begin to settle into a comfortable position.
You may lie on your back or on your side.
Adjust pillows or blankets so your body feels fully supported and warm.
Take your time here.
There is no rush.
Let the room begin to grow quiet around you.
Create a cozy space that feels soft,
Secure.
This is your rest nest.
Let's begin with a slow breath in and out.
Allow yourself to get comfortable now.
Make any final adjustments that help your body feel supported.
Feel free to slowly move or to adjust anything,
Any time during this journey to support your comfort.
There is nowhere you need to be right now.
Nothing to accomplish.
This time is simply for rest.
Allowing yourself permission to soften now.
This is a practice of deep,
Indulgent rest.
Noticing your body resting.
Resting.
Aware of your breath.
Simply rest in the experience.
Take a slow breath in.
And a long,
Unhurried breath out.
Again,
Inhale gently through the nose.
And exhale slowly through the mouth.
As if the body is sighing.
And again.
Inhaling.
And exhaling.
Letting the day begin to loosen its grip.
The conversations.
The decisions.
The subtle mental lists still moving in the background.
You don't need to carry them right now.
Take a slightly deeper breath in.
And exhale with a soft sigh.
Again,
Inhale.
And sigh it out.
And now more softly.
Inhaling.
And exhaling.
Let the breath return to a natural rhythm.
With each exhale,
Allow the body to become a little heavier.
As if you are gently shifting from doing into resting.
From holding into being held.
Nothing needs your attention right now.
If thoughts drift in,
That's okay.
You don't need to push them away.
Let them pass like clouds moving slowly across a wide evening sky.
Noticed and then gone.
Nothing to follow.
Nothing to figure out.
Just resting.
5.
Soften the whole body.
4.
Let go with the breath.
3.
The mind quieting.
2.
Unwinding.
1.
Resting in quiet ease.
If at any point you would like an extra sense of comfort,
You can imagine a place that feels calm,
Quiet,
And secure.
A soothing place.
It may be somewhere familiar.
Or simply a feeling of warmth at the knees.
Begin to notice the atmosphere of this place.
The quality of the light.
Soft.
Warm.
Dim.
Fading into evening.
The temperature of the air on your skin.
Comfortable.
Steady.
The sense of being.
Completely unneeded here.
Nothing is required of you in this place.
You are simply allowed to be.
Take a few moments to rest here.
Know that this place is always available to you.
Simply remembering it is enough to return here to this soothing,
Peaceful place.
Before we continue,
Gently bring to mind a quiet intention.
Perhaps a word or feeling that reflects how you wish to move through your life.
Ease.
Calm.
Balance.
Rest.
There is no need to search for it.
Simply allow it to arise.
Softly.
Silently repeat it once or twice.
Planting it gently like a seed.
In the soil of rest.
Now allow your awareness to move slowly.
Simply noticing each area as it is named.
No effort required.
Nothing to chase.
Nothing to change.
Simply notice.
Begin with the face.
Sense the jaw.
Notice what happens when you don't ask it to soften.
Perhaps it releases on its own.
Or perhaps it stays the same.
Both are okay.
Lips resting gently.
Tongue relaxed in the mouth.
Notice teeth.
Gums.
Notice all the parts of your mouth all together.
The entire mouth.
Resting gently.
Now feel your nose.
Nostrils.
Breath moving quietly in.
And out.
Notice your ears.
Feel the wrinkles and folds of the ears.
Backs of the ears.
Notice the ears.
Resting quietly.
Become aware of the eyes.
Eyelids soft.
Eyelashes.
Behind the eyes.
The eyes heavy and still in their sockets.
No effort behind the eyes.
Feel your eyes soft and resting.
Permission to let go.
Become aware of your forehead.
Smoothing.
Space between the eyebrows softening.
Notice the crown of the head.
Back of the head.
Back of the neck.
The whole head and neck together.
Supported.
At ease.
Bring awareness to the throat.
Notice the right shoulder.
Right arm.
Right hand.
Right palm.
Feel all of the fingers on your right hand.
One by one.
No more gripping or grasping.
The whole right arm and hand together.
Heavy.
Notice the left shoulder.
Arm.
Hand.
Become aware of the left palm.
Feel all of the fingers on your left hand.
One by one.
Releasing tension and holding.
Aware of the whole left arm and hand together.
Resting.
Feel the chest.
Heart space.
Belly.
Navel.
Feel the back body.
Shoulder blades.
Between the shoulder blades.
Middle back.
Sense the low back.
Become aware of your whole back.
Supported.
Bring awareness to the right hip.
Right thigh.
Knee.
Right lower leg.
Ankle.
Top of the foot.
Sole of the right foot.
Feel all of the toes.
Become aware of the whole right foot.
Whole right leg and foot.
Heavy.
Now notice the left hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Left lower leg.
Ankle.
Top of the foot.
Sole of the left foot.
Feel all of the toes.
Become aware of the whole left foot.
Whole left leg and foot.
Resting.
Now feel the whole body together.
Head to toes.
The whole body resting.
Supported.
Heavy.
At ease.
Nothing to hold.
Sinking deeper into rest.
Bring awareness now to the natural rhythm of your breath.
Unaltered breath.
Effortless.
No need to change your breath.
Simply noticing the breath moving in and out.
Quiet.
You may notice a soft pause at the end of each exhale.
A moment of stillness before the next breath arrives.
Rest there.
As you inhale,
Gently hear the word calm.
Calm with each inhalation.
As you exhale,
Gently hear the word release.
Release with each exhale.
Inhale.
Calm.
Exhale.
Release.
Again.
Calm.
Release.
Calm.
Again.
Release.
Let the words grow softer.
Fading into the rhythm of the breath.
Now notice the surface beneath you.
How it supports your body.
Holding your weight.
Nothing to carry.
Nothing to manage.
Your nervous system can begin to shift now.
From doing to resting.
From effort to ease.
You may begin to notice what it feels like to not be needed for anything.
Just for now.
No decisions.
No responsibility.
Just resting.
Notice anywhere in the body that already feels comfortable.
Perhaps the hands.
The back.
The legs.
Let that area remain exactly as it is.
Allow the body to feel supported.
Steady.
Secure.
And now you are going on a journey.
Imagine that the day has come to a close.
You are standing outside as evening settles softly around you.
The sky deepening into rich shades of blue.
The last light of day fading gently at the horizon.
The air calm.
Cool.
Still against your skin.
There is nothing left to do.
The world around you has quieted.
As if everything is slowly exhaling.
You begin walking along a quiet evening path.
Step by step.
Slow.
Easy.
Unhurried.
There is nowhere to get to.
Nothing to reach.
Nothing waiting for you at the end.
Just walking.
Feel the ground beneath your feet.
Steady.
Supportive.
Meeting you with each step.
Each step slow and natural.
The path winds gently through a soft open landscape.
Tall grasses move in the evening breeze.
Brushing lightly against one another.
A quiet rhythmic whisper.
The air carries a subtle warmth from the day.
Mixed with the coolness of approaching night.
Each breath you take feels a little deeper.
A little slower.
The world growing quieter with each step.
The sounds of the day are fading.
With each step the body releases a little more of the day.
Step.
Release.
Step.
Soften.
Step.
Unwind.
Your shoulders begin to loosen.
Gently dropping away from the ears.
The jaw softens.
The space behind the eyes quieting.
The breath deepens.
Effortless.
Unhurried.
Sinking into relaxation.
The path continues.
Gently guiding you forward.
Supported.
You don't need to think about where you are going.
You are simply being carried by the rhythm of your steps.
By the quiet intelligence of the body.
By something deeper that knows how to lead you into rest.
In the distance you begin to notice a soft warm glow.
A small cottage.
Light spilling gently from the windows.
Inviting.
Steady.
Calm.
A place of rest.
A place where nothing is required of you.
As you move closer you can feel the subtle shift.
As if the space itself is welcoming you.
Nothing expected.
Nothing required.
You arrive at the door and step inside.
The air is warm.
Still.
Wrapped in a quiet sense of ease.
Soft lamplight fills the space.
Golden.
Gentle.
Casting a soft glow across the room.
Everything here feels calm.
Unrushed.
At peace.
There is a place waiting for you.
A comfortable chair.
Or a bed.
Or a couch.
Layered with soft blankets.
Textures that invite you to rest.
To sink in.
To be held.
It feels welcoming.
As though this place has been waiting for you.
You move towards this comfortable space.
Slowly.
And settle in.
As you do the body begins to let go.
Without effort.
As if something beneath you is receiving your weight completely.
No holding.
No bracing.
Just being supported.
Feel the weight of your body gently sinking.
The softness beneath you.
Contouring to your shape.
The subtle warmth wrapping around you.
The body sinks.
Supported.
Like being held.
Without needing anything in return.
Nothing required.
Outside the night continues quietly.
Inside everything is still.
Safe.
Steady.
Undisturbed.
You feel the support beneath you.
Your body sinking into comfort.
Your breath is slow.
Easy.
Body heavy.
Your nervous system settling.
Unwinding layer by layer.
The mind releasing the day.
Nothing to manage.
Nothing to keep track of.
Nothing depending on you.
The day is complete.
There is nothing left to replay.
Nothing left to solve.
Nothing you need to prepare for.
You are done for today.
Feel that.
The quiet permission to be finished.
The body continues to sink.
Heavy and relaxed.
Softer.
Supported from beneath.
Cradled in warmth.
The muscles relaxing.
The mind drifting.
Like distant lights fading into the night.
Further and further away.
You may notice a sense of being held.
By the space around you.
By the stillness.
By something steady and quiet.
There is nothing to follow.
Nothing to return to.
Nothing to hold on to.
Just this.
Breath soft.
Body heavy.
Room quiet.
Thoughts drifting.
Like soft echoes disappearing into the distance.
Supported.
Warm.
Secure.
You can rest here.
As long as you need.
The space is always here for you.
If it feels natural,
You may gently return to your quiet intention.
The word or feeling you chose earlier.
Repeatedly.
Breathing it softly within the mind.
Once.
And again.
Planting it gently in the stillness of rest.
Now allow the intention to fade.
Let the mind grow quieter.
The body resting.
Heavy.
The breath steady.
There is nowhere to go.
Nothing to finish.
The night continues around you.
Still.
Peaceful.
Supportive.
You may remain here.
Or drift into sleep.
Your nervous system continues settling.
Sleep arrives the way a yawn arrives.
Naturally.
Without effort.
Allow my voice to fade into the background.
Your breath steady.
Easy.
Your body is settled.
Heavy and relaxed.
Carried gently into rest.
Nothing more to do.
Quiet stillness.
Rest well.
