Yoga Nidra For Athletes- Sauna Recovery

Welcome to Yoga Nidra guided meditation for deep rest.

My name is Sarah.

In Yoga Nidra,

We journey through the different layers of our being through techniques like body scans,

Breath awareness,

Guided imagery,

Affirmations,

And visualizations.

Your awareness may drift in and out or you may fall asleep during the practice,

But rest assured that your body is still absorbing the benefits of this session.

Let's start by taking a quiet moment together.

Today's practice is an invitation to recover,

Especially if you're an athlete.

You might arrive to this meditation with a quiet resistance,

A sense that rest should be earned,

Or that stopping means that you're not doing enough.

Some of us are conditioned to believe that rest is laziness,

That slowing down means falling behind.

Today's meditation offers a different perspective.

Recovery is not the absence of training,

It is an essential part of it.

Rest is a performance tool,

An active necessary phase of adaptation.

Athletes challenge the body through training,

But recovery is where strength is integrated.

In this meditation,

You'll be guided to slow down,

Release residual effort,

And create the internal conditions that support healing,

Balance,

And renewal.

Athletes often spend a great deal of time pushing,

Striving,

Refining,

And improving.

In this moment,

I invite you to step out of effort and into restoration,

Allowing your nervous system to settle and your body to begin the work of rebuilding and adapting after training.

Recovery is not passive,

It is a vital phase of performance.

Today we will move out of activation and into rest,

Allowing our system to return to balance,

And giving the body space to restore after physical effort.

This letting go supports muscular recovery and internal reset,

So your training can truly take hold.

Nothing is required of you except to receive.

Before we begin our yoga nidra practice,

Let's take a few centering breaths together.

You can rest your hands gently on your lap,

Or if you would like a mudra,

This is pranidhana mudra,

Known as the gesture of surrender.

Pranidhana mudra is used for learning to let go.

It helps release tension from the body and reduces stress and blood pressure.

The deeply relaxing efforts of this mudra could lower blood pressure,

So if you have concerns with low blood pressure,

Please proceed cautiously.

To form this mudra,

Touch the tips of the thumbs to the tips of the middle and ring finger,

While extending the index and little fingers,

Almost like little deer or puppy dogs.

So the nose of the deer face upward,

And the pinkies and the index fingers touch together.

So this is what it looks like,

And it faces upward,

So kind of the faces or the noses of your deer are up in the air,

And your pinkies and your pointer fingers are touching.

You can rest your wrists onto your thighs,

With the little noses pointing up in the air.

You're welcome to listen to the affirmation silently,

Or repeat after me two times.

I honor my body's need for rest,

Knowing it makes me stronger.

I honor my body's need for rest,

Knowing it makes me stronger.

I honor my body's need for rest,

Knowing it makes me stronger.

Now is a good time to set yourself up for our practice.

Make sure you have a comfortable space to sit or lie down,

On your back or on your side.

You can place a pillow or bolster beneath your knees.

You can have a cushion under your head.

It's nice to make the room dark with a scarf or eye pillow.

You may want to cover yourself with a blanket,

And turn any electronic devices away from you.

Create a cozy space.

This is your rest nest.

Let's begin with a slow breath in,

And out.

Allow yourself to get comfortable.

Make any final adjustments to get as comfortable as you can.

Feel free to move or adjust anything at any time during this journey to support your comfort.

Moving slowly and mindfully when you move,

Nothing to do and nowhere to be.

Effort is complete.

Settling your body into a position of full support.

Letting the surface beneath you hold your weight completely.

Becoming more aware now.

This is a practice of awareness.

Noticing your body resting.

Resting.

Aware of your breath.

Become more and more aware of each level of your being as you are guided through sensations,

Breath,

Thoughts,

Feelings.

Allow yourself to be the observer of all that you truly are.

The observer who is filled with compassion and acceptance.

There is no way to do this practice wrong.

There is no wrong thing you can experience.

You may along the way feel relaxed,

Easy,

And peaceful.

You might also happen to feel discomfort or unease.

That is normal and natural during meditation.

As best you can,

Welcome in everything that you notice,

Pleasant or unpleasant.

What is important is to be with what is.

With each breath,

Allowing yourself permission to rest and recover.

Sinking deeper into relaxation.

One,

Allow your body to be heavy.

Feel your body.

Letting yourself sink down into the ground.

Letting go.

Two,

Feel your breath.

Feel it flowing through your body.

Three,

Allow your thoughts to settle.

Notice thoughts that are present for you right now.

Aware of feelings and emotions.

Touching in with acceptance and kindness.

Four,

Let personality and awareness flow.

Letting personality and the roles you play drop away.

Sensing your essence,

Pure,

Clear,

And free.

Notice yourself as the kind observer who greets all that arises.

Five,

Notice a sense of joy.

Feel bliss.

Imagine yourself now in a place that feels soothing,

Peaceful,

And calming.

Peaceful and calm.

This could be somewhere that you know,

Or an imaginary place.

It may be outside in nature that you like,

Such as in the mountains or near the ocean.

Or it could be indoors,

Somewhere that is soothing to you.

Perhaps on a comfortable chair wrapped up in a cozy,

Warm blanket.

Or in a relaxing spa surrounded by candles and music.

Allow your imagination to create this sacred space,

Your own personal sanctuary.

Feel yourself here in your peaceful space.

Begin to see all the surroundings,

The colors,

Light,

Objects,

Plants,

Or any special objects.

You get to choose what is here.

All things peaceful and calming for you.

Now see yourself here in your soothing,

Peaceful place.

Feel this place calming and soothing you.

This place is always here for you.

At any time during practice,

You can come back here.

Especially if anything feels intense,

Odd,

Or uncomfortable in any way.

Come back to your soothing place.

You can come back to this place any time you would like to.

All you have to do is remember,

And you'll be back here.

Your soothing place is always here,

And part of who you are.

Come back here when you want.

It's part of the practice.

Begin to feel your breath.

Your natural breath.

Aware of breath in your chest.

The easy rise and fall of breath in your chest.

Now go inward,

Deep inside,

And notice,

What is my heart's deepest wish?

Let the answer come from your heart.

From your heart's wish,

Create a positive statement in present tense,

As though it is already happening.

Something like,

I am grateful for my body and give it the recovery it needs.

You can use this statement if you like it,

And if you heard your heart's wish,

Then state it three times,

Silently,

To yourself as the truth.

Now let your awareness move through your body as you are guided.

Feel each body part,

Then move on to the next one prompted.

Do not worry if you cannot feel every body part.

Sense your face.

Notice your jaw.

Become aware of sensation in your mouth.

Feel the roof of your mouth.

Underneath the tongue.

Notice teeth.

Gums.

Sense taste in your mouth.

Now feel all of the parts of your mouth all together.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Feel your breath passing through the nostrils.

Aware of your sense of smell.

Notice your ears.

Feel the wrinkles and folds of the ears.

Aware of your ears hearing.

Eyelashes.

Surface of the eye.

Centers of the eye.

Eyes radiant with light and wisdom.

Become aware of your forehead.

Between the eyebrows.

Notice the crown.

Feel right hand thumb.

First finger.

Second finger.

Feel now the whole hand vibrant with energy.

Aware of right wrist.

Feel throat center.

And notice left shoulder.

Arm.

Hand.

Thumb.

First finger.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Become aware of left wrist.

The whole left arm and hand together.

Notice throat center.

Feel the chest.

Navel center.

Notice shoulder blades.

Between the shoulder blades.

Ribs on the back.

Sense the low back.

Buttocks.

Become aware of your whole back.

Feel 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.

The whole right leg and foot.

Become aware of sensation in the navel.

Left hip.

Thigh.

Knee.

Left lower leg.

Ankle.

Now feel both feet and legs together.

Torso.

Front and back.

Feel the whole body now.

The whole body.

Become aware of the right side of the body.

Now feel the left side of the body.

Feel the back body.

Side of the body facing the ground.

Back body.

And now feel front body.

Side of the body facing the sky.

Front body.

Feel the whole body now.

The whole body.

Notice the entire global feeling of the body.

Awake and aware in this resting body.

Become aware of your breath.

Unaltered breath.

Begin to feel sensations in the body as your breath naturally flows through.

Aware of places of ease.

Aware of sensations in the body with your breath.

Perhaps places of tightness or tension.

Simply notice.

There is nothing to fix or change here.

Noticing the breath.

Aware of the various sensations in your body.

Aware of sensations.

Continue to notice your breath flowing in this way on your own now.

Without changing your breath,

Notice the inhale traveling to your center.

Each inhalation travels to your core.

Feel your natural exhalation.

And as you exhale,

Feel the breath radiating outward through the limbs.

Inhale flows to core.

Exhale flowing outward.

Keep noticing your breath in this way on your own now.

Inhale flows to core.

Exhale flows to the periphery.

Notice your breath.

Your natural unaltered breath.

And now as you next inhale here in your mind,

I deserve.

And as you exhale in your mind here,

Rest.

I deserve.

Rest.

I deserve with each inhalation.

Exhale.

As you inhale,

I deserve.

As you exhale,

Rest.

Continue noticing your breath with these word qualities on your own now.

Now you will feel various sensations in your body as we move into the next stage.

Recall that if you feel uncomfortable,

You can tune me out and come back to your soothing place at any time.

Give yourself permission to return to your soothing place when you like,

Remembering it is always here for you.

Notice a place in your body that feels easeful.

Perhaps feeling soft,

Supported,

Relaxed,

And free of effort.

Feel ease.

Become aware of the sensations of this easeful place.

Completely feel the sensation of ease in this place.

And now,

Allow the feeling of ease to spread through your body and to completely fill your body.

Feel ease in your belly.

Feel ease in your legs.

Your torso.

Feel ease in your head.

Now imagine your body becoming heavy.

Very heavy and sinking into the ground.

Heavy as though you were filled with sand.

Body heavy,

Sinking into soft,

Receptive ground underneath of you.

Body heavy and sinking.

Heavy and sinking.

How does it feel to feel heavy?

Now imagine your body becoming light.

Light as a feather.

Light and floating.

Feel heavy again.

Completely heavy and dense.

Now feel light again.

Go between feeling heavy and light slowly on your own now.

Back and forth.

Now simultaneously feel both heavy and light together.

Notice if you can feel them together at the same time.

Now feel relaxed.

Perhaps the feeling after a warm massage muscles loose,

Melting away from the bone.

Feel relaxed.

Notice if there is a particular place you feel relaxed in your body.

Let the feeling of relaxation fully unfold throughout your body.

Feel relaxed.

Notice if there is a color or associate a color with the feeling of relaxation.

What is the feeling of relaxation for you?

Allow this color and feeling to completely fill you.

Now in your mind state silently to yourself I am awake and aware.

I am awake and aware in yoga nidra.

Awake and aware.

Use all of your senses to imagine these things as they are named.

Hear.

Feel.

Smell.

See.

Using any of your senses to experience each one fully.

There is no need to try.

Let them come to you.

Notice a large stone warmed by the sun.

A large stone warmed by the sun.

A large stone warmed by the sun.

Become aware of the rings of a tree.

The rings of a tree.

The rings of a tree.

Imagine snow settling on branches.

Snow settling on branches.

Snow settling on branches.

Notice fog moving slowly through a valley.

Fog moving slowly through a valley.

Fog moving slowly through a valley.

Become aware of a nest cradled in a tree.

A nest cradled in a tree.

A nest cradled in a tree.

Imagine ice melting into a stream.

Ice melting into a stream.

Ice melting into a stream.

And now you are going on a journey.

A journey indoors.

Visualize yourself walking from above or behind as you enter a quiet peaceful recovery spa.

Leaving the bustle and effort of the day behind,

This spa has been designed for athletes.

For bodies that work hard.

For systems that need time to recalibrate.

This space was waiting just for you and is here to ensure you are fully supported and at ease.

The air immediately feels different.

Soft,

Warm and inviting.

The lighting is soft and low.

Perhaps there are candles or the distant trickle of a water fountain flowing peacefully in the lobby.

The air feels calm,

Clean and still.

The soft lights reflect off smooth stone and warm wood.

Each sound feels distant,

Muted unhurried.

There is a sense of intention here.

This space exists for repair.

Dedicated to your luxurious comfort.

Your footsteps soften on the warm floor as the body begins to release tension.

As you walk,

Notice how your body feels after training.

The warmth in your muscles.

Perhaps a feeling of satisfaction or fatigue.

A subtle pulsing of circulation.

There is no judgment or anything to change.

Only awareness.

Muscles that have carried the weight of training start to loosen.

Your shoulders drop slightly.

Your jaw unclenches and your mind begins to shift out of performance mode.

Every detail the warm air the soft lighting the subtle scent of the spa invites your body to settle deeper into recovery.

Signaling that this is a space made entirely for rest,

Integration and repair.

You continue down the hallway and arrive at the sauna door.

You step inside to your private heated oasis.

Notice the gentle heat that greets you immediately and wraps around you.

Steady enveloping therapeutic not sharp not intense not overwhelming just enough to invite your body to soften.

Warm steady reassuring The scent of cedar and eucalyptus fills the air encouraging deeper slower breaths clean grounding and restorative.

With every inhale breathe in warmth and ease With every exhale let go of effort Feel the heat settle across your skin Then the heat slowly seeps beneath the surface slowly softening your muscles.

As you relax in the sauna bring awareness to your face and jaw Athletes often hold effort here Allow the heat to melt tension from the face and jaw Let the jaw unclench the tongue soften The space behind the eyes relax The heat eases the muscles of the neck and shoulders areas that stabilize brace and protect Imagine the tight fibers lengthening micro tension dissolving blood flow increasing with ease Each breath allows your body to release what it no longer needs Let the arms grow heavy biceps triceps forearms hands resting loosely no grip required Your upper body receives permission to let go The heat encourages circulation nutrients flowing oxygen reaching tired places supporting repair at a cellular level If you're carrying soreness or fatigue imagine it gently dissolving like ice melting into water stiffness loosening into ease and melting away Notice your breathing now as you relax in this space slower deeper more efficient Each breath signals safety to your nervous system Your heart rate begins to settle even more shifting from performance mode into recovery mode You silently repeat to yourself the work is done rest is productive I allow recovery to happen now my body restores Bring attention to your chest and ribcage expanding easily on the inhale softening fully on the exhale Feel warmth spreading through the upper back the muscles that support posture,

Endurance and breath Move awareness into the abdomen Let the belly relax completely There is no need to hold or brace Your core can rest now The heat supports digestion circulation and recovery Quiet work happening beneath your awareness Shift your attention to the hips and pelvis The center of power and stability Imagine warmth flowing into the hip flexors glutes and rotators areas that carry load impact and repetition The muscles soften The joints feel spacious Bring awareness to the thighs quads and hamstrings Tired from effort,

Speed strength or endurance Visualize fresh blood delivering oxygen and nutrients Supporting repair at the microscopic level Feel the knees surrounded by warmth lubricated supported and cared for Now the calves and shins often overworked often unnoticed Let them release Let gravity do the work Finally the feet the arches heels and toes resting restored grounded Your entire body is now immersed in warmth No single area working harder than another As the heat continues its quiet work imagine a soft sheen of sweat forming not effort just release a letting go of what's been stored Imagine your body as a system resetting muscles repairing connective tissue rehydrating the nervous system recalibrating This is where adaptation happens This is where strength is built Silently repeat to yourself recovery is part of training rest makes me stronger Let your mind release the training session or the future events in front of you Release the effort the numbers the goals splits reps strategies or plans Allow it all to melt away There is nothing to analyze now Nothing to fix or prepare for Thoughts may rise let them pass like steam drifting upward Your only job is to receive Relaxing and resting in this rejuvenating space After some time you step out of the sauna and rest Your body feels heavy loose and open The warmth remains inside of you a steady internal glow of renewal You rest here supported,

Calm and restored Your breathing is slow Your body feels cohesive connected rather than taxed Take a final breath in and a long slow exhale out Trust that recovery continues even after this visit to the sauna ends In the hours of rest the sleep the stillness ahead recovery continues Take a few more slow breaths here feeling relaxed rebalanced cleansed and whole Allowing yourself to enjoy this moment of rest Feeling a sense of gratitude flowing through you Gratitude for this moment Gratitude for your body and everything that it does for you Resting here in this restorative space feeling held secure and deeply supported fully relaxed and at ease Recall your heart's intention and your positive statement Repeat it now three times as though it is already happening It is already the truth Your healing energy continues to wash through you Your heart's intention continues to unfold within you even as you journey back now When you're ready imagine this recovery session easing to a close You see yourself slowly standing and walking back through the spa retracing your steps You see yourself returning now slowly returning to the present moment here in this room you began in As you return you carry with you a body that is healing and a mind that is clear Becoming stronger by allowing your body to let go Five,

Feel expansive open and free Radiating pure bliss and light Aware of your innate healing energy Four,

Now become aware of yourself as your witness The one who has observed with love and acceptance your body,

Breath,

Journey Three,

And now begin to notice thoughts and feelings flowing through your awareness again Two,

Notice your breath feel its rhythm and pace Invite your breath to deepen now Feel yourself gradually reawakening One,

Now sense your body Notice your back on the ground Feel all of the places where you touch the ground Feel your front body facing skyward You are now completing yoga nidra practice becoming slowly more awake and aware As you are ready feel the weight of your body resting in the solid ground beneath you You are welcome to rest longer and extend into sleep if that feels good for you today Feel free to tune me out and drift deeply into sleep If you are ready to reawaken perhaps gently wiggling your fingers feeling every sensation as you do Beginning to bring movement and awareness into your toes Softly moving your head side to side a slow awakening Draw a deeper breath into your belly and into your chest Rock slowly over to your side if that is comfortable Press your hands into the floor and slowly rise to a comfortable seated position Lengthen your spine Take a full breath in and out Notice how you feel aware of the effects of practice today Perhaps carrying this sense of recovery with you as you continue through your day or as you travel into deep nourishing rest Bring your hands to heart center Allow the eyes to open to a soft gaze on the floor Bow to yourself in appreciation for practicing today The light in me sees and honors the light in you Namaste