Yoga Nidra For Stress And Tension Relief

Welcome to Yoga Nidra for stress and tension relief.

During this session we will sink into a state where all stress and worries melt away allowing you to go deeper into feelings of peace and relaxation.

To begin,

Make sure you are as comfortable as possible.

In a lying down position,

Use a blanket if you tend to get cold.

If you need to,

Pause the video and take your time creating a space that is comforting and relaxing.

Now that you are comfortable,

We will start by closing the eyes and bringing your attention inward.

Take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Again,

Inhale deeply and let go completely and let your whole body relax.

Let your mind be quiet and slowly disengaging from thoughts,

Images or worries.

Immerse yourself fully in the experience of this moment.

From this moment on,

Remain as still as possible.

If you need to make any adjustments to your posture during the practice,

Do so mindfully,

Slowly and return to stillness as soon as you are able.

Stay connected to the sound of my voice and resolve to remain awake.

Let your whole body respond to what I say without any commentary or judgment effortlessly and automatically as if my voice was your voice.

Now move from thinking to feeling and from doing to non-doing and relax.

The following exercise is optional.

If you choose not to do it,

Simply imagine your attention flowing into all the areas mentioned.

Remaining completely relaxed,

Let the palms of your hands come together in front of the heart.

Rub them vigorously in a way that heat begins to build in the palms.

Keep rubbing.

Feel the heat increasing.

Continue to rub.

Now bring the palms to the face,

Fingertips resting softly on your closed eyes and the entire surface of the palms resting on the skin of your face.

Feel the flesh of the face begin to respond to the warmth of the hands softening and relaxing.

Let the warmth permeate and release every muscle,

Melting away any tension or expression from the face.

Now begin a gentle massage of the face,

Beginning at the forehead.

Make small circles with the fingertips and allow yourself to receive the sensations of this massage as if they were being provided by a loving friend.

Let the fingers work their way to the hairline and down to the temples,

Moving slowly and meticulously.

Now down to the jaw,

Around the ears,

And maybe even pulling on the outer architecture of the ears.

Following the jawline down to the chin,

Massaging around the mouth and lips.

Take your time and be fully present.

Now the cheeks,

Under the eye sockets,

And the bridge of the nose,

Moving to the back of the neck,

Squeezing slowly and purposefully.

Now once again,

Place the entire surface of the palms on the face,

Fingertips resting on the eyelids.

Feel the heat and energy from your hands soaking deeply into every muscle.

Let go of any lingering tension.

Inhale deeply and let go even more.

Slowly float your arms down to your sides and sense a feeling of pervasive ease washing all throughout your body.

Remain present to every sensation.

Relax deeply and begin to notice how attention floats freely among thoughts,

Sensations,

And sounds.

Make no effort to control.

Simply allow attention to move freely throughout the experience of this moment.

Notice how it may rest on a sensation in the body,

On your breath,

Or it may be pulled towards a thought and watch it move spontaneously and effortlessly.

Now bring your attention to the breath.

Resist any attempt to change it.

Just notice how it moves in and out of your body and follow its natural flow,

Whether it's fast or slow,

Deep or shallow.

Simply relax and remain the observer.

Notice your torso rising with every inhalation and falling with every exhalation.

If awareness moves to a thought or a sound or a sensation,

Gently bring it back to the breath.

Allow yourself to be mesmerized by the movement of the breath,

Breathing in,

Breathing out.

With each breath,

Your body relaxes and your mind softens.

Let a sense of peace and calm wash all over your body.

Attention leaving the muscles,

Tension leaving the organs,

Everything softening and feeling completely relaxed.

And from this point forward,

Do absolutely nothing.

Remain relaxed and rest back into the depth of your being.

We will now move awareness throughout the body.

When a body part is named,

Simply allow attention to move to that spot and feel what is there.

Whether it is something or nothing at all,

Remain relaxed,

Free from effort or strain.

Brow center,

Pit of the throat,

Right shoulder,

Right elbow,

Right shoulder,

Right elbow,

Right wrist,

Tip of the right thumb,

Tip of the right index finger,

Right middle finger,

Right ring finger,

Right little finger,

Right wrist,

Right elbow,

Right shoulder,

Right shoulder,

Pit of the throat,

Left shoulder,

Left elbow,

Left wrist,

Left elbow,

Left wrist,

Tip of the left thumb,

Tip of the left index finger,

Left middle finger,

Left ring finger,

Left little finger,

Left wrist,

Left elbow,

Left shoulder,

Pit of the throat,

Center of the chest,

Right side of the chest,

Center of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Center of the chest,

Solar plexus,

Navel point,

Center of the pubic bone,

Navel point,

Center of the brain,

Solar plexus,

Middle of the chest,

Pit of the throat,

Brow center.

Now allow yourself to relax deeply,

Let go completely,

Remain passively present and simply observe whatever arises,

Allow thoughts,

Images or sounds to float by like clouds in the sky,

Relax and be.

It's a dark night and you are awake.

And you are walking through a forest.

On your back is a backpack containing your most treasured possessions.

These possessions include material belongings but also other things like your personality traits,

Perspectives,

Beliefs and ideas.

In the distance you see a flickering light,

A bonfire.

You walk toward the light.

As you approach you see that no one is around the bonfire.

The area is deserted yet somehow you know that this bonfire has been made for you and you feel safe.

You take off your backpack,

Sit down and rest.

You set the backpack by your side,

Unzip it and begin to unpack your belonging.

One by one you arrange them neatly in front of you.

You look at these prized possessions and notice which is most important to you.

Behind you the flickering light from the bonfire illuminates a well.

You walk over and look down inside.

The well is dark and deep,

A cylindrical tunnel into the depths of the earth.

There is a bucket on a rope and you lower it down into the well.

It disappears into darkness below and finally you can feel how it comes to rest on the bottom.

You now pull the bucket up and you feel its weight and as it comes to the surface you tilt it towards the light and are able to see what's inside.

You now notice any spontaneous thoughts or feelings that are arising inside you.

You take what has surfaced out of your bucket and bring it with you towards the heat of the bonfire.

You now have a choice if what has surfaced is a helpful treasured part of you.

You may choose to keep it and place it alongside your other most treasured items.

If it is not helpful,

You have the choice to throw it into the bonfire and watch it dissolve and disappear forever.

If you would like to be free of what has surfaced,

Throw it into the fire now and watch it curl up into the flames and disappear.

You are now unburdened,

Free and clear of it.

If you would like to keep what has surfaced,

Place it alongside your other treasured possessions.

Allow what has surfaced to take its rightful place.

Notice how you feel more whole,

More complete as you recognize,

Honor and accept this part of you.

And now allow yourself to deeply rest by the fire.

Recognize that the choice you have made today will affect you on every level of your being.

As the dawn comes and the fire burns low,

It's time to move on.

You begin to collect your treasured belongings and place them one by one into your backpack.

You stand,

Put on the backpack and continue on your journey.

Relax and allow yourself to drop into the deepest state of relaxation right now.

Feel yourself open,

Free from all effort.

Soften and let go.

Relax and allow yourself to drop into the deepest state of relaxation right now.

Relax and allow yourself to drop into the deepest state of relaxation right now.

Relax and allow yourself to drop into the deepest state of relaxation right now.

Relax and allow yourself to drop into the deepest state of relaxation right now.

As you receive the following intentions,

Allow every cell in your being to remain open,

Relaxed and receptive.

I recognize that my true essence can never be harmed or diminished.

I recognize that my true essence can never be harmed or diminished.

I draw nourishment from the beauty I see all around me.

I draw nourishment from the beauty I see all around me.

With each inhale,

I feel my healing increase.

With each exhale,

I feel myself relax.

With each inhale,

I feel my healing increase.

With each exhale,

I feel myself relax.

As you relax even deeper,

Feel the presence of any teachers,

Guides or mentors you feel connected to.

Soften into the knowing that they are here with you right here,

Right now.

Their presence may be experienced as a feeling in the body or a visualization in the mind.

In whatever way it is experienced,

Know that great wisdom and support is here for you now and anytime you choose to draw upon it.

At this time,

If there is any guidance to be received,

Allow yourself to receive it now.

It may come in images,

In feeling,

In words or in silence.

Be open.

Notice now that you have uncovered a new and more harmonious way of seeing and being.

This new perspective will allow you to relate to your thoughts,

Your emotions and the world around you in a new and more accepting way.

Remember that this perspective can be cultivated and expanded and all you need to do is resolve to retain it.

Both in your formal practice and your daily life.

It is in this way that you create your experience of life.

Now,

Gently begin to bring your attention back to your breath.

Without any effort to control or manipulate,

Simply become aware of the rising and falling of the abdomen.

Just observe the spontaneous flow of breath moving in and breath the moving out.

Now,

Begin to become more aware of your physical experience.

Feel the weight of the body on the floor,

The temperature of air on the skin,

The movement of breath in the belly.

Stay relaxed.

And as you feel ready,

Begin to bring a bit of movement into fingers and toes.

Be mindful and move slowly.

Maybe allowing some gentle stretching of the arms or legs.

And of course,

If the impulse is to remain still,

Simply relax.

When and if you feel ready,

Bend the knees and bring the feet to the floor.

And gently roll over onto your right side.

And rest here in a fetal position with the eyes closed.

And you may choose to remain here longer if you'd like.

Or slowly use the strength of the arms to press yourself up to a comfortable seated position.

Be mindful and keep the eyes closed if possible.

Allow the heart to be buoyant and relax.

Notice the calm of the breath,

The stillness of the mind,

And spaciousness of your being.

Appreciate yourself for nourishing yourself and your life with this practice.

And make an intention to carry this level of peace and ease with you throughout the next few hours.

Perhaps even the next few days.

And remember that this space is always there for you to return to.

And I thank you for allowing me to share this practice with you today.

Enjoy,

Bhagwan.