Yoga Nidra For Deep Relaxation (Even When Your Mind Races)

Welcome!

This yoga nidra practice is from day 1 of my 5 day yoga nidra challenge.

If you enjoy this practice,

You can join the full challenge where you'll explore a variety of proven methods alongside yoga nidra including somatic tracking,

Breath work,

Mental imagery and self compassion which are all rooted in research back practices for emotional resilience and mental clarity.

Each session,

Including this one,

Features a transformative daily challenge to help integrate the practice into your waking life which can strengthen the neural pathways in your brain and cultivate that inner shift you've been looking for.

For now,

Let's begin the practice.

So find a comfortable position,

Either lying down or seated.

A position where your body feels fully supported and cradled by warmth and softness.

When you're ready,

Close down the eyes or take a soft gaze and begin to sense into your natural breath.

Notice where you feel the breath,

It may be in your chest,

Your nostrils or your stomach.

We're going to start by using the breath to land here in the present,

Unjudgmentally.

Simply experience the breath as it is,

Without changing anything.

So breathe in through your nose and feel the cool air moving through your nostrils.

And then sigh out your exhale through your mouth.

Now imagine you are breathing using your natural breath in through the left nostril and out through the right nostril.

You don't need to change anything about the breath,

Simply imagining that you are breathing in through the left nostril and out through the right nostril.

And now switch sides,

Inhale through the right nostril,

Feeling the sensation of air as it moves from your right nostril and exhales out through your left nostril.

And now switch back,

So inhale through the left nostril,

Just imagining,

And exhale out through the right nostril.

Really focus on the sensations you can feel as you inhale through one nostril and out the other.

Maintain this alternate nostril breathing now at your own pace.

Release the attention on your nostrils now and allow yourself to be reminded of your reason for practicing today.

What have you come to the practice wishing for presence to allow you to do or have in your life?

Allow your intuition to guide you with words,

Symbols or even simply a feeling.

This reason for practicing is your sankalpa,

Your heart's desire.

Take a moment to translate this into a supportive I or I am statement.

This is a sankalpa that might resonate with you today.

I am cultivating patience and presence so I can fully enjoy the moments that matter most in my life.

Allow another moment for your sankalpa to form.

Feel your heart's desire resonating within your mind and body and notice what you're drawn to.

Is it a sensation,

A particular word in your sankalpa,

Your heart's desire?

Simply notice allowing whatever it is to be,

Trusting that your intuition is integrating your sankalpa however it needs to allow you to embody the intention.

Release that now and move your attention down into the sensation of your body meeting the surface beneath you.

Notice if there is a body part that feels most connected to the earth.

Notice what makes that part more noticeable.

It may be weighing heavier,

Resting deeper.

Now drift your attention to a body part that feels most lightweight on the surface beneath you.

It may be your hands,

Your fingers or even the small of your back.

With your mind imagine that you could rest that part even deeper into the surface beneath you.

Allowing the surface to cradle that part of your body and enabling yourself to sink deeper as you create the conditions for the presence of deep rest.

And now focus your awareness back into the heaviest body part and bring in a sense of lightness to that part,

Almost as if it is floating on bubbles.

Just imagining here,

No need to do anything,

Remain still,

Just imagine you could bring a sense of lightness to the heavy body part.

Allow that sensation to dissolve and bring a pinpoint of your awareness to your third eye centre between the eyebrows and feel into any sensations here in this vast reflective space.

Move your pinpoint of awareness to your right eyebrow and now your left eyebrow.

Your right eyelid,

Allowing your attention to rotate between the parts of your body that I name.

Moving to your right eye,

Your right ear,

The space between your ears all the way through to the left ear.

Your right cheek,

Feeling the sensations as you place your awareness on your right cheek.

Your left cheek,

The tip of your nose,

Your right nostril,

Your left nostril.

Now gather your awareness at the middle of the throat and allow your awareness to absorb the sensations here at the middle of your throat,

The pit of the throat,

The heart centre.

Imagine now you could split your awareness out from the heart centre to sense both sides of the body simultaneously whilst holding them in your awareness separately,

Starting with sensing both shoulders together.

Upper arms,

Both elbows,

The palm of both hands holding your awareness together but also being aware that they are separate,

Like your awareness is split.

Both thumbs,

Both fingers on both hands together,

Bring your awareness back to one point at the navel centre,

The lower abdomen,

The left of the pelvis.

And drift your awareness over from the left of the pelvis all the way over to the right of the pelvis,

Both thighs,

The feet,

Both sets of toes.

And now rotate your awareness to the back of your body and feel the back of both calves held in your awareness together,

Your knee pits,

Both thighs.

And bring your awareness back to one point at the tip of the tailbone,

The base of the spine,

Trace your spine with your mind all the way up through your back body up to the back of the neck,

Feeling any sensation as you trace your awareness up the spine.

Now sense the base of the skull,

The top of the head and now imagine that you could feel the energy and sensation in the space just above the crown of the head,

Beyond your physical body but within your energy centre just above the crown of your head.

Notice what you notice here and now shower your entire body with your awareness sensing into your whole body resting.

Your awareness placed lightly on your entire body resting still in the presence of now.

As you're sensing into your whole body resting here,

See if you can notice the reassuring quality of simply being yourself as you rest here in this moment.

Allow yourself to feel soothed and embraced by the present moment and allow whatever comes to your mind in a visual or felt sense when you think of being and feeling soothed.

It may be the sensation of a warm embrace or a visual of a blanket of awareness cocooning you,

Whatever comes to mind allow it to be as it is and allow it to cradle you with this reassurance.

Just know in this moment it's okay to be exactly as you are,

Being soothed and cradled by the pure presence of deep rest.

Rest your attention on the third eye centre and take another moment to simply bask in the sweetness of resting here deeply in this present moment with your mind and body at ease and soothed.

If you find your mind begins to wander,

Simply thank yourself for noticing the quality of your mind and drift your attention back to your third eye centre.

And now begin to gently bring your awareness back to the properties of the room you're in.

Notice the temperature within the air around you.

Listening in to any sounds or my voice and take a deep inhale through your nose and see if you can pick up any fragments of scent and aroma from the room or area you're in.

And begin to make some small wakeful movements,

You may wish to rub your hands together or hold yourself in a supportive cocooning embrace.

You may place your hands on your heart or your stomach,

Whatever feels most soothing and wakeful to you.

And whenever you're ready,

You may wish to make some bigger movements or stretches,

Feeling wakeful and gentle,

Making sure you go slowly with lightness and ease,

Waking your body back up into your day.

And when it feels right,

You can open your eyes and allow them to adjust back into the environment.

Whilst you're adjusting,

Take a moment to reflect with curiosity about what you noticed in your body and mind during this practice.

Did anything surprise or comfort you?

Did any part of the practice resonate with you the most?

And if so,

When could you practice it during your day,

Even if it's just for a few minutes?

If you're journaling after this practice,

Ask yourself what you found comforting and maybe journal on the elements,

The visuals or words that came to mind and think how you could bring those into your daily life.

Carry this sense of calm with you for the rest of your day,

Knowing it's the foundation for deeper work in the days ahead.

Thank you for practicing with me today,

And I look forward to being here with you again tomorrow for day two,

Which is clearing your mental clutter.

See you then.