Yoga Nidra For Deep Rest

Welcome to your practice.

Make your way to come lay down on your back when you're ready,

Allowing yourself to land in a place where you feel supported and held.

And as you come to lay down,

Feel how there is a real release in the physical body,

A sense of letting go.

This is a simple yoga nidra practice to calm your nervous system and allow you a small piece of rest in your day.

Please make sure your fingertips are not touching anything,

Your palms are facing up.

And if and when you feel ready,

You may close down your eyes.

We'll start by taking five really slow,

Really deep breaths in your own time.

Very full,

Slow breaths.

Take as much time as you need to do this,

There is no rush.

On your next inhalation,

Take a deep breath and then gently hold the breath and squeeze everything in your body.

Make little fists with your hands,

Your feet,

Your face.

Hold for just a moment longer and then release with the breath.

Let's do that twice more.

Take a deep breath in,

Pause,

Squeeze everything,

Whole body contracts,

Every muscle tight.

Hold and then big release.

Last time,

Inhale,

Hold it all in,

Squeeze everything tight,

Contract,

Contract.

Release and exhale,

Let everything go.

Now allowing your whole body to relax deeply,

Softening,

Letting go completely and feeling the effortlessness of how you are laying now.

Letting your breathing flow very slowly,

Very softly and with each exhale breath there is a feeling of releasing,

Relaxing,

Letting go and having the intention to let go of each thought,

Each piece of tension,

Let everything travel out with the exhale breath.

And feel now each inhale nurturing,

Welcoming,

Nourishing your body.

With each exhale releasing,

Relaxing,

Letting go.

And just continue breathing like this,

The inhale breath nourishing,

The exhale breath softening just a little more.

As you continue breathing we're slowly going to stretch and shape the breath so that the exhalation will be longer than the inhalation.

So wherever you are in your breath cycle please empty it out.

Let's inhale for the count of three,

Two,

One,

Good and now exhale for six,

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One,

Again inhale for three,

Two,

One and exhale for six,

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One,

Inhale for three,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One,

Exhale for six.

Now this time let's inhale for the count of four,

Three,

Two,

One and exhale for eight,

Seven,

Six,

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One,

Again in for four,

Out for eight,

Inhaling for four,

Exhaling for eight,

Just continue like this on your own,

Feeling the exhale breath stretch twice as long as your inhale breath,

Allowing your breathing to soften into this slow and steady rhythm,

Making sure your body is relaxed,

Your face is soft,

Making sure your body is relaxed,

Your face is soft,

The exhale breath is twice as long as your inhale breath,

And continuing with this steady rhythm as you breathe in,

Awareness moves from the top of your head all the way down to the soles of your feet and as you breathe out,

Awareness moves from the soles of your feet a little slower all the way up to the crown of your head,

Inhaling awareness from crown of your head to soles of your feet,

Exhaling awareness from soles of your feet to the crown of your head,

Awareness moving down your body as you breathe in,

Awareness traveling back up your body as you breathe out,

Continue breathing like this,

Your exhalation twice as long as your inhalation,

Now maintaining this pattern as you breathe in,

Feel the breath in through the right nostril,

To the right side of your brain and all the way down to your right foot,

As you exhale feel the breath releasing from your right foot up to your right brain and out the right side of your nose,

And then remaining on the right side again feel the breath move in the right nostril to the right side of the brain and down to the right foot,

Exhaling from your right foot up to the right side of your brain and out your right nostril,

Still with your exhalation twice as long as your inhalation,

You are guiding your mind and your body toward deep deep rest,

Deep deep rest,

And as you breathe through the right side sense your breath like moonlight,

Saturating your entire right side of your body with this gentle warm light,

Inhaling from right nostril to right brain down to your right foot,

And back up from your right foot to your right brain and out your right nostril soaking the body in moonlight,

Exhale breath twice as long as your inhale breath,

On your next breath in take the breath in through the left nostril to the left side of your brain and out your left nostril to the left side of your brain and down to your left foot,

And exhalation traveling from your left foot up the body to the left brain and out your left nostril,

The same rhythm just on the left side now with your exhalation twice as long as your inhalation,

Exhaling through the left nostril to the left brain down to the left foot and from the left foot up out the left side of your nostril,

Mind absorbed in the breath,

And as you take the breath in on the left side feel the left side of your body soaked in sunlight this time,

Gentle warming light moving in through the left nostril to the left brain down to the left foot,

The left nostril to the left brain down to the left foot,

And from the left foot back up to the left brain and out the left nostril,

Saturating the entire left side of your body in sunlight,

Inhaling sunlight filling your entire left side,

Left nostril to left brain down to your left foot,

And with your exhale breath twice as long from your left foot to the left brain all the way out your left nostril,

Very clear,

Very gentle breath,

Very gently releasing the technique,

Releasing the visual,

Releasing the breath count,

Let everything relax,

No hold on your breath,

No holding in your body,

Just allow yourself to become very heavy beneath the blanket of gravity,

Letting go of your body,

Your physical body letting go even more,

And feeling your heels heavy,

Your calves heavy,

The backs of your legs heavy,

Feeling your hips,

Your pelvis heavy and grounded,

Feeling the backs of your hands,

Your forearms and your upper arms heavy,

Your forearms and your upper arms heavy,

Your back,

Your shoulder blades,

Your whole torso heavy and soft,

Feel the back of your head,

Your eyes softening back into the skull and your brain relaxes too,

Breath natural,

Body soft,

Letting go of all resistance,

Feeling yourself supported,

Warm,

Healing and relaxed,

Warm,

Healing and relaxed,

As you allow your breath to flow effortlessly now,

Noticing you are not the breather,

Rather you are the one being breathed,

Allowing your breath to carry away with it all thoughts,

With each exhalation letting go a little more,

And allow yourself to relax into the next few minutes,

And very gently bring your awareness back to your breathing,

And let go of all thoughts,

And allow yourself to relax into the next few moments of silence and I will come get you when the time is right,

And very gently bring your awareness back to your breathing,

You might allow your fingers and your toes to move just a little bit,

Keeping yourself in this quiet space of deep breaths that you've created,

You can slowly roll to one side and guide yourself up into a seat,

And gently bow in,

In gratitude for the practice,

May you carry this quiet space,

This deep rest with you as you move throughout your day,

Thank you.