00:30

The Body As Sanctuary: Deep Rest Yoga Nidra

by Erin Nelson

Rated
5
Type
guided
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Everyone
Plays
64

Can't sleep because your mind won't stop? Feel like you're just a head floating through life, completely disconnected from your body? Your body has been working for you this entire time. Your heart kept beating. Your lungs kept breathing. Even when you abandoned yourself to push through and hold it all together, your body never left you. This Yoga Nidra will teach you how to come back. You'll learn to feel your body as a sanctuary instead of something to override. A place where you can finally land. Where the exhaustion you've been carrying can be put down. Where your nervous system remembers it's safe to let go. Most people either fall asleep after or drop into rest so deep it feels like medicine. This practice is for the people who've been living in their heads for too long. Who's tired of being tired? Who wants to actually feel held by their own body again? You don't need to transcend anything. You just need to come home.

Yoga NidraSleepRelaxationBody ScanBreath AwarenessMind Body ConnectionSelf AcceptanceGroundingSafetyLying Down PostureSafety And ProtectionDeep RestGrounding Technique

Transcript

Find the most comfortable way to lie down.

You can bring support underneath the knees,

Or bring a blanket over the body,

Or maybe an eye mask over the eyes.

Anything that will signal to yourself you are protected,

Held,

And safe.

Close your eyes now.

Let your mouth soften.

Your tongue rests.

The eyes begin to grow heavy behind the lids.

For the rest of this time,

Nothing is required of you,

And you're allowed to feel at home in your body now.

Before we begin,

Remember,

Your body has never left you.

Your heart keeps the time.

Your lungs do the work.

Bones hold you.

Fascia gathers you.

The skin lets you know where you are.

Even when you've been racing through life,

Your body has always protected you.

And in this moment,

You can let it know,

I'm listening.

Now we'll rotate the awareness through the body.

When I name a body part,

Simply touch it with your mind's eye and then release it.

There's no need to move anything.

Just follow the sound of my voice.

Crown.

Scalp.

Forehead.

Temples.

Lips.

Eyebrows.

Space between the brows.

Eyelids.

Cheeks.

Nose.

Tip of the nose.

Lips.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

The gentle meeting of the lips.

Jaw.

Throat.

Right collarbone.

Chin.

Shoulder.

Upper arm.

Elbow.

Forearm.

Wrist.

Right hand thumb.

Index.

Middle.

Ring.

Pinky finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Right wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Left collarbone.

Shoulder.

Upper arm.

Elbow.

Forearm.

Wrist.

Left thumb.

Index.

Middle.

Ring.

Pinky finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Left wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Top of the chest.

The center of the heart.

Ribs.

Diaphragm.

Solar plexus.

Belly.

Navel.

Lower belly.

The pelvic bowl.

Right hip.

Shin.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sole of the right foot.

Top of the right foot.

Big toe.

Second.

Third.

Fourth.

Little toe.

Left hip.

Knee.

Shin.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sole of the left foot.

Top of the left foot.

Big toe.

Second.

Third.

Fourth.

Pinky toe.

Back of the head.

Back of the neck.

Right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Upper spine.

Middle of the spine.

The lower spine.

Sacrum.

Right buttock.

Left buttock.

Back.

Backs of the thighs.

Backs of the knees.

Calves.

Achilles.

Heels.

Sense the whole body at once.

As one quiet field.

Welcome everywhere.

Now connect to your breath.

You can keep it effortless.

You'll only imagine its path.

On the inhale,

The breath rises at the left side.

From hip to brow.

On the exhale,

The breath flows down the right side.

From brow to hip.

Inhaling,

Breath rises up the left side.

Hip to brow.

Exhale,

Breath moves down the right side.

From brow to hip.

Continue that for a few unhurried rounds.

Feeling the sensation of cool,

Spacious,

Settling.

Now reverse it.

Inhaling up the right.

Exhaling down the left.

Inhaling up the right.

Exhale down the left.

For a few rounds on your own.

Steady.

Clear.

Comforting.

Now breathe through the center.

Inhaling following the breath along the throat,

Heart,

And navel.

And exhaling along that same midline.

The left and right feel balanced.

The center feels calm and awake.

Rest in this feeling for a few moments.

Let your attention rest on the simple fact that you are supported now.

Many points of contact begin to feel like one wide field holding you.

You are being received.

Nothing in you has to hold you up now.

Sense the all-around edge of you.

The skin as a soft,

Continuous boundary.

No tracing.

No searching.

Just the deep knowledge that there is an inside and it's safe to be here now.

And within that soft boundary,

Let everything be just as it is.

Heaviness is welcome here.

Warmth is welcome.

Quiet currents are welcome.

And nothing needs to change in order to belong.

Remember,

Without your effort,

The body is already caring for you.

The breath continues.

The heart keeps time.

The tissues settle.

Repair begins.

You can let the body keep watch while you simply rest.

Rest as one piece.

Contact is holding you.

Outline is clear.

The inside is at ease.

Stay here in a generous silence.

If thoughts wander in,

They're included inside the same safety and grow quiet on their own.

Now sense the pressure map where your body meets the ground.

The head,

Shoulders,

Back ribs,

Hips,

Legs,

Heels.

Feel how each place is connected to the earth beneath you.

Let your attention trace the outline of your body,

The skin all the way around as a clear,

Kind edge.

And inside the edge is everything you are.

Outside,

The world can wait for now.

Nothing is pushed away here,

And everything within you is held.

Stay with three facts only.

I am lying down.

I am being held.

Breath is moving.

Let these facts repeat themselves inside of you.

Nothing else needs your attention now.

The body knows exactly what to do.

The heart keeps time.

Breath keeps rhythm.

Muscles relax.

You are safe to be here exactly as you are.

Now let everything soften.

Let everything go.

Just remain in contact with the breath.

If you fall asleep,

Allow it.

If you hover in deep rest,

That's enough.

Nothing more will be asked from you.

You can let go now.

Sending you all the love.

Meet your Teacher

Erin Nelson72017 Ostuni, BR, Italy

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© 2026 Erin Nelson. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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