Yoga Nidra To Let Go Of Stress From Work

Welcome to this Yoga Nidra for letting go of stress after work.

My name is Abigail.

Yoga Nidra is the practice of awareness,

Where the mind is between wakefulness and a dreamlike state.

In this state,

You are able to let go and move into deeper layers of the mind.

Here,

You can heal disease and make changes to your personality.

Yoga Nidra is an incredible tool that can change your life for the better.

It works to relieve tensions from the muscular,

Emotional,

And mental bodies.

In this practice,

You will be rewiring and restructuring your body from within.

This practice is meant to be done upon returning home from work.

Do not eat or drink anything before the practice.

Do it on an empty stomach.

If possible,

Practice this every day upon returning home from work.

It will help the body to sink deeper and deeper into each session.

Find a quiet space that you will not be interrupted.

Turn off all alarms,

Put your phone on silent,

Close windows and doors.

Lie down in a comfortable position.

Make sure your body is fully supported.

You can lay on the floor or in your bed.

You may place a cushion under your head or knees.

Make sure that you do not fall asleep.

If you do fall asleep,

Do not worry and trust that you received exactly what you needed.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is very simple.

Close your eyes and follow my instructions.

Do your best to stay awake.

Let your feet fall naturally to the sides.

Rest your arms by your sides with the palms facing up.

Close your eyes and allow yourself to settle.

Inhale,

Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale.

Again,

Inhale deeply and as you exhale,

Release any tension.

One more time,

Inhale and exhale completely.

Now bring awareness to your physical body.

Notice the contact points between your body and the surface beneath you.

Feel the weight of your body being fully supported.

Allow yourself to surrender to stillness.

It is important that you do not move throughout the practice.

Bring your attention once more to your breath.

Just observe your breath in and out without trying to change it.

Feel the natural rhythm of your inhale and exhale.

Each breath draws you deeper and deeper into relaxation.

Imagine a wave of relaxation moving from the top of your head,

Gently washing down over your face,

Shoulders,

Arms,

Chest,

Belly,

Pelvis,

Thighs,

Knees,

Calves,

Ankles,

All the way down to the tips of your toes.

Your whole body is at ease.

Your mind is quiet.

Say to yourself,

Silently in your mind,

I am practicing yoga nidra.

I will not fall asleep.

Now bring your intention to your sankalpa,

A heartfelt intention.

This is a short positive statement that affirms your highest truth.

Repeat it silently three times with full awareness and belief.

If you can't think of anything,

Maybe you say,

I trust myself,

Or I am at peace.

Whatever you say,

Say it three times with conviction.

Planting this seed into your subconscious,

Allowing it to take root.

Now bring your awareness to different parts of the body.

Simply notice sensation without movement.

Right hand.

Right thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Little finger.

Palm.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Armpit.

Right side of the waist.

Hip.

Thigh.

Knee.

Calf.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sole of the foot.

Top of the foot.

Big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Little toe.

Left hand.

Left thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Little finger.

Palm.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Armpit.

Left side of the waist.

Hip.

Thigh.

Knee.

Calf.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sole of the foot.

Top of the foot.

Big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Little toe.

Now feel the entire front of your body.

Your forehead.

Throat.

Chest.

Belly.

Pelvis.

Thighs.

Shins.

The whole front body.

Now shift to the back of the body.

Bring your awareness to the back of your head.

Neck.

Shoulders.

Upper back.

Middle back.

Lower back.

Hips.

Hamstrings.

Calves.

The whole back of the body.

Now bring your awareness to your head and face.

The top of the head.

Forehead.

Eyebrows.

The space between the eyebrows.

Eyes.

Temples.

Ears.

Nose.

Cheeks.

Lips.

Nose.

Jaw.

Throat.

Your whole body deeply relaxed.

Now bring your awareness to your breath.

Feel the cool air leaving your nostrils.

And feel the warm air leave as you exhale.

Observe the natural rhythm of your breath without changing it.

We will now practice a breath awareness to bring you deeper into relaxation.

On the inhale,

Say the number 12.

As you exhale,

Say the number 12.

Continue on breathing in this way,

Counting backwards from 12 to 1.

If you lose count,

Or if you complete and finish at 1,

Start again.

You cannot do this wrong.

Just drift deeper and deeper into relaxation.

Now let go of the practice and let your breath return to its natural rhythm.

You are centered.

You are calm.

You are practicing yoga nidra,

Lying on the floor,

Awake.

Now I will guide you to become aware of opposite sensations moving through your body.

Allow yourself to fully feel each one.

Connect now to the feeling of warmth.

Allow the body to feel warm from the top of your head all the way down to your toes.

Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin.

A gentle heat spreading throughout the body.

Connect to the sensation of warmth.

Now connect to the sensation of cool.

Allow the body to feel cool from the top of your head all the way down to the toes.

Imagine a cool breeze bringing relief and feeling coolness throughout the body.

And now connect to the feeling of lightness.

Feel the body as light as if it was floating effortlessly off the floor.

Connect to the feeling of lightness.

Feeling light in the body.

And now allow your body to feel heavy.

Feel your body becoming heavy.

Sinking deeply into the surface beneath you.

Your whole body heavy and dense.

Sinking deeper and deeper.

Now bring your awareness to your shoulders.

Connect to the sensation of tension.

Tightness and stress.

Feel the sensation of tension in your shoulders.

And if there's tension in any other places of the body,

Connect to the feeling of tension now.

And now connect to the feeling of ease.

Bring your awareness back to your shoulders and allow them to feel light and easeful.

Allow the shoulders to fully relax.

If there was any areas of tension in the body,

Connect to the sensation of relaxation now.

Now allow a series of images to arise in your mind.

Let them come and go effortlessly.

Simply observe each of the images without attachment.

Your job is to just follow my lead.

A flickering candle flame.

A vast ocean stretching to the horizon.

A temple at sunrise.

A flower covered in morning dew.

A crescent moon glowing in the night sky.

A bird soaring high above the earth.

Typing on a keyboard.

The sound of voices in an office.

The hum of traffic on a morning commute.

A brief conversation with a co-worker.

Laughter down a hallway.

Door opening as you step outside.

The rhythmic motion of the wheels on the road.

Now imagine yourself standing in a beautiful environment.

Maybe by the ocean.

In a quiet forest.

Smell the fresh air filled with the stress,

Worries,

And responsibilities of the day.

Feel the weight on your shoulders.

Now take off the backpack and place it on the ground.

Watch it as it disappears and is reabsorbed by the earth.

Leaving you feeling light,

Free,

And unburdened.

Now return to your sankalpa.

Your resolve.

Silently repeat it three times to yourself.

With conviction.

Now bring your attention back to your body.

See your body lying on the floor in shavasana.

Come back into your body now.

Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.

Gently stretch your arms and legs.

Take your time.

Take your time.

Become familiar with the surroundings and the sounds inside the room.

When you feel aware of the environment,

Roll onto your right side.

When you feel ready,

You can gently press yourself up into a seat,

Keeping your eyes closed.

If you would like to join me,

We will end our practice with the sound of Aum.

Take an inhale.

Let the body fill with air.

On your exhale,

Chant Aum.

Sit for a moment in stillness,

Allowing the vibration of the sound to fill you.

When you are ready,

Gently open your eyes.

Come back into the room.

Thank you so much for joining me.

Please reach out with any thoughts,

Questions,

And let me know how you enjoyed this practice.

Much gratitude to my friend Abigail Fisher-Earthshine for her beautiful Singing Bowls track.

Sending you so much love.