Yoga Nidra To Melt Your Stress

Namaste.

This is Amanda and I'm so delighted to be practicing with you today.

This Yoga Nidra practice has been thoughtfully created just for you to help melt away your stress.

Though some stress can be beneficial,

Chronic stress wreaks havoc on your mind and body.

Yoga Nidra is extremely helpful at alleviating stress,

Whether from the demands of daily life or from chronic unresolved stress that has left you with physical and emotional symptoms,

Such as tension headaches,

Muscle tightness,

Difficulty sleeping,

Irritability,

Difficulty making decisions,

And an inability to find joy.

Yoga Nidra helps guide you into a deep state of relaxation not found from any other practice,

Giving you the opportunity to find internal peace and calm while easing those physical and emotional symptoms brought on by chronic stress.

Be generous with your time right now and get yourself as comfortable as possible.

This is your time to disconnect from the demands and busyness of your life.

It's an opportunity to pause your thinking mind and sink into deep,

Deep relaxation.

Yoga Nidra is traditionally practiced in Savasana,

A pose where you're on your back with your head and neck in alignment,

Shoulders relaxed,

Arms by your sides with palms facing up,

Legs hip distance apart.

However,

Know that if this pose doesn't bring you comfort,

Lying on your side or sitting in a seated position is also acceptable.

The most important thing is that you are comfortable.

Feel free to bring in props to aid in your comfort,

Such as a bolster or pillows under your knees,

An eye covering to remove unwanted light,

And a blanket for warmth.

If using a blanket,

You might choose to tuck yourself in for additional coziness,

Or if you have a weighted blanket,

You might use that.

Ensure that your body is supported so that you're able to completely let go and relax.

Cozy into your little cocoon of comfort,

And when you're ready,

Close down your eyes.

Your Yoga Nidra practice begins now.

We'll first bring awareness to the breath by practicing a breathing technique called box breathing,

Where you'll use a count of four on the inhale,

Pause at the top of the inhale for a count of four,

Then exhale for a count of four,

And pause again for another count of four.

On your next breath,

Inhale for a count of four,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Pause,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Four,

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Pause,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Four,

Pause,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Pause,

Two,

Three,

Four,

And again,

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Pause,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Pause,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Let go of the count now,

And continue to breathe,

Focusing on deepening your inhale as much as you can,

Expanding your lungs and ribcage.

Then pause slightly at the top of the inhale,

Before exhaling slowly,

And with intention,

Through a slightly opened mouth.

Allow your deep inhalations and long exhalations help release tightness in your forehead,

And all the little muscles around your eyes.

Let your jaw unclench,

Your shoulders soften.

Let go of any tension or tightness in your chest and abdomen.

And allow your arms,

Hands,

And fingers to become loose and lazy.

And the same with your legs,

Feet,

And toes.

And that's right,

Let your breath help you to center yourself,

And ease tension in your mind and body.

And bringing in your sankalpa,

Or your heart's deepest desire.

If you don't have a sankalpa that you're currently working with,

Or if you'd like to bring in a secondary sankalpa,

You might choose to use,

I now allow space for peace and calm to reside within me.

I now allow space for peace and calm to reside within me.

Silently repeat your intention to yourself three times,

Each followed by a deep breath.

I now allow space for peace and calm to reside within me.

I now allow space for peace and calm to reside within me.

Invite your attention now to follow my voice,

As you're gently guided on a rotation of consciousness,

Your awareness moving seamlessly from one body part to the next.

Beginning with the crown of your head,

And the space in between your eyebrows,

Right eyebrow,

Temple,

Cheekbone,

And the right eye,

Over to the left eyebrow,

Temple,

Cheekbone,

And the left eye,

The bridge of the nose,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Inside the right cheek,

Inside the left cheek,

Tongue,

Chin,

Throat,

Right collarbone,

Armpit,

Shoulder,

Upper arm,

Elbow,

Lower arm,

Wrist,

Palm of the right hand,

And the tip of the right thumb,

Tip of the first finger,

Second,

Third,

And little finger,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Elbow,

Shoulder,

All of the right arm,

Hand,

And fingers,

And fingers,

Awareness now on the right side of the chest,

The right ribcage,

Right waist,

And the entire right side of the torso,

Moving down to the hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the right foot,

The tip of the right big toe,

Tip of the second toe,

Third,

Fourth,

And little toe,

Top of the foot,

Ankle,

Knee,

Hip,

Sole of the right leg,

Foot,

And all five toes,

Awareness now on the entire right side body,

From head to toe,

The entire right side body,

Moving over to the left collarbone,

Armpit,

Shoulder,

Upper arm,

Elbow,

Lower arm,

Wrist,

Palm of the left hand,

Tip of the left hand thumb,

Tip of the first finger,

Thumb,

Second,

Third,

And little finger,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Elbow,

Shoulder,

All of the left arm,

Hand,

And fingers,

Awareness now on the left side of the chest,

Left ribcage,

Left waist,

The entire left side torso,

Moving down to the hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the left foot,

Tip of the left big toe,

Tip of the second toe,

Third,

Fourth,

Little toe,

Top of the foot,

Ankle,

Knee,

Hip,

Sole of the left foot,

Foot,

And all five toes,

Awareness now on the entire left side body,

From head to toe,

The entire left side body,

Shifting your attention now to the right side body,

All of your awareness on the right side of the body,

Slowly let your awareness move back over to the left side of the body,

All of your awareness now on the left side body,

Now place your awareness only on the front of the body,

From head to toe,

All awareness is now on the front body,

And now moving to the back of the body,

The entire back body,

Can you feel each point of your body touching the surface beneath you,

Can you feel the weight of your entire body laying still,

Your body heavy and dense on the surface beneath you,

Now let yourself feel light,

Release the weight and allow your body to feel as light as a feather floating in the deep blue sky,

Your body so light and at ease,

You don't have a care in the world,

You're floating peacefully,

Now bring your focus back to the weight of your body,

Your body solid and dense,

Feel your body supported by the surface beneath you,

Feel your body cradled in warmth,

Comfort,

Peace,

And calm,

Feel yourself firmly grounded,

Safe,

Secure,

At ease,

Calm,

Peaceful,

On your next inhale,

Begin a count down with each breath,

Starting at the number 10,

On your next inhale,

10,

On your next exhale,

10,

On your next inhale,

9,

On your next exhale,

9,

On your next inhale,

8,

On your next exhale,

8,

On your next exhale,

9,

Continue at your own pace,

Release the count now,

And in your mind's eye visualize the following images,

A white candle flickering in the dark,

The smoke lingering from a blown out match,

The ocean waves lapping up on shore,

You wrapped in a cozy blanket,

A roaring fire,

A bubble bath,

Soft fluffy clouds,

Let all the images go and return to your breath,

Not altering it in any way,

Just simply noticing how your body breathes,

Air flowing in with ease and then flowing out with ease,

Nice easy breathing,

Breath moving through your body,

You might note the gentle rise and fall of your chest and abdomen,

With each inhale and exhale,

As you continue to breathe with ease,

Silently repeat your sankalpa,

I now allow space for peace and calm to reside within me,

I now allow space for peace and calm to reside within me,

I now allow space for peace and calm to reside within me,

I now allow space for peace and calm to reside within me,

Use the next few minutes to slowly and intentionally bring your body back to a waking state,

Resist the urge to rush this process,

There is no rush to return to the busy world around you,

It's ok to give yourself a few more minutes to linger,

To let all the deep comfort and relaxation you've experienced remain as long as it can,

You deserve this time for yourself,

When you feel ready,

Begin to ever so slowly wiggle your fingers and toes,

Your wrists and ankles,

You might allow a yawn or a deep sigh,

You might allow a yawn or a deep sigh,

Perhaps a full body stretch,

If you've been on your back,

Encourage your body to roll over to one side,

And let yourself stay there a little while before bringing your body back to a seated position,

And if you'd like you can also give yourself a few minutes to journal before returning to your day,

In whatever ways you choose to return to the waking state,

Be sure to give a moment to place your hands on your heart,

And thank yourself for this time you've given to practice yoga nidra,

To help melt away your stress,

The more calm you feel within,

The more calm you're able to give to those around you.

This has been Amanda,

And with hands on my heart,

I'd like to extend my own gratitude to you for being with me today,

I know your life is busy,

And I know it's not a small thing that you've given your time to practice with me,

My thank you for being here,

Please know that there are many other free yoga nidra recordings on this platform from me,

To help you cultivate more calm and peace into your day,

And if you have a moment before you go,

Could you please leave a comment,

Letting me know what you received from this practice,

I love hearing from you,

I love knowing what has resonated with you from the practice,

And where you're practicing from,

And please know that I read and answer every single comment,

I appreciate them so much,

And I appreciate you.

May you move through the rest of your day feeling less stressed and more at ease.

Namaste