Yoga Nidra - Deep Relaxation

The transcription is a guide for practicing Yoga Nidra. It instructs to lie down in a comfortable position, close the eyes, and focus on the breath. It guides the listener to bring awareness to different parts of the body and relax them through deep breathing. The practice is aimed at achieving deep relaxation and stillness of the mind. After the practice, the listener is guided to slowly come back to a seated position and express gratitude for the healing power of breath. Please get ready for Yoga Nidra. Lie down with your back on the floor or on your bed, perhaps with a pillow under your knees to support your lower back. Adopt the pose called Savasana. In Savasana, the body should be straight from head to toe, your legs should be hip distance apart and your arms are away from your body, with your palms facing up or down. Adjust everything as needed, your body, position or clothes, until you are completely comfortable. During Yoga Nidra, there should be no physical movement. Close your eyes and keep them closed when you are told so. Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out, feel your cares and worries of the day flow out of you. Softly close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose, pausing at the top and then letting it slowly out through your mouth. Let this breath fill up your lower belly and chest, encouraging the body to still and let go. Take another deep breath in through the nose and with your mouth slightly open, let the breath audibly out of your mouth. Bring your awareness to your right leg. Engage all of the muscles on your right leg by tensing your muscles, by pointing and flexing your right foot, by rolling your ankle clockwise and counterclockwise, tightening your core. Take a deep breath in and hover your leg above the ground just a few inches. As you exhale, bring your leg back to the ground. Rock your leg from side to side and relax your right leg and core. Now bring your awareness to your left leg. Engage all of the muscles of your left leg by tensing your muscles, by pointing and flexing your foot, by rolling your ankle clockwise and counterclockwise, tightening your core. Take a deep breath in and extend your leg above the ground just a few inches. As you exhale, bring your leg back to the ground. Rock your leg from side to side and relax your left leg and core. Now focus your awareness on your right arm by engaging all of the muscles of your right arm. Tense the muscles. Open your hand and stretch your fingers wide, then make your hand into a tight fist, then let it go. Tightening your core, take a deep breath in and lift your whole arm a few inches off the ground. As you exhale, relax your arm back to the ground. Rock your right arm from side to side and relax your arm and core. Focusing on your left arm, engage all of the muscles of your left arm. Tense the muscles in your arm. Open your hand and stretch your fingers open wide. Make your hand into a tight fist, then release. Tightening your core, take a deep breath in and lift your whole arm a few inches off the ground. As you exhale, relax your arm back to the ground. Rock your left arm from side to side and relax your arm and core. Now bring awareness to your abdomen, inhale and expand your lower belly, mid-belly and lungs. As you exhale, release the belly and let the lungs deflate back towards your spine. Relaxing further into the ground below you, bring your awareness to your shoulders. Inhale and reach your shoulders up to your ears. On your exhale, drop your shoulders and relax your shoulders into the space below you. Now focus on your face. Inhale and squeeze your face muscles together. Close your eyes shut, squeeze your lips shut. On your exhale, let it go. Relax your face and rock your head from side to side. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, feel your thoughts float away. If they come back, acknowledge them and that you will get back to them at a later time. Right now, we are practicing yoga nidra, feeling the body heavy and supported by the space below us. Focusing on your breath in this next layer, reminder that when we inhale to fully expand your lower belly and lungs. As you exhale, your lungs and stomach should reach for your spine, fully inflating and deflating your lungs. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath down to your toes. Relax and let it go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to the ankles. Relax and let it go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to your shins and calves. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to your knees. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send your breath to your thighs. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to your hips and glutes. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to your lower back. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to your middle back. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to your shoulders. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send your breath to your fingers. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to your wrists. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to your forearms. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to your upper arms. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to your neck. Relax and let go. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, send the breath to your head and brain. Relax and let go. Notice the way your breath has softened and relaxed your entire body. Feel your body as relaxed and supported by the space below you. Notice the softness of your breath, not changing, just noticing. Sending your breath to your toes, arches, feet and ankles. Relax in your exhale. Sending your breath to touch your calves and shins. Relax in your support. Sending your breath to touch your thighs and hips. Relax in your exhale. Send your breath to gently touch your pelvis. Relax into the ground. Send your breath to softly touch your belly and chest. Sink into the exhale. Send your breath to touch your shoulders and arms. Sink into the space below you. Send your breath to gently touch your elbows, forearms and wrists. Sink into your body. Send your breath to softly touch your hands and fingers. Deepen in your exhale. Send your breath to touch your neck, throat and head. Deepen in your body. Notice relaxation throughout your entire body. Your body is so heavy that it is anchored to the earth. Notice the way the body is completely still. Notice that when your body is still, your mind is present and still. Bring your awareness to your shoulders. Feeling both shoulders supported by the earth, stable and safe. Visualize your collarbone beginning from the center of your chest and extending across the front of your upper body. Visualize your shoulders resting safely on your back, supported by the earth. Visualize your shoulder blade which wraps around your back to meet your collarbone in the front. Imagine the shoulder blade gently hugging your shoulder socket. Place your awareness on your shoulder sockets. Focus your awareness here, sending your breath to soften the tissues between your shoulder sockets and your arm bones. Breathing in and sinking further with each exhale. Visualizing your shoulder sockets and your arm bones loosening and letting go, further falling to the space below you. Now bring your awareness to your hip sockets. Focus your awareness here, sending your breath to the soft tissues between your hip sockets and your leg bones. Breathing in and out as you feel your hips sink deeper into the space below you. Focus your attention on your ankles, bringing your breath to the soft tissues between your feet and your legs. Breathing in and out to further relax your feet. Bring your awareness to any other parts of your body that need focus. Spending your time inhaling and exhaling to further deepen and loosen your body. Spend as much time as you need on whatever area of your body is calling for attention. Fully inhaling and fully exhaling. We will gently now come out of yoga nidra. Bring your breath back to your fingers and your toes. Bring your breath back to your wrists and the forearms and elbows and upper arms. Bring your breath to your shoulders, shoulder blades, your ribs, your waist and your hips. Bring your breath to your glutes, thighs, knees and calves. Bringing your breath to your ankles and feet, reaching your toes. Let your breath fill your throat and head, slowly beginning to bring movement back into your fingers by rubbing your fingertips gently up and down each other. Then slowly begin to move your toes, flex your feet, rotate your ankles, bending your knees, your elbows, softly integrating your whole body into gentle movement as you come back. In your own time, find your way to a seated position, eyes still softly closed, palms gently resting at the center of your heart or on your knees. Acknowledge the life force of breath within you and embodying you. Offer gratitude to the healing power within. You may now flutter your eyes open.