Yoga Nidra Script for Deep Relaxation

Yoga Nidra is a form of conscious sleeping, during which the practitioner will position themselves in savasana or propped up with bolsters to provide extra support. It’s important to be as comfortable as possible, to leave little need for movement during the practice as remaining still helps to keep the parasympathetic NS (rest and digest) active. (Eye pillows and blankets are a great idea to set up with!) Once set up comfortably, this script guides the practitioner to a deep state of relaxation, whilst requesting that the practitioner stay present to the sensations in their body. Taking the body into a state of deep rest, as if asleep. The idea is to find the space between being awake and asleep, resting in that space.

Below is the script for a 30-40 minute Yoga Nidra practice, maybe you are a teacher who can utilise this script for your classes or, for non teachers I recommend recording yourself read the script and then playing it back to yourself for your own Nidra practice.

Take lots of time to pause to allow the listener to explore the changing sensations in their body without feeling rushed. Find a place where you’ll be undisturbed for the duration of your practice. Play some music, light incense, lie back and enjoy!

Spend the next few moments ensuring that you are as comfortable as possible.  Make any small adjustments that will help to settle your body.  You may move at any time if you are uncomfortable but ideally, Yoga Nidra is practiced in stillness.

Make yourself aware of the room that you are in and visualise where you are positioned within it… Can you hear any sounds in the distance?…  Can you hear them as pure sound without attaching a story or narrative to them?…

What can you hear that’s close by?  Can you hear them as pure sound without attaching a story or narrative to them?…

Bring your attention to your breath, focusing on your exhale.  Allow each exhalation to ground your body.  Commit your weight to the support beneath you as though tension is falling through your body and into the ground underneath you….

Set an intention for your body to relax.

Set an intention for your body to relax deeply…

Bring your attention to your jaw, soften it.  Let the root of your tongue soften and widen in your mouth.  Let your attention wander to the back of your eyes imagining a spaciousness deep in the sockets…

If your mind feels crowded, try to move your focus from the front of your brain behind the forehead to the back of the brain.  Imagine thoughts and worries dropping back towards the ground…

Allow the back of your throat relax. Allow your shoulder blades surrender to the support underneath you…  Allow your lungs and organs rest in the back of the body…  Softening deeper with each exhale.  Softening deeper with each exhale…

Visualize the muscles of your arms softening away from the bones.  Visualize your skin softening away from the muscles…

Imagine your whole body settling into relaxation…

Imagine your whole body surrendering to relaxation…

Visualize your whole body relaxing deeply…

Permission to relax deeply…

Rotation of Consciousness

As you are guided to the various parts of your body there is nothing to do except settle your attention on each body part with an intention to relax.  You may even use the word relax silently on each part of your body to help you relax.

Bring your awareness to the space in between your eyebrows. Relax. The center of your throat. Relax.

Make an intention for your right shoulder to rest and let your attention run down your upper arm to your elbow, down your forearm, and into your right wrist, tip of your thumb, the tip of your index finger, tip of your middle finger, tip of your ring finger, tip of your little finger, allow your whole hand to relax…  Bring your attention back to your right wrist, elbow, shoulder, let your whole right arm relax…

Move your attention to your throat. Commit to relaxation. Bring your awareness to your left shoulder, allow your attention to run down your upper arm to your elbow, wrist, tip of your thumb, tip of your index finger, tip of your middle finger, tip of your ring finger, tip of your little finger, let your whole hand relax… Bring your attention back to your left wrist, elbow, shoulder, allow your whole left arm to relax…

Bring your attention back to your throat. Relax. The center of your chest. The right side of your chest. Center of your chest. The left side of your chest. Your bellybutton. The space in between your pubic bones. Let the whole of your abdomen and torso relax.

Bring your attention to your right hip, let your attention run down your thigh to your knee, through your shin to your ankle, tip of your big toe, tip of your second toe, tip of your middle toe, tip of your fourth toe, tip of the your little toe, back to your ankle, knee,  your hip, let your whole right leg relax.

Bring your attention back to the space in between your pubic bones. To your left hip, let your attention run down your thigh to your knee, through your shin to your ankle, tip of your big toe, tip of your second toe, tip of your middle toe, tip of your fourth toe, tip of your little toe, back to your ankle, knee, your hip, let the your whole left leg relax.

Bring your attention back to the space in between your pubic bones, letting it rise to your navel, allow your whole abdomen to relax, the center of your chest, let the walls of the throat relax,  come to the space in between the eyebrows. Let your attention rest in between your eyebrows…

Let your whole body relax.  

Let your whole body rest.

Breath awareness

Without changing anything begin to witness the rhythm of your breath.

Rest in the changing sensations of inhalation versus exhalation.

Rest in the changing sensations of your breath…

Imagine your breath moving in from below your nostrils and traveling all the way up past the center of your eyebrows and into the middle of your brain.  Watch your breath fall exhaling from the center of your brain all the way beyond the tip of your nose.  See your breath move from your nostrils to your brain, and from your brain to nostrils with ease.

Let all effort dissolve into deep rest.

Exploring Dualities

Bring your attention to the front of your body.  From your face all the way through your chest and torso to your legs and feet….  Let your whole front body relax into the back of your body.  Let there be a feeling of weight in your body as your front body settles back.  Relaxes.  Front body resting into back body…

Imagine how it would feel for your whole body to feel heavy, as though you have let yourself sink into the support of the ground. Let your whole body explore a restful, deep heaviness.  Sinking into deep relaxation…

Now imagine your back body floating up into your front body. Whole body light, spacious, effortless.  Let your whole body feel light as though you are resting weightlessly…

Let your awareness wander between these two opposites. There is no rush. Feel the body heavy… Feel the body light… Feel the body heavy… Feel the body light…

How might you feel all the sensations of weightlessness and heaviness at the same time? Can you feel these opposites at the same time?… Begin to merge the sensations of heavy and light within your whole being.

Can you rest deeply in between the two? Neither heavy nor light. Experiencing the essence of both without striving or grasping. Simply resting deeply in between the two. Heavy and light.

A sense of deep, deep relaxation in your body…

A sense of deep, deep relaxation in your mind…

A sense of deep, deep relaxation in your whole being…  Unchanging…  Restful…  Whole…

Let your whole body rest…. Resting in the unchanging nature of your whole self.

The Return

Notice how your body feels against the ground. The weight of your muscles and bones.  Notice which parts of you are touching the ground.

Allow your breath to move through your body. Notice the natural easy rhythm of your breath.  As you take a deeper, richer breath how does that breath feel as sensation in your body?…  How does the inhale feel in comparison to the exhale?…

Remember where you are in the room.  Feel free to lazily open your eyes if that is helpful and then let the eyes fall closed again…

Begin to move your body.  Wiggle your fingers and toes…  Stretch your arms and legs…  Make any movements that will gently help to bring your body back into a wakeful state. 

Gently roll to your side…  Let the eyes open softly so that you can take in some light and color. Shape and form…

Keeping your head very heavy use your top arm to help you come to sit.  Any comfortable seated position…

Bring your hands to your body or to prayer.  Take a moment to close this Yoga Nidra practice in your own way or return to any feelings or sensations of deep rest.

Gently open your eyes and take plenty of time to move back into your day.