N.92 Yoga Nidra: Ultimate Stress Relief & Anxiety Relief | Healing Sleep Series

Thank you for being here. My name is Elan Nova, and it is an honor to share the practice of Yoga Nidra with you. Knowledge yourself in this moment. You are carving out time for inner peace when it feels most challenging, and it's natural to feel stressed and anxious when you're embarking on a new journey, sitting with the unknown, or simply feeling the heaviness of the world on your shoulders. Remember that right here, right now, you have an opportunity to pause and rejuvenate both your mind and body. In the Bhagavad Gita, it goes like this. Whenever the mind wanders, restless in its search for satisfaction, lead it within, train it to rest in the Self. Abiding joy resides in the still mind, breath from the fever of desire to become truly alive. In this moment, you are not avoiding. You are choosing to recognize that amongst the chaos, you have the capacity for calm and the capacity to rest, rest your mind and come alive. Wherever you may choose to practice, please make yourself comfortable, whether you are seated or laying down. Either way, ensure your whole spine is in alignment, from rest your legs comfortably apart, allowing for your hips to soften, and rest your arms naturally by your sides allowing your shoulders to soften away from your neck, and place your palms skyward, allowing for your heart to open. It is now time to invite the senses to turn inward by closing your eyes. You will be guided through the breathing technique called the Physiological Sight. Now that you are settled, take a deep inhale through the nostrils, a quicker sharper inhale through the nose, and exhale let it out through the mouth. Inhale through the nose, a quicker sharper inhale, and exhale out through the mouth. Quicker sharper inhale, exhale and let it all go, and you can use this technique at any moment when you need it. The practice of yoga nidra begins now. Observe your breath, allow for the breath to move organically. There is nowhere else you need to be, there is nothing else you need to do, you are here, you are present, and you are totally still. Feel and aware as you observe your breath. If it is shallow, allow it to be shallow, if it is deep allow it to be deep, and if you feel as though it will bring you more comfort. Make any adjustment necessary and return to your stillness. Extend to your whole body, eyes closed, move your awareness to the space between the brows, placing your attention onto the mind's eye, and return your focus here at any point you need to come back to your awareness. Connect to all of your senses, and as you place your focus inward, begin to notice how your awareness blends into one sensed experience. It is not you outside the world, but the world inside of you that you are now able to witness. Setle into your body, sensing the parts of you that feel ease, and within this ease call in your senkelpa, and I am declaration to self that resonates deeply, it is a positive present tense, clear and concise intention guiding you. If you are new to the senkelpa, feel free to use one of the following until your truest senkelpa becomes clear. I am present, I am peaceful, I am strong, I am secure, repeat your intention now three times. I am very happy. I am very happy now, I am very happy now, I am very happy now, I am very happy, I am very very happy now, I am very happy now, I am very happy now, I am very happy now, I am very happy now. you be into focus on your body. Remaining completely still. You are completely still and aware as you sense each part of yourself. Follow my voice as if it is your own voice and if you lose your place, come back to my voice and pick up again without any judgment. Now, land your awareness on your right hand. The tip of the right hand, the tip of the index finger. The tip of the middle finger, the ring finger, the little finger. Feel your hands and your fingers relax. Notice the relaxation in your forearms. Elbows and upper arms. Release weight and tension from your shoulders. Now, land your awareness on your left hand. The tip of the left thumb. The tip of the index finger. Middle finger. Ring finger. Little finger. Feel your hand and your fingers relax. Notice the relaxation in your left forearm. Elbow and upper arm. The sense your shoulders. Your shoulder blades. The pit of the throat. The center of the chest. The navel. The navel. The navel. Lower abdomen. The pubic bone. The tailbone. Your whole spine. Aware of the upper back. Mid back. Lower back. Sense your hips. Move your awareness to your hips and your legs. Release tension in your hips. Your thighs. Your knees. And both calves. Feel your ankles and feet relax. Relaxing the tips of your toes. The tips of your toes. Progressively relax your feet. Your ankles. Your knees. Then your hips. Your navel. Your lower back. Your mid back. Your chest. Shoulders. And your whole upper back. Relax. Notice your arms. Your hands. And your fingers becoming tension free. Finally, the pit of your throat. Your neck. Face. Head. Your whole head. Your ears. Your eyes. Your mouth. Your nose. Your whole face. Your whole head. Your whole body. Whole body and stillness. Completely aware. Totally relaxed. Your whole body and stillness. Shift your focus to your breath. Aware of the natural rhythm without trying to change it. Now begin to place awareness on your right nostril. Imagine breath moving in through your right nostril. Now imagine breath moves out your left nostril. Where as you breathe in through the left nostril, exhaling from your right nostril. You are completely still, visualizing the breath moving in through the right nostril, out through the left, in through the left, out through the right as if the breath is weaving a figure eight through the nostrils. Keep breathing your breath in this pattern. Only focusing on the breath moving in and out, in through the right, out through the left, in through the left, out through the right, and you will be called back in a few moments. Continue following your breath. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Allow yourself to sit with whatever may be present, observing, witnessing, lightness, lightness, lightness, lightness. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] are blazing. The symbol "Ohm". A check engine light. The reflection in the mirror. The starry night sky. As you rest in full body awareness, sense yourself gradually becoming lighter, as if a comforting force within is gently lifting you off the ground. Imagine the sensation of being freed from the weight of gravity, floating effortlessly in the sky, envision the space around you. Endless, tranquil, a vast expanse of calming night sky. You are in a realm of absolute peace, the sanctuary where stress and anxiety dissolve into the air, unable to tether you to the burdens that once waged you down. Sense yourself becoming more and more weightless, only seeing and letting go of any heavy chains of worry, doubt or fear. They fall away from you, pulled down by gravity as you continue to rise, drifting into a serene atmosphere. You are completely unburdened, bloating in a state of pure relaxation. Infinite sky holding you in a state of blissful weightlessness. In this moment nothing can reach you. No stress, no anxiety, no demands of daily life. You are free, drifting in peace, surrounded by the soothing starlit sky. Stay here for a while, floating, breathing, being. Begin now to recall your sangalpa, repeating it three times. Whatever it may be, I am present, I am peaceful, I am strong, I am secure. Allow these words to resonate within you. Experience your fullness, your expansiveness, and return to your groundedness, floating back down to earth, and to the surface you rest on. It is time to gently return from your journey. Bring your awareness back to your breath, to the room, to your body. As you return, take this sense of lightness with you. Breathe back into your body, feeling the surface you rest on. Becoming aware of the sounds around you, sense your skin, how the air rests on it, and your face how peace is placed on it, and your heart, how it beats life and love and acceptance. You are loved, just as you are. In the practice of your consciousness, you can address complete, "Harium tatsat", "Harium tatsat", "Harium tatsat". As you return, allow your first movements to be gentle. Letter the fingers and the toes, rotate the ankles and the wrists, and if you wish to sleep, you may drift off to sleep. Slowly blink your eyes open, in your own time guiding yourself to a comfortable position, where you can close your practice with gratitude, reflection, journaling, contemplation. I always love reading your comments and insights on YouTube and Instagram. Your support does not go unnoticed. By following, subscribing, liking, and sharing, you extend the use yoga nidra and beyond practices even further. This is a special thank you to those who have offered the gift of gratitude or give thanks on YouTube. It is my wish to share this practice fully and with your sponsorship and support. You make even my dreams become a reality. If you have not already done so, make sure to sign up to alanova nidra, the newsletter. As there will be more opportunities to work with me virtually through events, workshops, courses, retreats, and private one-on-one sessions. Go to alanova.com to learn more. And for those who would like to join my next virtual event, I will be hosting a live on March 9, 2024. At 11 am pacific time, until then, rest well, be well, Namaskar.