Yoga nidra scripts: 10, 20 and 30-minute guided practices

Prefer your own voice, or someone else's? Each script can be read aloud:

1. Record yourself. Read a script into your phone's voice recorder, slowly, holding every pause. Then lie down and play it back. Many people find their own voice works fine after the first session or two.
2. Have someone read it to you. A partner or friend reads it while you lie down.

Reading guide for narrators:

• Speak at about 110 to 120 words a minute, a little slower than normal conversation. The timings assume this pace, with pauses counted separately. Let your voice drop slightly at the end of each sentence.
• [pause N sec] means stay silent for that many seconds. Count them. Pauses feel much longer to the reader than to the listener.
• In body rotation lists, the body parts are separated by "…". Leave about 2 seconds between each one.
• Each stage heading shows a target time. If you're running long, shorten the pauses in the imagery section first.
• Text in italics is a note for the narrator and isn't read aloud.

When you record, keep the lines that tell listeners they can open their eyes, move, or stop at any time.

1. Settling (about 1 min 45 sec)

Welcome. Find a position lying down where you can stay still for the next ten minutes. On your back, on your side, or reclined. Whatever is comfortable.

[pause 5 sec]

Let your arms rest where they want to rest. Let your legs be heavy.

[pause 5 sec]

If it feels right, close your eyes. Or keep them open, with a soft gaze at one spot. You can open your eyes, move, or stop at any time during this practice. You're in charge of your rest.

[pause 5 sec]

Notice the sounds around you. Sounds far away.

[pause 5 sec]

Sounds close by.

[pause 5 sec]

Now notice the places where your body touches the surface beneath you. The back of your head. Your shoulders. Your back. Your legs. Your heels.

[pause 5 sec]

Let the floor, or the bed, take your weight. There's nothing to do now but listen.

[pause 5 sec]

2. Intention (about 45 sec)

Bring to mind a short, simple intention. A few words, in the present tense. Something like, "I can rest." Or, "I am at ease." Or any phrase that feels true and kind to you.

[pause 5 sec]

Silently say your intention to yourself three times.

[pause 15 sec]

Now let it go.

[pause 3 sec]

3. Body rotation (about 3 min)

Now we'll move attention around the body. As I name each part, just let your attention go there. You don't need to relax it or move it. Just notice.

[pause 3 sec]

Right hand. Right thumb … index finger … middle finger … ring finger … little finger … palm of the right hand … back of the hand … wrist … forearm … elbow … upper arm … shoulder … right side of the chest … right side of the waist … right hip … thigh … knee … shin … ankle … heel … sole of the right foot … top of the foot … big toe … second toe … third toe … fourth toe … little toe.

[pause 5 sec]

Left hand. Left thumb … index finger … middle finger … ring finger … little finger … palm of the left hand … back of the hand … wrist … forearm … elbow … upper arm … shoulder … left side of the chest … left side of the waist … left hip … thigh … knee … shin … ankle … heel … sole of the left foot … top of the foot … big toe … second toe … third toe … fourth toe … little toe.

[pause 5 sec]

The back of the head … the whole back … the forehead … the eyes … the cheeks … the jaw … the throat … the chest … the belly.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole right side of the body.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole left side of the body.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole body, together.

[pause 5 sec]

4. Breath awareness (about 1 min 30 sec)

Now notice your breath. Don't change it. Just notice the breath moving in, and moving out, on its own.

[pause 10 sec]

Feel the belly rise a little as you breathe in, and fall as you breathe out.

[pause 10 sec]

Now begin counting your breaths backward, silently, from ten down to one. Breathing in, ten. Breathing out, ten. Breathing in, nine. Breathing out, nine. Keep going on your own.

[pause 30 sec]

If you lost count, that's fine. Let the counting go, and let the breath breathe itself.

[pause 5 sec]

5. Opposite sensations (about 1 min)

Now notice the feeling of heaviness. Imagine your body is heavy, sinking into the surface beneath you. Arms heavy. Legs heavy. The whole body heavy.

[pause 10 sec]

Now notice the feeling of lightness. Imagine your body is light, as if it could float just above the floor. Arms light. Legs light. The whole body light.

[pause 10 sec]

Now feel heavy and light at the same time. Or just notice whatever is here.

[pause 10 sec]

6. Imagery (about 1 min 15 sec)

I'll name a few simple images. Let each one appear in whatever way it does. If nothing appears, that's fine. Just hear the word. If any image is unpleasant, let it go and come back to the breath.

[pause 3 sec]

A lit candle on a table.

[pause 5 sec]

A cup of something warm in your hands.

[pause 5 sec]

A path through a quiet park.

[pause 5 sec]

A sky at dusk, deep blue and orange.

[pause 5 sec]

A window, with soft light coming in.

[pause 10 sec]

7. Return (about 1 min 15 sec)

Bring back your intention, the same words as before. Silently repeat it three times.

[pause 15 sec]

Now notice the breath again. Notice your body lying here.

[pause 5 sec]

Notice the sounds in the room.

[pause 5 sec]

Slowly begin to move your fingers and toes. Stretch in any way that feels good.

[pause 5 sec]

When you're ready, roll to one side and rest there for a few breaths. Then, in your own time, come up to sitting.

This practice is complete.

1. Settling (about 3 min)

Welcome. Take a moment to get comfortable. Lie on your back, or on your side, or recline, whatever lets you stay still for the next twenty minutes. If you need a blanket, take it now.

[pause 7 sec]

Make any last small adjustments. Move your shoulders away from your ears. Let your hands rest, palms up or palms down. Let your feet fall gently apart.

[pause 7 sec]

If it feels right, close your eyes. You can also keep them open, with a soft gaze. At any point you can open your eyes, move, or stop. Nothing in this practice needs to be forced.

[pause 7 sec]

Take one slow breath in through the nose, and let it out through the mouth with a sigh.

[pause 5 sec]

And once more. Breathe in … and sigh it out.

[pause 5 sec]

Now let the breath return to its own rhythm.

[pause 5 sec]

Notice the sounds you can hear. The farthest sound you can hear.

[pause 7 sec]

A closer sound, maybe in the room.

[pause 7 sec]

The sound of your own breathing.

[pause 7 sec]

Now notice the body as a whole, lying here. Notice where it touches the surface. Notice the air on your skin. Notice the temperature of the room.

[pause 7 sec]

Say silently to yourself, "I am going to rest, and stay aware." "I am going to rest, and stay aware."

[pause 7 sec]

2. Intention (about 1 min 15 sec)

Now choose an intention for this practice. A short, positive phrase in the present tense. It might be about rest: "I can rest." It might be about how you want to meet your day: "I am steady," or "I am patient with myself." Choose something simple that feels true.

[pause 15 sec]

Now say it silently three times, with care, as if you mean it.

[pause 20 sec]

Let the words go. They'll come back at the end.

[pause 5 sec]

3. Body rotation (about 5 min)

Now we'll move attention through the body. When I name a part, just let your attention land there for a moment, then move on with my voice. There's nothing to do or fix.

[pause 5 sec]

Start with the right side.

Right thumb … index finger … middle finger … ring finger … little finger … palm of the right hand … back of the hand … right wrist … forearm … elbow … upper arm … right shoulder … right armpit … right side of the ribs … right side of the waist … right hip … right buttock … back of the right thigh … front of the right thigh … right knee … back of the knee … right shin … calf … ankle … heel … sole of the right foot … top of the foot … big toe … second toe … third toe … fourth toe … little toe.

[pause 5 sec]

Now the left side.

Left thumb … index finger … middle finger … ring finger … little finger … palm of the left hand … back of the hand … left wrist … forearm … elbow … upper arm … left shoulder … left armpit … left side of the ribs … left side of the waist … left hip … left buttock … back of the left thigh … front of the left thigh … left knee … back of the knee … left shin … calf … ankle … heel … sole of the left foot … top of the foot … big toe … second toe … third toe … fourth toe … little toe.

[pause 5 sec]

Now the back of the body.

The right heel … the left heel … the right calf … the left calf … the back of the right thigh … the back of the left thigh … the lower back … the middle of the back … the right shoulder blade … the left shoulder blade … the back of the neck … the back of the head.

[pause 5 sec]

Now the face and the front of the body.

The top of the head … the forehead … the right eyebrow … the left eyebrow … the space between the eyebrows … the right eye … the left eye … the right cheek … the left cheek … the nose … the tip of the nose … the upper lip … the lower lip … the chin … the jaw … the throat … the right collarbone … the left collarbone … the chest … the upper belly … the navel … the lower belly.

[pause 5 sec]

The whole right leg.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole left leg.

[pause 3 sec]

Both legs together.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole right arm.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole left arm.

[pause 3 sec]

Both arms together.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole back. The whole front. The head.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole body, together. The whole body.

[pause 15 sec]

4. Breath awareness (about 2 min 45 sec)

Now let your attention rest on your breath. Don't control it. Just notice it.

[pause 10 sec]

Notice where you feel the breath most easily. Maybe at the nostrils. Maybe in the chest. Maybe in the belly.

[pause 15 sec]

Notice the cool air coming in, and the slightly warmer air going out.

[pause 15 sec]

Now count your breaths backward, silently, starting at twenty-seven. Breathing in, twenty-seven. Breathing out, twenty-seven. Breathing in, twenty-six. Breathing out, twenty-six. Continue on your own.

Narrator: stay silent for the full pause.

[pause 70 sec]

If you lost count, or reached zero, let the counting go. Just let the breath move on its own.

[pause 15 sec]

5. Opposite sensations (about 2 min 45 sec)

Now we'll explore a few pairs of sensations. Notice them as well as you can. If you can't feel one, just think the word and move on.

[pause 5 sec]

Heaviness. Feel your body becoming heavy. Your head heavy. Your arms heavy. Your legs heavy. Sinking down into the floor.

[pause 12 sec]

Lightness. Feel your body becoming light. Your head light. Your arms light. Your legs light. As light as a sheet of paper.

[pause 12 sec]

Heavy and light. Both at once.

[pause 10 sec]

Let that go.

[pause 3 sec]

Warmth. Remember the feeling of warmth. Sitting in afternoon sun. Holding a warm mug. Feel warmth in your hands, your feet, your whole body.

[pause 12 sec]

Coolness. Remember the feeling of coolness. Cool water on your hands. Cool air on a fall morning. Feel coolness on your skin.

[pause 12 sec]

Warm and cool. Both at once.

[pause 10 sec]

Let it all go. Come back to the body as it is right now.

[pause 10 sec]

6. Imagery (about 3 min 15 sec)

Now I'll name some images. Let each one come in its own way, as a picture, a feeling, a memory, or just a word. Don't hold on to any of them. If an image is unpleasant, let it go and come back to the breath, or open your eyes.

[pause 5 sec]

A lake at sunrise, very still.

[pause 5 sec]

A pine forest after rain.

[pause 5 sec]

A lit candle in a dark room.

[pause 5 sec]

A dog asleep in the sun.

[pause 5 sec]

A wide field of tall grass moving in the wind.

[pause 5 sec]

A full moon over rooftops.

[pause 5 sec]

A stack of folded towels, still warm.

[pause 5 sec]

A bird flying low over the water.

[pause 5 sec]

A quiet library.

[pause 5 sec]

Snow falling on a city street at night.

[pause 5 sec]

A porch light on at dusk.

[pause 5 sec]

A blank, open sky.

[pause 15 sec]

Now picture a place where you feel completely at ease. It could be real or imagined. Indoors or outside. Notice what you see there. What you hear. How the air feels.

[pause 30 sec]

Let that place stay with you, or let it fade. Either is fine.

[pause 10 sec]

7. Return (about 2 min 15 sec)

Now bring back the intention you chose at the start. The same words. Say them silently three times, with feeling.

[pause 20 sec]

Let them go.

[pause 5 sec]

Notice your breath again. A little deeper now.

[pause 10 sec]

Notice your body lying here. The weight of it. Where it touches the surface.

[pause 10 sec]

Notice the sounds around you. The room you're in. The time of day.

[pause 10 sec]

Begin to move a little. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Roll your head gently from side to side.

[pause 10 sec]

Stretch in any way that feels good. Take your time.

[pause 10 sec]

When you're ready, roll onto one side and rest there for a few breaths. Then press yourself up slowly to sitting.

[pause 5 sec]

Take a moment before you get up. This practice is complete.

1. Settling (about 4 min 15 sec)

Welcome. This is a thirty-minute practice of deep rest. Take your time getting comfortable. Lie on your back with a pillow or bolster under your knees, or on your side with a pillow between your knees, or reclined. Cover yourself with a blanket if you like. The body tends to cool as it rests.

[pause 10 sec]

Make any last adjustments now, so you can stay still for a while. Let your arms rest. Let your feet fall open. Let your jaw be loose, with the teeth slightly apart.

[pause 10 sec]

If it feels right, close your eyes. Or keep a soft gaze at one point. You can open your eyes, move, scratch an itch, change position, or stop the practice at any time. Moving doesn't spoil anything. Rest is the point, and you're in charge of it.

[pause 10 sec]

Take a slow breath in through the nose, and let it out slowly through the mouth.

[pause 5 sec]

Once more. In through the nose … and slowly out.

[pause 5 sec]

And one more, letting the out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath.

[pause 6 sec]

Now let the breath go back to its own pace.

[pause 10 sec]

Let your hearing reach out, as far as it can. Notice the most distant sound.

[pause 10 sec]

Bring your hearing a little closer. Sounds outside the room.

[pause 10 sec]

Sounds inside the room.

[pause 10 sec]

Sounds in your own body. The breath. Maybe your heartbeat.

[pause 10 sec]

Now feel the whole body lying here. Notice the places where it's supported. The head. The shoulders. The back. The hips. The legs. The heels. Let each of these places get a little heavier.

[pause 10 sec]

Say silently to yourself, "I am going to rest, and stay aware." "I am going to rest, and stay aware."

[pause 10 sec]

2. Intention (about 1 min 30 sec)

Now take a moment to choose an intention. A short phrase, positive, in the present tense, that matters to you. It doesn't need to be big. "I can rest." "I am safe in this moment." "I meet the day with patience." If you already have an intention from earlier practices, use that one.

[pause 20 sec]

Now say your intention silently three times. Say it clearly, as if it is already true.

[pause 25 sec]

Let it go for now. It will come back at the end.

[pause 10 sec]

3. Body rotation (about 6 min 30 sec)

Now we'll move attention through the body, part by part. As I name each part, let your attention go there for a moment. You might notice a sensation, or nothing at all. Both are fine. Stay with my voice and move on when I move on.

[pause 5 sec]

Start with the right hand.

Right thumb … right index finger … middle finger … ring finger … little finger … the palm of the right hand … the back of the hand … the right wrist … forearm … elbow … upper arm … right shoulder … right armpit … the right side of the ribs … the right side of the waist … right hip … right buttock … the back of the right thigh … the front of the right thigh … right kneecap … the back of the knee … right shin … right calf … right ankle … right heel … the sole of the right foot … the top of the foot … big toe … second toe … third toe … fourth toe … little toe.

[pause 5 sec]

Now the left hand.

Left thumb … left index finger … middle finger … ring finger … little finger … the palm of the left hand … the back of the hand … the left wrist … forearm … elbow … upper arm … left shoulder … left armpit … the left side of the ribs … the left side of the waist … left hip … left buttock … the back of the left thigh … the front of the left thigh … left kneecap … the back of the knee … left shin … left calf … left ankle … left heel … the sole of the left foot … the top of the foot … big toe … second toe … third toe … fourth toe … little toe.

[pause 5 sec]

Now the back of the body.

The right heel … the left heel … both heels together … the right calf … the left calf … the back of the right knee … the back of the left knee … the back of the right thigh … the back of the left thigh … the right buttock … the left buttock … the lower back … the middle back … the upper back … the right shoulder blade … the left shoulder blade … the whole spine, from the tailbone to the neck … the back of the neck … the back of the head.

[pause 5 sec]

Now the head and face.

The top of the head … the forehead … the right temple … the left temple … the right eyebrow … the left eyebrow … the space between the eyebrows … the right eyelid … the left eyelid … the right eye … the left eye … the right ear … the left ear … the right cheek … the left cheek … the nose … the right nostril … the left nostril … the tip of the nose … the upper lip … the lower lip … the space where the lips meet … the teeth … the tongue … the roof of the mouth … the chin … the jaw … the throat.

[pause 5 sec]

Now the front of the body.

The right collarbone … the left collarbone … the hollow of the throat … the right side of the chest … the left side of the chest … the center of the chest … the upper belly … the navel … the lower belly … the right groin … the left groin.

[pause 5 sec]

Now larger areas.

The whole right leg.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole left leg.

[pause 3 sec]

Both legs together.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole right arm.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole left arm.

[pause 3 sec]

Both arms together.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole back of the body.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole front of the body.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole head.

[pause 3 sec]

The whole body, together. The whole body. The whole body.

[pause 20 sec]

4. Breath awareness (about 5 min)

Now let your attention settle on your breath. Don't change it. Let it be exactly as it is.

[pause 15 sec]

Notice the breath at the nostrils. Cool air coming in. Slightly warmer air going out.

[pause 20 sec]

Now notice the breath in the chest. The chest gently rising and falling.

[pause 20 sec]

Now notice the breath in the belly. The belly rising as you breathe in, falling as you breathe out.

[pause 20 sec]

Now feel the whole breath. Nostrils, chest and belly, all moving together.

[pause 20 sec]

Now count your breaths backward, silently, starting at fifty-four. Breathing in, fifty-four. Breathing out, fifty-four. Breathing in, fifty-three. Breathing out, fifty-three. Keep going on your own. If you lose count, start again at fifty-four. It doesn't matter where you end.

Narrator: stay silent for the full pause.

[pause 120 sec]

Now let the counting go. Let the breath breathe itself.

[pause 20 sec]

5. Opposite sensations (about 4 min 15 sec)

Now we'll explore a few pairs of opposite sensations. Notice each one as well as you can. If you can't feel one, just think the word and move on.

[pause 5 sec]

Heaviness. Feel the whole body becoming heavy. The head heavy. The arms heavy, too heavy to lift. The legs heavy. The whole body sinking down, heavy.

[pause 15 sec]

Lightness. Now feel the whole body becoming light. The head light. The arms light. The legs light. The whole body light, as if it could float.

[pause 15 sec]

Heavy and light, at the same time.

[pause 10 sec]

Let that go.

[pause 5 sec]

Warmth. Remember the feeling of warmth. Sun on your face on a winter day. A warm bath. Warm hands around a mug. Let warmth spread through the body.

[pause 15 sec]

Coolness. Remember the feeling of coolness. A cool breeze. The cool side of a pillow. Cool grass under bare feet. Let coolness spread across the skin.

[pause 15 sec]

Warm and cool, at the same time.

[pause 10 sec]

Let that go.

[pause 5 sec]

Stillness. Notice how still the body is right now.

[pause 15 sec]

Movement. Now notice everything that is still moving. The breath. The heartbeat. Small sensations here and there.

[pause 15 sec]

Stillness and movement, both at once.

[pause 10 sec]

Let it all go. Come back to the body, resting here as it is.

[pause 15 sec]

6. Imagery (about 4 min 45 sec)

Now I'll name a series of images. Let each one come in its own way, as a picture, a feeling, a memory, or only a word. Don't hold on to any of them. If an image is unpleasant, let it go and return to the breath, or open your eyes for a moment.

[pause 10 sec]

A long, empty beach in the early morning.

[pause 6 sec]

A lighthouse in the distance.

[pause 6 sec]

A trail through a redwood forest.

[pause 6 sec]

A creek running over smooth stones.

[pause 6 sec]

A wooden cabin with smoke rising from the chimney.

[pause 6 sec]

A kitchen table with a bowl of fruit.

[pause 6 sec]

A cat curled up on a windowsill.

[pause 6 sec]

A desert at sunset, red and gold.

[pause 6 sec]

The first stars coming out.

[pause 6 sec]

A lit window in a dark house.

[pause 6 sec]

Rain on a roof.

[pause 6 sec]

A quiet road covered in fresh snow.

[pause 6 sec]

A wide, clear night sky.

[pause 20 sec]

Now picture a place where you feel completely at ease. Real or imagined. Notice the light there. The sounds. The temperature of the air. What's under your feet or your body.

[pause 30 sec]

Rest in that place. There's nothing you need to do there.

[pause 30 sec]

Now let the place fade, and notice the space behind your closed eyes. Dark, or light, or colors moving. Just watch, without looking for anything.

[pause 20 sec]

If the listener is using this to fall asleep, the recording can end here, after a closing line such as: "Stay here as long as you like, and let yourself drift." Then fade out.

7. Return (about 3 min 15 sec)

Now bring back your intention. The same words you chose at the start. Say them silently three times, clearly and with feeling.

[pause 25 sec]

Let them go.

[pause 10 sec]

Notice your breath again. Let it get a little deeper and fuller.

[pause 10 sec]

Notice your whole body, lying here. Its weight. Its shape. Where it touches the surface.

[pause 10 sec]

Notice the sounds around you. The room. Where you are, and what time of day it is.

[pause 10 sec]

Begin to bring small movement back. Fingers and toes. Hands and feet.

[pause 10 sec]

Roll your head gently from side to side.

[pause 10 sec]

Stretch in any way that feels good. Arms overhead, if you like. Take your time.

[pause 10 sec]

When you're ready, roll onto one side. Rest there for a few breaths.

[pause 10 sec]

Then use your hands to press yourself slowly up to sitting. Notice how you feel, without judging it.

[pause 10 sec]

This practice is complete.