Guided deep rest (yoga nidra style)

Setup

1. A quiet, warm room with lights low; each person lies on a mat with a blanket over them and a cushion under the knees.
2. Lying flat isn't required: lying on the side, sitting against a wall or in a chair all work. Eyes can be closed or open with a soft, lowered gaze.
3. Explain at the start that anyone can move, open their eyes or sit up at any time, and that falling asleep is fine.
4. Anyone who finds lying still with eyes closed distressing, or who has a mental health condition, can keep their eyes open and check with a health professional if unsure.

How it runs

1. Settle (3 min): lie in Corpse pose (Savasana) or another comfortable position; adjust the blanket. Notice the sounds in the room and the body's contact with the floor.
2. Intention (1 min): choose a short, positive sentence in the present tense, such as 'I am calm and steady', and repeat it silently three times.
3. Moving attention round the body (6 min): the teacher names body parts at an even pace (right hand thumb, first finger, palm, wrist and so on, then the left side, the back, the front, the face) and students simply notice each one.
4. Breath awareness (4 min): notice the natural breath without changing it; count each out-breath backwards from 27 to 1, starting again if the count slips away.
5. Opposites and a calm place (3 min, optional): notice heaviness, then lightness; warmth, then coolness. Picture a calm place, real or imagined, or simply rest in the breath.
6. Return (3 min): repeat the intention once. Then the teacher says clearly that the practice is ending: deepen the breath, move fingers and toes, stretch, roll to the side, and sit up slowly. Sit for a few breaths before standing.

Coaching points

• Use a slow, even voice with pauses; read from a script the first few times.
• Make the ending unmistakable so nobody is left drifting; give a minute to come back before anyone stands.
• Avoid images that could upset people (water, heights, closed spaces); keep the calm place open-ended.
• Present it as rest and attention practice that may help people feel calmer, not as therapy or a sleep treatment.

Common mistakes

• Rushing through the body so it becomes a list.
• Standing up straight away at the end and feeling light-headed.
• Students getting cold without a blanket.
• Insisting eyes are closed.