Yoga Nidra Guided Meditations
For when your mind won't slow down and the mental load feels constant.
This is a space to set it down - even for a few minutes.
Created for those carrying the invisible mental load of daily life- a space to rest deeply, soften fully, and restore your nervous system.
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Start with a moment of rest.
If you've been carrying a lot lately... mentally, emotionally, or for others... you're in the right place.
You don’t need more time, experience, or energy to begin. This is designed for the version of you who is already tired. You’re welcome exactly as you are.
Start here- your gentle reset:
Enjoy your complimentary guided meditation
Enter your email to receive the meditation.
A quiet space to release the mental load, step away from constant
responsibility, and rest deeply.
Delivered privately to your email.
If the complimentary meditation helped you, even a little, there’s a gentle next step waiting for you:
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Explore the Rest & Restore Mini Journey
A guided 3-session introduction for deeper support with rest and renewal.
Optional pre-retreat experience for participants of the Recharge & Restore Women's Retreat
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Browse the class library
On-demand Yoga Nidra sessions you can access anytime.
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Stay connected through the newsletter
Reflections, journal prompts, and restorative inspiration.
However you begin, you’re invited to move at your own pace.
A gentle moment to pause
If you have been carrying a lot today- mentally, emotionally, or through the quiet weight of caring for others- this is a soft invitation to pause for a breath.
About Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra, or "yogic sleep", is a guided meditation practice that invites you into a unique state of deep relaxation while remaining gently aware.
Unlike traditional meditation, there is nothing you need to concentrate on or accomplish. You are simply guided through a series of experiences that help the body soften, the nervous system settle, and the mind become a little quieter.
Many people describe Yoga Nidra as feeling somewhere between wakefulness and sleep, where deep rest becomes possible while awareness remains present.
Yoga Nidra includes components like body scans, guided imagery, visualization, breath awareness, and intention setting as the practitioner embarks on a journey through the layers of one's self. These layers are also known as the koshas.
Research and lived experience continue to show that Yoga Nidra can support both the body and mind in meaningful ways. Many practitioners notice improvements in sleep quality, reduced stress and anxiety, increased focus, emotional resilience, and an overall greater sense of calm. Studies have also explored its relationship with blood pressure, digestion, immune function, cognitive performance, headache relief, blood sugar regulation, and insomnia.
A Journey Through the Five Koshas
One of the beautiful aspects of Yoga Nidra is that it gently guides awareness through what yoga philosophy calls the Five Koshas, or the five layers of our being.
Rather than seeing ourselves as only a physical body, Yoga reminds us that we experience life through several interconnected layers, or sheaths, that surround our true inner Self.
Each stage of a Yoga Nidra practice is offered with intention to support one or more of these layers.
We begin by relaxing the physical body, often through a body scan. We connect with the breath and the subtle movement of energy. We notice thoughts and emotions as they arise, without needing to judge, fix, or push them away. As awareness continues to settle, we begin resting in a deeper sense of presence.
Sometimes, even if only for a few moments, we rest in that quiet place beneath it all... a sense of ease, connection, and simply being.
Along the way, we may notice areas of tension or ease, places where we've been holding tightly, or patterns we've been identifying with. Yoga Nidra doesn't ask us to change those experiences. Instead, it gently invites us to observe them with curiosity and compassion, allowing a little more space between who we are and what we are experiencing.
As awareness gently moves through each layer, many people discover something unexpected. As the body softens and the mind becomes a little quieter, we aren't creating peace or becoming someone different. We are simply remembering the steadiness, wholeness, and inner light that has been present all along.
Yoga Nidra isn't about escaping your life. It is about returning home to yourself.
What if my mind won't quiet down?
One of my favorite ways to think about meditation is to imagine sitting beside a peaceful koi pond.
The fish continue to swim beneath the surface. We don't jump into the water trying to stop them, chase them, or organize where they swim. Thoughts are much the same.
During meditation, the goal isn't to stop thinking. It's simply to notice when thoughts arise, allow them to come and go, and gently return your awareness whenever you realize your mind has wandered.
The pond doesn't become peaceful because the koi disappear. It becomes peaceful because we stop believing we need to follow every movement. The surface of the water can remain still, even as the fish move gracefully below.
What are the benefits of Yoga Nidra?
Restful Sleep
Support healthier sleep patterns and give your nervous system permission to deeply rest.
Calm the Nervous System
Reduce stress and anxiety while cultivating a greater sense of ease and resilience.
Emotional Well-being
Create space to observe thoughts and emotions with greater compassion and less reactivity.
Mental Clarity
Improve focus, creativity, and decision making through intentional periods of deep rest.
Your practice begins exactly where you are.
Whether you're new to Yoga Nidra or returning to a practice you love, each meditation is simply an invitation to pause, soften, and reconnect with yourself. There is nothing to achieve. Only an opportunity to come home, one breath at a time.
Explore a Meditation Session
Guided yoga nidra practices designed to support deep rest, nervous system repair, and gentle sleep.
Choose what you need today
Whether you're carrying a full day, waking in the night, or simply needing space to reset - start here.
Trouble Sleeping?
Extended guided sleep meditations designed to help you drift into sleep or gently return when you wake.
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8-Hour Body Scan for Insomnia
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Floating Back to Sleep (60 min)
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Winter Train Sleep Meditation (55 min)
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Overactive Mind Sleep Meditation (30 min)
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Sleep Meditation for Overthinking (25 min)
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Sleep Meditation for Letting Go of the Day (30 min)
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Body Scan for Overthinking at Night (30 min)
Want Deep Rest & Reset?
Longer yoga nidra journeys for emotional reset and nervous system repair.
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Ocean of Restoration (45 min)
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Topiary Garden of Gratitude (30 min)
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Full Moon Waterfall of Clarity (60 min)
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Sauna Recovery for Athletes (45 min)
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Overactive Mind Meditation for Mental Overload (30 min)
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Self-Compassion Meditation for Emotional Healing & Support (45 min)
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Stress Relief Meditation to Calm the Body & Quiet the Mind (30 min)
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Letting Go of Control Meditation for Trust, Ease & Surrender (30 min)
Short Daily Practices
Brief meditations to center and refocus.
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5-Minute Journaling Meditation
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15-Minute Daily Stillness
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Focus & Energy Reset (20 min)
Gentle Movement
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Chair Yoga with Relaxing Body Scan (45 min)
These practices pair well with yoga nidra meditations as part of a wind down routine.
Not Sure Where to Start?
If you're carrying more than anyone sees, begin with this complimentary guided rest practice designed to help you soften, settle your nervous system, and experience deep relaxation.
About
Sara Johnson
Sara is a Yoga Nidra and meditation teacher devoted to creating gentle spaces where individuals can slow down, set aside the invisible mental load they carry, and reconnect with themselves through deep rest.
Her work centers on nervous system restoration, compassionate self-awareness, and cultivating welcoming spaces where people feel safe enough to slow down, soften, and come home to themselves. In that space, reflection, deep listening, and authentic connection can naturally unfold, allowing people to rediscover what it feels like to be seen, heard, and supported without judgment.
Through practices of rest, reflection, and gentle awareness, she invites people to release what no longer serves them, soften into the present moment, remember the quiet wisdom that has always been within them, and discover that clarity often arises naturally when we stop trying to force it.
Through guided meditation, restorative movement, immersive retreats, and thoughtful online experiences, she offers gentle practices that invite people to soften, breathe, and remember that they don't have to carry everything alone.
Sara brings warmth, structure, and compassion into every space she teaches. She is committed to fostering welcoming, inclusive environments where participants can feel safe enough to rest, explore, and discover what they need most in the moment.
Her approach honors each individual's unique strengths and needs, without the pressure to perform, achieve, become perfect, or have everything figured out. Instead, Sara offers gentle permission to simply be and reminds participants of the quiet truth that they are already enough, exactly as they are.
"My hope is that my meditations and retreats feel like permission to set everything down for a little while. A space where you feel safe enough to soften, supported enough to rest, and gently reminded that you don't have to carry everything alone or earn your rest."
Sara is trained in Divine Sleep ® Yoga Nidra and Children's Yoga Foundations and is currently completing her RYT 200 YTT. She continues her education through ongoing training in restorative yoga, chair yoga, yin yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.
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Practice with Sara
Work with Sara
Join me on a retreat:
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Recharge & Restore Women's Retreat
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Spring & Fall 2027 dates- TBA
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Join me virtually:
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A Gentle Evening Pause: Tea, Reflection, & Guided Rest
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Guided sleep meditation
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Gentle reflection prompts
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On-Demand Yoga Nidra sleep meditations
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Released every week
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Meditations are 30+ minutes in length
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Unlimited access for 7 days
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View the Class Library
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Online Chair Yoga
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Insight Timer meditations
Join me at an Expo:
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Future dates to be announced
Join me in-studio:
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Future dates to be announced
Work with Sara:
Sometimes the next step isn't another class or meditation. It's a thoughtful conversation, a fresh perspective, and someone willing to walk beside you for a little while.
I work with people who have gifts, ideas, passions, or experiences they feel called to share more fully, but who may feel stuck, overwhelmed, or uncomfortable putting themselves out there.
Maybe you're just beginning. Maybe you've been quietly doing the work for years but are feeling called to take the next step.
Together, we explore possibilities, gently move through fears or roadblocks, and create manageable next steps in a way that feels authentic and sustainable. I don't simply offer ideas or information. I walk beside you, helping create enough safety to explore what is possible and move forward with greater confidence.
You don’t have to have everything figured out. Sometimes all we need is someone to help us recognize what is already there and take one meaningful step forward.
✨ Shine Sessions (by inquiry)
Come sit beside Sara for a little while, and she'll help you discover what already wants to shine.
Curious if this is for you? Reach out and let's connect.
Rest & Restore Mini Journey
If you've been carrying a lot...
this is where we begin.
If you're exploring meditation, ready to deepen your experience, or simply looking for a soft place to begin, this curated series offers a supportive entry into guided rest.
Created as a gentle introduction to Yoga Nidra and offered as an optional pre-retreat pathway for women attending the Recharge & Restore Retreat.
No experience needed, just curiosity and a willingness to pause.
Rest & Restore Mini Journey - $27
Includes:
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3 guided meditations designed to build comfort
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Themes like grounding, confidence, connection, and deep rest
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Journaling prompts
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A supportive introduction to Yoga Nidra
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Flexible & self-paced (14-day access)
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Replay anytime during that period
No pressure, no performance- just rest at your own pace.
For the moments when your mind won't slow down...
A gentle entry into rest - accessible, supportive, and self-paced - less than the cost of a yoga class.
Returning Home: A Deep Rest Integration Experience
Carry the feeling of deep rest into everyday life.
If you've ever experienced a weekend, a vacation, or even a single moment of deep rest and wondered, "How do I carry this with me when life gets busy again?", this space was created for you.
Returning Home is a gentle 3-week guided journey created to help you carry moments of rest into everyday life.
Not by trying to recreate the restorative experience itself, but by helping you return to yourself in small, sustainable ways as life begins to move again.
Designed to help you carry a sense of rest, clarity, and connection into everyday life.
Returning Home isn't about recreating the experience. It's about remembering how to return to yourself.
Inside Returning Home - $97:
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3 guided Yoga Nidra meditations to help you reconnect with deep rest
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Gentle reflection emails and journal prompts delivered throughout the journey
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A soft, suggested rhythm to support integration (always optional)
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21-day access to revisit whenever you need it
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Themes like grounding, holding what has softened, gentle growth, and deep rest
No perfect routine. No pressure to perform. Just a quiet place to return to whenever you need it.
For the moments when the busyness of life returns...
A gentle companion for the moments when life begins asking more of you again.
Start your gentle reset...
Relaxing, on-demand 30+ minute Yoga Nidra meditations delivered to your email weekly with the benefit of being able to practice anytime and anywhere that is convenient for you.
There is no limit to how many times you can enjoy the meditation during the 7-day period.
Drop-In Class Pass (5 Pack)
Increase your savings by purchasing a bundle of drop-in classes
Access a guided meditation when you need it most for the next 7 days
Drop-In Class Pass
Access a guided meditation when you need it most for the next 7 days
Reviews
"I had the pleasure of listening to 2 of Sara’s guided meditations. They were very helpful after surgery & during my 6 week recovery period.
Her guided meditations helped me to focus & quiet my mind during a painful & crazy time. I look forward to continuing them!
I 100% recommend anyone to go on any of her guided meditations!"
“The power for creating a better future is contained in the present moment: You create a good future by creating a good present.”
Eckhart Tolle
A complimentary guided rest practice- created with you in mind
If your nervous system has been asking for a pause, I'd love to share a Yoga Nidra meditation to help you rest deeply.
You'll also receive gentle inspiration, journal prompts, and supportive reflections through the Shine with Sara newsletter.
If you are new here, this is a beautiful place to begin.
No spam. Just occasional inspiration and restorative practices. You can unsubscribe anytime.