Hello!
Welcome to your yoga nidra practice.
My name is Autumn Adams and I am the founder of Ambuja Yoga.
We lead women's yoga and adventure retreats all over the world.
This yoga nidra practice is inspired by a recent retreat in Patagonia.
If a yoga nidra practice is new to you,
You can think of it as like a guided deep relaxation practice where we move through the layers of your being,
The koshas,
As they're known in yoga philosophy.
And the beautiful part about this practice is that we have access to the subconscious mind.
So it's really great when you are wanting to manifest something in your life.
If you're working through rewiring some limiting beliefs into more positive beliefs,
This practice is a great tool to have in your tool belt.
Yoga nidra is typically taken lying down.
If that's not comfortable for you,
Seated can also work.
I want you to take the next few minutes to get really comfortable.
Adjust your clothes if you need to.
Maybe get a pillow to place underneath your head.
Get a cozy blanket or any props you feel like you might need so you can really settle in and relax.
Once you're in the practice of yoga nidra you do want to remain still and awake ideally.
If you have a watch on or you have a ponytail or anything like that that's a little bit distracting,
Go ahead and just remove it now.
Adjust your pants if you need to.
And then get really nice and cozy.
Lying down on your back.
Once you lay down on your back,
Begin to feel the earth beneath you.
The same earth that holds the forest,
The roots,
And the rocks of the ancient trees,
Valleys,
And mountain ranges.
Feel the quiet support and strength of the earth beneath you.
And allow it to hold you as you soften and surrender.
Let the breath soften.
With physical body,
Soften.
Giving yourself a moment to arrive and ground.
Feel the support.
Soften into it.
And then gently guide your awareness to your breath.
With each exhale,
Release tension.
Let your shoulders melt into the earth.
Let your belly soften.
Let your jaw unclench.
Let the space between your brows soften,
Open,
And release.
There is nowhere else you need to be but right here.
Now begin to guide your awareness to your energetic heart center.
From the heart center,
Allow a simple intention to rise,
Your sankalpa.
This is a truth from your soul,
Something already deep inside of you,
A part of you,
Ancient and true.
It's a soul-level remembering.
And this could be something you are wanting to call into your life.
And know that even if you're calling something in,
It's already a part of you because you've already thought it.
It's already been created within.
Your sankalpa might sound like,
I am whole or I am love.
I am divinely guided and protected.
I am the witness.
I trust myself.
I return to my truth.
Whatever this sankalpa is,
Repeat it silently to yourself three times with deep feeling,
Belief,
And meaning.
The practice of yoga nidra begins now.
We begin the journey through your body.
No need to move.
Just awareness,
Like turning on tiny little lights in each part of the body.
Let your awareness rest gently on each point and then move your awareness to the next point,
As I name it.
We begin with the right hand.
The right hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Right armpit.
Right ribs.
Right waist.
Right hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Now,
Bring awareness to the left hand.
The left hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Left armpit.
Left ribs.
Left waist.
Left hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Now,
Bring awareness to the back of the head.
Neck.
Right shoulder blade.
Upper back.
Mid back.
Lower back.
Sacrum.
Now,
To the top of the head.
Forehead.
Right temple.
Left temple.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Tip of the nose.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Chin.
Throat.
Collarbones.
Now,
The chest.
Belly.
Pelvis.
Right arm.
Left arm.
The right leg.
The left leg.
The entire right side.
The entire left side.
The whole body together.
Be aware of the whole body together.
Now,
Bring your attention to your breath.
Feel the inhale like a breeze across the lake.
Soft.
Effortless.
Feel the exhale like a gentle release.
Grounding you.
Settling you deeper into stillness.
The belly rises.
The belly falls.
And there is nothing to do but witness the breath.
The breath as it is breathing you.
Now,
Begin to count the breath.
Counting down.
From 54 to 0.
Inhale,
54.
Exhale,
53.
Inhale,
52.
Exhale,
51.
Inhale,
50.
Exhale,
49.
Continue on your own.
If you lose count,
Simply begin again.
Release the breath awareness.
And bring awareness to the sensation of heaviness.
Feel your whole body heavy.
As if it's sinking into the mat beneath you.
Like a river stone.
Heavy.
And grounded.
Now,
Shift to the sensation of lightness.
As if your body is weightless.
Floating.
Like mist hovering above the surface of the lake.
Now,
Call in warmth.
The sun warming your skin on a bright afternoon.
Now,
Coolness.
The shade of the forest trail.
Cool air on your cheeks.
Let each sensation rise and dissolve.
Heavy,
Light,
Warm,
Cool.
Each sensation rising and dissolving.
You are simply the witness.
Now,
Allow a new image to arise.
You are standing at the edge of a forest path.
In an ancient valley.
Granite cliffs and emerald forest surround you.
Feel the ground beneath your bare feet.
Soft.
Earthy.
Mossy.
You begin to walk.
Slowly.
Step by step.
Each step,
A return.
The trees around you are tall.
Ancient.
Knowing.
You hear the sound of water ahead.
Steady.
And alive.
You follow the sound.
And you emerge from the trees onto the shore of a sacred lake.
The water stretches wide and still like a mirror.
And the air is clear and cool.
You breathe it in.
A kingfisher rests on a branch over the water.
Quietly watching over you.
You feel safe here.
Held.
Seen.
Supported.
As you walk along the shoreline,
Something catches your eye.
There,
Half buried in the sand,
Is a stone.
Smooth.
Solid.
Weathered by time and water.
You kneel down and pick it up.
You turn it over in your hand.
And there it is.
Your sankalpa.
Etched into the surface.
As if it has always been there.
A message.
From your soul.
The message that was never lost.
Only waiting to be found.
Feel the weight of the stone in your palm.
This stone holds more than your name.
More than your sankalpa.
It holds your power.
Your truth.
Your memory.
Hold it at your heart.
And allow the energy of your sankalpa,
Your intention,
To take over.
To flow into you.
Right into the heart space.
Repeat your sankalpa to yourself again.
Silently.
From this deeper place of knowing.
Let it take root.
Not as something you wish for.
But as something that is already true.
Repeat it three times.
With full presence and conviction.
Know now that the truth of your sankalpa lives inside you.
You may choose to keep the stone with you.
Or offer it back to the lake.
Pause here.
And let the journey complete itself.
Know that you are whole and worthy.
And gently begin to deepen your breath.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
Rub your thumb across your fingertip.
Bring movement to your wrists and your ankles.
Rock your head gently side to side.
Open and close your mouth a couple of times.
And then stretch out in any way that feels natural.
Gently roll to one side and rest there for a few breaths.
Letting the journey settle.
And when you're ready,
Slowly rise.
Carrying with you the message of the stone.
Let it guide the choices you make.
The words you speak.
The boundaries you hold.
Let it be a reminder.
You are not lost.
You are not behind.
You are right on time.
Thank you so much for joining me.
Namaste.
