Yoga Nidra: Cultivating Hygge

So welcome to this practice of yoga nidra.

As we settle in together,

Know that you have already done the hardest part.

You have arrived.

You have crossed the threshold from the busy world outside into this warm and sheltered space.

Now,

Yoga nidra means sleep,

But it's not quite sleep.

And it's not quite being awake.

It's that liminal space between the two.

And it is in this space where healing happens,

Where deep rest occurs and where you can simply be.

You are giving your body and your mind very important rest.

And this nidra practice is inspired by the Danish art of contentment,

Comfort and connection yuga.

Yuga isn't about things.

It's about being.

About creating moments of warmth and belonging.

About noticing the sacred in the ordinary.

And about slowing down enough to truly arrive.

So there's nothing you need to do.

There's nothing to achieve.

You can meet this practice without any expectation.

Whatever happens is exactly what needs to happen.

If you drift off to sleep,

That's perfect.

If you remain awake a whole time,

That's also perfect.

If you find yourself drifting in and out.

This is also perfect.

You are safe.

My voice will guide you.

So let yourself be held.

If you need to make any final adjustment or wiggle yourself into complete comfort,

Please go ahead now.

Allow your body to become so heavy as you begin to notice where you have come from to be here.

Perhaps you've been out in the cold wind,

Face stinging,

Shoulders hunched and now you're not.

Perhaps you've been in traffic,

Gripping the wheel,

Surrounded by noise and rushing.

And now you're not.

Perhaps you've just finished the washing up,

Hands in hot water,

Mine on tomorrow's task.

And now you're not.

Whatever you were doing,

You're not doing it anymore.

You have crossed the threshold from doing to being,

To inside.

Notice this shift,

This moment of arriving.

The busy world is still out there.

Maybe you can even sense it at a distance,

But you have stepped away.

You've come inside,

Into warmth,

Into quiet,

Into rest.

Notice as you turn down the volume on your thoughts and you turn up the volume on your experience of your body,

Being in your body.

As you notice the weight of your body being held by the surface beneath you,

Feel the temperature of the air on your skin.

Notice if there are any sounds,

Perhaps the gentle hum of the world outside.

And wherever you are,

You are safe.

You are held.

You are exactly where you need to be.

Allow your breath to be easy and natural as you arrive just here,

Just now.

And we come to the phase of the practice where we consider our sankalpa,

Our heartfelt intention.

This is a seed that you plant at the beginning of practice a seed that you plant deep inside your heart.

It's not a goal and it's not something you need to achieve,

But a truth about who you already are.

Maybe you need reminding.

It may be something like,

I belong,

I'm content.

Whatever your sankalpa is,

It is yours alone.

If one comes to you,

Silently repeat it three times.

Like placing a pebble gently in a pond watching the ripples spread out.

But if nothing comes to you,

If this doesn't resonate,

Just use the time to breathe and relax.

And if you had a sankalpa,

Now let it go.

You can trust that it's there doing its work beneath the surface while you rest.

As we move to a phase of guiding the awareness around the body.

Slowly become aware of sensations in your jaw and in your mouth.

Softening your tongue and relaxing your lips.

And now sense your left ear,

Your right ear,

Both ears together.

Sense your cheek,

Your nose,

Your nostril.

Sense the flow of your breath inside your nostril.

Sense your left eye,

Your right eye,

The feeling of both eyes together.

Sense your forehead,

Smooth,

Soft,

Unfurrowed.

Sense the back of your head,

Your neck.

Deep inside your neck,

Sense your throat,

Feeling warmth and gratitude from within your throat.

Sense your left shoulder and shoulder blade,

Your left upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Hand,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger and fifth finger.

Your entire left arm relax.

Sense your right shoulder and shoulder blade,

Your right upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Hand,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger and fifth finger.

Your entire right arm relax and welcome both arms and both hands together.

Bring your attention to your upper chest,

Middle of your chest.

Deep inside your chest,

Sense your heart,

Feeling warmth and gratitude from within your heart.

Bring attention to your abdomen and deep inside all of your digestive organs,

Feeling warmth and gratitude from deep inside your digestive organs.

Bring attention to your upper back,

The middle of your back,

Your lower back,

Your entire torso,

The front side and the back side,

Your entire torso relax,

Soft.

Sense your pelvis,

Left hip,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Foot,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and little toe.

The entire left leg relax.

Sense your pelvis again and your right hip,

Right thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Your big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and little toe.

The entire right leg at and soft.

Welcome both hips,

Both legs and both feet together.

Sense the entire front body,

The entire back body,

The left side of the body,

The right side of the body.

Sensation inside the body and sensation on the outside of the body.

Feeling warmth and gratitude for your whole body.

Sense your breathing,

Sense your heartbeat,

Slow,

Steady.

Every part of you softening.

Every part of you relaxing.

Every part of you.

As we come to a phase of concentrating on the breath and from your toes to the top of your head,

You are letting go.

Feel a sigh.

Leave your body.

Maybe an audible sigh.

Like a gentle wind moving through a quiet room.

A sigh helping you to release what you no longer need.

Every exhalation.

An opportunity to soften a little more.

Every exhalation.

An opportunity to release tension.

To relinquish.

With each exhalation softening.

Relaxing.

Coming out.

How does it feel?

Where you breathe?

Can you feel any movement?

Each inhalation creates space.

Each exhalation you soften into that space.

Each inhalation your belly gently expands.

Like warmth filling a room.

As you exhale and your belly softens.

Settling you into comfort.

And maybe you invite a gentle rhythm to your breath.

Inhaling to a count of four.

Three.

Two.

One.

And exhaling to a count of six.

Five.

Two.

Inhaling.

Gathering warmth.

Gathering peace.

Exhaling.

Settling deeper.

Belonging more fully to this moment.

Continue with your own pace.

And your own rhythm.

As you slowly let go of any focus on your breath.

And turn your awareness to feel or sense.

Or imagine.

Sensation.

Linked to the images.

That I share.

And just flow with your experience.

Whatever it is.

And or light flickering.

Darkness outside.

Heavy winter blanket.

The coolness of fresh heat.

The smell of coffee brewing.

The quiet of early morning.

On wooden floor.

Thick woollen socks.

Warming your toe.

Rain against the window.

Being dry and cosy inside.

A crackling fire.

The stillness around it.

Holding a warm mug.

Between your hands.

The steam.

Gently rising.

Being alone.

In comfortable silence.

Being together.

With loved one.

The weight of a book.

In your hand.

The light of a candle.

The lightness of turning pages.

Soft light from a lamp.

Gentle shadows against the wall.

Music playing quietly in another room.

The space between the notes.

Warm bread.

Fresh from the oven.

Butter melting.

Cold air when you step outside.

The warmth when you return.

The glow of fairy lights.

And the darkness that embraces them.

A comfortable chair.

The feeling of sinking into it.

Silence.

The sound of laughter.

Being held.

Feeling.

I will guide you.

To sense yourself.

In a warm,

Safe space.

Indoor.

Maybe it's a place.

You know well.

Or somewhere entirely.

From your imagination.

A cottage.

A cabin.

Your own home.

A place that appears.

Somewhere.

In your mind.

Maybe without a picture.

Maybe just a sense.

And however it appears.

It is yours.

Your shelter.

And you feel.

Completely safe.

There's a soft.

Quality of light.

Maybe it's a candle.

Or a lamp.

Or the warm glow.

Of an open fire.

Whatever light is here.

It is just enough.

And there's warmth.

Not too much.

Just enough.

The kind of warmth.

That makes your shoulders drop.

That makes you.

Exhale.

That makes you feel.

Like you can stay.

And perhaps.

There's something soft nearby.

A blanket.

Or a cushion.

Or a chair.

That knows your shape.

You feel invited.

To settle down.

In this space.

In this moment.

And in this.

Simplicity.

There is true.

Richness.

A contentment.

That doesn't come from having.

But from being present.

With what is.

Of being.

Here.

You notice a window.

Of the window.

Beyond the glass.

You see the world.

Maybe it's cold.

Out there.

Maybe the wind is blowing.

Through the trees.

Maybe rain is falling.

Or maybe you simply see night.

Settling in.

Quiet.

And dark.

And the world outside moves.

At its own pace.

Doing what it does.

And you are here.

Inside.

Warm.

Watching.

And as you watch.

Something catches your attention.

Perhaps a single leaf.

Still clinging to a branch.

Finally.

Letting go.

Or perhaps.

Rain.

On the glass.

Each droplet.

Making its own path.

Down.

Or maybe it's the darkness.

Settling.

Gradually.

Enderly.

Like the world is being tucked in.

And whatever you are watching.

You are not in a hurry.

Just watching.

Just witnessing.

And you take one more moment.

At the window.

One more breath of witnessing.

One more glimpse.

Of the world doing.

What it does.

And you.

Turn back.

To your warm space.

To your shelter.

And you realise you are not separate.

From what you were watching.

You are part of the same rhythm.

The same cycle.

All connected.

There is no separation.

No edges.

No boundaries.

Nothing to hold.

Nothing to achieve.

Nothing to become.

Just the quiet contentment.

Of existing.

And from this place.

Of deep breath.

We return.

To your sankalpa.

Your heartfelt intention.

Invite it back.

Into your awareness now.

And feel it's true.

As you repeat it silently to yourself.

Three times.

And if this doesn't resonate.

Use this time.

To breathe.

And if you.

Would like to remain.

In deep breath.

You can choose to ignore.

My next words now.

And if you wish.

You return.

We will do so.

Very gently.

Breathe.

Gradually.

Take all the time.

As you.

Begin to deepen.

Your breath.

Lengthen.

Your breath.

Maybe wiggling.

Your fingers.

And wiggling.

Your small.

Gentle movement.

Slowly.

Waking you up.

Perhaps.

You circle.

Your wrist.

Perhaps.

You circle.

Your ankle.

Maybe.

You begin to.

Stretch.

Your arms.

And your legs.

Take all.

The time.

That you need.

As you.

Welcome.

Your whole.

Self.

Back.

Maybe.

You hug your knees.

Having a little roll.

Around.

Maybe.

You roll onto one side.

Slow.

And easy.

Taking.

A moment.

And then.

Whenever.

You feel ready.

Pressing.

Yourself.

All the way.

As you.

Arrive.

Back.

In this.

Moment.

Bringing your hands.

Together.

In front.

Of your heart.

Now.

Take a big breath.

And a long.

Breath.

Out.

And when you're ready.

Slowly.

Opening.

Your eyes.

This is the end.

Of our yoga.

Thank you so much.

For practicing.

With me.