To get ready for this yoga nidra practice,
Find a comfortable place to lie down.
Ensure that your body is well supported.
Use a pillow under your head or maybe under your knees.
Let your feet fall open,
Arms by your sides with the palms facing up,
And close your eyes.
Take a moment to settle in,
Making any small adjustments to feel completely comfortable and at ease.
Listen to this in the evening to help you have a better night's sleep as yoga nidra activates the body's natural sleep chemicals.
So there's no need to move during this practice.
Just close your eyes and begin to relax the body and the mind.
Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out,
Feel the cares and worries of the day flow out of you.
During this practice,
We're going to develop the feeling of relaxation.
All you have to do is follow my voice.
Begin by taking a few deep breaths.
Inhale deeply through your nose,
Filling your lungs completely,
And exhale through your mouth,
Releasing any tension.
With each breath,
Allow yourself to sink deeper into the surface beneath you.
Feel your body becoming heavy and relaxed.
Bring about a feeling of inner relaxation in the whole body.
Develop awareness from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.
Now bring to mind a short positive intention or affirmation.
This could be something you wish to manifest in your life,
Such as,
I am at peace,
Or I am healthy and strong,
Or I am confident.
Whatever you choose,
State it in the present tense.
Now repeat your intention silently to yourself three times with full belief.
We'll now begin our rotation of awareness.
All you have to do is allow your awareness to follow my voice as I guide you from point to point within your body.
Begin by bringing your awareness to your right hand.
Bring your awareness to the right hand thumb,
Now the pointer finger,
Your middle finger,
Ring finger,
And your little finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the hand,
The right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Your right shoulder,
Armpit,
Right ribs,
Waist,
The right thigh,
The sole of the right foot,
Top of the right foot,
The right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And fifth toe.
Bring your awareness to your left hand,
The left hand thumb,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Back of the hand,
Left shoulder,
Ribs,
Waist,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe.
Move your awareness to your mouth,
Become aware of your tongue,
The lower jaw,
Your lower row of teeth,
Upper row of teeth,
Gums,
Lower lip,
The space between your lips.
Awareness of both cheeks,
Now your right ear,
Left ear,
The forehead,
Both temples,
Your nose,
The tip of the nose,
Right nostril,
The left nostril,
The right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
The right eye,
The left eye,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
And the space between the eyebrows.
Bring your awareness to your lower back,
The middle of the back,
The upper back,
The right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
The throat,
The right collarbone,
The left collarbone,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
Middle of the chest,
The upper abdomen,
Navel,
Lower abdomen,
Now the whole spine,
The whole head,
The right arm,
The left arm,
Both arms together,
The whole right leg,
The whole left leg,
Both legs together,
The whole front of the body,
The whole back of the body,
The whole body together,
Awareness of the whole body together,
The whole body.
Again,
Bring awareness to your breath.
Follow the gentle tide of your breath without altering it.
See your breath as a golden light flowing up and down your spine.
With each inhale,
The golden light flows from the tailbone to the crown of the head,
And with each exhale,
It flows from the crown of the head down to the tailbone.
Stay with the breath as it flows up and down your spinal column,
Golden and radiant.
Now,
Begin to count your breath backwards from 20 like this,
Inhale 20,
Exhale 20,
Exhale 20,
Inhale 19,
Exhale 19,
And so on.
Now,
Leave your counting of the breath.
We now come to visualization.
Imagine a place where you feel completely at peace.
It could be a real place or one from your imagination.
Picture yourself there now.
Notice all the colors,
Any sounds,
Scents.
Feel the sense of peace and tranquility wash over you.
Notice the calm energy that this place brings.
Now,
I will name some images to picture in your mind.
With each image,
Picture it briefly and let it go.
Beach at sunset.
A tranquil forest.
A breezy meadow.
A serene mountain lake.
Stone path leading to water.
The dark sky full of stars.
A fireplace in a cozy cabin.
A garden in full bloom.
The still desert at night.
A majestic waterfall.
Sunlight streaming through trees.
A flock of birds in a blue sky.
The full moon.
Waves on a rocky shore.
Pink clouds drifting.
Snow falling.
A shooting star in a quiet,
Still sky.
Gently bring your awareness back to your intention or affirmation.
Repeat it silently to yourself three times with full belief.
Know that this intention is planting seeds in your subconscious mind.
Now bring your awareness back to your breath.
Notice the breath deepening.
Flowing in and out of your body.
Feel the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you.
Notice any sensations.
Feel the sensations in your hands or feet.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Slowly turn your head from side to side.
Gently reawaken the body.
Gradually become more aware of your surroundings.
And when you feel ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Take a moment to lie still,
Absorbing the effects of this practice.
And when you're ready,
Gently roll to one side and come up to a seated position.
Thank yourself for taking this time for relaxation and self-care.
And carry this sense of peace and relaxation with you throughout your day.
Cope well.
