Welcome to this yoga nidra intended to help you settle and resource in moments of overwhelm.
Find a comfortable position lying down or seated.
You might place a pillow under your knees,
A blanket over your body or something soft beneath your head.
If you bring your awareness to the weight of your body,
How does it sink or settle into the surface beneath you?
Take a slow breath in,
Notice how your chest and belly gently expand and a long gentle breath out.
Perhaps your shoulders soften and your body melts slightly with the release.
Let your exhale be a little longer than the inhale,
Noticing how your body naturally responds,
Not forcing,
Just following the breath as it moves through you.
We will now shape the breath into a pattern,
Inhaling for a count of 4 and exhaling for a count of 6 or 8.
Taking 5 or 6 rounds of this breath,
Allowing the extended exhalation guide your body into a deeper state of ease.
If counting feels distracting,
Simply notice the breath flowing in and the longer breath flowing out.
We will now begin our body scan.
Start at the crown of your head,
Sense the scalp,
Hair and the top of your skull,
Move to the forehead,
Notice any tension and let it soften here.
Bring awareness to the space between your eyebrows,
Letting it widen.
Slowly move over the eyes,
Eyelids and the tiny muscles surrounding the eyes,
Let them relax completely.
Notice the cheeks,
Nose,
Lips,
Mouth and jaw,
Release any tightness in the jaw.
Sense the tongue,
Teeth,
Gums and throat,
Move to the ears and temples,
Feeling gentle and warm before tingling.
Bring attention to the back of the head and neck,
Let the neck soften fully,
Supported by the surface beneath you.
Bring awareness to your right shoulder,
Let it drop and release tension,
Move down the arm,
Noticing muscles,
Bones and skin,
Sense the elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist and hand,
Explore each finger individually,
Thumb,
Index,
Middle,
Ring,
Little finger,
Relax the joints,
Nails and pads of the fingers,
Feel the right arm,
Heavy,
Warm and supported.
Bring awareness to the left shoulder,
Let it soften completely,
Move down the upper arm,
Forearm,
Wrist and hand,
Sense each finger individually,
Bring awareness to the left shoulder,
Let it soften completely,
Move down the upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist and hand,
Sense each finger individually,
Thumb,
Index,
Middle,
Ring,
Little finger,
Noticing joints,
Pads,
Feel the left arm,
Heavy,
Grounded and relaxed.
Bring attention to the chest,
Noticing the rise and fall of the breath,
Sense the heart space,
Feeling warmth or subtle pulses,
Move across the ribcage,
Sides and upper back,
Relax between the shoulder blades,
Let the muscles soften,
Releasing any tension.
Bring awareness to the belly,
With each exhale,
Let it soften and release.
Notice the lower abdomen,
Navel,
Pelvis and sacrum resting on the floor,
Sense the hips,
Groin and inner thighs,
Noticing subtle sensations,
Warmth or heaviness.
Bring awareness to the right hip and thigh,
Back,
Inner and outer areas,
Move to the right knee and kneecap,
Noticing the space within the joint,
Travel down the shin,
Cup,
Sense the foot in detail,
Sole,
Heel,
Each toe individually,
Notice the subtle sensations,
Warmth or tingling,
Feel the right leg,
Heavy,
Supported and relaxed.
Bring awareness to the left hip and thigh,
Front,
Back,
Inner and outer areas,
Move to the right knee and kneecap,
Noticing the space within the joint,
Travel down the shin,
Ankle and foot,
Sense the foot in detail,
Top,
Sole,
Heel,
Each toe individually,
Notice the subtle sensations,
Warmth or tingling,
Feel the leg,
Heavy,
Supported and relaxed.
Bring awareness to the back of the head,
Neck and shoulders,
Slowly scan down the upper,
Mid and lower back,
Sense each vertebrae along the spine and let tension soften with each exhale,
Feel the connection between the spine,
Sacrum and pelvis,
Fully supported by the floor,
Now expand awareness to the whole body,
From crown to toes,
Sense the body as a unified field,
Heavy,
Supported and steady,
Can you notice the breath moving through the whole body,
Soft,
Natural,
With ease,
Can you observe subtle sensations,
Perhaps of warmth or a sense of ease spreading throughout,
Now allow your awareness to flow gently through the whole body,
Start at the crown of the head,
Moving slowly down the face,
Neck and shoulders,
Bring attention to both arms,
Elbows,
Forearms,
Wrists and hands,
Feeling them heavy,
Warm and supported,
Move through the chest,
Upper back,
Abdomen and pelvis,
Notice the hips,
Shins,
Ankles and feet,
Each area softening and supported,
Feel the body as one connected whole,
Noticing subtle warmth,
Tingling or heaviness,
Can you sense the rhythm of the breath flowing through this entire body,
Holding it gently in your awareness,
Imagine yourself in a place that feels deeply safe,
Calm and nourishing,
It could be a memory,
A garden,
The beach or a place you create in your mind,
Notice the details here,
What do you see,
What sounds are present,
Is there a temperature arriving back in your space,
With this renewed sense of how it feels to be grounded,
Feel your body in this place and allow this sense of safety to wash over you,
Steadying your nervous system,
Begin to return slowly,
Notice the contact between your body and the surface below,
You bring gentle movement into the fingers and toes,
Perhaps take a deep breath in and a long grounding breath out,
When you're ready,
Open your eyes,
Bringing this calm and steadiness into the rest of your day,
Arriving back in your space with this renewed sense of how it feels to be grounded.
