Welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation technique practiced laying down.
It allows us to reach a profound level of relaxation.
It's where we shift our awareness from the outer world of distraction to noticing our
inner world.
This particular meditation is made to make you feel more grounded and connected to the
earth.
Beginning now by finding a comfortable place to lay down,
Maybe place a pillow underneath
the knees and make sure you are warm,
Perhaps covering yourself with a blanket and take
a moment to settle in,
Softly closing down your eyes,
Letting your breath flow naturally.
Now is the time for Yoga Nidra.
Nothing else matters.
Right now nothing else exists but your body and your breath.
There's nowhere to go,
Nothing to do but simply be.
This is the time for you.
Stay still,
Completely still now,
So your body and mind can deeply rest and rejuvenate.
Remain conscious and aware while you are guided,
Keep listening,
Deep listening,
Settling into
your body,
Feeling the earth beneath you,
Holding and supporting you in your practice
today.
Repeating the following intention 3 times silently in your head,
I am safe and grounded.
Repeat this intention with emphasis,
Feeling it with every cell of your body.
Now become aware of your natural breath as it flows through you,
Notice the breath in
your belly,
Feel the breath in your chest,
Feel the breath in your nostrils,
Feel your
breath flowing easily,
Effortlessly through your entire body.
Notice your breath as it streams through you.
Notice your breath and follow it.
Now allow your awareness to travel through your body on a journey of sensation.
Allow your mind to jump from body part to body part,
Simply feel each part as it is
mentioned without moving,
Remaining still,
And welcome all sensation just as it is.
Beginning with your right hand thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth
finger,
Back of the hand,
Palm of the hand,
The whole hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Whole right shoulder,
Feel your right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Top of the foot,
Sole of the foot,
Toes 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Feel the whole foot.
Now notice your left hand thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Back of the hand,
Palm of the hand,
The whole hand,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
The whole right shoulder,
Feel your left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Top of the foot,
Sole of the foot,
Toes 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Whole foot.
Become aware of the upper chest,
Feel your heart center,
Abdomen,
Pelvis,
And buttocks.
Notice your lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
Shoulder blades.
Notice your neck,
Throat,
Chin,
Your mouth,
Top lip,
Bottom lip,
Notice where the lips touch,
Left cheek,
Right cheek,
Nose,
Left nostril,
Right nostril,
Both nostrils together,
Feeling your left ear,
Your right ear,
Left eye,
Right eye,
The space in between the eyebrows,
Forehead,
Top of the head,
The whole body.
Following your breath now from your navel to your throat on the inhale,
And from your throat to your navel on the exhale,
Counting backwards from 10,
Saying to yourself,
I am breathing in 10,
I am breathing out 10,
I am breathing in 9,
I am breathing out 9.
Now imagine your body becoming heavy,
Very heavy,
And sinking into the earth below you,
Supported,
Safe,
Body heavy,
Sinking into the soft,
Receptive earth underneath you,
Body heavy and sinking,
Bones heavy,
Limbs heavy and sinking.
Now imagine your body becoming light,
Inhaling all the space around you into your body,
The whole body is light and weightless,
Bringing your awareness to the space in between the eyebrows
and letting a scene unfold here.
Envision yourself standing on a cliff close to the ocean,
Feeling safe and grounded,
Noticing the rocky surface of the earth underneath your bare feet,
Feeling the waves crashing on the rocks down below,
And feel a pleasant and cool breeze against your skin.
As you look further ahead,
You see a small path leading towards a wooden staircase.
You feel pulled towards the steps and decide to walk a little closer.
As you reach the steps,
You see that they are leading down to a small sandy beach down below.
Wanting to explore,
You decide to walk down to the beach.
A small layer of sand has covered the steps.
As you slowly descend,
You start to feel more relaxed.
The more steps you take,
The lighter you feel,
Leaving worries of the future and the past behind you.
It's almost as if you are floating down,
Feeling more and more grounded.
You pause on the final step and take a moment to look towards the dark blue ocean.
Looking out over the ocean,
It's as if the water blends in with the sky,
Shades of blue coming together in a never-ending view.
Now looking down as you take the final step and letting your feet hit the soft warm sand,
Feeling a huge sense of relief and groundedness fall over you.
Connecting with the earth as you feel the grains of sand in between your toes.
You slowly start walking towards the shoreline,
Still feeling that salty ocean breeze on your skin,
Feeling calm and pleasant.
After walking halfway down the beach,
You decide to sit down into the soft sand,
Pulling your knees into your chest and resting your arms onto your knees.
Taking a deep breath in and as you release a breath out,
You soften your shoulders,
Feeling more relaxed than ever.
Maybe you close down your eyes,
Feeling comfortable.
Listening to the sounds of the waves coming and going,
Allowing the sound to calm you.
Being fully present,
Being in the here and now,
Connected to nature,
Connected to nature,
Completely surrendering to what is.
Now coming back to the intention from the beginning of the practice.
Say it now,
Feeling its truth,
Repeat it three times to yourself,
I am safe and grounded.
I am safe and grounded.
I am safe and grounded.
Notice the front of your body facing skyward.
Notice all the space around you.
Letting your body expand wider into the space that surrounds you.
Following your breath,
Feeling its rhythm and pace.
Before moving,
Sense your fingers and just imagine them moving.
Now begin to wiggle your fingers with your breath,
Feeling every sensation as you do.
Notice your toes,
Begin to wiggle your toes,
Gently rock your head from side to side.
A slow awakening.
Stretch your arms up above your head along the floor behind you.
Stretch your arms all the way from the fingertips towards your toes.
Draw a deeper breath into your belly,
Into your chest and exhale slowly.
Rock slowly over to your right side into a fetal position.
Bring your hands to your face,
Loosely cupping your hands over your eyes.
Noticing how you feel.
Now slowly opening your eyes behind your hands.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
