Welcome,
Sweet friend.
I am grateful you're here,
Taking a little time for yourself this summer.
Wherever you are,
Away on a vacation or holiday,
Or perhaps enjoying a staycation at home,
This summer-inspired Yoga Nidra is your invitation to relax.
Oceanside,
Lakeside,
Poolside,
On your couch or on a blanket outside in nature,
This is your invitation to stop doing,
Planning,
Fixing,
Or caring for everyone else.
This moment is yours,
A moment to rest,
Refill,
And return to yourself.
As the writer Anne Lamott says,
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes,
Including you.
So,
Sweet friend,
I invite you to unplug,
Sink in,
And allow this practice to carry you into stillness.
Take a few moments to prepare for our time together.
If you haven't already,
Find a safe,
Comfortable place to lie down.
Gently close or cover your eyes,
And unplug from all the responsibilities of life.
This time is for you.
Let's begin by resetting the nervous system with a breathing technique called the physiological sigh.
Inhale two sips in through your nose,
Pause for a moment.
Now open your mouth and sigh it out.
Two more times.
Two sips in through your nose,
Open your mouth and sigh it out.
Two sips in,
Pause for a moment.
Now open your mouth and sigh it out.
Normal breath in,
Normal breath out.
Feel the breath as the chest rises,
And then feel the chest fall on the release of the breath.
Give your body permission to let go of the pressures of daily life.
During this time,
There is no place to go,
And there's nothing to do.
Just allow your body to remain alert and aware to the sound of my voice.
As you ebb and flow throughout this practice,
Your body will receive exactly what it needs.
The deep rest,
The heightened awareness,
And the inner peace.
Now bring your attention to your heart center.
Listen carefully as your heart speaks to you.
Can you hear a little whisper from your heart?
Perhaps a heartfelt wish,
A prayer for yourself or a loved one,
Or maybe a heartfelt intention.
Make this intention into a simple present tense affirmation.
Consider it a little positive seed to implant deep within,
Allowing your mind,
The body,
And spirit to nourish the seed.
Encourage it to bloom as if it is true.
If you're working on an intention,
You're welcome to use it.
Otherwise,
Let the following settle into your heart by silently whispering it three times.
I give myself permission to do nothing and just be.
I give myself permission to do nothing and just be.
Now take a moment and bring your awareness back to your physical body.
Feel it resting on the surface beneath you.
Feel the whole body resting on the surface.
Feel the back resting on the back.
Feel the front resting effortlessly.
Feel the right side of the body resting deeply.
Feel the left side of the body resting deeply with ease.
Now bring your awareness to your right hand,
Thumb,
Middle,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Bicep,
Shoulder,
Side of the chest,
Sternum,
Clavicle,
Right side of the ribcage,
Right side of the abdomen,
Right hip,
Right thigh.
Heel of the foot,
Arch of the foot,
Bridge of the foot,
All five toes on the right foot.
Now bring your awareness to your left hand,
Thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Bicep,
Shoulder,
Side of the chest,
Sternum,
Clavicle,
Left side of the ribcage,
Left side of the abdomen,
Left hip,
Left thigh.
Heel of the foot,
Arch of the foot,
Bridge of the foot,
All five toes of the left foot.
Now bring your awareness to your pelvis,
Lower back,
Base of the skull,
Crown of the head.
Feel the sensations of the whole body resting.
The whole body resting effortlessly.
Deeply resting.
Embracing this time of non-doing.
Relaxing the body into stillness.
Finding ease and peace during the summer season.
Relaxing the muscles,
The mind.
Renewing the body.
Restoring.
Rejuvenating.
Rejuvenating from being unplugged from life.
In your mind's eye,
Allow each image to settle into your awareness one by one.
There is nowhere to be right now.
Nothing to do.
Just allow this gentle sensory landscape to cradle you into stillness.
Imagine yourself surrounded by a hammock swaying gently in a shady grove.
Feel the warm sun on your face and a breeze across your skin.
Listen and hear the soft lap of waves on a quiet shoreline.
Feel a beach towel beneath you,
Warm from the sun.
The soothing rustle of trees in the afternoon wind.
A glass of cool lemon water beading with condensation.
Bare feet on soft dewy grass.
A wide brimmed sun hat shading your eyes.
The distant hum of cicadas.
The flutter of a linen curtain in a lakeside cabin.
The scent of sunscreen,
Salt water,
Or summer blooms.
A cozy wrap or blanket around your shoulders as the sun begins to set.
The slow rock of a dock beneath your body.
The creak of a screen door as you step outside.
A gentle breeze lifting the edges of your journal page.
The sparkle of sunlight on water.
A quiet backyard garden blooming with life.
Rocking on a peaceful front porch watching the sunset.
The soft lull of your own breath anchoring you home.
Abiding in pure awareness.
Abiding in the softness of non-doing.
Effortless,
Internal calmness.
Quietness.
Peacefulness.
Stillness within.
As this practice comes to a close,
Remember,
This stillness lives within you.
You don't have to travel far to find it.
Whether you're on a long-awaited holiday,
Enjoying your own backyard,
Or simply taking a few moments between the busy parts of life,
This kind of rest is always here.
Always available for you to return to as often as you'd like.
Sweet friend,
You're allowed to pulse.
You're allowed to receive.
And you're always,
Always worthy of this kind of ease.
Until next time,
Just breathe.
