Soften your gaze or close your eyes.
If you are on your back it may feel good to bring a pillow under your head,
Maybe a bolster or a rolled up blanket under your knees to protect your lower back.
If lying on your back doesn't feel comfortable you can always lie on your side and it may feel good to bring a pillow between your knees.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and as you exhale through the mouth feel the weight of your body sinking down into your bed or the ground under you.
Two more like that,
Deep inhale through the nose and quietly and slowly sigh it out through your mouth.
And last one,
Deep breath in.
Exhale slowly through the mouth,
Release the effort of holding yourself up and let the earth take your weight,
Let your body breathe naturally,
Not trying to control your breath anymore.
Scan the environment around you for any sounds,
Maybe noticing the distant sounds first outside the room and then to the sounds inside the room.
Finally to the sounds of your own breath or your heart beating.
Bring your awareness inward,
You are entering the state of Yoga Nidra.
Tell yourself I am practicing Yoga Nidra,
I am awake and I am deeply relaxed.
Allowing your body to settle,
Arriving here,
Bring your awareness to the space around your heart,
The center of your chest and see if you can think of a sankalpa,
A heartfelt intention rising in the center of your chest.
It should be a short positive statement,
The present tense,
Something that you want a little bit more of in your life.
Something like I am at ease,
I am enough,
I am strong,
I am resting.
When you find your sankalpa,
State it internally,
Quietly to yourself three times,
Feeling it in your heart center.
Awareness through the body,
As I name each body part,
Just bring your awareness to that area in your body.
No need to move it or change anything,
Just feel any sensations in that area.
If you don't feel anything,
That's okay as well.
Starting from the right hand thumb,
Bring your awareness to the right hand thumb,
Your index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger and the fifth finger.
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the right hand,
The right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow and shoulder.
Right side of the waist,
The right hip,
Thigh,
Right calf,
Right ankle,
Heel of the right foot,
Sole of the right foot,
Top of the foot,
The right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe and fifth toe.
Bring your awareness to the left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger and fifth finger.
Palm of the left hand,
Back of the left hand,
The left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm and shoulder,
Heel of the left foot,
Sole of the left foot,
Top of the foot,
The left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe and fifth toe.
Bring your awareness to your heels,
The calves,
Back of the knees,
The entire spine,
The shoulder blades,
Back of the neck.
Rest your awareness at the crown of the head,
The very top of your head.
Slowly bring your awareness to your forehead,
The right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between your eyebrows,
Your third eye,
The right temple,
Right cheekbone,
Left cheekbone,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Your chin,
Jaw.
Bring your awareness to your throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Center of your chest.
Let your awareness rest at the center of your chest.
Bring your awareness to your legs,
To your right leg,
Left leg,
Both legs together,
To your arms,
Both arms together.
Bring your awareness to your entire torso,
Front and back.
Bring your awareness to your head.
Now feel the whole body.
Now become aware of your natural breath,
Don't change anything,
Just notice the gentle rhythm of your breath.
Notice the air as it enters your nostrils,
Fills your body up and notice the air as it moves out of the nostrils.
Feeling your body expand as you breathe in,
Relax as you breathe out.
Now imagine that your breath is flowing in and out directly through the center of your chest.
As you breathe in,
The heart space expands,
Filling with fresh,
Clear energy and as you breathe out,
The heart softens,
Releasing any weight.
Visualize the breath as it moves through the center of your chest.
Inhaling,
The heart expands and opens.
Exhaling,
The heart relaxes and settles.
Keeping your awareness at your heart center,
You may quietly repeat to yourself,
I am breathing in as you breathe in,
I am breathing out as you breathe out.
If your mind starts to wander,
And it will,
When you notice,
Just bring your attention back to your heart center and to your breath,
Without judgment,
Without being hard on yourself.
Inhaling,
I am breathing in.
When you notice thoughts,
Moving your attention away from your breath,
Just gently guide it back.
Now begin to count the breath backward from the center of your chest.
Continue at your own pace,
Without changing your breath.
Just count.
If you get distracted or you lose count,
Simply start again at 11.
If you make it down to 1,
You can start again at 11.
And just focus on your breath.
Noticing your body expand as you breathe in,
And soften as you breathe out.
Bring your attention back to the center of your chest,
The space of your heart.
Imagine a soft golden light glowing here.
With every breath,
This light grows warmer and softer.
Visualize this light as an invitation to softly move inward.
There's nothing to fix,
Nothing to change.
You're meeting yourself exactly as you are.
Visualizing this light grow from your heart center and filling your body.
Feeling a sense of kindness spreading from your heart to the rest of your body.
You are safe.
Let this golden warm light begin to spread.
Feel the sense of kindness moving from your heart down your arms to the tips of your fingers.
Down through your torso,
Into your legs and your feet.
Every cell of your body is being bathed in this light of self-acceptance and love.
And as it dissolves,
It leaves behind a deep,
Spacious silence.
The heart is open.
The body is still.
The mind is quiet.
Allow yourself to sink into this vast,
Dark,
Peaceful space.
Slowly moving into the deepest level of rest.
From this deep place of being and rest,
Allow your sankalpa to come back.
Not as a thought,
But as a vibration within your heart.
Repeat your intention three times.
Feeling the truth of these words in every cell of your being,
Of peace and relaxation.
