Welcome to this practice of yoga nidra.
Take a moment to settle yourself down into a comfortable lying position on your back,
Maybe a little blanket underneath the head so that the neck can be comfortable and something under the knees to ease the low back if that's an area of sensitivity.
Let the feet be hip distance apart and allow them to flop out to the sides.
And then let the arms be a little distance away from the body.
Let the palms face up and help the shoulders roll down underneath the back body.
Lengthen the head away from the neck slightly and then gently rest the eyelids closed,
Softening them around the eyes and letting the forehead broaden and ease.
Allow yourself to have any little wriggles or adjustments that are needed to settle so you can stay still throughout the rest of the practice.
And as you settle down maybe open your mouth and sigh out,
Letting any excess tension go.
Ahhhhh.
Permit yourself to do this a couple more times if that feels good for you and just really try and release any of that excess body tension as you lie in this position.
And once you're done with that settling,
Close the mouth and in the ends of it turn slightly out and up and allow the tongue to soften into the mouth.
Take the time to listen to the sounds around you in the room that you are in,
Just acknowledging them one by one and trying not to get too caught up in any of the story that you hear.
And just be aware of the soundscape that you have settled into.
As you set an intention to practice yoga nidra,
That intention is to stay awake and aware throughout the practice by listening to my voice.
If your mind wanders,
That's okay,
Just come back to my voice and come to your body lying in this position,
Just being aware of the fabrics touching the skin.
Feel the textures,
Acknowledge the feeling of the support beneath you.
Notice the air moving over the top lip as you breathe softly in and out.
It's changing temperature and how that feels on the skin.
If there is a place in your life,
It could be real or imaginary where you felt safe and secure.
Visualise and think of it now.
Try to recreate those feelings of safety and security that you associate with being in that place.
Really sense feel into being in that place right now.
And just know that this place is available to you at any time throughout the practice.
And then come into your intention for this practice or your sankalpa.
This is the personal resolve that you're choosing to work with right now in your life.
It should be a short and simple statement,
Said in a positive and present tense.
So if you're feeling unwell,
Perhaps you might say to yourself,
I am healthy,
Healed and whole.
And you're going to repeat that to yourself three times.
If nothing comes to you,
Don't worry,
Just allow whatever does come to arrive when you're ready.
You now come to the rotation of consciousness.
We take your attention in rapid succession around body parts.
Either visualise or sense feel into the body part as it is named.
Moving onto the next as I say it.
We're going to begin inside the mouth and the floor of the mouth.
Right inside cheek.
Left inside cheek.
Roof of the mouth.
Back of the mouth.
The tongue.
The jaw.
The whole inside of the mouth.
The sinuses.
Right eye socket.
Right eye socket.
Left eye socket.
Point between the eyebrow centre.
Middle of the mind.
Left eye socket.
Right ear canal.
Right ear.
Middle of the mind.
Left ear canal.
Left ear.
Right ear.
Middle of the mind.
Back of the head.
Right side of the head.
Left side of the head.
Left side of the head.
Crown of the head.
Forehead.
Tip of the nose.
Point where the lips touch.
The face.
The whole of the head.
Neck.
Face of the throat.
Right upper arm.
Forearm.
Right wrist.
Right palm.
Right hand.
Right arm.
Right hand.
Right arm.
Right arm.
Right arm pit.
Right side waist.
Right hip.
Right thigh.
Knee.
Right chin.
Right chin.
Right ankle.
Heel.
Soul of foot.
Right foot.
Right leg.
Right side body.
The whole right side of the body.
Face of the throat.
Left upper arm.
Forearm.
Wrist.
Palm.
Right hand.
Left hand.
Left arm.
Left arm pit.
Left side waist.
Left hip.
Left thigh.
Left hip.
Left thigh.
Knee.
Chin.
Left ankle.
Soul of foot.
Heel.
Left foot.
Right hand.
Right hand.
Left leg.
Left side body.
The whole left side of the body.
Base of the throat.
Right side of the chest.
Left side of the chest.
Center of the chest.
Navel.
Abdomen.
Pubic bone.
Whole of the pelvis.
The front of the body.
The whole front of the body.
The groin.
The right buttock.
The left buttock.
Tailbone.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Spine from tail to base of head.
The back of the body.
The whole back of the body.
The head.
Right arm.
Left arm.
Right leg.
Left leg.
Left leg.
Left leg.
Front of the body.
The back of the body.
The whole of the body.
The whole of the body.
Bring your attention to the center of the chest.
The sternum in front of the heart space.
Be aware of the subtle breath movement at this point of your chest.
If possible,
Bring your awareness into the heart space itself and feel the breath moving around the heart.
If you can,
Visualize a stream of white light coming into the heart as you inhale and dispersing out in all directions as you exhale.
If you can,
Keep the visualization of the breath and light.
Release the focus on the heart center.
Come to thinking over time of an experience where you felt the emotion of meanness.
Where you experienced someone or somebody treating you or you treating another in an inconsiderate way.
A moment of disagreement or a harsh moment of disconnected feelings.
That sense of a sense of being.
Try to connect into the body feeling of the emotion of meanness.
Experience it fully and honestly.
Observe the pockets of tension and tightness that you hold as you feel this experience.
And then release that experience and think of a time when you experienced or shared tender kindness.
That warmth and good natured feeling of kind sharing.
Recall the experience in your mind now.
And become aware of the feelings in the body as you recreate this memory throughout your body.
A feeling of kindness.
Where is it felt and how?
And then return to that feeling and memory of inconsiderate harshness and meanness.
Observe the sensations and feelings in the body.
How does that emotion feel as a physical sense in the body?
And now release that feeling and come back to the memory of kindness.
That tender warm moment and let the memory move through your body.
The sense felt recall of your physical body of tender warmth,
Kindness.
And release that sense and emotional feeling and bring the awareness back to the centre of the chest.
The space around the heart.
Think of somebody that you love and visualise them in front of you.
Think of any suffering or hardship that they have.
And from your heart send them love to ease their suffering.
Feel the love pouring from your heart into them.
Notice if your visualisation of them changes as you send them your love.
And if you would like you can say to them,
May you be happy,
May you be well,
May you be free from suffering.
And then see them looking at you.
Returning that love that they hold for you to any of your suffering or hardship or pains.
And receive their love.
Let it pour into your heart.
Next visualise or imagine your community around you.
The people who live close by or support you.
That you engage with on a regular basis.
See their faces.
Those who maybe challenge you and those who help you find some ease.
And from your heart pour out your love for them all and the ways in which they support you.
And say to all of them,
May you be happy,
May you be well,
May you be free from suffering.
And then with all their faces and eyes looking back at you,
Receive their love and support.
Let it pour into your heart.
And then come to all the beings on this world.
All the life that lives and breathes.
Visualise and feel into that breath of life from your heart.
And send out your gratitude and your love to all the life that there is on this earth.
And send out the prayer,
May you be happy,
May you be well,
May you be free from suffering.
And return to your sankalpa.
That personal resolve you said three times at the beginning of this practice.
Repeating it with that same feeling of the present tense and intention three times.
Being aware of the breath moving across your top lip.
That sensation of the warm and cold on your body as you breathe.
Become aware of the fabrics touching your skin.
Feeling your physical body.
Notice the support beneath you,
Holding you.
And then come back to noticing the sounds in the space that you are in.
Reacquaint yourself in this physical space and time.
As you become aware of where you are,
Begin to move the body,
Making small movements and bringing back into this physical space.
And when you're ready and in your own time,
Roll over to one side and gently bring yourself to a seated position.
Maybe rub your hands together and create some warmth.
You can place your hands over your eyes before you open them and look around you.
Whatever you decide after this practice,
May I send you much love and happiness to be well and free from your suffering.
Have a wonderful day.
