Welcome to your Yoga Nidra practice.
Today you'll be guided into a state of effortless rest where renewal and rejuvenation can naturally arise.
In daily life,
We don't always make space for rest,
Especially when we need it the most.
Yet true rest is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.
This gentle reset can be a powerful remedy during times of fatigue and exhaustion,
Both mentally and physically.
Take a moment to get settled in to your Yoga Nidra nest,
Somewhere where you won't be disturbed and can get completely comfortable.
You might find support for under the head and knees,
A blanket to keep you warm,
An eye covering to block out the light.
Settle in so that you can allow yourself to deeply rest.
Feel the weight of the body on the floor.
Let it become heavier,
Softer.
Feel the muscles in the face.
Allow them to soften.
Your eyes,
Jaw,
Tongue,
And throat.
Let a wave of relaxation wash over you.
Feel the breath on the nostrils.
Ears open and listening.
Take a big breath in.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Allow yourself to become 5% more comfortable.
Let the body release into the ground.
No effort,
Just being.
Bring your awareness to your heart.
Feel the capacity,
The tone of your heart space,
The energy it holds in this moment,
The sensations that arise.
Be present with your heart.
We'll set our sankalpa,
Our intention,
Your heart's deepest desire spoken in the present tense.
You may have your own,
Or you may use.
I allow my body and mind to deeply rest and recover,
Or my body is restoring and healing.
Reciting your sankalpa three times in your mind's eye.
Let your sankalpa wash over you like an invisible blanket.
Let it rest into you,
Knowing it's with you throughout the entirety of your practice.
Moving through a rotation of consciousness.
Letting each part of your body become alive with sensation,
Alive with rest.
Bring all of your attention to the crown of your head,
The center of your forehead,
The bridge of the nose,
The tip of the nose,
The right eyelid,
Right temple.
Moving through the right ear canal into the left ear canal,
Left ear,
Muscles behind the eye,
The eye itself,
The eyebrow,
The top lip,
Bottom lip,
Tip of the tongue,
Root of the tongue,
The entire throat,
Tops of the shoulders,
Collarbones,
Center of the chest,
Right shoulder,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Right thumb,
Pointer finger,
Middle,
Pinky finger,
All five fingers on the right hand,
Elbow,
Shoulder,
Right side of chest,
Left hand,
Waist,
Right knee,
Ankle,
Right big toe,
Second,
Fourth,
Pinky toe.
Bottom of the foot,
The entire right leg,
Right side body,
Right arm,
The entire right side of the body,
In the left hemisphere of the brain,
The entire right side of the body,
Left hemisphere of the brain,
Center of the chest.
Allow the attention to come to the center of the chest,
Left shoulder,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Left thumb,
Pinky finger,
All five fingers on the left hand,
Shoulder,
Left side of chest,
Waist,
Left big toe,
Second,
Fourth,
The entire left leg,
Left side body,
The entire left side of the body,
Right hemisphere of the brain,
The entire left side of the body,
The right hemisphere of the brain.
Divide your attention between the left side and the right side.
Equal awareness between left and right,
Billions of cells alive,
Buzzing with sensation,
Whole body tingling,
Whole body deeply resting,
Whole body at peace.
Bring your awareness to your natural breath,
Feel the ebb and flow,
Like a wave of rest,
Rising and falling over your whole body.
Bring your awareness to your feet,
Feel the bottoms of your feet.
Imagine that you could breathe in through the bottoms of your feet,
Up the backs of your legs,
Back of your spine.
Exhale from the crown of the head down the front of the body,
The chest,
Belly,
Hips,
Front of legs,
The back of the body to the crown of the head,
Exhale crown of head down the front of the body,
Back to the feet.
Just imagine the entire back of the body from feet to crown of head.
Exhale crown of head down the front of the body,
Back to the feet.
Inhale from the bottom of the feet,
Exhale crown of head down the front of the body,
Back down to the feet.
Just imagine whole body deeply resting,
Letting that all go.
Feel your body,
Feel your breath,
Feel your body on the ground.
Imagine you're lying on soft moss on the forest floor,
Body becoming heavy,
So heavy,
Moss into the forest floor,
Sinking deep.
The forest floor holding you here,
Rejuvenating you as your body sinks deeper and deeper,
So heavy.
On the inhale,
The body begins to lighten,
Slowly rising above the moss with each in-breath.
Rising above the forest floor,
Light as air.
Rising towards the sky,
Nothing holding you here,
Just floating,
Light as a feather.
Air and space all around you,
So light.
Exhale,
Body becomes heavy,
Sinking back towards the earth,
Heavy and solid.
Inhale,
Body becomes light,
Floating,
Effortless.
Exhale,
Heavy,
Sinking,
Floating.
Stay here in this lightness,
This effortlessness,
Floating above the forest floor.
Bring the attention back to the heart.
Feel the fullness of your heart,
The capacity and energy it holds,
The renewal that it's capable of.
Feel the breath and the heart as one.
Feel the body,
The breath,
And the heart as one.
Feel your sankalpa.
Let it wash over you.
Let it rise out of your heart.
State it three times in your mind's eye.
I allow my body and mind to deeply rest and recover.
My body is restoring and healing.
Let your sankalpa become one with you.
Let it wash over you like an invincible blanket.
Let it rest into you.
Begin to feel your body on the floor.
Feel the parts of your body that touch the floor.
Feel the edges of your body,
The weight of your body.
Notice the sounds around you.
Feel your right nostril,
Your left nostril.
Feel the breath inside both nostrils as you breathe.
Belly rises and falls.
The breath deep once again.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Two more times in.
Stay here for as long as you need.
The practice that you've cultivated within you in this moment of stillness before you wake.
When you're ready,
Bring the attention to the tips of the fingers and the tips of the toes.
Begin to wiggle the fingers and toes,
Rocking the head side to side.
Feet come together.
Reach your arms alongside your ears.
Big stretch,
Maybe a sigh.
Roll to one side.
Find your way up.
Eyes still soft.
Take a final moment to relish in your practice.
To feel the deep rest you've cultivated.
The restoration in body and mind.
May this practice support you and give you the energy and life you need for the rest of your day.
Namaste.
