Forest Walk Yoga Nidra

Hi lovely people and welcome to this yoga nidra.

Let's just start by taking a few moments to get yourself really super comfortable.

We're going to be here for between 25 and 30 minutes.

So really have a good fidget,

Really get yourself super comfortable and really cozy and warm.

If you need to pause and go and grab another blanket or another cushion,

Please do that now.

Or maybe go and watch the masterclass on Shavasana so you know how to get yourself really comfy.

If you've got everything that you need.

Let's make any final adjustments now.

So we're going to start with a little bit of a deep breath in and a little bit of a deep breath out.

And then closing down your eyes or lowering your eyelids if that feels comfortable.

And starting to feel your body softening.

Face softening.

Lips and teeth separate,

So the jaw can gently relax.

Feel your whole body softening.

Becoming aware of your breath.

And with each exhale,

Letting go and relaxing a little bit more.

Feel the body resting.

The breath feels effortless.

Feel that you are warm and safe.

You are in a space that makes you feel warm and safe.

You are secure,

At ease,

And able to relax fully.

Take a moment now and give yourself permission to relax and rest.

Say it to yourself.

Give yourself permission to relax and rest.

Feel a sense of well-being growing throughout your body.

Let's take a moment now to set an intention,

A sankalpa,

Your heartfelt desire.

It might be just for this yoga nidra practice.

It might be for your day,

Or it might be for your whole life.

A short phrase or wish.

Try not to force it.

Let it arise from your heart without analysing.

It might be something really simple,

Like I am happy,

Or I am peaceful.

Phrase your intention in the positive present tense,

And repeat it to yourself like a mantra now three times.

I am,

I am,

I am.

Feeling or imagining this in your body as if it is true,

As if it is a felt experience.

Your intention is true in this moment.

I'm going to move your awareness now through the different parts of the body.

Just listen and illuminate each body part with your awareness,

And then move on to the next part as I name it.

Move your awareness to your face,

Tip of the nose,

Whole nose,

Both cheeks,

Your lips,

Your mouth,

Gums,

Floor of the mouth,

Roof of the mouth,

Walls of the cheeks,

Your tongue,

Lower row of teeth,

Upper row of teeth,

Both lips,

The space between the lips,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Left eye,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

The space between the eyebrows,

The whole forehead,

Both temples,

Top of the head,

Back of the head,

The sides of the head,

The whole head,

A field of radiant sensation.

Now we move to the left side,

The left foot,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Little toe,

Heel,

Left ankle,

Calf muscle,

Knee,

Left thigh,

Right thigh,

Right thigh,

Right thigh,

Right thigh,

Right thigh,

Right thigh,

Right thigh,

Right thigh,

Left hip,

Waist,

Left side ribs,

Underarm,

Left shoulder,

Upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Wrist,

The left hand,

Back of the hand,

Palm of the hand,

Left thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger.

Feel into the left side of the body,

Feel into the left side of the body,

The whole of the left side.

Now we move to the right side of the body,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Little toe,

Heel,

Right ankle,

Calf muscle,

Knee,

Right thigh,

Right groin,

Right hip,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Right thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

Palm of the hand,

Right thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

The right side of the body,

Feel into the right side of the body.

Now the back of the body,

Back of the head,

Shoulder blades,

Whole spine,

Backs of the ribs,

Back of the hips,

The buttocks,

Backs of the thighs,

Backs of the knees,

The calves,

Heels,

The back of the body,

The back of the body,

Whole of the back of the body,

Forehead,

Both temples,

The inner ears,

Cheeks,

Lips,

Roof of the mouth,

Floor of the mouth,

Jaw,

Chin,

Throat,

Collarbones,

Chest,

Ribs,

Abdomen,

Front of the hips,

Kneecaps,

Shins,

Ankles,

Top of the right foot,

Top of the left foot,

The front of the body,

The whole of the front of the body,

Right arm,

Left arm,

Right leg,

Left leg,

Both legs,

The head,

The torso,

Both arms,

Both legs,

The whole body,

The whole body,

Be aware of the whole body,

Alive as vibrant sensation,

Welcoming every experience that's present,

Feeling secure,

Feeling at ease,

Sense the body breathing itself,

Just a natural flow of sensation as breath enters and leaves the body,

Through the nostrils,

The walls of the throat,

The gentle rise and fall of the chest,

The gentle rise and fall of the abdomen,

The body just breathing itself,

Start counting backwards on each exhalation,

Starting at 19 as your next exhale,

Inhale and exhale 80,

Inhale and exhale 70 and so on,

Carry on counting downwards on each exhale,

If you lose count or get to zero,

Don't worry,

Just start again at 19,

Continuing to count the exhales,

If you lose count or get to zero,

Just start in again at 19,

And continuing with your counting,

If you lose count or get to zero,

Starting again at 19,

Letting go now of the counting,

Just letting the breath settle,

Visualize yourself standing on a path at the edge of a small forest,

The bright sun is warm on your back,

You face the opening to the trees,

The cool breeze from the forest is inviting you to enter,

The path is clear and broad,

It's easy to follow,

And so you step into the forest,

All around you,

You can hear birds calling to one another,

Their song is gentle and sweet,

As if they are encouraging you to follow them,

Encouraging you to continue walking into their home,

Feels cool and fresh,

Just a nice temperature for you,

The peace in the forest is total,

You are aware of small animals around you,

You see squirrels playing,

Dancing up and down the trees,

A family of rabbits running along the floor of the forest,

You can hear the sounds of more birds in the dense canopy of the forest,

As you walk on,

You begin to hear the sound of running water,

You can tell the water is gentle,

And you walk in the direction of the sound,

As you walk you can feel the leaves underneath your feet,

Moss,

It feels good to have your feet touching mother earth,

The smell of the forest is lovely,

Fresh,

Front of you opens a small clearing in the forest,

And in the middle of the clearing is a small pool,

The pool is being fed from a stream cascading down a small rocky slope,

And as the pool is filled to overflowing,

A small stream flows on into the forest,

Here in the clearing there are some rocks where you can sit,

The rocks are warm from the sun,

And when you sit it is as if they were made just for you,

They cradle your body and hold you steady,

You sit here for a few moments listening to the sounds of the forest,

And the water,

The animals running around,

Your eyes are closed and your heart is full of joy,

And after a few moments you begin to feel the gentle presence of another being in front of you,

You open your eyes,

And standing in front of you about six feet away is a beautiful doe,

Her soft brown eyes are resting on you,

She is completely at ease in your presence,

As are you in hers,

For some moments you are completely enthralled by this gentle creature looking at you as if she loves you,

She is so calm and assured,

You are in awe of her presence and your gaze cannot leave hers,

It seems that she has brought a message for you,

And across the space between you she is sending that message,

You become aware of the message and are ready to receive it from her,

Open your heart now and receive our message,

Your heart is filled to overflowing with the love you are feeling in her message,

She stands there for a few more moments,

She gently closes her eyes,

Opens them for one last look at you,

Then turns and slowly walks back into the forest,

You sit for a moment longer,

Integrating into your being the message that she brought you,

Then you rise from your spot on the rock,

Move gently back onto the path,

And walk slowly and calmly back to the edge of the forest where you first stepped onto the path,

Recall now the intention,

The intention,

The sankalpa that you set at the beginning of this practice,

Repeating it three times to yourself now exactly as you did earlier,

Affirming and experiencing this as a felt sensation in your body,

Your intention is true in this moment,

Sense all that you are now aware of,

The sounds around you,

The sensations of your body,

The room around you,

Your body breathing,

Everything is perfect just as it should be,

Keeping your eyes closed,

Start now to deepen your breath,

Gently bringing some movement back into the body,

Maybe wiggling your fingers and your toes,

Taking your time,

When you feel ready,

Maybe rolling onto one side if you're not laid there already,

Resting on your side for a few breaths,

The practice of yoga nidra is now over,

If you feel like you need more rest,

Please stay here for as long as you need to,

If you would like to reawaken,

Slowly blinking open your eyes and adjusting to the light in the room,

And when you're ready,

Bringing yourself back up to sit,

Taking whatever time and whatever movement you need to reawaken the body fully,

Being gentle with yourself,

I hope you enjoyed this yoga nidra practice,

And I'll see you very soon.