Yoga Nidra - Coming Home To Your Centered Self.

Good day to you.

Today I will lead you in a practice to help you become centered.

This is a time for you to slow down and to draw your energy that has been scattered and left behind back to you.

To call all your energy home,

To a place of quiet centeredness inside.

We will do this through yoga nidra.

Yoga nidra is an effortless and natural process.

There is nothing for you to do and no effort is required.

Just allow the process.

Just listen to the sound of my voice with your intimate attention.

Follow along with my words and let your mind settle.

You don't need to try,

Just relax.

Allow the momentum of your day or of your agenda to slow down now.

Just for now.

Give yourself this time to rest and become centered.

There is nowhere else to go and there is nothing to do right now.

I promise the benefits of this practice will be restorative and rejuvenating.

Allow yourself this peaceful rest.

Make sure that you are in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for the next 30 minutes,

Where you can lie down or recline in a supine position.

Perhaps you wish to cover yourself in a light blanket or wrap for security and warmth.

Allow this yoga nidra practice to hold you,

To accept you and allow you to be just as you are.

Just to exist.

You don't need to do anything.

You are safe and supported.

Allow your attention and brainwaves to slowly calm down,

Becoming more still.

This is very natural for your body.

As natural as sleep.

To begin,

We will do a few breaths together to ground us in our bodies and the present moment.

You will start by taking two sips in through the nose and then a long exhale through the mouth.

Again,

Two sips of air in through the nose and then a long exhale through the mouth.

Go ahead and do this two more times on your own.

And now,

If you're not already,

You can go ahead and lie down.

Getting cozy in your yoga nidra nest.

Making sure that your spine is relatively straight,

The back of the neck long,

Shoulders relaxed and down.

You want symmetry on both sides of your body,

If possible.

Arms and legs uncrossed,

Long and relaxed.

There's nothing for you to do here.

Just relax into stillness.

If at any time you feel the need to adjust the body,

That is perfectly fine.

All you need to do is listen to my voice and be comfortable.

Whatever you experience today is exactly what you need.

Trusting the wisdom and intuition of your own body.

It will take care of everything.

In this practice,

You are slowing down to listen to your body,

To your energy,

To whatever emotions begin to surface and to witness the activity of the mind.

You are just here to witness these things,

Giving yourself space to be here now.

Totally relaxed,

Ears open and receptive,

Not straining,

Just receiving,

Just receiving.

Ears effortlessly receiving sounds,

Noticing the sounds in my voice,

In this recording.

Perhaps you notice sounds in the distance,

Or sounds close to you,

Space in between sounds.

Just begin to notice your body now.

Notice the outer edges of your body and mentally trace its outline now.

Notice the places your body makes contact with the surface beneath you,

The weight of your body,

The air on your skin,

On your face,

The clothing on your body and allow any residual tension to melt from the forehead,

From the eyebrows,

The eyes relaxing back and down.

Releasing any tension in the jaw,

The jaw soft,

The neck and shoulders releasing.

And now tuning into the breath,

Breath flowing in and out of the body.

With each exhale,

The body lets go a little more.

The breath like a soothing balm,

Calming down,

Soothing and relaxing,

Allowing your natural breath to flow throughout your body,

Lightly through your body,

Paying attention to the exhale.

With each exhale,

The body releases a little more.

Letting go,

Slowing down,

Arriving to stillness,

To centeredness.

You are arriving to yourself.

You are arriving home.

As you lay here now,

Nourished and saturated by the natural breath,

Feel into the heart center.

This deep reservoir,

A portal into your true essence.

Allow any emotions,

Feelings or sensations to arise.

Give your heart center the space to just be.

Hold your heart center lovingly in your awareness.

This jewel,

This seat of your spirit.

You don't need to analyze what is happening here.

Just give your heart center the space to awaken and breathe.

Feel the energy in your heart center.

Allow the memory of a beloved person,

Place or experience to come to you now.

A happy memory or experience that has touched you.

And notice any shifts in your energy or sensations you feel as you hold this image.

What is happening in your body?

Perhaps a feeling of warmth,

Softness,

Expansion.

Notice where you feel this in your body.

Welcoming any sensations.

Ask in any sensations you're feeling.

Allow them to intensify and spread throughout your whole being.

Now condense these feelings into your heart center.

Hold them here in your heart center.

It is time to call forth your sankalpa.

Sankalpa is a short positive statement of your heart's deepest desire in this life.

For example,

I show gratitude for every moment of my life.

I am so grateful.

Or,

I am safe and supported in all things.

Allow your sankalpa to formulate in your heart center now.

And acknowledge your sankalpa by feeling it in your entire being as if it's already happening.

And whisper it silently to yourself three times.

Three times.

Bring your attention to the point between your eyebrows.

The center of the forehead.

Attention spreading across the forehead.

The entire forehead.

The left temple.

The left cheekbone.

The bridge of the nose.

The right cheekbone.

The right temple.

The crown of the head.

The back of the head.

The back of the neck.

The jaw.

The center of the chin.

The floor of the mouth.

Inside the right cheek.

Inside the left cheek.

The tip of the tongue.

All the way down the tongue to the root.

The center of the throat.

The center of the collarbones.

The right collarbone.

The right shoulder.

Upper arm.

Elbow.

Wrist.

Palm of the hand.

Right hand fingers.

The tips of all five fingers.

The space between the fingers.

The palm.

The back of the hand.

The wrist.

The forearm.

The crease of the elbow.

The upper arm.

Underarm.

Shoulder.

The point in between the collarbones.

The left collarbone.

The left shoulder.

Upper arm.

Elbow.

Wrist.

Palm of the hand.

Left hand fingers.

The tips of all five fingers.

Between the fingers.

The palm.

The back of the hand.

The wrist.

The forearm.

Crease of the elbow.

Upper arm.

Underarm.

Shoulder.

Center of the chest.

Heart center.

Right ribs,

Front and back.

Left ribs,

Front and back.

The solar plexus.

The navel.

The lower abdomen.

The sacral chakra.

The pelvic bowl.

The right hip.

Front of the right thigh.

Back of the right thigh.

Knee.

Calf.

Shin.

Ankle.

Top of the foot.

Tip of the right big toe.

Tip of the second toe.

Tip of the third.

Tip of the fourth.

Tip of the little toe.

Feel the space between the toes.

The sole of the foot.

The entire right foot.

The right foot.

Ankle.

Lower leg.

Knee.

Thigh.

Hip.

The entire right leg and foot as one unit.

Allow your attention to move into your left hip.

Front of the left thigh.

Back of the left thigh.

Knee.

Calf.

Shin.

Ankle.

Top of the foot.

Tip of the left big toe.

Tip of the second toe.

Tip of the third.

Tip of the fourth.

Tip of the little toe.

Feel the space between the toes.

The sole of the foot.

The entire left foot.

The left foot.

Ankle.

Lower leg.

Knee.

Thigh.

Hip.

The entire left leg and foot as one unit.

Both hip joints.

The entire pelvis.

The tailbone.

The root chakra.

The lower back.

The belly.

Notice now your breath.

The unaltered breath flowing in and flowing out of the body.

Smooth,

Rhythmic air flow in the nostrils.

The slight expansion and release of the belly.

Breathing in and out.

The subtle rise and fall of the abdomen.

Without changing your breath,

Imagine it flowing from the head down to the belly and then out from the belly to the head.

Breathing in and down and up and out.

Breath moving in down the body and breath up rolling back out.

Imagine the breath coming in through the crown down the body and down all the way to the tailbone and then back up and out through the crown.

Follow the breath coming in down through the crown and up and out.

In through the crown down to the tailbone and releasing from the tailbone back up and out.

In through the crown and down.

Breath from the tailbone up and out.

Stay with this breath for a few moments.

Imagine the breath in and down,

Up and out.

Releasing this breath with your next exhale.

Allow yourself to just feel expansive.

Like gas floating.

Spacious.

Light.

Opening.

Floating in space.

Expansive.

And now begin to contract.

Closing.

Tightening.

Dense.

Compressed.

Rigid.

Tight.

Heavy.

Sinking.

And now back to open.

Opening.

Spacious.

Expansive.

Light.

Like gas floating.

Floating on the air.

On your breath.

Light.

Opening.

And again contracting.

Closing.

Tightening.

Becoming dense.

Compressed.

Rigid.

Tight.

Heavy.

Sinking.

And now can you invite both feelings to be here at once.

Openness and closeness both at the same time.

Without merging the two.

Feel both open and expanded.

And closed and tight.

Your awareness suspended between two.

Noticing both sensations at once.

Stay here in this suspension between the two sensations.

And you may release this feeling now.

And bring your awareness to the image of a hummingbird.

The buzz of its wings.

How it moves smoothly through the air.

The tips of tall trees against a blue sky.

A caterpillar crawling and moving.

A butterfly,

Its wings flapping and glimmering in the sunlight.

Morning fog.

An early sunrise.

The waves washing,

Crashing.

White sand.

Imagine your toes in warm white sand.

And the bright sun above.

And now allow yourself to be engulfed in this bright,

Bright sun.

Basking here in the bright,

Warm sun.

Be here now.

Feel yourself resting.

You are supported.

Cradled here now.

Just notice where you are.

Notice your relaxation.

Witnessing.

Witnessing yourself.

Here as awareness.

Oneness.

And once again,

Remember your sankalpa.

Planted into this open field of consciousness by whispering it silently to yourself three times.

And allow yourself to be smoothed by the gentle rhythm of your breath.

Breaths like ocean waves washing in and out.

In and out.

Noticing the rise and fall of the abdomen.

Noticing the beautiful stillness in your spine.

Your arms and hands.

Your legs and feet.

Your heartbeat.

And now you can begin to notice the surface beneath your body.

Your clothing and blankets touching your skin.

The air on your face.

At your nostrils.

Sounds that might be in your environment.

Sounds of the recording.

Any scent or aroma in the air.

The taste inside of your mouth.

And now focusing on your breath.

Take two sips of air in through the nose.

And a gentle exhale through the mouth.

And two more times on your own.

And now bring little movements into your fingers and your toes.

And if it feels right you may roll out the wrist or the ankles.

And you may bring your palms together touching them.

Rubbing the palms together feeling the heat between your palms.

And then a big stretch.

And with a deep breath.

When you are very ready you may flutter the eyes open.

Thank you for giving yourself this time to practice today.

Namaste.