Welcome to your Yoga Nidra practice.
By giving yourself a journey into this beautiful space within.
You're inviting in your own healer.
Creating new pathways for transformation.
Wholeness,
And ultimately liberation.
There's no way to do this wrong.
The goal is to stay awake and alert.
But if you fall asleep,
That's fine as well.
All you have to do is relax.
And let go as much as possible.
There will be spaces of silence,
And then my voice will guide you again.
If the mind gets active,
Simply notice and come back to your breath.
Stillness is encouraged.
But if you need to shift.
Feel free to be as comfortable as possible.
Whether you're lying down or seated.
Take a few moments.
And find a place where the body is.
Can really release and let go.
Is there any way you could move to be even more relaxed?
As we transition from doing to being.
Draw your attention to your breath.
Notice its rise and fall.
Feel the breath as it enters the nostrils.
Temperature of it.
And then feel the breath as it exits the nostrils.
Noticing the subtle changes in temperature.
Bringing all your attention to your breath.
Place your hands on your belly,
Breathing from the space just below the navel,
For three full inhales and exhales.
Now placing your hands on your diaphragm.
The center of your torso around your ribs.
Take three deep inhales and exhales from that space.
And now bring your hands to your heart.
Three full,
Deep inhales and exhales right from the heart center.
Feel the body releasing on each exhale.
Letting something go.
And then gently bring your hands back to the floor,
Palms open.
Or they can remain on your body.
Take five deep breaths,
Combining belly,
Diaphragm,
And heart all together.
Begin to count backward from 11.
Saying the number on the exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale,
11.
Inhale.
Exhale,
10.
Inhale.
Exhale,
9.
Keep going until you get to one.
If you lose track.
Go back to 11 and begin again.
And now,
Just notice the rise and fall of your breath.
Sensing the walls of the space you're in.
Feel it as a sacred container for your expansive awareness.
Explore the sensations of scent.
Can you perceive scent as neither good nor bad,
Simply sensations you are experiencing?
Feel a sensation of touch.
Notice the clothing that's touching your body.
The temperature of your own skin.
The air feels surrounding your body.
How the body feels making contact with where you are resting.
Draw your attention to listening.
Hearing sounds near.
And then as far as your hearing can reach.
Absorbing sounds simply as sensations passing through your awareness.
Resting as a noticer of sensations,
Thoughts,
And feelings.
A witness to the movement of life and the space from which experience rises and falls.
Enters and then exits.
Resting as awareness itself.
In Yoga Nidra,
We create what's called Asankalpa,
Or intention.
It's like planting a seed into your practice.
What is your deepest longing right now?
Create it as a positive I am statement as if it's already fulfilled.
And trust whatever arises is perfect.
With passion and heartfelt commitment.
Repeat it three times,
And then let it go for now.
You can bring your sankalpa back anytime,
During,
And even after your practice.
Softening and resting in this sacred place.
We're going to rotate awareness through the body.
Bring your awareness to the right side of your body.
Right hand.
Right thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Little finger.
Space between the fingers.
Tips of the fingers.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Rest.
Form.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Right armpit.
Right side of waist.
Right hip.
Right thigh.
Right knee.
Right calf.
Right ankle.
Right Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth tone.
Little toe.
Spaces between the toes.
And tips of the toes.
Bring your awareness now to the left side of your body.
Left hand.
Left thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Littlefinger space between the fingers.
Tips of the fingers.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Rest.
Form.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Left armpit.
Left side of the waist.
Left hip.
Left thigh.
Left knee.
Left calf.
Left ankle.
Left heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Space between the toes.
Tips of the toes.
Bring your awareness to the back of the body.
Right heel.
Left heel.
Right calf.
Left cat.
Back of the right knee.
Back of the left knee.
Back of the right thigh.
Back of the left thigh.
Buttocks.
Lower back.
Middle back.
Upper back.
Shoulder blades.
Spine.
Back of the neck.
Back of the head.
Bring your awareness to the front of the body.
Top of the head.
Forehead.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Space between the eyebrows.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right ear.
Tip of the ear.
Earlobe.
Left ear.
Tip of the ear.
Earlobe.
Right cheek.
Right cheekbone.
Left cheek.
Left cheekbone.
Nose.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Lower teeth.
Upper teeth.
Lower jaw.
Upper jaw.
Chin.
Throat.
Right Collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Chest.
Heart Center.
Upper abdomen.
Navel.
Lower abdomen.
Bring awareness to the whole body.
The whole body together.
The whole body as a field of sensation.
Feel the light of awareness outside the front of the body.
Reaching even beyond the borders of skin and bones.
Perhaps even exploring nature outside,
Trees or the sky.
Now feel the light of awareness surrounding the back of the body.
Reaching down into the earth.
Sensing.
The ground and all its facets.
Feel the light of awareness surrounding the left side of the body.
Reaching out.
Expanding.
Filling a space outside the boundaries of where you're resting.
Now feel that light of awareness surrounding the right side of the body.
Reaching out free to roam and explore.
Sensing light at the third eye,
The center of the eyebrows.
Feel that light encompass the whole body both within and surrounding it.
The body illuminated.
Glowing,
Filled with and being held by light.
Feel your breath as it enters the nostrils.
Feel the rise and fall of it in your body.
Feel the breath begin at the base of the spine.
All the way down to your toes.
And then feel the breath at the base of the spine rise all the way up to the crown of the head.
Now feel the breath from the feet.
To the crown of the head.
And now the crown of the head to the feet.
Sense a heaviness in the body.
All limbs heavy like lead or stone dropping down into the water.
Weighed it down.
Dense.
Solid.
You and then let that dissolve into a feeling of lightness.
The weights removed.
As if the body is light as a feather.
Even translucent.
Floating in the breeze.
Feel both sensations together now.
Heaviness and lightness.
Dancing,
Intermingling in the same field of awareness.
Now feel tired.
Exhaustion.
What does that feel like?
Where do you feel it?
Is it in the mind or the body?
Or maybe both?
The feeling of being worn out.
Maybe even burnt out.
Now let that dissolve into a feeling of energy and aliveness.
How do you feel after a great night's sleep?
Body,
Mind rested,
Filled with vitality.
Where do you experience that?
Now feel both sensations at the same time.
Play between tired.
Energized.
Now feel the body cool.
Sense snow falling around you,
An icy wind.
The air in your nostrils freezing cold as you breathe it in.
Your breath visible puffing out in the chilly night air.
Now feel the sun begin to warm you.
Melting the cold away until the whole body is bathed in warmth.
Like melting into a hot bath.
Feeling the heat as it surrounds you.
The warmth of a hot fire as you're sitting beside it.
Heat seeping into every pore in your body.
Now go back and forth between feeling the chill of the cold and the heat of the warmth.
Experiencing both sensations simultaneously.
And now simply rest as awareness itself.
Imagine yourself entering a beautiful meadow.
Perhaps it's filled with bright green grass or wildflowers.
You hear a stream trickling by.
And in the distance,
You see a beautiful tree.
And underneath the tree is a soft blanket.
You walk toward it and rest underneath that tree.
Feeling held within its beautiful branches.
Soothed and comforted by the perfect temperature its shade offers.
I can smell the grass and flowers in the air.
The smell of the tree,
Its leaves and branches.
Intermingling.
All sense mixing together.
Can hear the buzz of bees and the songs of the birds around you.
You can feel the essence of the tree.
Sensing how its roots drop down into the earth.
Holding you.
Cradling your body as you rest.
Loved.
Supported.
And as you rest.
See your young self.
Seated in front of you.
Maybe they're a toddler or a little older.
Gaze into their eyes and welcome them to rest beside you.
Or maybe even in your lap.
And now welcome your teenager.
See your teenage self in front of you.
And looking in their eyes with compassion and loving kindness.
Invite them to sit beside you.
Now see your adult self.
Gaze into their eyes.
And invite them into this circle.
Now see the deep self as it emerges in front of you.
Your divine nature,
Gazing and taking in all these people you are and have been.
The one who has always been there.
Noticing.
Watching.
Observing all experiencing.
The infinite self.
Gazing deeply into your eyes.
With love and compassion.
Receive the message if they have brought you one.
Steeping in this love.
Feel all parts blending into this one self.
As you allow the others to melt away,
Resting in your heart.
Feeling whole and complete.
Exactly as you are.
Knowing you are your own guide.
Trusted companion and mentor.
It is you.
It has always been you.
As the sun begins to sink into the horizon.
And night begins to fill the sky.
Feel yourself become a bright,
Twinkling star.
Joyfully held,
Floating free in the expansive night sky,
Sparkling and luminescent.
As you glide near the moon,
Feel its light and power as you float together in the night sky.
Feel yourself now as the sky,
Soft and velvety.
Infinite space,
Holding all the stars,
Planets,
And the moon.
Expensive,
Powerful,
And free.
Holding and being held.
Resting in your infinite nature as awareness itself.
Carrying forward this vast space.
Reaffirm your sankalpa.
Repeat it to yourself three times.
Softly deepen your breath.
And gently begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Opening and closing your hands.
Curling and stretching your toes.
Roll to your favorite side and curl up to yourself.
And in this soft space,
Repeat your sankalpa three times.
Thank it.
And then let it go.
Very gently.
And only when you're ready.
Don't bring yourself to seated.
Bring your palms together.
Rub them together a few times,
Waking the body up.
You could place the hands over the eyes.
And softly begin to remove them as your eyes begin to adjust.
Gently flutter your eyes open,
Taking in your surroundings,
Inviting your awareness to return to the room around you.
Move slowly.
As you gradually begin to re-enter the world of seeing and doing.
Carrying with you that sense of presence.
A deep self.
Compassionate.
Loving.
With you all the time.
Behind the eyes.
Inside the body,
The noticer,
The witness.
The Infinite Self.
