Yoga Nidra: Sense & Sensing (Annamaya) Through Movements

And take a moment to formally welcome yourself to your meditation practice.

That you're consciously choosing to be here to show up.

Consciously choosing for your practice.

And maybe the first minute or two is simply observing if you need to add or subtract a little bit more pillow blanket around you to be comfortable.

If you need extra cushioning or a layer of towel blanket.

Just take a moment to pause so you can observe the comfort level.

And although you may have chosen this position right now.

Which could be lying on your side,

On your front,

On your back or seated.

Know that at any point during practice if the position no longer offer you comfort and that you need to adjust or move or reposition.

Please do so.

Take care of that.

Do so in a way that it is gentle,

Gradual so that you can continue staying quiet,

Peaceful with your meditation as you make that shift.

And everything offered,

My words are optional.

That you're welcome to listen to as much or as little that you feel appropriate,

Comfortable for you in that moment.

Noticing how your body is settling now as you pause from physically moving in space.

That the body is just beginning to take shape and get more comfortable here.

Otherwise be generous,

Please adjust.

That naturally this position allows you to breathe comfortably.

Your comfortable inhale and exhale.

No effort.

And this practice is really about meeting ourselves where we are.

Not attempting to fix.

Not intended to shy away from any difficult experiences but simply be with so that we can witness our experiences.

So acknowledging any images or thoughts that is passing in and out right at this moment.

Without grasping,

Without necessarily interacting or reasoning.

And free your senses so that you are receptive to sound,

Smell,

Taste.

You could see at the back of your eyelids and with your whole body.

And you could feel,

Feel the body against different surfaces,

Texture.

And taking a moment to reconnect to a moment maybe in the past or an imaginary moment where you simply feel peaceful.

There is just no effort.

There is just comfort,

Peace,

Ease.

Whether it is simply nothing on the to-do list,

Everything checked off.

Nothing that is required of you.

Nothing that you require.

Simply feel complete and peaceful as it is.

How does that feel like in your physical body with that experience of nothing to do or demand?

What does peaceful feel like in your body?

And simply enjoy and be with this felt sense of peace,

Ease.

Throughout the practice,

Anytime you need to return here to take rest,

To return here to feel and reconnect with peace.

Release thinking and simply connect to your heart center.

The heart center and the vitality of this whole body.

What is this heart center and this vitality of the whole body represent in this lifetime?

What it has to offer to life itself?

This deepest heartfelt being longing for this lifetime.

Allow your awareness to expand to this inclusivity of your whole body experience as you reconnect to your heartfelt longing for this lifetime.

Awareness,

Presence.

Maybe you have an intention for arriving here today.

Intention for this practice.

Maybe the intention is simply to pause from your day,

From your week.

Or to reconnect,

To be intimate with yourself.

Or maybe simply to rest an hour of restful,

Peaceful experience.

Or something else,

What's your intention right now for this moment?

And begin to bring your awareness and noticing your mouth.

Inside your mouth.

So maybe the smallest movement of your tongue.

You could feel sensation of your tongue.

Sensation of the soft palate,

The inner wall of your mouth.

Moisture.

The teeth and gums,

Lips.

Sensing into the whole mouth and the jaw.

Again if it's helpful,

If it's only helpful.

You could gently move your mouth and jaw so you could sense the sensation inside and around the mouth.

The nostrils and the nasal passage,

The nose.

Maybe take a breath in and out just noticing sensation of the nose.

The entrance of the nose to the ridge and passage.

To the back of the nose,

Noticing maybe the temperature,

The air flow.

The sensation of the nose.

Sensation of your cheeks left and right.

And sensation of your ears left and right.

The outer folds of your ears.

The inner ear canal through the inner ears.

Sensation of the external ears and the inner ears.

The eyes,

The eyelids behind the eyelids.

The smallest,

Slightest movement of the eyes behind the eyelids.

You could feel the sensation behind the eyes,

Around the eyes.

Release thinking,

Release control,

Analysing,

Just pure sensing.

Sensing the forehead,

Above the eyebrows,

The forehead,

Around the head,

Top of the head,

Sides and back.

Inside the head,

The head and neck.

Maybe with the smallest,

Gentlest movement of the head and neck.

A little roll,

Just to notice the sensation of this head around and inside and the neck.

And again,

If it's helpful,

A little movement around the shoulders,

So you can instruct the shoulders.

Almost invisible to others,

Just a tiny movement around the shoulders.

Sensation of the shoulders left and right.

Sensation of your left arm,

Left hand.

With the gentlest roll of your arm,

Inward or outward.

Tiniest movement of the fingers,

Wrists and your hand,

Left side.

Sensation of your left arm,

Left hand.

Maybe there's a heaviness,

Weight to it as well as the sensation inside the hand and arm.

The right arm and right hand,

Fingers.

If helpful,

Gently rolling the arm,

Moving the arm,

Turning it slightly inward or outward.

The whole right arm full of sensation,

Fingers,

Finger knuckles,

Moving sensation in your hand.

The whole right arm inside the right arm and hand.

Both arms sensation.

Both arms,

Both hands at the same time,

Full of sensations,

Surface and inside.

The chest,

The left chest.

Maybe place your left hand on your left chest.

The left chest,

Surface,

Front,

Back and inside the left chest.

The right chest and again if it's helpful you can place your right hand on your right chest.

Surface,

Front and back inside the right chest,

Sensation.

The abdomen,

The lower back,

The sides.

You can brush your hand down to the abdomen and touching so you can sense and feel more intimately inside the abdomen.

Not seeking,

Just noticing.

The pelvis,

The front of the pelvis,

Back of the pelvis.

The buttocks left and right.

The sides,

Inside the pelvis.

And the left leg,

Left foot,

Toes.

Maybe gently rolling the left leg,

Moving the left leg a little in,

Out.

Minimal movement,

Simply highlighting sensation,

Aliveness of your left leg,

Left foot,

Left toes.

The surface and inside,

The whole left leg.

The right leg,

Right foot and toes.

Sensing through gentle movement of your right leg,

Right toes,

Ankles.

Sensation of your right leg,

Right foot.

Surface and inside,

The whole right leg.

Both legs,

Left and right at the same time.

The whole body sensation as one.

The whole body surface and inside.

The whole body surface and around.

The whole body and beyond.

And falling back into simply being aware.

Aware of these movements of sensation,

Whilst noticing your breath.

That vital life force that is moving through this body.

Illuminating,

Lighting up every corner,

Surface or deeper.

The breath travels throughout the body and lights up every corner edges of your body.

This illumination shines within and beyond.

Vibrancy,

Vibration.

The glow and aliveness of this body.

Whilst still noticing if there is any presence of emotions or thoughts,

Images,

Memories that is present right now.

Maybe there is one,

Maybe there is a flow of images,

Thoughts,

Words,

Emotions.

As you notice,

Simply observe and watch it pass.

There may be a period of time that it stays within your awareness and watch it arise and dissolve,

Moved on.

Without being carried away,

Without judgement,

Justification.

Just as an observer watching,

Observing the arrival,

The arising of thoughts,

Words,

Beliefs,

Emotions.

And the passing.

Reconnecting now to the state of joy.

That instantaneous joy that resides within you.

The joy that you were born with.

Independent of conditions,

Situations,

Experiences.

Just as it is.

Meeting joy as it is.

And let go now of all images,

Experiences.

When you are ready to let that go,

Simply fall back into just being.

Being,

Being everything and nothing.

A felt sense of spacious being.

But at the same time without location.

Non-specific.

Just being.

Aware of all that is unfolding and dissolving within your field of awareness.

Connecting to your heart and your whole body.

Your heart felt deepest longing for this lifetime.

The reason for this heart and this body's existence.

This lifetime.

Reaffirming.

And your intention for this practice,

For this moment.

The tension for showing up.

And that felt sense of peace,

Ease.

The whole body.

Peaceful.

Unconditional.

Peaceful.

Easeful.

And that this felt sense of peace and ease.

That is special to you.

That is always within you.

In a moment's notice,

Always present.

Free of condition.

That you may reconnect to this felt sense of peace and ease anytime throughout your waking life.

As you reconnect to your breath and this body sensation.

Maybe with the gentlest movement to slowly invite this body.

This breath.

To return to the space to invite yourself back into full waking state.

Gently deepen your breath.

Small movements.

You're welcome back.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

You're welcome back.

Find it's easiest transition.

Take your time.

Thank you for practice.

Namaste.