Illuminating The Crescent Path Yoga Nidra

Settling into your position of comfort and ease.

Ensuring now that you're feeling fully supported.

Allowing the weight of the body to surrender to the ground beneath you.

When you feel ready,

Take a deep breath in,

Filling your lungs completely and exhale slowly,

Releasing tension and settling a little bit more into the stillness.

Allow this quiet to wrap around you like a soft nurturing blanket.

A cocoon,

Reminding yourself that you are safe,

Held and supported.

With this yoga nidra,

We're going to journey through the waxing crescent to the first quarter moon.

The waxing crescent being the light shining to the right of the moon and that crescent shape the opposite to the letter C and the first quarter moon looks like the moon is cut in half with the light shining to the right side.

Set an intention here,

A seed of growth and possibility,

Just like the moon building its light.

Whisper this intention to yourself,

Planting it deep in your heart and trust that it will grow in its own time,

Nourished by your care.

Repeat your intention or your sankalpa mentally three times.

Let the attention come again to the breath and notice each breath in and each breath out.

Breathing in the spaciousness and the expansion,

Breathing out the grounding and letting go.

We now take a journey around the map of the body and as each part is named out,

You might like your awareness to rest on each part.

You might like to repeat mentally or maybe for this practice of our yoga nidra,

You might like to place a star on each part of the body as it is named out.

For the sake of our nidra practice,

I will talk or speak of placing a star on each part of the body.

So letting your awareness now come again to the right hand and placing a star on the right hand thumb and then a star on the index finger,

The middle finger,

The fourth finger and the little finger.

Stars on all the fingers and then placing a star on the palm of the hand,

The back of the hand,

The wrist,

The elbow,

The shoulder,

A star at the armpit on the right side of the chest,

A star at the right side of the waist,

A star at the hip,

The thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Calf,

Ankle,

Top of the foot,

Sole of the foot,

The inside of the foot,

A star on the big toe,

The second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and the little toe.

A star all on the toes.

Bring your focus and your awareness over to the left hand thumb and place a star at the left hand thumb and then the index finger,

The middle finger,

The fourth finger and the little finger.

Stars all along the fingers of the left hand and to the palm of the hand,

The back of the hand,

The wrist,

The elbow,

The shoulder,

A star at the left armpit,

Left side of the chest,

Left side of the waist,

The left hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Ankle,

The sole of the foot,

The top of the foot,

The inside of the left foot,

Placing stars then on the big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and the little toe.

All the toes on the left foot now are shimmering with stars.

Placing stars now to the backs of the heels,

Backs of the kneecaps,

Backs of the hips or the pelvis,

Stars along the spine,

The right shoulder blade,

The left shoulder blade,

Back of the head,

Crown of the head,

The centre of the eyebrows,

The right eyebrow,

The left eyebrow,

A star on the right cheekbone,

The left cheekbone,

Right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

A star at the right ear,

The left ear,

A star on the right side of the jaw,

The left side of the jaw,

A star on the tip of the nose,

The top lip,

The bottom lip,

Tip of the chin,

The space between the collarbones,

The star at the centre of the chest,

At the navel and at the space behind the pubic bones.

And then bring the awareness to the crown of the head,

To the crown of the head.

And place here a dark moon or a new moon at the crown of the head.

Place a crescent moon at the forehead,

A half moon at the throat area,

A full moon at the heart,

A half moon at the navel,

A crescent moon just below the navel,

And a new moon or a dark moon at the space behind the pubic bones.

And then bring the focus,

The attention,

Back to the heart space and the full moon placed at the heart space.

Come to see the body as a constellation of stars,

Twinkling in a dark velvet sky.

A constellation in the cosmos,

Twinkling in the dark sky.

The whole body,

Constellation of stars.

And then coming back to that place at the centre of the chest,

The heart centre,

Our place of healing and love,

Kindness,

Empathy,

Compassion.

Let your attention rest at the full moon placed at the heart centre.

Begin to notice each breath in and each breath out.

Each breath in,

Each breath out.

And as if you could breathe from this place at the centre of the chest,

That you were to breathe in an expansion,

Fullness of the moon on the breath in,

Moving out the moon,

Getting bigger.

And as you breathe out,

Coming back to that single point at the centre of the chest.

Breathing in expansion and space,

Openness,

Away from the heart centre.

As you breathe out,

Coming back to that heart centre,

Bringing the breath back out to that centre point at the centre of the chest.

Working with this for a few more rounds of your breath.

Inviting a soothing into that inhale and exhale.

Expansion on the inhale.

And the letting go,

Moving back in on the exhale.

Observing the breath for a few more moments.

The inhale expanding,

The exhale coming back.

Almost like the moon waxing and waning.

Rest in this rhythm of the breath.

And begin to imagine yourself standing under a vast night sky.

Above you,

The waxing crescent moon glows faintly.

A delicate sliver of light against the darkness.

This is the moon of new beginnings,

Of hope,

Of intention.

Feel the energy of this moon,

Subtle but growing.

It is like a seed beginning to spread.

Its potential not fully released or realised,

But alive with possibility.

You sense its pull,

Encouraging you to step forward on your path with curiosity and courage.

And you feel safe and secure knowing that you have laid the roots down in order to do this.

As you gaze at the crescent moon,

Its light begins to grow,

Waxing slowly into the shape of the first quarter moon,

A half circle of light and shadow.

This is the moon of balance and action.

You see yourself walking along a quiet path illuminated by its light.

Each step is steady,

Purposeful.

Along the way,

You notice signs of your growth,

Moments when you've taken risks,

Faced challenges or made decisions that have brought you closer to your goals.

The first quarter moon whispers to you,

This is the time to act,

To build,

To trust in your strength and the roots you have made for yourself.

Feel this wisdom settling into your heart,

A reminder of your power to shape your journey.

The waxing crescent to the first quarter moon symbolises the mirrors,

The energy of beginnings moving into action.

We are emerging from stillness,

Gathering strength and stepping into motion.

Sense,

Feel or imagine this energy within you now.

It is the spark of creation,

The courage to grow,

The clarity to move forward.

Trust this phase of your cycle,

Knowing that the light will continue to grow with each step you take.

Take relief in knowing that this is happening and trust the process.

Now imagine yourself standing under the quarter moon.

It's balanced light and shadow shining over you.

What message does it have for you?

What action or intention does it inspire?

Listen deeply to any gifts or wisdom the moon has to offer you.

When we invite in this silence from our place,

Our cocoon of cosiness and security and rootedness,

From here we rest deeply.

We invite any inner wisdom,

Guidance,

Deeper healing,

Knowing all is welcome here.

We allow this to come forward and maybe it may guide you on your illuminated path a little bit more.

For now rest,

Rest deeply.

I'll mind the time and when it's time to return and finish our yoga nidra,

You will hear my voice welcome you back.

It's time to begin to return.

Feel yourself walking back down the path,

The light of the moon softly guiding you.

Each step brings you closer to your waking self,

Carrying the wisdom,

The hope and the energy of the waxing crescent and the first quarter moon.

Begin to notice the breath,

The gentle rise and fall of the belly,

The support of the ground beneath you.

Welcome in a sense of smell the next time that you breathe in,

A sense of taste the next time that you swallow,

Stretch into the fingers,

The toes,

Knowing that this practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

This practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

If it helps you a little bit more to take a few big breaths in and out each time you breathe in,

Bringing yourself back fully and completely to waking life,

This practice of yoga nidra is now complete.