Relaxing in Nature Yoga Nidra

It's time for yoga nidra.

Lie down in Savasana and make yourself comfortable.

Allow the feet to relax out to the sides,

Arms slightly away from the body with palms facing upwards.

Or maybe your knees are bent if you prefer.

Take this time to adjust your clothing or blankets so you can practice your yoga nidra with no distractions.

The practice of yoga nidra is the practice of yogic sleep,

A state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping.

Try to remain awake,

Listen to the sound of my voice and I will guide you to shift through awareness.

Try not to concentrate too intensely as this may prevent you from relaxing deeply.

Simply use and absorb what you need in the moment and leave the rest behind.

If the mind becomes overactive with thoughts or feelings,

Simply come back to the sound of my voice and the music.

Let your body sink into the floor,

Shift and move a little to sink down into your mat and then find your stillness.

Be comforted that at this time everything is ok,

Nothing else matters right now.

Everything is ok.

There's nowhere to go and nothing to do.

You're here to simply rest in awareness and listen.

And don't worry if you don't hear everything that I say.

It's common to drift in and out of conscious hearing but that deepest part of you,

The core,

Is always listening.

So coming to stillness now and remaining in stillness for deep rest and deep nourishment.

Feel your natural breath,

The breath flowing through,

Energy flowing.

Allow your bones to become heavy.

Feel your bones heavy and sinking into the earth.

Release your bones,

Heavy and sinking.

Become aware of the sounds around you.

Let your sense of hearing scan your surroundings.

Searching out distant sounds and then following them for a few seconds.

Move your attention from sound to sound without trying to identify the source.

Gradually bring your attention to the closer sounds.

To the sounds outside the room and inside the room.

Now develop your awareness of the space you are in.

Without opening your eyes,

Visualise the space.

Visualise your body lying on the floor.

See your body lying on the floor.

Become aware of the existence of your physical body lying on the floor.

Total awareness of your body lying in perfect stillness.

Your body is lying on the floor.

Develop your awareness of all the physical meeting points between your body and the floor.

Become aware of the natural breath,

The spontaneous breath,

Without interfering with the natural process.

The practice of yoga nidra begins now.

Go deep inside now.

Deep inside to notice your thoughts.

And create an intention for your practice.

An affirmation based on what you need in this moment.

A positive statement in the present tense as though it is already happening.

For example,

I have the strength to face the challenges before me.

Create your own.

And silently repeat it to yourself three times as though it is already happening.

As if it is already the truth.

Lets start with your body.

Allow your awareness to travel through your body now on a journey of sensation.

Really feel each part as it's mentioned without moving,

Remaining still,

Welcoming all sensations just as they are.

Begin with your mouth,

Feel your mouth,

Feel sensation in your mouth,

Feel your jaw,

Lips,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Notice where the lips touch,

Feel the inside of the mouth,

Roof,

Under the tongue,

Upper teeth and gums,

Lower teeth and gums,

Tongue,

Root of the tongue,

Centre and tip,

Feel the left cheek,

Right cheek,

Now feel all the parts together as a whole,

Feel your mouth as sensation,

As energy,

As vibration,

Feel your nose,

Notice your nostrils,

Left,

Right,

Both,

Notice the breath,

The nasal passages,

Follow the breath back into your head,

Become aware of your ears,

Right,

Left,

Both simultaneously,

Feel the wrinkles and folds,

The backs of the ears,

The earlobes,

Inner ear,

Notice your ears receiving sound,

Listening.

Feel your eyes,

Left,

Right,

Together,

Notice your eyelids,

Heavy,

Your eyelashes,

Feel your eyes,

Notice where your eyelids touch,

Become aware of the eyes surface,

Centre,

Feel your eyes now as energy,

Radiant and glowing.

Bring awareness to your crown,

Forehead,

Face,

Feel your whole head heavy and sinking to the mat,

Feel your neck,

Back of the neck,

The sides of the neck and the throat.

Notice your right palm,

Thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third,

Fourth,

Fifth,

Sixth,

Seventh and fourth.

Feel your whole hand brimming with energy,

Feel your wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Whole shoulder,

Notice the notch at the base of your throat,

Notice your left palm,

Thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third,

Fourth,

Feel your whole left hand brimming with energy,

Feel your wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Whole shoulder.

Notice the notch at the base of your throat,

Become aware of the upper chest,

Upper back,

Shoulder blades,

Feel your heart centre,

Open,

Receptive.

Notice your abdomen,

Ribs on the back,

Solar plexus,

Feel your belly,

Navel centre,

Pelvis,

Hips,

Feel your left hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Hip,

Hip,

Hip,

Hip,

Hip,

Hip,

Hip,

Hip,

Hip,

Ankle,

Foot,

Toes,

Sole of the foot,

Whole foot.

Feel your right hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Hip,

Heel,

Heel,

Heel,

Heel,

Heel,

Heel,

Heel,

Heel,

Knee,

Heel,

Heel,

Hand,

Foot,

Heel,

Foot,

Toes,

Sole of the foot,

Whole Notice both feet.

Feel your root between your sitting bones,

Your navel centre,

Solar plexus,

Heart centre,

Throat,

Third eye between your brow and your crown.

All alive and brimming with positive energy,

With strength,

With vibration,

Connected to the universal whole.

Develop awareness of the whole body and become aware of the space occupied by the body.

Become aware of the body and this space that is occupied by your body.

Body and space.

Become aware of the whole body and the floor.

The whole body in relation to the floor.

And at the same time become aware of the meeting points of the body and the floor.

These are very subtle physical points between the body and the floor.

Feel the meeting points between the back of your head and the floor.

Shoulder blades and the floor.

Elbows and the floor.

Back of the hands and the floor.

Your back and the floor.

The calves and the floor.

The heels and the floor.

Awareness of all the meeting points between the body and the floor.

The sensation of all points simultaneously.

Evenly.

Go on feeling these points clearly and distinctly.

Feel the movements of the body and the floor.

Feel the movements of the body and the floor.

Feel the movements of the body and the floor.

Switch your attention now to the eyelids.

Feel the narrow line of meeting between the upper and lower eyelids.

Feel the sharp points where they meet.

Intensify your awareness between the eyelids.

And then the lips.

Enter your attention on the line between the lips.

The space between.

From the lips we go to the breath.

Draw your attention to the natural breath.

Feel the inhale as the breath moves from navel to throat.

On exhalation descending from throat to navel.

Become completely aware of the breath.

Navel to throat.

Throat to navel.

Try not to alter the breath.

Simply rest in awareness.

The breathing is slow and relaxed.

Then you can start to feel when you see your eyes big and small.

Carefully start to come in.

In the past we might experience caused-effects in our żytosa.

But not for now.

Awaken the feeling of heaviness in the body.

Become aware of the heaviness in every single part of the body.

You're feeling so heavy that you're sinking into the floor.

Body pulling down.

Your body sinking down.

Awaken the feeling of lightness.

The sensation of lightness and weightlessness in all parts of the body.

Drifting up towards the stars.

Your body is so light that it's floating away from the floor.

Now shift awareness to the feeling of cold.

Imagine you're walking through the forest.

The snow falling down.

Your feet begin to chill and the cold sensation moves up through your body.

You are cold all over.

Feel the sensation of heat.

Imagine the experience of heat.

The sun shining down and flooding you with energy.

Feel the sensation of heat.

Withdraw your mind now and concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyes.

Imagine before you a transparent screen through which you can see infinite space.

A space which extends as far as the eyes can see.

Concentrate on this dark space and become aware of any phenomena which manifest within.

Continue to bring awareness to this space,

Your mind's eye,

Without becoming involved.

Practicing detached awareness.

Withdraw your mind now and concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyes.

Now imagine you're walking through the forest.

Imagine yourself in a park in the early morning.

The sun has not yet risen and the park is deserted except for yourself.

It's a beautiful park,

Calm and peaceful.

Walk across the springy grass and listen to the birds whistle and call as they welcome in the new day.

There are lush gardens of flowers,

Roses,

Yellow,

Pink,

Red and purple.

Call as a moment to smell their fragrance and see the early morning dew drops on their petals.

Near to the rose garden is a fish pond.

Goldfish swimming in and out amongst the water lilies.

See their graceful movements.

You continue to walk between the trees,

Beautiful trees.

Trees with deep green leaves and wide spreading branches,

Tall and stately trees.

As you follow the path you come to a clearing inside the trees.

In the clearing is a small temple with an aura of light surrounding it.

You go to the door.

It's cool and dim inside.

And on the walls are beautiful pictures.

You sit on the floor,

Close your eyes and become still.

A sense of deep peace and harmony pervades.

The sounds outside begin to fade to the distance.

And you continue your meditation and awareness of peace within the temple,

Allowing peace and harmony to pervade.

And you continue your meditation and awareness of peace within the temple,

Allowing peace and harmony to pervade.

Bring your awareness to the sense of peace flooding through your body.

The warmth of the energy it provides flooding your body.

Feel your body resting on the floor and drift your attention back to the space in front of your closed eyelids.

To your minds eye.

Rest your mind a moment in this warm friendly darkness.

Begin to notice your breath.

Feel your natural breath as it flows through you.

Feel the in breath.

Note the out breath.

And as you exhale imagine a wave passing downwards through your body.

Carrying away all tensions.

As you inhale a new wave moves upward bringing a sense of calm to every cell.

Exhale.

The wave carries away fears.

Inhale.

The wave brings peace and harmony.

Now it is time to remember your intention.

Your longing.

Repeat it silently three more times in truth.

It is the truth.

Now notice your back.

All the places it connects to the earth.

Notice your body skywards.

Notice all of the space surrounding you.

Beginning to ground your being back to your body.

Notice your breath.

Exhale bringing new waves of serenity.

Exhale releasing fears.

We are now coming to the end of our practice.

Before moving sense your fingers and imagine them moving.

Now begin to wiggle your fingers feeling every sensation as you do.

Notice your toes.

Feel your toes.

Gently rock your neck side to side as slow awakening.

Draw a deeper breath into your belly and your chest.

Inhale and lengthen the arms up above the body.

Enjoy a full body stretch.

Exhale draw the knees in towards the chest.

Place the hands on top.

Rock side to side if that feels right to you.

Slowly rock over to your right hand side.

Place your hands under your head and take a moment here.

Spend your own time keeping the eyes closed.

Press your left palm to the mat and flow smoothly up to a comfortable seated position.

Allow the spine to lengthen.

Take a full breath in and as you inhale imagine filling with divine light.

Notice the effects of your relaxation practice.

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