Yoga Nidra For Grounding & Rest (Live Recording, 28.03)

So we'll go in a relatively short practice of yoga nidra.

And the invitation is to enquire a little bit in those different sensations.

That will be the main focus of the practice today.

So first of all,

Sense into the physical body and listen.

Listen to any bits of information you receive.

You can play a little bit with the breath in the beginning of the practice by inhaling through the nose a bit deeper and sighing out.

This gives some sensations of release,

Of letting go of tension.

And then we listen again.

Is there anything you could do to organize the body in such a way that it becomes even more at ease?

Then slowly can you open up to surroundings?

And notice are there smells?

Maybe a play of light or darkness through the eyelids?

Perhaps a taste in the mouth?

A touch of air upon the skin of your cheeks or your feet or the hands?

And also the contact of skin with trousers,

Shirts you're wearing?

Or an eye pillow?

Or a blanket?

Can you sense into the relationship with the earth?

The relationship of the body with the earth,

Sensing into the body print?

And are there sounds?

Sounds far away?

Sounds nearby?

Sounds in the body?

And sensing all these sensations at once?

Taste,

Smell,

Sounds?

Things you see,

You sense with the skin?

And then opening up to internal sensations,

The internal environment?

Sensing into the muscles and noticing is there softness?

Are our muscles feeling tight?

And there's no need to change.

We need ourselves the way we are.

Sensations of the breath?

Perhaps a heartbeat?

Activity of inner organs?

A sense of aliveness in the inner environment?

A position or a vibration even?

And then opening up to a sense of the position we have?

Do you know where your feet are?

Your hands?

The tip of the nose?

Can you sense into the relationship between the back of the head and the sacrum?

Sensing the distance between the body and the ceiling?

And sensing all of this at once?

Internal sensations?

Proprioceptive sensations?

All at once?

May you then sense into a feeling of ease,

Of okayness?

And we can inquire a little bit in what may be of help.

And the breath perhaps can be of help.

So when you open up to sensations of the breath,

You allow the body to give weight on each exhalation,

Feeling the body print becoming deeper,

More grounded.

That could give a sense of okayness or ease.

Perhaps a body part that feels nice and quiet?

Paying attention to that body part for a couple of moments and inquire into sensations of okayness.

Perhaps the belly or the chest,

Palms of the hands?

Maybe a combination of all these.

And for some moments can you turn the mind towards a situation that gives you a sense of okayness?

Could be a memory,

A place in your house,

In nature.

Could be an image of yourself,

Of something you love to do.

You may open up the senses for this and bring it to life.

Let your brain and body believe that this is now reality,

This situation.

And just notice,

Notice sensations that arise.

There's no need to create or impose.

Just lean back and beware.

And another way to inquire into a sense of ease,

Okayness,

Can be to connect with our deeper longing,

A sense of purpose.

And for this you may rest attention in the area of the heart as if you breathe in and out through the heart.

And see if you can sense the front side of the chest and also the back side.

Opening up to sensations in the heart space.

And sensing into the question here,

What is it that life is asking of you?

What is it that life is asking of you?

And again,

Lean back,

Don't go into mental analysis or a mental quest for an answer.

Just lean back,

Sensing into the heart space.

Feeling that question,

What is it that life is asking of you?

And perhaps a sensation arises.

Perhaps that sensation is received by you as a feeling or an emotion.

Maybe there's even a word.

And if it feels okay to engage the mind here,

You may repeat that what life is asking of you.

As if it's already so.

And I give an example,

If life is asking you to be more at ease,

No matter what happens,

Then you repeat mentally,

I am at ease.

If you feel a sense of love arising out of that question,

Just repeat,

I am love.

I am free.

I am okay.

Just examples.

And keep sensing into the body.

Notice what comes to the foreground.

Meeting and greeting it as it is.

And then we can let go of images,

Of questions.

And we'll explore that sense of ease,

Of groundedness a little bit more by rotating attention through the body.

And we begin in the feet.

Sensing into the left foot.

Opening up to sensations in the toes.

The sole of the foot.

The heel.

The top of the foot.

And also the left ankle.

Sensing the left foot,

The left ankle at once.

And then sensing into the right foot and the right ankle.

The toe,

The sole,

The top,

The heel.

The whole of the right foot.

The right ankle.

Just sensing into it.

Both feet and ankles at the same time.

Sensations.

Sensing into the right lower leg,

The calf and the shin.

And also the right knee.

Lower leg and knee.

Pure sensation.

Sensations in the left lower leg and the left knee.

The calf,

The shin.

Sensing both lower legs and knees at the same time.

Sensations in the left upper leg,

The buttock and the left hip.

The right upper leg,

The right buttock and the right hip.

Sensing both upper legs at the same time from the inside.

Sensations in the buttocks,

In the hips.

Sensing into the area between the hips,

The pelvis.

Back of the pelvis with the sacrum.

The bottom with the sit bones,

Pelvic floor.

Front of the pelvis,

The inside of the pelvis.

And let sensations arise in the lower back,

The mid-back and the upper back.

Slowly.

The whole back at once.

The belly.

The area of the diaphragm.

Sensations in the chest.

The outside of the torso and the inside of the torso.

Sensations lightening up in the shoulder area.

The blades,

The collar bones,

Tops of the shoulders.

The whole shoulder area.

Sensing into it.

Sensing into the left shoulder and from the left shoulder let your left arm arise.

The upper arm,

The elbow,

The forearm,

The wrist.

The left hand.

Sensing into the palm,

The fingers and the fingertips.

And from the left arm and the left shoulder traveling through the neck to the right shoulder.

And let your right arm rise up as sensation.

The right upper arm,

The elbow,

The forearm,

The wrist.

The right hand,

The fingers.

Pure sensation.

Sensing into it.

Both hands,

Wrists,

Both forearms,

Elbow,

Upper arms,

The shoulder area at the same time.

And then sensing into the neck,

The head.

Sensations in the skull,

The skin over the skull,

The face.

The left ear and all the tiny muscles around the ear.

And the right ear and all the tiny muscles around the right ear.

The whole head at once.

Inside,

Outside,

The mouth,

The throat,

The brain,

The eyes.

And then sensing into this whole body at once.

Sensing into the sensations of the breath.

Sensations of inhalation,

Exhalation.

And slowly opening up to sensations of ease.

Feeling grounded.

Sensations of presence,

Awareness.

Once again,

You may sense into that question,

What is it that life asks of you?

And then we move to the end of the practice.

Take some moments to do absolutely nothing.

Just sensing into whatever arises.

And then we slowly open up to surroundings again.

Sensing the earth beneath,

The heaven above.

The universe all around us and in us,

Unfolding.

And from here we can bring our physical body online.

Notice where is the pinky finger of the left hand.

The toe of the right foot.

Do you know where you are in the room?

And from here you may deepen the breath,

Especially the inhalation a little bit.

And when it's time,

Feel where does the body wants to start to move.

It could be the head or the hands or the toes.

And the practice is officially ended here.

But take your time.