IRest Yoga Nidra: Creating Space For What Is

What would you need to do?

Put your hands at your fingertips and toes.

In this moment,

Let your senses to awaken.

The space around you.

The space between you and the floor.

Where do you feel yourself in contact with the earth?

Feel the space between you and the ceiling.

Space between yourself and others in the room.

Noticing the sense of physical space between yourself and your surroundings.

Feel the weight of your body meeting the weight of the earth.

Sensation of being held by the ground beneath you.

As if the weight of the earth were rising up to meet you.

And feel all the parts of your body that are in contact with something.

The ground,

A prop.

Notice the sensation of being held,

Being supported.

Allowing messengers to arrive in awareness.

Noticing thoughts,

Sensations,

Or images that might be showing up for you.

Welcome them in with a sense of what they have to say.

As you're ready,

Step into your intention for today's practice.

If you have a specific intention that you're working with,

Welcome yourself to recall that intention.

Otherwise,

Become present to what it is that brought you to your practice today.

What is it that called you to this practice and this moment?

If nothing immediately comes to mind,

That's okay.

Sit with the question and allow yourself to open up to what may be calling out to you this afternoon.

If intention surfaces in your awareness,

Set this intention in the present tense so that it anchors you back into the present moment,

Into your body,

And into your breath as the mind and attention ebbs and flows.

So perhaps it comes to life as I am present,

I am awake and aware,

I am safe and coming into myself.

Feel this intention deeply in the body as a felt sense so that it can anchor you back time and again.

And as you're ready,

Gently set your intention off to the side,

Acknowledging that it is always there for you throughout your practice.

It is that anchor to which you can always return.

And feel into your willingness to be with what is at this moment.

As you become present to this fullness,

This wholeness of your current experience,

Inquire into what it is that life wishes most for you.

How does life want to be lived through you?

What is your heart's deepest longing?

And as you inquire into the question,

Know that this can take weeks,

Months,

Or even years to get clear on.

You may notice that heartfelt desire may not arrive as a whole,

Complete thought,

And that's okay.

Linger on whatever it is that arises.

Sensation present in your body,

Images in the mind,

Memories or thoughts.

And notice if there's a theme emerging.

Notice if the heart,

The body,

The whole self is calling you towards something.

Perhaps you feel a code of values begin to emerge from your heart center.

Acknowledge anything that are to discover your heartfelt desire.

Give yourself permission to rest in the question.

Let each clue serve as a guide to your heartfelt desire.

And as clues from your body,

Your mind and your soul coalesce,

Form your heartfelt desire as a statement of being,

Such as,

I am safe,

I am at peace,

I am at home within myself.

Feel your heartfelt desire as an expression of reality.

The wish of life living itself through you already true.

As you're ready,

Setting aside your heartfelt desire,

Begin to connect to a safe space within your body where you experience feelings of safety,

Well-being,

Calm,

And ease.

You can begin to bring this online with words,

Images,

Or memories.

Perhaps recalling an image that welcomes the sensation of fresh air,

Memories or images that connect you to that pleasant sense of being alone,

A sense of solitude,

A sense of being with yourself.

Welcoming any and all images,

Sensations,

Words,

And textures that connect you back to that sense of coming into yourself,

Like the soft pause after a sigh.

Feel deeply into this physical place of safety and ease.

Give yourself time to allow this sensation to become fully realized.

And know that this sensation is always available to you throughout your practice or in daily life when you wish to come back to that sense of inner safety,

Inner peace,

A sense of coming home to yourself.

If it feels right to stay with your inner resource,

Please feel free to do so.

If you're ready to move on,

Bring awareness and sensation in the mouth.

Sense the space within the mouth.

Notice sensation of the gums,

Teeth,

Tongue,

The walls of the mouth,

The sensation of the volume of the interior of the mouth.

Sense the jaw,

The lips.

Bring attention into your left nostril,

Right nostril,

Both nostrils at the same time.

Sense the entire nose.

And then bring attention to the left eye,

Sensing the eyelid,

The space above and below the eyes,

The temple,

The entire left eye as pure sensation.

Sense now into the right eye,

The right eyelid,

The space above and below the right eye,

The temple,

The entire right eye as pure sensation.

Attention into both eyes at the same time.

And notice if the mind wants to paint a picture or create an image of eyes.

Can you rest back into purely feeling the sensation of the eyes,

Sensing the forehead,

The space between your eyebrows,

The texture or temperature of air on your forehead,

Sensing the scalp,

The back of the head,

The back of the throat,

And neck.

As you sense the neck and throat,

Take a few swallows once or twice and welcome sensation in the throat and neck.

Sense now the whole head and neck,

Present and alive with pure sensation.

Sensing now into the space across your collarbones,

The space between your shoulder blades.

Welcome sensation in the left shoulder,

The left upper arm,

Left elbow,

The forearm,

Wrist,

Left hand,

And fingers.

Welcoming the entire left shoulder,

Arm,

And hand as sensation.

Letting go of thinking and simply sensing the left arm,

Hand,

And shoulder.

Attention into the right shoulder,

Sensing the right shoulder,

The right upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

The right hand and fingers.

Welcoming the entire right shoulder,

Arm,

And hand as sensation.

And as you're ready,

Welcoming both arms and hands at the same time without merging.

Simply sensing into both arms and hands at the same time.

As you're ready,

Bringing attention back into the chest,

The space across your collarbones,

Sensing the space of your front ribs,

The belly,

And the pelvis.

The entire front of your torso as pure sensation.

Welcome sensation back into the space between your shoulder blades.

Sensation into the lower and mid-back,

The space of your back ribs.

Sensation in the sacrum and the glutes,

The entire back of the torso and pelvis as pure sensation.

And as you're ready,

Welcoming the torso and belly,

Both front and back,

As pure sensation.

Bringing your attention to the left hip as you're ready.

Sense into the left hip,

The left thigh,

Left knee,

Left lower leg,

Ankle,

The left foot and toes,

The sole of the left foot,

The entire left leg,

Foot and toes,

Alive with pure sensation.

Welcoming attention now into the right hip.

Sensation in the right hip,

The right thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

The right ankle,

Foot and toes,

The sole of the right foot.

Welcoming the entire right leg,

Hip,

Foot and toes as pure sensation.

It feels right for you.

Climbing both legs and feet at the same time without merging,

Releasing any thought and simply sensing into legs and feet.

Sense now into the whole body,

Whole body,

Front and from head to heel.

Notice this global awareness of your body,

This three-dimensional sensation.

And invite this sense of wholeness into the body as if you could withdraw from connection to just one part of your physical self and rest back in your innate wholeness.

Notice how sensation is coming and going.

Breath is coming and going.

An awareness always present beneath all of this shifting phenomena.

You are aware of all of this temporary experience that arrives,

Lasts for a time and then dissolves.

And as you rest into being,

Welcome back your inner resource.

Sense back into that center of safety,

Security in yourself.

Welcoming that sense of a soft sigh,

A sense of coming into yourself and see if there's any new information available to you.

Feel the body breathing itself.

Notice the effortless flow of your breath,

The way your breath is always there for you,

Even when you may not be aware of it.

And observe the sensation of air in your nostrils,

Perhaps in your throat or in your ribcage or belly.

The breath as physical experience,

As physical sensation without changing anything.

Feel the movement of your breath as the flow of energy and sensation.

And as you're ready,

Begin counting the breath,

Starting with seven and counting down to one like this.

Inhale seven,

Exhale seven,

And so on.

Release the count.

Notice the mind.

Notice what it feels like now to be a witness to your breath.

It feels right welcoming back your inner resource,

Acknowledging what comes up as you invite your inner resource to resurface,

Observing any new sensations or memories,

Any nuance or information that join your felt sense of safety and comfort.

Welcome the feeling of being at home with yourself.

Notice what it's like to just be here right now.

Nothing to change,

Nothing to define or control.

Simply sensing the natural ebb and flow of experience into this presence that animates you,

Feeling deeply into your own aliveness.

Check in with any sensations in the body,

Creating space for these sensations to arise in your awareness and in your body and welcoming them as messengers once more.

And as you're ready,

Welcoming a sensation or emotion.

If it feels safe,

Noticing if there's any belief or emotion around fear or worry that might be surfacing and just noticing what's here.

If something else is asking to be seen,

Feel free to stay with that and simply creating space for whatever wants to be held,

Whatever wants to be heard in this moment.

As this belief surfaces or as this emotion surfaces,

Give yourself permission to stay present.

And if it feels safe to do so,

Inquire into the nature of this emotion or belief.

Does it have a texture?

Does it have a beginning or an end?

Does it contain a periphery?

And where do you feel this emotion or belief within your body,

Staying if it feels safe and right and knowing that you can always call back your inner resource to anchor you into a felt sense of safety.

And as you become familiar with this belief,

With this emotion,

As it is in the body,

Now locate its opposite.

So if a sensation or an emotion of worry or fear was asking to be seen,

What does its opposite look like?

What does the opposite feel like in the body?

Does this opposite have a beginning or an end?

Is there a periphery?

And where can you sense this opposite as a felt sensation within your body?

And as you're ready,

Come back to the original emotion or the original belief and see if you can stay present to the sensation of that belief or emotion in the body.

Noticing if anything may have changed.

Rather than thinking,

Can you feel your way through?

And again,

Moving into the opposite,

Sensing the opposite as a felt sensation in the body.

And in your own time,

As it feels right,

Move your awareness back and forth between this pair of opposites at your own pace and in your own time,

Holding both pairs of opposites at the same time without merging,

Simply allowing them to coexist in the body,

In the mind's eye.

And if it feels okay to do so,

Gently inquire into the nature of this pair of opposites,

Allowing them both to be here.

Is there a message?

Is there any new information available to you?

When you're ready,

Releasing both,

Becoming aware once more of the breath coming and going,

Thoughts coming and going.

Check in with your felt sense of the breath.

Notice,

You feel into a gentle rise and fall of the belly and chest,

Sensation of coolness as you breathe in,

Followed by the flow of warmth in the back of your throat as you breathe out.

Checking back in with any sensation in the body.

And when you're ready,

State to yourself,

I am your name.

So for example,

I am Camilla.

Repeat this statement to yourself.

Hear it in your mind and feel it reverberate throughout your body.

Notice where you feel this statement in the body.

Drop your name and simply state,

I am.

Repeat this to yourself.

Hear it in your mind.

Feel it reverberate throughout the body.

Notice where you feel this statement,

How you feel it.

Drop am and simply repeat I.

State this to yourself as you breathe.

Hear it in your mind and feel it reverberate throughout the body.

Finally,

Releasing all language,

All words,

And simply rest back into being.

Notice what surfaces when you are simply resting into being.

And as you're resting into being,

Consider who or what is this I which appropriates and claims everything for itself?

Who or what is this I which claims control,

Which appropriates how you respond in each situation?

And what would it feel like to release that I so that instead of I am hungry,

I am sad,

We acknowledge that sadness is present,

That hunger is present,

And that all sensations,

All thoughts will ebb and flow.

Everything is arising,

Lasting for a time,

And then dissolving.

Notice when being dissolves back into thinking.

Without attaching,

Continue to watch your thoughts as if they were images scrolling by on a slideshow.

Allow your thoughts to come and go.

Notice their effortlessness,

Ebbing and flowing like your breath.

From this place of non-attachment,

Taking a moment,

Reconnect back to your inner resource,

Safety and ease.

The body,

Light,

Everything to be just as it is,

Your thoughts just as they are,

As your breath continues to flow.

Perhaps you can sense back into this expansive awareness within where that sense of joy,

Safety,

Ease,

Purity or bliss to expand,

Releasing any memories or images and allowing joy to remain as a felt sense in the body.

This expansive joy that radiates throughout your being,

Throughout your breath,

This joy that is your true nature,

Is back into the body,

Is back into simply being here now.

Allow this felt sense of being to nourish you,

Acknowledging everything just as it is.

Body is present,

Breath is present,

And thoughts and sensations may be coming and going.

Gently inviting yourself to come home into the body,

Welcoming back your inner resource,

Your heartfelt desire and your intention.

See if there's any more information or direction available to you to help you live your intention and your heartfelt desire in your day-to-day life.

Allowing your eyes to remain closed,

Bring awareness back into the space around you,

Noticing sounds within the body,

Sounds within the space around you,

Connecting back into the feeling of the body here on the earth.

You're welcome to deepen your breath,

Explore movement in the fingertips and toes,

Sensing how awareness is always present as a deep and unchanging peace that underlies every changing circumstance.

Just gentle movement in the body,

Blinking the eyes to a wide awake state of being.