Yoga Nidra On Finding Well-Being In Your Body

Welcome to this Yoga Nidra on finding well-being in your body.

In the tradition of Yoga Nidra,

This meditation guides you into a state of deep relaxation where you will find the liminal space between waking consciousness and sleep.

This meditation is not intended to guide you to sleep and will end with a return to full wakefulness.

If,

However,

You find that you do fall asleep,

You will likely enjoy a very restful nap or even longer period of sleep.

Either way,

You will benefit.

You cannot do this wrong.

Find a quiet and private place where you can listen fully without being disturbed.

Lie down on the bed or floor or other fully reclined surface.

Spend a few moments adjusting your position until you find a place of comfort where you can remain completely still for the next half hour or so.

If you find that you need to move for comfort in the middle of the meditation,

Do so slowly and mindfully.

Begin to relax your body and turn your awareness to your breath.

Take a deep inhale,

Counting to three or four.

Now extend your exhale to six or eight counts so that your out-breath takes twice as long as your in-breath.

This extension of exhale allows your body to relax and your mind to slow down.

Continue breathing like this for several rounds of breath,

Inhaling to the count of three or four and exhaling to the count of six or eight.

Notice your body relaxing a little more deeply each time you exhale.

Now let go of the counting and the control of your breathing.

Allow your breath to simply come and go in whatever rhythm feels most natural to you.

Observe your body breathing itself.

Begin to take notice of the sounds around you.

Become aware of the sounds that are inside the room you are in and the sounds that are outside the room.

What is the furthest sound that you can hear?

What is the nearest sound that you can hear?

Listen to the sound of your own body breathing,

Perhaps your own heart beating inside of your chest or the sound of your own pulse as it slows with your increased sense of relaxation.

Now is the time to set and recite your intention for this practice.

This is the sankalpa in yoga nidra.

Sankalpa is the time for you to connect and become one with your heart's deepest desire.

As this practice is for finding well-being in your body,

What does your heart want with respect to well-being?

Well-being involves positive feelings of happiness,

Fulfillment,

Joy,

And meaning.

Can you sense the growing fullness or perhaps even a seed of potential for these positive feelings within your body?

As your body relaxes more deeply throughout this practice,

You may find well-being in the feeling of your muscles releasing tension and in a felt sense of appreciation for your body's ability to restore itself.

Take a few moments to sense the well-being that your heart desires for you.

Recite this desire in words if words came to you or in a wordless sense of presence and knowing if that is how your heart speaks.

Recite this found intention for well-being in your body three times,

Letting it sink in and resonate more deeply with each recitation.

You may choose to allow the following words of my shared sankalpa to resonate with you during this practice or you may choose to allow my words to wash over you as you connect with your own sankalpa.

Let's begin.

I find joyful appreciation and respect for the workings of my body.

I find joyful appreciation and respect for the workings of my body.

I find joyful appreciation and respect for the workings of my body.

Now I will guide you through a rotation of consciousness.

Bring your brief and gentle awareness to each part of your body as I name it.

We begin by bringing your awareness to your right thumb,

Right forefinger,

Right middle finger,

Ring finger,

And pinky,

Palm of your hand,

The back of your hand,

Your right wrist,

Your right forearm,

Right elbow,

And upper arm,

Your right shoulder,

Your right chest,

And upper back,

Your right waist,

And lower back,

Your right hip,

Right thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Ankle,

The top of your right foot,

Your right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

The sole of your right foot,

Your right heel,

Calf,

Back of your right knee,

The back of your right thigh.

Bring your gentle awareness to the whole right side of your body.

Now bring your awareness to your left thumb,

Left forefinger,

Left middle finger,

Ring finger,

And pinky,

The back of your hand,

Palm of your hand,

Your left forearm,

Left elbow,

Left upper arm,

Left shoulder,

Left chest and upper back,

Left waist and lower back,

Left hip,

Left thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Left ankle,

Top of your left foot,

Your left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

The sole of your left foot,

Your left heel,

Calf,

Back of your left knee,

Back of your left thigh,

The whole left side of your body.

Bring your gentle awareness to the top of your head,

To your forehead,

Your right eye and the tissues surrounding your eye,

Your left eye and the tissues surrounding your left eye,

Your right temple,

Left temple,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Your nose,

Your mouth,

The inside of your mouth,

Teeth,

Tongue,

Gums,

The outside of your mouth,

Your lips and the tissues surrounding your lips,

Your chin,

The front of your neck,

The back of your neck,

The back of your head,

And returning to the top of your head.

Become aware of your whole body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

On your next inhale,

Recall the intention for well-being in your body and finding joyful appreciation and respect for all the workings of your body.

Exhale,

Releasing any tension or resistance in your body and relax even more deeply.

Inhale with your intention,

Exhale with deeper relaxation.

Notice any felt sensations of well-being in your body that have arisen.

Now begin to return your awareness to the room around you.

Begin to wiggle your fingers and your toes.

Bring a stretch to your body in any way that brings comfort.

Take your time as you begin to return to full awakening,

Rolling to one side and slowly sitting up again.

Thank you for taking this time with me today to cultivate a deeper sense of well-being in your body.

I wish you joy and peace as you return to your day.

Namaste.