Welcome to this Yoga Nidra practice and thank you for joining me on this journey through rest and relaxation to help you reset and to bring a sense of calm and peace to your body,
Mind and spirit.
This is an effortless practice and you don't need to do anything other than simply relax into the experience and follow my guidance if it feels right for you,
Trusting that you will get exactly what you need to get from this practice today.
Take the next few moments to settle down completely into your nest,
Which can be on the floor,
In your bed,
On a couch,
Or any other surface that feels comforting and supportive to you.
Gather any pillows and blankets,
Anything else that will help you feel as cozy and comfortable as possible,
Maybe an eye covering to block out the light,
A support for your legs.
And if possible,
You might want to recline on your back with your head supported,
Arms at your side,
Legs extended,
Or any other position that feels comfortable and will allow you to be still and rest deeply.
Take your time to fidget and adjust until you feel completely at ease and ready to settle into relaxation.
Notice what you might be able to do to get even the tiniest bit more comfortable.
Allow your body and mind to continue settling down as you prepare for this experience of deep relaxation and rest into the knowing that there is no right or wrong way to do this practice.
There's only the way that's most true for you today.
And you might begin by taking a few breaths to begin settling down the nervous system.
On your next inhale,
Breathe in deeply through the nose,
And then exhale through the mouth,
Long and slow.
Again,
In through the nose,
And then exhale through the mouth with a sigh.
In through the nose,
Long exhale with a sigh.
And as you exhale,
Feel yourself sink and soften into the surface beneath you,
And allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Just noticing your breath entering and leaving the body,
Feeling the mind settle as these currents of breath wash in and out of your body.
And notice anywhere in your body that may be holding on to any tension,
And you might give these parts permission to soften and release.
Relax the jaw.
Relax the tongue.
Smooth out the muscles in the forehead.
Release any expression on your face.
Soften your eyes down and back,
Feeling all the little muscles behind them relax and soften.
And feel your mind soften,
Imagining the two hemispheres of your brain like muscles expanding open and outward as you rest here and sink more deeply into this experience of deep,
Deep rest.
Now take your attention to your ears,
Noticing from deep within your ears any sounds and allowing them to wash through you like gentle waves.
Notice sounds in the distance.
Any sounds in the space around you.
Now sense the sounds within your body.
Maybe you notice the breath entering and leaving your body,
Your heart beating.
And now send your breath into the center of your chest,
Mentally whispering to yourself the intention,
I allow myself to rest and to simply be.
And repeat this or any other intention that feels meaningful to you three times at your own pace.
And now you might invite your awareness to glide through the different parts of your body as you follow the guidance of my voice,
Allowing yourself to sense each part as it's being named while your body remains completely still,
Resting in deep relaxation and ease.
Begin by noticing your mouth,
Feeling any sensations within your mouth.
Notice your tongue inside the right cheek,
Inside the left cheek,
The lips,
The space between the lips,
The tip of your nose,
The flow of air inside your nostrils.
The space between your eyebrows,
Your right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Right eye,
Left eye.
The sensation of both your eyes together,
Soft and relaxed.
Right ear,
Left ear,
Both ears together,
Listening from deep within to any sounds.
The center of the throat,
The heart center,
The right collarbone,
Right shoulder,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Back of the hand,
Palm of the hand.
Your right thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
All fingers together.
Back into the heart center,
The left collarbone,
Left shoulder,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Back of the hand,
Palm of the hand.
Your left thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third,
Little finger,
All your fingers together.
Back into the heart center,
The right side of the chest,
The left side of the chest,
The heart center.
Down into your belly,
Into the bowl of your pelvis,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Front and back,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Top of the foot.
Sole of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Little toe,
The whole right foot,
The whole right leg.
Back into the pelvic bowl,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Front and back,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Top of the foot,
Sole of the foot.
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Little toe,
The whole left foot,
The whole left leg.
Now both legs together,
Heavy,
Relax.
Back into the pelvic bowl,
The tailbone,
Back,
Upper back,
Shoulder blades sinking into the earth,
The whole spine.
The weight of the head on the surface beneath you,
The whole back of your body,
The whole front of your body,
The whole body together now.
Your whole body deeply resting here,
Your whole body effortless,
Simply being,
Fully supported.
And feel your body breathing,
The beautiful natural rhythm of the breath,
Breathing in and out.
Feel the easy expansion,
The easy release,
Notice the sensation of air flowing through your nostrils.
Notice the breath at the back of your throat,
Notice your lungs expanding and releasing,
Sense the tender rise and fall of the belly.
That easy natural breath,
And now begin to breathe into the right side of your body,
Feel the right side of your body come alive with your breath as the left side falls away.
Notice sensation flooding throughout the entire right side of your body,
And now begin to breathe into the left side of your body,
Feel the left side of your body come alive with your breath as the right side falls away.
Feel the sensation flooding throughout the entire left side of your body,
Now allow your attention to cross back over the middle of your body as you breathe awareness back into the right side,
Allowing the left side to fall away.
Feel each cell in the right side of your body expand,
And now let your attention cross back over the middle of your body again,
As you breathe awareness back into the left side,
Allowing the right side to fall away.
Feeling each cell in the left side of your body expand and release,
Now sense both sides of your body at the same time.
Feeling the right side and the left side together,
Expand into the awareness of both sides together,
And notice the part of you that's noticing both sides at the same time.
That witnessing presence aware of everything within you,
And now rest back for a moment into the blank space beyond your eyelids.
Allow yourself to effortlessly sink into deep stillness,
Pure peaceful presence,
And rest here in silence for the next few moments,
Letting go of everything and simply being.
Now take your attention back to your breath,
The easy natural rhythm of your breath flowing through you with each breath in,
Each breath out.
Now slowly begin to sense the surface beneath your body,
Sense the outline of your body,
Notice any sounds inside your space,
Any sounds coming from outside your space.
Now you might take a deep breath in through the nose,
And then exhale through the mouth,
Again deep breath in,
Exhale.
And when it feels right for you,
Begin to bring small movements to the fingers and toes,
You might wiggle,
Maybe press the tips of your thumbs to each fingertip.
You might invite bigger movements like a stretch,
And you might want to gently roll to one side or bring your knees to your chest.
Rest here as long as you need to,
Returning slowly and sweetly in your own time.
And whenever you're ready,
Gently flutter your eyes open and let yourself continue to experience the feelings of peace and relaxation you've created within you.
And thank yourself for taking the time to give all parts of yourself the gift of resting and simply being,
Knowing that this is a tool you can use to give yourself that gift anytime you need it.
