Hello and welcome to this yoga nidra practice for deep relaxation.
I'm going to start by getting yourself into a comfortable position that might be lying down,
Maybe you want to put a bolster or a pillow underneath the knees to help prop them up,
Maybe bringing a blanket over yourself and tucking yourself in,
Making yourself as comfortable and as cozy as you can be today.
I'm going to be here for the next 15 minutes or so to make any adjustments that you need to make.
During this time we're encouraging as little movement as possible,
Of course if you do need to adjust feel free to do so,
But knowing that the more stillness you can find in the body the deeper you can go into this meditative state,
This space of nidra and deep relaxation.
Once you are settled in your resting position,
Taking a few deep breaths,
Allowing the body to settle that little bit more to release any tension you may be holding on to and I'll start to guide us through this practice of nidra,
A guided relaxation.
Through the practice if you find yourself drifting off to sleep that is okay and completely normal,
This is the nidra state,
A place between waking and sleeping,
A place where you can deeply rest and restore.
If you find that you do drift off or your mind wanders you can simply come back to my voice whenever you are ready and I will guide you back to the practice.
Once you are comfortable I'm going to begin to watch the natural rhythm of the breath,
You don't need to change or control anything at this point but just notice how the breath flows through the body,
If you're naturally breathing through your nose or through your mouth,
Maybe starting to notice the depth of this breath,
The length of it,
Any sensations that may be coming with the breath,
Maybe you're feeling a cooling air passing through the nostrils or the lips as you inhale and as you exhale maybe the air is a little bit warmer.
By even just observing the breath you may have noticed it start to slow down,
Start to deepen,
Knowing that this breath is bringing in fresh energy and oxygen and taking away anything that you do not need,
This breath is bringing you into balance and harmony both in the mind and in the body.
Rest in this natural rhythm of the breath,
Feel gratitude for it,
Letting this breath be a reminder that you are alive and that you are well.
We're now going to start to take a journey around the body,
When I mention a body part I want you to simply bring your awareness there,
If you like you can imagine that part of your body filling with a warm glowing light,
Welcoming any sensations that may enter as we journey around the body together.
We'll start with the top of the head,
Beginning to visualize a light glowing here at your crown chakra then bringing the awareness to your forehead,
To the right eye,
Left eye,
Both eyes together,
The nose,
The mouth,
The right cheek,
The left cheek,
Both cheeks together,
The right ear,
Left ear,
Both ears together,
The back of the head,
The neck,
The throat.
And now focusing on the right side of the body,
Bringing the awareness to the right shoulder,
That golden light gently touching there,
Working down the upper arm,
The elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Back of the right hand,
Palm of the right hand,
Thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
All five fingers,
The whole right hand,
The whole right arm glowing with this warm light and taking your awareness to your right armpit,
Down the outside of your ribs and your waist,
To your right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle and foot,
Aware of the whole right leg,
The right side of the pelvis,
The lower back,
The upper back,
The whole right side of the body,
Maybe able to visualize this right side glowing filled with that light,
Noticing any difference in sensations between the left and the right side here.
We will now bring our awareness to the left side of the body,
That golden light gently touching the left shoulder,
The upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Back of the left hand,
Palm of the hand,
The thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth and fifth,
All five fingers,
The whole hand,
The whole left arm,
Bringing the awareness to the left armpit,
The outside of the ribs and the waist,
The left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle and foot,
The whole left leg,
The left side of the pelvis,
Lower back,
Upper back,
The whole left side of the body,
This left side of the body now glowing warm with this light and then feeling the whole body together,
Feeling the entire body glowing,
Noticing any sensations here and allowing the body to be grounded here,
Noticing the contact points of the body towards the ground to whatever's beneath you,
Seeing if you can allow the head to be heavy and nestling in towards the earth,
The shoulders and arms relaxed,
The legs and the feet completely heavy,
The entire body feeling so heavy and grounded that you seem to be sinking down into the floor,
Into the earth and then beginning to let the whole body feel a little lighter and softer,
Allowing almost a floating or weightless sensation to come into the arms as if they could float up effortlessly,
Seeing if you can find that feeling of lightness through the legs,
Through the feet,
Then the head and the torso feeling that little bit lighter,
The whole body feeling so light,
So weightless that you could almost imagine rising from the floor,
Floating up from the ground as light as a feather,
Then coming back to the sensation of your physical body,
Resting in peace and comfort and safety,
Beginning to feel grounded and connected to the earth again,
Letting the body start to become heavier and as you rest in this space,
Noticing any sensations that are coming and going,
Maybe starting to sense your breathing,
Your heartbeat,
Any sensations of heat or coldness,
Of heaviness or lightness,
Inviting your entire body and mind to be relaxed and at ease.
We'll now begin our slow and gentle return,
Feeling your body,
Noticing how you're feeling after your practice,
Maybe you want to bring your awareness to any sounds outside of the room,
Any sounds that you can hear within the room,
And then gently beginning to move through hands and feet,
Maybe a gentle wiggle through the fingers and the toes,
Maybe you want to take a moment for a big full body stretch or to hook the knees into your chest,
Or maybe you want to just roll over onto one side and enjoy this moment of peace and calmness that you have cultivated,
And in your own time you can come out of the practice whenever you are ready.
