And as you settle into the shape,
The container of your practice of yuganidra,
Let's all take a collective exhale together.
So with your next exhale,
Feel free to sigh it out and let your body sink and melt into the surface that is holding you.
Feel that you are being held,
Being received by the earth herself.
Know that you as you are here now,
All of you is welcome and you've given yourself the permission to do nothing at all.
This is your practice of yuganidra.
Just hearing the sound of my voice and noticing your breath coming in and out,
That is more than enough.
Welcome to the practice of yuganidra.
Welcome to this safe and nurturing and healing space that is your practice of yuganidra.
Let these sounds and the sound of my voice support you to transition from an everyday state of consciousness into your practice of yuganidra and at the end of this practice,
These same sounds and the sound of my voice will support you to transition back into a more everyday state of consciousness.
Settling into your container,
Your practice of yuganidra,
Let your awareness now be,
I am practicing yuganidra.
I am practicing yuganidra.
I am practicing yuganidra.
Invite now in the center of your heart a feeling of gladness,
A feeling of thankfulness for this opportunity to practice yuganidra.
With your next inhale,
Let the breath of your heart carry your heartfelt intention your sankalpa.
Let the wisdom of your heart surface and shape the rest of your yuganidra practice.
We begin now to guide the light of mental attention,
Your awareness around your physical body as if your physical body is the earth on a cold winter's day and your light of consciousness like snowflakes falling upon the earth covering everything like a beautiful white blanket.
We begin at the tip of your tongue.
Can you let a snowflake land there?
The root of your tongue,
A sparkling white snowflake there.
The roof of your mouth,
The bottom of your mouth,
The inside of your left cheek,
A snowflake there.
The inside of your right cheek,
Another snowflake there.
Your right ear,
The lobe of the ear,
The shell of the ear,
All around through and inside your right ear.
Let snowflakes gently land there.
Your left ear,
The lobe of the ear,
The shell of the ear,
Inside and all around your left ear.
Let snowflakes descend upon that beautiful land that is your left ear.
The space between your ears behind the back of your head,
Let a snowflake sparkle there.
The crown of your head,
Let a snowflake gently float down and descend there.
Your forehead,
Your right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Right eye,
Left eye,
The space between your eyebrows,
Let a snowflake sparkle sparkle and land there.
The tip of your nose,
The bridge of your nose,
Your right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
The valley between your nose and your upper lip,
Your upper lip,
Your lower lip,
The valley between your lower lip and your chin.
And can you let a string of snowflakes gently descend upon your jawline from the left towards your chin all the way towards your right.
Feel the snowflakes gently float and land.
One in the center of your throat,
One for the right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Your right arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Center of the palm and all five of your fingers.
Can you let one snowflake land on each of your fingertips,
Your thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger and your little finger,
Your left arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm and all five of your fingers of your left hand.
Let five snowflakes,
One for each finger,
Descend on your left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger and your little finger.
Let a snowflake float and gently land in the center of your heart,
Allowing your heart to shine.
One for your right lung,
One for the left lung,
One right in the center of your navel,
One three fingers below your navel,
One for the right hip,
Left hip,
One for your groin,
One for your right thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Shin,
Ankle,
Heel,
Arch of your foot,
Ball of your foot and five tiny snowflakes,
One for each of your toes,
Your big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe and your little toe.
Let a snowflake land on your left thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Shin,
Ankle,
Heel,
Arch of your foot,
Ball of your foot and all five of your toes of your left foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe and your little toe.
From head to toe,
From toes to head,
The whole of your body is covered with snowflakes sparkling like a white blanket of fresh snow.
Now as you exhale,
Feel that you are heavy,
Settling like snowfall down to the ground,
Inhaling,
Feeling light as if you are water droplet transformed from the snowflake evaporating and floating up to the sky,
Exhaling,
Feeling heavy like snowfall descending and arriving on the ground,
Inhaling,
Feeling light like the snowflakes transforming into water vapor evaporating and floating up towards the sky.
Continue to alternate between these extremes,
Heaviness and lightness with your breath for the next five breaths and now begin to invite both extremes,
Feel that you are as heavy as snowfall descending and landing upon the earth and at the same time as light and as weightless as the water vapor that is floating upwards towards the heavens,
Towards the sky.
Hold both of these experiences simultaneously in your consciousness and now gently as well begin to let go of this practice,
Noticing the natural weight,
Shape and form of your physical body.
Feel that you are held by the earth.
Draw your awareness into the space in the center of your heart.
With your next exhale,
Allow fluffy snowflakes to gather inwards towards the center of your heart and as you inhale,
Let these snowflakes begin to dissolve into water flowing from the center through you outwards through your body into the world.
Exhale,
Letting the snowflakes float into the center of you and then letting the snowflakes begin to dissolve into water as you flow outwards.
Continue to alternate between both of these experiences,
Exhaling,
Allowing the snowflakes to gather inwards and then inhaling,
Feeling the snowflakes dissolve and flow like water outwards for the next five breaths.
Now invite both extremes,
A sense of feeling like snowflakes are fluffy and you're gathering,
Allowing them to gently rest in the center of your heart and at the same time you're allowing these snowflakes to dissolve and transform into fluid water as it flows outwards into the world.
Feel both of these experiences,
Hold both of these experiences simultaneously in your consciousness and now gently and slowly begin to allow this practice to let it go,
Let it float away and start to observe and notice the natural texture,
Quality and length of your breath.
Now become aware of your breath as a dear friend.
This is a dear friend you've known for longer than anyone else.
This dear friend you've known since the moment you were born.
Every time you inhale,
You welcome this dear friend,
You embrace this dear friend.
Every time you exhale,
You bid this dear friend goodbye with no formality,
Knowing that this dear friend will return,
Welcoming and bidding farewell,
Welcoming and bidding farewell.
We start to count your exhalations from nine to zero.
If you lose track of the counting,
It doesn't matter.
What matters is that you let your mind rest with each exhalation.
Let's begin.
Become aware of having been practicing Yoganidra.
Let your awareness be I have been practicing Yoganidra.
I have been practicing Yoganidra.
I have been practicing Yoganidra for the past 20 minutes.
20 minutes.
Know that the healing,
The insight,
The peace that you've received through your practice of Yoganidra,
It stays with you even as this practice comes to an end.
With your next exhale,
Let your mind descend like a snowflake landing upon the center of your heart.
With your next inhale,
Let the breath of your heart transform that snowflake into water.
And in this water,
Feel and hear the voice,
The wisdom of your inner teacher,
Your heart.
Receive and embrace your fluid nature.
Allow yourself to become open to whatever guidance your heart has to offer.
And see this guidance as your lived experience,
As your reality.
Here.
Now.
And now here comes a choice.
You are welcome to continue staying in the realm of water,
Connecting with the source of it all,
Residing in the collective unconscious.
You are welcome to stay,
To rest,
To rejuvenate,
To restore,
To receive.
You are also welcome,
Should you feel ready,
To begin to gradually awaken.
And should you choose so,
Allow your breath to slowly become more audible,
Maintaining this intimacy with your dear friend,
Your breath.
Allow your body to start to move with your breath.
And let these sounds and the sound of my voice support you to transition into a more everyday state of consciousness.
The practice of Yoganidra is now complete.
If you wish to,
You may rise,
Stretch very slowly,
Like water flowing.
And then if you'd like to join me in any position,
Whether you are lying down,
Seated,
I want to invite you to join me as we,
With both palms,
One hand holding the future,
What is unknown,
And the past,
Which has already happened.
We empty the past,
Empty the future,
And let your intention be as you bring the palms together to cherish and be fully present in the gift of now.
Here we take three breaths as a collective,
Inhaling through your nose,
Exhaling through the mouth,
For the three levels of existence.
We begin with the most Yin of all,
The Earth.
Inhale through your nose,
Exhale through the mouth,
Send the breath to the Earth,
Settling deeper into your physicality.
Feel the Earth,
Know the Earth,
Trust the Earth.
Second round,
Connecting with your heart,
Inhale through your nose,
Exhale through the mouth,
Let it warm your heart.
Feel as your lungs embrace your heart.
You are never alone.
Last one,
Connecting with the heavens,
Inhale through the nose,
Exhale through your mouth,
Send your breath to the heavens.
Feel the warmth of the sun shining above you,
Even on days where the clouds seem to obscure,
And you can't see the sun's rays.
Know that it is always there.
You are always connected with this hope,
With your dreams,
With your greater purpose,
Your intention.
Feel it like a guiding light,
Always.
Allowing your head to bow slightly down towards your heart,
Returning to the seed of gladness we planted at the very beginning.
And as you inhale,
Feel that you water this seed,
And allow it to begin to root,
To sprout,
To grow and blossom.
Slowly,
At your own pace,
If your eyes are still closed,
Let them flutter open.
