Yoga Nidra/Yogic Sleep - Healing Nurture In Nature

Welcome to this yoga nidra,

Which will help us to cleanse and clear our physical,

Mental,

Energetic and emotional bodies.

Allowing us to reach a state of bliss.

This state is known to us but we have little or no memory of being in our inner bliss.

But this yoga nidra journey can help lead us there.

Just settling in to your space.

Yoga nidra is usually practised lying in shavasana,

That's on your back,

With your legs hip width distance apart,

Feet falling outwards and your arms a few inches away from the body.

Please use as many pillows or cushions as you like to get comfortable.

A pillow under your head and perhaps a pillow under your knees which can help to take any pressure from your lower back.

Or if there is another position that you would be more comfortable in,

Please find that just now.

And then close your eyes or bring them to a soft gaze.

Just become aware of the room that you're in.

Drawing your awareness into the individual space that your body inhabits as you lie here.

Sensing your clothing touching your body,

And the air on any exposed skin.

Now become aware of the surface you're resting on.

Any blankets or pillows you make contact with.

And sense the earth beneath you rising up to hold your body.

Mother Earth rising up to meet your body and fully support your back,

Your head,

And your limbs.

Holding you safely in this restful position for the next 30 to 40 minutes.

We'll begin by setting a sankalpa or intention.

This is a heartfelt statement that you make to yourself that's repeated in the present tense.

If you already have a sankalpa or intention that you use for yoga nidra,

You can continue to work with this today.

If not,

We'll complete a short exercise to help you feel into something that you truly want to bring about in your life.

Something that really resonates with you.

And then we'll create a short positive statement or intention in the present tense as if it's already happening.

So examples of a sankalpa or intention might be,

I am healthy and free.

Or I am calm and at peace always.

Or I am worthy and have compassion for myself.

We're just focusing inward now and take a deep breath from your head and to your heart.

And then continue breathing in and out of your heart space.

What is your heart yearning for?

Just feel into what emerges.

It may be a single word,

A sense of something or a vision.

What is your heart yearning for?

I'll give you a few moments to create a positive statement or intention in the present tense as if it's happening now.

And once you have your sankalpa or intention,

Repeat it three times to yourself with feeling like you're planting it as a seed into the earth to take root.

I'll now guide you through relaxation states and into the state of yoga nidra.

If at any point you don't want to follow any instructions,

You always have the choice not to.

Instead,

If you wish,

You can follow your breath.

I'll take you through a journey of the body and we'll visit marma points or energy points of the body.

And as we do this,

Allow your mind to quickly transition from body part to body part.

This should be a relaxing journey through the different parts of the body and the swiftness with which we transition can relax the mind and reduce external thoughts.

So when you hear a body part named,

Bring as much presence or awareness as possible to that body part.

Starting at the space between the eyebrows,

The middle of the throat,

The right shoulder,

The right elbow,

The bend of the right wrist,

The tip of the thumb,

Tip of the first finger,

Tip of the middle finger,

Tip of the fourth finger,

Tip of your pinky finger,

Bend in your right wrist,

Your right elbow,

Right shoulder,

Hollow of the throat,

The left shoulder,

The left elbow joint,

Bend of the left wrist,

The tip of the thumb,

Tip of the index finger,

The tip of the middle finger,

Tip of the fourth finger,

Tip of the pinky finger,

The bend of the left wrist,

The left elbow,

Left shoulder,

The middle of the throat,

The heart centre,

Right side of the chest,

Heart centre,

Left side of the chest,

Heart centre,

Navel point,

Middle of the pelvis,

The right hip joint,

The right knee,

The right ankle,

Tip of the right big toe,

Tip of the third toe,

Tip of the fourth toe,

Tip of the small toe,

Right ankle,

The right knee,

The right hip,

Middle of the pelvis,

The left hip,

Left knee,

The left ankle,

Tip of the left big toe,

Tip of the second toe,

Tip of the third toe,

Tip of the fourth toe,

Tip of the small toe,

The left ankle,

The left knee,

The middle of the pelvis,

The navel point,

Heart centre,

Middle of the throat,

The space between the eyebrows,

Resting here at the space between the eyebrows,

Feel your whole body,

Welcoming any sensations,

Awareness of sensations in the body.

And now imagine yourself lying in a pool of healing liquid light.

Breathe this liquid light up through your body to the top of your head on the inhale.

Then release the breath out at the top of your head,

Allowing a shower of healing light to fall around you like a fountain,

Which then replenishes the pool.

So inhaling liquid light from the pool you're resting in,

Drawing it up through the body and releasing out through the head on the exhale.

Liquid light falling around you like a fountain.

You might like to imagine your body as a flower or tree,

Liquid light being drawn up through the stem or trunk and exploding at the top,

Blossoms at the end of every branch.

Continue to circulate this liquid energy with each breath,

Allowing the healing energy to clean,

Purify and brighten your being.

And releasing this imagery now,

Allowing your breath to return to normal.

And I now invite you to explore opposite feelings and sensations in the body.

We often hold opposite feelings throughout our day.

And this invites us to accept that all emotions are welcome.

So bring to mind,

Sense or imagine a time where you felt nurtured and cared for.

Invite this feeling in.

Notice how nurtured and cared for feels in the body.

You don't have to focus on a particular example.

Just allow yourself to feel and sense nurturing and being cared for in your body.

Perhaps noticing where in the body you might feel or sense this.

Just becoming aware of sensations in the body when you bring a sense of being nurtured or cared for to mind.

And releasing that now and as an opposite,

Invite in a sense or imagine what the lack of care for oneself or self-neglect feels like in the body.

Explore how this feels and how you experience lack of care for yourself in the body.

Not thinking of a particular example,

Just the felt sense in the body of self-neglect or lack of care for yourself.

Now exploring the sensations of both self-neglect and self-care and nurturing together.

Notice how this feels in the body to hold both self-neglect and nurturance together.

Holding opposites,

A place of strength and growth.

And now releasing opposites.

Bringing your awareness to your closed eyelids.

Allowing yourself to sink deeper and to rest here.

Resting and allowing your mind to drift off.

Dropping deeper and deeper into stillness.

Now sense or see yourself resting in the most magnificent,

Peaceful garden.

The garden of deep rest.

Notice your body on the ground as if you're looking down on yourself from a bird's eye view.

Your senses are wide open.

What do you feel?

Perhaps the vibration of Mother Earth as you rest on her?

Or the temperature or quality of the air that you breathe?

What do you see or hear in your rest garden?

And what smells surround you?

Notice the position you're resting in and how peaceful you seem.

In this magnificent,

Peaceful place,

You are nourished by the healing power of nature,

Deep rest and stillness.

You are completely at ease.

Body and no body.

Mind and no mind.

Here there is space to rest.

Observe yourself resting in supreme stillness.

Nothing to do.

Sense all forms of exhaustion dissolving and leaving the body.

And as you continue to rest here,

Exhaustion leaving the body,

Notice how the body can now fill with a healing colour,

Renewing every cell and atom.

This colour is unique to you.

Rest here for a couple of minutes as the body fills with healing,

Every cell being renewed.

You're now in an energy field where intentions or sankalpas can be heard and manifested.

Repeat your sankalpa or intention softly to yourself three times.

And as you continue to rest here,

It's time to welcome in your guides.

Perhaps you have mentors in life or connect with your ancestors or perhaps animal spirits.

Whoever sees and supports the true you may join you now.

Slowly,

If it feels right,

Invite in their presence and feel or sense into their presence.

Feel the presence of your guides or the energy of your mentors in your whole body.

Notice how they honour the true you.

Now,

In their presence,

If it feels right,

Repeat the following affirmations.

I am deserving of rest and support.

I am deserving of rest and support.

I am worthy of self-care and nurturing.

I am worthy of self-care and nurturing.

I am enough exactly as I am.

I am enough exactly as I am.

Connect with your breath,

Feeling your belly and chest rise and fall with each inhalation and exhalation.

Now breathe in and out of your navel point and when it feels right,

Ask for a soul whisper,

A message from your soul.

This may be something you sense or arrive as an image,

Word or phrase.

Just breathe and listen.

If you've received the soul whisper,

Notice how this feels in your body and if you haven't,

Trust that it will come after the nidra,

Perhaps during your evening or in dream time.

Allowing your breath to return to normal and taking a moment to notice how you feel.

Allowing your breath to return to normal and taking a moment to notice how you feel.

Open,

The body quiet.

You're reaching the end of our yoga nidra and if you wish to fall off to sleep,

Then you can stop listening now.

Sweet dreams.

If you would like to continue with the rest of your day,

Just bring attention to the air in your mouth or nose as you breathe.

Bring awareness to where you are in space and time.

Feel your body touching the surface you've been resting on.

As you feel ready,

You might like to very slowly move your extremities,

Your fingers and toes.

You can rest here for a further few moments or open your eyes and return to your day.