Hello,
My name is Gemma and welcome to this Yoga Nidra practice to support a state of balance to the mind and body.
This practice has been created to bolster a state of equilibrium and inner peace,
Helping you to slow down and feel more grounded when perhaps life feels a little too fast.
Take your time now to get as comfortable as possible,
Lying down with as much support around you that you can find.
Perhaps using blankets and pillows to provide extra support and warmth.
You can also use an eye pillow or scarf over the eyes and make any final wriggles and stretches you need to do to find your most comfortable position.
On your back if possible,
Or on your side,
Or in a supported sitting position if this feels best for your body.
Bring attention to your natural breath.
Just checking in here with how the breath feels in the body in this moment.
Perhaps it's short and shallow in the chest,
Or maybe long and deep in the belly,
No need to change it,
Just notice what's there.
We'll begin with a few rounds of box breathing to calm the nervous system and encourage a parasympathetic state,
Or rest and digest.
Box breathing involves an inhale for four,
Hold for four,
Exhale for four and hold to a count of four.
You can imagine drawing along the four sides of a box with the breath.
If the count of four feels too long then you are welcome to practice to the count of three and gently build it up from there.
Equally if the retention of breath feels uncomfortable for you then you are welcome to let that go and simply focus on a steady inhale and exhale to a count of four.
So let's begin.
Start with an exhale to empty out the lungs and then inhale for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Hold for three,
Two,
One,
And exhale for three,
Two,
One,
And hold for three,
Two,
One,
Inhale for three,
Two,
One,
And hold for three,
Two,
One,
Exhale for three,
Two,
One,
And hold for three,
Two,
One,
Inhale for four,
Hold for four.
Continue in this way to your own count.
Easy and gentle,
No need to force the breath,
Knowing you can ease off if you need to at any point.
Notice the movement of expansion on the inhale.
The stillness and fullness on the upper hold.
The movement and release on the exhale.
And the stillness and emptiness on the lower hold.
Notice the balance between movement and stillness with the breath.
On your final exhale,
Let go of any control over the breath and return to its natural rhythm.
And just check in once again and notice what the breath is like now.
Perhaps there's been a shift.
Just allow the breath to be as it is.
The breath breathing naturally and softly.
Can you welcome in even more softness with each breath?
Welcome in softness to the body with the inhale.
And release any residual tension on the exhale.
Bring your awareness to the forehead.
Relaxing the muscles between the eyebrows and around the eyes.
Soften the cheeks and jaw.
Slackening the lower jaw and tongue.
Move attention down the neck,
The shoulders,
Arms and hands.
Can you release the chest a little more with each breath?
The ribcage,
The belly.
Inviting softness to the belly.
All the way down through the legs to the feet.
With each out breath,
Surrender any lasting tension to gravity.
As you move deeper and deeper.
You may wish to introduce a sankalpa here.
A heartfelt intention to guide your practice.
You may use your own personal sankalpa.
Or you may wish to adopt,
I trust my body's natural rhythm.
I am steady and at ease.
Or perhaps my body knows how to return to balance.
Just see what resonates with you today.
And then repeat your sankalpa to yourself three times now.
Bring awareness to the base of the spine.
The area of balance and stability.
Imagine a soft glowing red light at the root of the spine.
Like the setting sun spilling its last ruby red rays across a fading sky.
A glowing light moves to the right hip.
Right thigh.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Big toe.
The whole right foot filled with the glow of a setting sun.
The glowing light moves to the left hip.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
The whole left foot filled with the glow of a setting sun.
Lower leg.
Move awareness up through the torso to the chest.
The whole chest filled with the glow of a setting sun.
Bring awareness to the right shoulder.
Right elbow.
Right hand thumb.
First finger.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Little finger.
The whole right hand filled with the glow of a setting sun.
Wrist.
Bring awareness to the left shoulder.
First finger.
Second finger.
Little finger.
And filled with the glow of a setting sun.
Wrist.
A glowing setting sun at the base of the throat.
Chin.
Inside the mouth.
Upper gums and teeth.
Lower gums and teeth.
Right side jaw.
Left side jaw.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Notice the air moving in and out of both nostrils together.
Bridge of the nose.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Right eye.
Right eye.
Center of the forehead.
Move awareness from the crown of the head to the back of the neck.
Where the skull meets the top of the spine.
The glow of the setting sun spirals its way slowly down the spine.
Expanding its rays outward at the back of the neck.
The collarbones.
Upper back.
Shoulder blades.
Front of the ribs.
The middle back.
And base of the spine.
The ruby red glow of a setting sun returns to rest at the base of the spine.
The area of balance and stability.
Inhale,
This glow expands out throughout the whole body.
And on the exhale,
The glow gathers back in to the base of the spine.
Inhale,
Rays of a setting sun expand out in all directions.
Filling the body with a ruby red glow.
Exhale,
Rays gather in like the point where the sun touches the horizon.
Inhale,
Rays reach out,
Spreading a sense of balance throughout the body.
Exhale,
Rays return to the base of the spine.
Offering a sense of stability.
Follow the gentle rhythm of the breath.
The whole body bathed in the warmth of the setting sun.
Let that go now.
Bring awareness to a sense of sinking in the body.
A feeling of heaviness.
As if the body is gently dropping down under gravity.
And held by the earth.
And now notice a sense of floating.
A feeling of lightness.
As if the body could softly rise.
By a cloud of air.
Come back to the sensation of sinking now.
The body surrendering to gravity.
And again to the sensation of floating.
And areas of lightness in the body.
To move slowly between sinking and floating.
Notice how awareness can rest between these two sensations.
Heavy yet light.
Now bring awareness to a sense of restlessness.
A subtle sense of inner movement.
An energy of doing.
And now bring awareness to a sense of stillness in the body.
A sense of being deeply at rest.
Settled in the quietness of simply being.
Come back again to the sensation of restlessness.
The energy of doing.
Of motion.
Return your attention to the sensation of stillness.
The energy of being.
Of peace.
Gently allow awareness to move between restlessness and stillness.
Noticing how both restlessness and stillness can coexist.
Centred in the balance of both sensations together.
Let both sensations fade now.
Resting in the natural steadiness that remains.
Returning to the natural breath in the body.
Imagine now a mountain at dawn.
One side of the mountain glowing with soft morning light.
The other side resting in shadow.
The morning sky holding both the rising sun and the setting moon.
The warm golden sun on one side.
And the cool silver moon on the other.
Feel now the energy of the midday sun.
Shining down on the stillness of an expansive valley.
Mountains all around.
Rising up towards the wide open sky.
The depths of the valley stretching out below you.
Picture now the ruby red of a warm setting sun.
Disappearing behind the mountains.
As the warmth of the day gives way to the deep cool blue of the night.
Light and shade.
The heights of the mountains.
The depths of the valley.
All existing together.
Allow yourself to be held here.
Resting in this natural balance.
The gentle harmony of it all.
Simply resting in this quiet wholeness.
Bring your awareness back to the breath in the body.
The steady balance between in-breath and out-breath.
Notice the contact points between the body and the support beneath you.
Bring a gentle awareness to the sense of the room around you.
You might take in one more deep breath here.
Gently awakening the body now.
Start to bring some movement to the fingers,
Toes,
Wrists,
Ankles.
Perhaps taking a stretch here.
And open the eyes and take in the room around you once again.
And if you are ready,
Making your way slowly into a seated position.
Or you might like to stay lying down for a little while longer.
Again,
My name is Gemma and thank you for practicing with me today.
I hope you feel rested and more balanced.
And may you take a sense of equilibrium into the rest of your day and beyond.
