Hello dear friend,
Welcome to this Grace Yoga,
Yoga Nidra practice.
The intention of this practice is to help you let go and to find rest,
To prepare yourself,
Lie down,
Get comfortable,
Close your eyes,
Choose whether to lie on your back,
Your side,
Your stomach.
It's most important that you feel comfortable.
Take your time to find that pose that makes you feel most comfortable.
Maybe you have a pillow between your knees,
Or your knees between your arms or under your head.
And perhaps you are covered with a blanket so that you stay warm.
Breathe in a deep inhale,
Exhale,
Feeling the muscles around your shoulders relaxing,
Your head feeling heavy,
Neck softening,
The tiny muscles around your eyes relaxing and softening.
Take in one more deep breath all the way into the lower abdomen.
Gently and slowly exhale.
Notice the subtle changes of your pelvis,
Your hips,
Your legs,
The bottoms of your feet and all 10 toes.
If your mind is wondering,
Thinking,
Bring your awareness to your breath and allow your thoughts to drift away as they no longer help you right now.
There's nothing to be done except to let go.
Mindfully bring your awareness to your physical body.
Is there any tension that you're holding that you can let go of on your next exhale?
Soften your jaw and let go even more.
Bring your awareness to your thoughts.
Begin to direct your thoughts toward your sankalpa,
The powerful sankalpa,
Always said in the present tense,
Short,
Sweet,
Yet powerful.
As an example,
Sankalpa,
You could use something like my mind relaxes with ease.
I sleep easily.
I am at peace.
I know how important I am.
I know how loved I am.
Hold your sankalpa in your mind and in your heart.
Make any final adjustments that you need.
Allow yourself to be still for the rest of this practice.
Now it's time to say your sankalpa.
Say your sankalpa in your mind three times.
Moving on to a rotation of consciousness,
I will say a part of the body and all you have to do is bring your awareness to that part.
No moving,
Just awareness.
You may also have a felt sense of that body part.
Bring your awareness to your right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Right arm,
Arm pit,
Right side ribs,
Right side waist,
Right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Left arm,
Right leg,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Bring your awareness to your left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Arm pit,
Left side ribs,
Right hip,
Left side ribs,
Left side waist,
Left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Heel,
Heel,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Left leg,
Right leg,
The pelvis,
The torso,
Right leg,
Left leg,
Heel,
Heel,
Right arm,
Left arm,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
Right side of the body,
Left side of the body,
The whole body,
Whole body,
Whole body.
Bring your awareness to your breath.
As an observer,
Begin to count your breathing,
Each exhale from 10 down.
Don't worry if you get lost or lose track,
Just start again at 10.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight,
Nine,
Ten.
Now we will focus on sensations of opposites.
Imagine the feeling of sinking like a stone in water.
Imagine the feeling of floating like a feather in the air.
Now imagine the feeling of floating like a feather in the air.
Transition your feeling to heaviness as if your body were made of lead.
And now draw up feelings of lightness as if your body were made of cork,
Cotton,
And very light.
Imagine you felt solid.
Solid like a rock.
Solid like granite.
And now feel hollow as if you have much space within.
Imagine yourself as solid.
Now imagine the feelings of being hollow with much space within.
Release the sensations of opposites.
Take your awareness to the screen of your mind and visualize a candle flame.
The seated Buddha,
A pearl,
A seashell,
A rainbow,
A dark stormy cloud.
Torrent rain.
A tree blown by the wind.
A calm breeze.
A pastel sunset.
A flock of birds.
A dove.
A green leaf.
Dark and rich soil.
Let go of the visualizations.
Remember your sun kalpa and say it in your mind three times.
Continue to sleep here for as long as you like.
Namaste.
Namaste.
