Hello and welcome to your yogic slumber practice.
This practice is ideal for resetting your nervous system and for carrying yourself into deep restful sleep.
Our practice will begin and end with the gentle sound of chimes.
So,
If sleep is your intention,
Simply allow the final chimes to be your sign to completely release into the calm slumber of rest and stillness.
As we prepare,
Know that this is your time to release,
To relax and rest into the warm embrace of your own liminal space.
A space between awake and asleep,
A journey between the familiar and the unknown,
Floating within your subconscious mind and body,
Aware of and present with your peaceful inner self.
To begin your journey,
Prepare yourself a comfortable nest,
Pillows,
Blankets,
Warmth and softness,
Whether seated,
Reclining or lying in bed,
Tune out any and all external distractions.
This is your time,
Your space,
Your personal retreat.
As you nestle in,
Take a bigger inhale and a long sigh and close your eyes.
Welcome again to your yogic slumber practice.
Soften into the base of your body,
Yield into whatever parts of your body touch the surface beneath you,
Gently melt any obvious gripping or holding in your body,
Soften,
Feel the smooth and slow rise and fall of your own breath.
Relax your belly,
Relax your ribs,
Allow your throat to feel more spacious.
Allow each inhale to be comfortably welcomed,
Allow each exhale to gracefully depart,
Inhaling,
Exhaling,
Inhaling,
Exhaling,
Rising and falling,
Languish in the calm waves of breath washing over the shores of your body.
Now place your attention at the heart space,
The center of your chest.
Feel the rise and fall of your breath at this place.
Soften and listen,
Forming this question in your mind,
What does my heart desire from my practice?
What does my heart desire from my practice?
Now send this question from your head towards your heart.
What does my heart desire from my practice?
And listen for the quiet and whispered response of your heart.
Listen and feel.
Greet whatever is arising as your sankalpa,
Your heart's desire,
Your intention.
Practice wholeheartedly towards this felt desire.
Now become aware of your senses.
Feel the cool touch of air in your nostrils.
Use your sense of smell to detect any subtle odors.
Avoid labeling and identifying,
Simply experience odor.
Feel the moist interior of your mouth.
Gently separate your teeth,
Soften your jaw,
Sense any residues of flavor.
Simply experience taste.
Notice the play of light behind your closed eyes,
Flashes of light and dark,
Waves of color,
Indistinct flickering images washing through your awareness.
Simply experience vision.
Listen into the space around you,
Sounds nearby,
Sounds of yourself breathing.
Listen into the space far beyond you.
Feel that blurred boundary between you and your surroundings.
Sense yourself in this place,
This space of you being here,
Now.
Experience hearing.
Sense the texture and support of whatever you're resting upon.
Feel texture and support everywhere with all parts of your body.
Rough and smooth,
Hard and soft,
Resilient and yielding.
Become aware of the entire surface of your skin.
Sense warmth,
Coolness,
And the subtle movements of air,
Sensations everywhere.
Experience touch.
Now feel all five senses together at once.
Odor,
Taste,
Vision,
Hearing,
Touch.
Be the entire field of sensations.
Experience everything all at the same time.
Now,
Gently.
Gently turn all of these outward-seeking senses inward.
Turn your senses of smell,
Flavor,
Sight,
Listening,
And feeling inward.
Reign your senses inward.
Perceive the inner sensations of self,
The tingling and buzzing inside your hands,
The movement of your body as you breathe,
The subtle beating of your heart,
The softening of your muscles,
And the heaviness of your bones.
Dive ever inward,
Ever inward.
Move your awareness to the thumb of your right hand,
The first finger,
The middle finger,
The ring finger,
The baby finger.
Feel all of the fingers of your right hand,
The back of your right hand,
The palm,
The wrist.
Feel your entire right hand.
Move your awareness to the thumb of your left hand,
The first finger,
The middle finger,
The ring finger,
The baby finger.
Feel all of the fingers of your left hand,
The back of your left hand,
The palm,
The wrist.
Feel your entire left hand.
Your right elbow.
Your left elbow.
Your right shoulder.
Your left shoulder.
Sense your entire right arm,
Your entire left arm.
Sense both arms at once.
Sense both arms.
Move your awareness to the big toe of your right foot,
The middle three toes,
The baby toe.
Feel all of the toes of your right foot,
The top of your right foot,
The bottom,
The ankle.
Feel your entire right foot.
Move your awareness to the big toe of your left foot,
The middle three toes,
The baby toe.
Feel all of the toes of your left foot,
The top of your left foot,
The bottom,
The ankle.
Feel your entire left foot.
Your right knee,
Front and back.
Your left knee,
Front and back.
Your right hip,
Your left hip.
Sense your entire right leg.
Sense your entire left leg.
Both legs.
Both legs.
Become aware of your pelvis,
Front and back.
Your abdomen,
Your ribcage,
Front and back.
Your collarbone,
Your entire torso,
Your entire torso.
Sense your throat,
The back of your neck,
The back of your head resting heavily.
Right ear,
Left ear.
Right cheek,
Left cheek.
Forehead,
Right eye,
Left eye.
The bridge of your nose,
Your nostrils,
Lips,
Chin.
Sense your entire head,
Your entire head.
Sense both arms,
Both legs,
Your entire torso,
Your entire head all at once.
Sense your entire body,
Your entire body.
Feel heavy.
Feel held.
Sink deeply.
Melt and fuse with the earth.
Melt.
Feel lightness,
Buoyant.
Float above the surface upon which you rest.
Levitate.
Float.
Feel heavy again.
Melt.
Feel light again.
Float.
Feel heavy and light at the same time.
Feel heavy and light at the same time.
Sense coolness.
Contract your skin.
Conserve heat.
Become cool.
Sense warmth.
Heat your entire form.
Expand your skin to dissipate heat.
Become warm.
Feel cool again.
Contract.
Feel warm again.
Expand.
Feel cool and warm at the same time.
Feel cool and warm at the same time.
Become more awake.
Brighten.
Open to the world.
Become more sleepy.
Fade away.
Close down the world.
Sense awakening,
Brightening,
Opening.
Sense sleepiness,
Fading,
Closing.
Sense wakefulness and sleepiness at the same time.
Sense wakefulness and sleepiness at the same time.
Now just be.
Rest in this place.
Just be.
Nothing to do.
Just be.
Rest.
Be still.
Go deep into stillness and silence.
May you be at ease.
May you be peaceful.
May you rest.
Just rest.
Rest.
