Welcome to a yoga nidra practice.
This short yoga nidra will promote deep calm during the reflecting limbo between Christmas and New Year or as we just step into the new year.
You can also use this yoga nidra as just a quick recentering practice whenever you feel a little stress and like a period related fatigue so that we can bring some gentle body awareness and soothing imagery to help you during this transition,
During this period.
So find yourself into a comfortable position.
I'm going to invite you to lie down on your back,
Legs apart,
Arms each side of your body with palms up.
If your back doesn't really like this position you're more than welcome to bend your knees,
Maybe your knees or coming together with your feet apart.
The knees are supporting each other and I creates a little space for the lower back,
Between the lower back and the floor,
The mat or sofa or your bed,
Whichever material is beneath you.
Now gently start to lower the gaze or even close your eyes.
Make sure that you're really comfortable.
So if you haven't done so,
Prepare yourself,
You know,
Bring a blanket,
Pillows,
Cushions,
Just really making sure you're really comfortable and cover yourself with a blanket if you need to feel that warmth,
That cocooning,
Which is a great way,
Especially in this kind of like post-holiday transition and only when you feel that you've had,
You have all of the different props you need then again feel free to start closing your eyes and you might want to have a little gentle music in the background,
But otherwise just bring that awareness to the sound of my voice,
Allowing the sound of my voice to be the only thing you're gonna pay attention now.
Now starting to feel completely supported by the material beneath you,
By the ground beneath you,
The earth beneath you.
As you bring awareness to your breath,
Noticing how your body is breathing itself,
You do not need to ask your brain or ask your body to breathe in and out,
Your body is breathing itself.
You start to feel movements coming naturally from the breath.
As you inhale,
Inhaling peace,
Bringing that new energy in,
Peaceful energy flowing through the body.
You can feel it coming in maybe through the nose,
Down your throat,
Your lungs,
Coming all the way down to your belly and from your belly spreading all the way to the tip of your toes and back up to the crown of your head.
And this is helping pushing any holidays,
Business or family tensions or end of year pressures or anything that you need out of your system.
And so you're gonna start to inhale peace and exhale all of that.
Exhale all of the things you don't need,
All of the things that are not serving you right here,
Right now.
And starting to take a few deep breaths now,
Deepening your breath,
Inhaling through the nose if you can,
Feeling again that energy,
That peace coming in your body.
And as you exhale,
Release all that's not serving you anymore.
Let your body sink deeper with each exhale.
As you feel the body more and more supported,
Like if the earth was hugging your body now,
You can completely release.
You do not need to hold your body anymore.
Literally drop your shoulders down and then slowly start to become aware of the sounds around you.
The distant waves if by the sea or quiet winter air,
Welcoming any sound without judgment.
And then you might want to repeat silently in your mind or out loud if you feel comfortable the following.
I am calm,
Open and at peace in this moment.
I am calm,
Open and at peace in this moment.
I am calm,
Open and at peace in this moment.
Slowly bringing your awareness to your body again,
Feeling your entire body supported by the earth beneath you.
And then gently bringing awareness to the right side of your body.
Feel the right side of your body and bring the awareness all the way up to the crown of the head and starting to bring awareness down to your forehead,
But more specifically to the right side of your forehead.
Then down to the temple,
The cheek,
Jaw,
Relaxing more and more.
Your right shoulder,
Up arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm,
Thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Pinky,
Right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth and little toe.
Let the entire right side of your body rest heavy and soft.
Now shifting your awareness gently to the left side of your body,
Starting from the top coming on to the left side of your forehead,
Temple,
Cheek,
Jaw,
Relaxing.
Left shoulder,
Up arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm,
Your left thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth and pinky.
Coming gently down to the left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth and little toe.
Feeling now the whole left side of your body melting into stillness now.
Sensing now the back of your body,
Back of your head,
Neck,
Upper back,
Middle back,
Lower back,
Back of your legs,
Heels,
The entire back body releasing into the floor,
Feeling like you could actually go through the floor,
Through the material that you feel against your body.
In all safety,
You're safe,
You're in the arms of Mother Earth.
Just feeling your entire body,
Your entire back body releasing into the floor.
Now the whole body together,
Front,
Back,
Sides,
From crown to toes,
Supported,
Still,
Bathed in calm.
No effort,
Just presence.
Shifting now back to your natural breath.
No need for you to do anything,
Just allow your body to breathe naturally and bring awareness particularly to your nostrils.
Feel the breath at the nostrils,
The cooling air as you inhale,
The warming air as you exhale.
Now moving awareness down to your chest,
Rising as you breathe in,
Gently falling as you breathe out.
Awareness coming down to your belly,
Soft expansion and gentle release.
Let the breath flow like ocean waves lapping the shore,
Washing away end-of-year worries.
Count breath silently.
If the mind wanders,
Just come back and bring as you inhale one and exhale one.
Go up to five or ten and begin again,
Resting in a faultless rhythm.
Now moving your awareness and coming to your mind's eye,
I invite you to picture a quiet winter beach at twilight.
The soft gray skies,
The gentle waves,
Fairy lights from distant homes twinkling like stars.
You rest on warm sand,
Wrapped in a cozy blanket,
Feeling safe and renewed.
A golden light glows from your heart,
Spreading warmth through your body,
Dissolving fatigue and inviting fresh intentions for the year ahead.
Now bringing a heartfelt affirmation.
As you're here laying down,
You might want to bring your hands on your chest,
Releasing your hands on your chest,
Shoulders relaxed,
Elbows relaxed,
Arms relaxed,
Your hands resting on your heart.
Now you might want to repeat mentally or out loud whatever feels comfortable the following three times.
I embrace calm renewal between the holidays.
I embrace calm renewal between the holidays.
I embrace calm renewal between the holidays.
Feel this affirmation rooting deeply in your subconscious.
Feel it like it's already happening,
Like it's happened.
It's in you,
It's within you.
Embracing calm renewal.
Rest in spacious peace for a few moments.
Deepening your breath,
Feeling calm spreading through your body like it was blood in your veins.
You can feel peace from the crown of the head all the way down to the tip of your toes and all the way back and up and to the sides and down to the tip of your fingers.
Your whole body feeling calmer and calmer by the minute.
As you feel your body fully rested,
Fully supported by the earth beneath you.
Starting to bring awareness to your toes and your fingers,
Maybe adding a little wiggling.
You must start to roll gently your wrists and then your ankles,
Adding tiny movements back to your body as if you were feeling your body for the first time.
Then bringing your hands above your head,
Coming into a full body stretch,
Feeling the deepening,
The expansion in your body.
Your body is expanding more and more with each breath.
And as you exhale,
Releasing your arms,
Bringing your knees to your chest,
Hands around your knees,
Going a little side to side.
Coming back gently to center,
Bring your feet down,
Knees are still bent,
Gonna gently roll to the left side.
Gently bringing yourself to the left side,
Taking a moment,
Taking a couple of breaths here,
At peace,
Calm.
And then slowly starting to push with your hands down,
Coming gently back to sitting position.
Bring your hands again on top of your chest,
Just on top of your heart center.
Take a few deep breaths,
Inhaling deeply and exhaling with gratitude,
Feeling like if at each breath you can feel yourself so much calmer,
So much at more peace.
But just bringing yourself back to the moment,
Bringing yourself back to your peaceful state,
Knowing that you can come back to this state whenever you need.
Bringing your hands gently,
Palms against one another in front of your heart as you bring chin to chest,
Slowly bowing with gratitude.
This practice carries you into the new year with serenity.
Thank you.
