Welcome to this 60 minute yoga nidra,
The journey inward.
You can begin by lying down in a comfortable position on your back,
Arms at your sides with your palms facing up.
Feel free to use any prop that helps to support your comfort,
Maybe placing a pillow or a bolster under your knees,
Maybe you'd like a pillow for under your neck,
A blanket to cover yourself,
Or even an eye mask.
Allow the legs to fall open naturally.
Gently close your eyes and begin to notice your natural breath.
There is nothing to fix or figure out,
Just observe,
Feeling the cool air with every inhale and the warm air with every exhale.
Know that for the next hour,
There is nothing to do but rest in awareness.
I will guide you through this practice and allow yourself to simply listen and feel.
Set an intention to stay awake and aware but without effort.
Let your body surrender and your mind gently staying alert.
Now bring to mind a sankalpa,
A heartfelt intention or affirmation.
It could be something like,
I am calm and whole.
I am open.
I trust the unfolding of life.
I am grounded and at peace.
Choose one that feels right to you and mentally repeat it three times with full awareness and belief.
Now we will begin a journey through your body known as a body scan.
This is an opportunity to shift your awareness inward and connect to the physical body with a sense of curiosity and ease.
There is nothing you need to do,
Just notice.
As I guide your attention to different parts of your body,
Simply bring awareness,
Feeling and any sensation or maybe the absence of sensation and then let it go.
Try not to move.
Stay still,
Relaxed and alert.
Let your attention move lightly and effortlessly from one place to the next like a gentle beam of light.
We will begin at your right hand thumb,
Right index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
The palm of your right hand,
Back of the hand,
Shin,
Sole of your foot,
Wrist,
Top of the foot,
Your right big toe,
Second toe,
Third and fifth toe.
Bring awareness to your left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Forearm,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Shin,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third.
Bring your attention to your right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Your spine,
Low back,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Back of right thigh,
The back of your left thigh,
Back of the head,
The space between the eyebrows,
Your right eye,
Left eye,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
The tip of your nose,
The right collarbone,
Your left collarbone,
Your chest,
Your heart center,
Your solar plexus.
Now sense the whole right side of the body,
Your whole left side,
Both together,
The entire back body,
Entire front body,
The whole body as one,
Resting and aware.
Now draw your attention to the natural rhythm of your breath.
Observe your breath as it flows in and out.
Feel the breath in your nostrils.
Begin to silently count your breaths backwards from 27 to 1.
Inhale 27.
Exhale 27.
Inhale 26.
Exhale 26.
If you lose count,
Begin to feel your body becoming heavy,
Sinking into the ground beneath you.
Your limbs have been weighted,
Held by gravity.
Now feel the body becoming light,
Almost weightless.
Imagine a cool breeze across your skin,
The sensation of cold.
Now feel warmth spreading throughout your body,
Glowing,
Comforting warmth.
Imagine you are walking through a forest at dusk.
The trees are tall.
The path is soft beneath your feet.
The light filters through the canopy,
Golden and warm,
And you hear the sound of a nearby stream.
You find a peaceful clearing and lie down in the grass.
Above you,
The sky begins to darken.
Stars slowly start appearing.
You feel a vast sense of calm and belonging.
A gentle presence surrounds you,
Your higher self,
Peace,
Wisdom,
Healing.
Allow this space to show you anything you need to see.
Stay with the feeling.
Now return to your sankalpa,
Your intention.
Bring it to your heart and repeat it silently three times with meaning and trust.
The seed you plant now will grow.
Begin to bring awareness back to your physical body.
Feel the surface beneath you,
The weight of your limbs.
Begin to deepen your inhales and your exhales.
Gently move your fingers and wiggle your toes.
Maybe you rack your head side to side.
No rush.
Stretch in any way that feels good for you.
When you feel ready,
Keeping your eyes closed,
Slowly roll on over to your right side,
Coming into the fetal position,
Using your right bicep as a pillow for under your head.
Take a few breaths here.
Feeling the earth beneath you,
Supporting you in every way.
Gently press yourself back up into a seated position.
Again,
Keeping your eyes closed,
Moving slowly.
Begin to bring your hands to your heart center,
Palms touching.
Bowing your head in gratitude for your body,
Your breath,
Your awareness.
This yoga nidra,
The journey inward,
Is now complete.
Namaste.
