Yoga Nidra: Safely Held By Mother Earth

So once you've found your comfortable position to rest in,

Just bring your awareness to that feeling of your body resting against the surface beneath you.

Feel into all of the places where your body is supported by the surface beneath you.

Just take a moment to acknowledge that you are held and supported by the earth.

Whatever surface it is that you're lying on is going to support you all the way through the practice.

So knowing that you are held and supported,

Perhaps give yourself permission to relax even more deeply.

Now just bring your awareness to the breath.

Just observe how your breath is moving today.

Follow the breath as it comes in and as it flows out.

Notice where the breath flows to as it comes into your body.

Does it move into the belly or into the chest?

Or perhaps it flows somewhere else.

Just notice wherever the breath goes and notice how with every exhalation your body becomes a little bit more relaxed.

With every exhalation any tension gently unwinds from the muscles.

Now just send the awareness out to any sounds that you can hear in your environment.

Let the awareness jump from sound to sound.

Without getting too involved in any one sound,

Just acknowledge that all of those sounds are there and know that they are not going to disturb you.

They can only help you to relax even more deeply.

Just take a moment to acknowledge that this is your practice.

It's your time for your rest,

For your healing,

For your self exploration.

And there is no way to get this practice wrong.

You can continue to follow my voice for as long as that's useful for you.

You are free to just drift away and ignore me.

If you fall asleep it just means that your body needs to sleep and is taking advantage of the opportunity to get some rest.

So knowing that you can't get the practice wrong.

Take a moment to welcome whatever is coming for you today.

Knowing that the practice is going to bring you exactly what you need.

Now imagine yourself to be in a beautiful,

Safe,

Quiet,

Peaceful,

Natural environment.

So somewhere in nature where you feel completely safe,

Completely at peace.

You might like to recall somewhere that you know that you always feel peaceful,

Calm and safe when you visit there.

Or you might like to imagine somewhere that has all of the qualities that you would need to feel safe and peaceful and secure.

So just allow that impression of that natural,

Safe,

Peaceful environment to arise vividly all around you.

Observe your surroundings.

Notice any plants,

Any animals,

Any structures.

Notice the sky.

Now imagine yourself lying down in this safe,

Peaceful environment.

Feeling the support of the earth beneath you.

Feel your body completely letting go and surrendering into the earth.

Now feel into your body.

Feel how that feeling of safety and protection rises through every cell of your body.

Notice all of the physical sensations that come with that feeling of safety.

This is your feeling that you have created for yourself.

You can always come back to it at any time if you need to.

A feeling of absolute safety,

Security,

Peace.

As you rest in this beautiful,

Natural place,

Feel the feeling of relaxation deepening throughout your body.

As we rotate the awareness around the body,

Just allow each part to completely relax and surrender into the support of Mother Earth.

We'll begin at the right hand thumb.

Bring the awareness to the right hand thumb.

Give the right hand thumb permission to completely let go,

Knowing that the thumb is held and supported.

The right index finger.

Move the awareness to the right index finger.

The right index finger completely letting go.

The right middle finger.

The right ring finger.

The right little finger.

The palm of the right hand.

The back of the right hand.

The right wrist.

The right forearm.

The right elbow.

The right upper arm.

The right shoulder.

The right side of the chest.

The right side of the abdomen.

The right waist.

The right hip.

The right thigh.

The right knee.

The lower leg.

The right ankle.

The right heel.

The sole of the right foot.

The top of the right foot.

Each of the right toes.

1,

2,

3,

4,

5.

Now rest the awareness on the whole of the right foot.

The whole of the right leg.

The whole of the right arm.

The whole of the right side of the body.

Feel the whole of the right side of the body safely held by the earth.

Then move to the left side and bring the awareness to the left hand thumb.

Feel the left hand thumb completely letting go.

The left index finger.

The left middle finger.

The left ring finger.

The left little finger.

The palm of the left hand.

The back of the left hand.

The left wrist.

The left forearm.

The left elbow.

The left upper arm.

The left shoulder.

The left side of the chest.

The left side of the abdomen.

The left waist.

The left hip.

The left thigh.

The left knee.

The lower leg.

The left ankle.

The left heel.

The sole of the left foot.

The top of the left foot.

Each of the left toes.

1,

2,

3,

4.

Bring the awareness to the whole of the left foot.

The whole of the left leg.

The whole of the left arm.

The whole of the left side of the body.

Feel the whole of the left side of the body held and supported by the earth.

Then we'll move up the back of the body.

Bring the awareness to rest at the right heel and the left heel.

The back of the right knee.

The back of the left knee.

The right buttock.

The left buttock.

The whole of the spine.

The right shoulder blade.

The left shoulder blade.

The back of the neck.

The back of the head.

The top of the head.

Moving down the front of the body,

Bring the awareness to the forehead.

The left eyebrow.

The right eyebrow.

The left eyebrow.

The eyebrow centre.

The right eye.

The left eye.

The right ear.

The left ear.

The right cheek.

The left cheek.

The tip of the nose.

The upper lip.

The lower lip.

The chin.

The jaw.

The right collarbone.

The left collarbone.

The space between the collarbones.

The right side of the chest.

The left side of the chest.

The centre of the chest.

The navel.

The lower abdomen.

The right hip.

The left hip.

The right knee.

The left knee.

The right ankle.

The left ankle.

The right toe.

The left toe.

The whole of the body.

Bring the awareness to the whole of the body.

Feel the whole of the body held and supported by the earth.

Deeply secure.

Now bring the awareness to the breath.

Watch the gentle rising and falling of the chest as the breath flows in and out.

With each inhalation,

Fresh prana,

Fresh life force energy is delivered into the body.

With each exhalation,

Anything that you no longer need is released from the body.

Welcome the fresh life-giving air with each inhalation.

With each exhalation,

All that you no longer need is released.

Come back to your safe place in nature.

See yourself lying in your safe,

Peaceful,

Natural environment.

As you safely rest in this secure,

Peaceful space.

You feel a raindrop floating down from the sky and landing at the space between your eyebrows.

As the raindrop floats down to land on the space between your eyebrows,

It cleanses the eyebrow centre.

Clearing away any energy,

Any thoughts,

Any tension that is no longer needed from the eyebrow centre.

Another raindrop floats down to the space between the collarbones.

Cleansing the space between the collarbone.

Raindrops float down to the right shoulder.

The right elbow.

The right wrist.

The tip of the right thumb.

The tip of the right index finger.

The tip of the right middle finger.

The tip of the right ring finger.

The tip of the right little finger.

The right wrist.

The right elbow.

The right shoulder.

The space between the collarbone.

The left shoulder.

The left elbow.

The left wrist.

The tip of the left thumb.

The tip of the left index finger.

The tip of the left middle finger.

The tip of the left ring finger.

The tip of the left little finger.

The left wrist.

The left elbow.

The left shoulder.

The space between the collarbone.

The centre of the chest.

A raindrop floats down to cleanse the centre of the chest.

The left side of the chest.

The right side of the chest.

A raindrop floats down to the navel.

The lower abdomen.

The right hip.

The right knee.

The right ankle.

The right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

The right ankle.

The right knee.

The right hip.

The lower abdomen.

The left hip.

The left knee.

The left ankle.

The left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

The left ankle.

The left knee.

The left hip.

The lower abdomen.

The navel.

The centre of the chest.

The space between the collarbone.

The eyebrow centre.

The top of the head.

A raindrop floats down to the top of the head.

Clearing away anything we no longer need.

The top of the head.

Now feel into your body and invite the feeling of heat to arise within the body.

Feel the body becoming very hot.

Feel heat throughout the body as if you're under the hot summer sun.

Feel that feeling of heat intensifying inside every cell.

The feeling of heat.

Welcome that feeling.

The feeling of heat.

And now invite the feeling of cold to arise inside the body.

The feeling of cold.

Feel the body becoming very cold as if you're out in the frost on a cold winter's morning.

Welcome that feeling of coldness into every cell of the body.

Feel it vividly.

The feeling of cold.

And are you able to feel both of those together?

Is it possible for you to feel heat and coldness inside the body at the same time?

Are you able to feel heat and cold in the body together?

The feelings of heat and cold together.

And now move the awareness to the eyebrow centre.

Rest the awareness at the eyebrow centre.

And just observe whatever you perceive happening at the eyebrow centre.

Perhaps shapes,

Colours,

Perhaps just darkness.

Without getting too involved in what you see,

Just watch.

And keeping the awareness at the eyebrow centre,

I'm going to name some different things.

Allow an impression of each one to arise as I name it.

Without forcing anything to happen,

Just allow each one to arise however it comes.

We'll begin with the sun rising over the mountains.

The starry night sky.

A feather floating in the breeze.

A tiger walking through the jungle.

White clouds in a clear blue sky.

A forest.

A misty morning.

A duck.

A flowing river.

Green shoots emerging from the soil.

A tall oak tree.

Waves crashing against the sand.

A bird building a nest.

A cascading waterfall.

A crescent moon.

And come back to your quiet,

Safe place in nature.

See yourself lying in your safe,

Peaceful,

Secure environment.

Feel into the feeling of the earth beneath you.

The support of the earth beneath you.

As your awareness moves more deeply into your connection with the earth,

Notice the quiet beating coming from the earth.

Like a drumbeat.

Feel that gentle beating rippling into your body.

Rest here.

The peace and support of Mother Earth holding you as you rest with the quiet beating of the earth.

Now allow an impression to arise of your happiest,

Healthiest,

Most fulfilled,

Most empowered self.

See yourself moving through your life with ease,

With peace.

See yourself doing all of the things that you need to do.

Moving through any challenges or obstacles with grace.

See yourself living the life that you want to live.

See your most abundant,

Fulfilled,

Joyful self.

And now very slowly begin to turn the awareness back at you.

Just notice any sounds that are present in your environment around you.

Let the awareness jump from sound to sound.

Without getting too involved in any one sound,

Just acknowledge that those sounds are there.

And feel the feeling of the air against your skin.

The feeling of the surface beneath you supporting your body.

And very slowly start to make some small movements to reawaken your body.

Start moving the fingers and the toes.

The wrists and the ankles.

And give yourself a big stretch in any way that feels good for you.

And taking your time,

There is no rush.

When you are sure that you're wide awake again,

Slowly blink the eyes back open to complete the practice.