Yoga Nidra For Peaceful Rest

Welcome.

My name is Jillian Elizabeth and it is an honor to share this experience with you.

In many ways,

This practice is a recollection of how it feels to honor the sacred moments you get to share with yourself.

Some have said that Yoga Nidra is an opportunity to connect with the truth.

A truth that deep down,

At its root essence,

You have always known.

This Yoga Nidra is a journey into the realms that hold that truth.

Into the profound power of deep rest.

Because despite the immense benefits,

This need is so commonly displaced through the movement of life.

And although downgraded,

It's truly indispensable.

From deep rest comes improved memory,

Brain function,

Creativity,

Immunity,

And some will say,

Happiness and connection.

All of this and more is here,

Now.

May this time be one to remember what is truly nourishing.

A call to quiet.

An invitation to stillness.

A welcoming home.

And joy.

The time to settle is now.

Create the space that is perfect for yourself to have the experience of deep rest.

Ask yourself,

What will make my journey here more satisfying?

A blanket for your body to keep you warm.

A bolster beneath your knees to release your back.

An eye mask on your face to remove distraction.

Build yourself now a sweet cocoon.

And shift around until you're as comfortable as you can be.

Adjust yourself.

Your head,

Your shoulders,

Your hips,

And your legs.

Until you find yourself in a space of complete release.

And from this place that you've created,

Begin to notice yourself breathe in and out.

Release expression from your face.

Soften your fingers from their grip.

Let your toes go.

Breathe all the way in.

Breathe all the way out.

And continue to follow this breath as you move now through a brief journey of your senses.

Observe yourself as you place your attention on your mouth.

Clear yourself of tension in your jaws,

Your tongue,

Your throat.

Fill your taste organs with awareness.

Move from your mouth now to your nose.

And notice smell.

Notice how the air feels inside of your nostrils.

Move to your eyes.

Notice the muscles around your eyes relax as you release your gaze on the outside world.

Observe as your eyes widen into your face.

And watch as your internal vision expands.

Move to your ears.

What do you hear?

Is it possible for you to notice sound without attachment to its source?

Sound,

In essence,

Is vibration.

Notice that you can feel sound throughout your body.

Vibration resonates upon your skin.

Feel your skin is sensitive,

Receptive,

And alive.

Notice how you come into contact with the floor,

Clothing,

And the air.

Breathe all the way in to yourself.

Notice how you feel this breath within and throughout your body.

And observe now the way your body is settled as you are held,

Moving into this state of rest.

Your senses are open.

Your body more still.

Amidst your awareness of the world outside of yourself,

Slip into awareness of what is within.

You rest here at the center of your experience.

Now begins the practice of yoga nidra.

What is your aim for this practice?

If you have a sankalpa you work with,

Recall it now.

Otherwise,

Take some time to connect to the one within you who dreams.

And consider,

What do you want?

Beyond material possessions or personal gain,

How do you want your life to grow?

This is your intention.

Now craft it so that it is personal and authentic to you.

Something like,

I trust.

I am healed.

Or,

I am awake.

And once you have it,

Repeat it to yourself.

Hear it.

Feel the message.

And place it into your heart.

With your attention here on your heart,

Visualize the spark of a gold light come alive just above you.

The gold light grows in its brilliance,

Illuminating your entire body.

See yourself now wrapped in its embrace of light,

A covering that is protective,

Trustworthy.

The light diffuses itself throughout and around you,

And as its radiance travels,

You follow with your attention.

Feel the light as it moves to your right hand,

Touching upon your thumb and all four fingers.

It collects into the palm of your hand.

Sense this light move as it fills your wrist,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Collarbone,

Underarm.

Your whole right arm filled with golden light.

Light weaves through your ribs,

Down your right waist and hip.

It fills your knee,

Down the leg to the ankle,

Heel,

And into the sole of your foot.

It illuminates your foot and fills into your toes.

Feel your entire right side full of light,

Full of awareness.

Follow the light as it moves now to your left hand,

Touching your thumb and all four fingers.

It collects into the palm of your hand,

Fills your wrist,

Moves into your elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Collarbone,

Underarm.

Your whole left arm is filled now with golden light.

Light weaves through your ribs,

Down your left waist and hip,

Into your knee,

Down the leg to the ankle,

Heel,

And into the sole of your foot.

It illuminates your foot and fills into your toes.

Feel your entire left side full of light,

Full of awareness.

Light moves along your backside now.

It fills into your calves,

Up your legs,

Into your pelvis.

Your whole sacrum fills with light.

The light travels up your low back,

Mid back,

And upper back,

Spreads across your shoulder blades,

Fills the back of your neck.

And from your neck,

This light lifts into your head.

It pools into the crown of your head,

Pouring into your forehead,

Brows,

Eyes,

Nose,

Your sinuses,

Upper lip,

Lower lip.

Light fills your mouth,

Illuminating your teeth,

Your tongue,

Your whole mouth.

Your whole jaw spreads with light,

Filling your chin,

Your cheeks,

Your temples.

Your whole head and face now filled with light.

And the light within your head now travels down to fill your throat,

The sides of your neck,

Your whole chest,

Abdomen,

Your torso,

Thighs,

Legs,

And feet.

Your whole body full with light.

Feel into your whole body.

Release and let go into your whole body.

Release into your body as light.

Now let that light guide you into your breath.

Notice your breath.

Naturally,

You are breathing.

Your breath is a vehicle for this light.

Your lungs are brimming with this light.

It spills even beyond your skin.

You are here,

Wrapped in a cocoon of light and warmth.

Explore this light as it encompasses you with each breath you take.

With your breath,

This light that wraps your being extends further.

Your breath moves,

Expanding your field of light beyond the boundaries of your form.

How far does this light extend?

How far can you expand your light with your breath?

Bring your awareness back.

Come back to the place this light emanates from.

And as you find that initial point of initiation above your heart,

Consider this place home,

A reset.

Your physical awareness fades as you move into an experience of your mind.

Here,

You find yourself move within a spectrum of emotional and mental understanding.

Let yourself experience the movement between and within the pairs called fourth.

Notice now how it feels to close yourself off and become closed.

Shut off.

Shut down.

Unable to share or connect.

You find yourself closed off or in containment.

Observe how this feels.

Release.

Let go of that and release.

Begin to open.

Experience yourself opening.

Opening now to possibility.

Sharing yourself.

Tuning in and turning on.

Sharing and connecting.

Find yourself open.

And now release that.

Return back to the point of rest where the light initiates itself.

Explore now what it feels like when you're reaching for something.

Like you're trying to hold on.

You're grasping.

Experience for yourself what it feels like when you reach.

Now notice as you release this experience.

As you release,

Notice what it feels like to receive.

What does it feel like to receive?

To open yourself and allow life to come to you.

Now once again,

Let that go.

And notice the release.

Return back to that point of reset.

To the point the light initiates.

Move now into a state of wholeness.

What does it feel like to be whole?

Allow yourself to feel whole.

And notice what does wholeness feel like?

How is it to welcome all of yourself here into this moment?

Feel yourself lying down now in a profound and deep state of rest.

You are released from all doing and in full allowance of this state.

Filled and surrounded by warm gold and light.

Thick and comfortable.

Soft and gentle.

Health immersed.

You are this light.

You are this light.

Expanded.

Expanding.

Illuminated.

Illuminating.

Warm and brilliant.

An ebb and flow of light.

You are light that moves in ripples on an infinite ocean.

You cradled in tranquility.

Held in silence and peace.

Formless,

Forming light.

The light moves in waves.

Stirring and swelling.

The reflections of light.

Swirling and undulating.

In the depth of your experience,

A surge of light moves through space.

Your awareness is peaked.

Your sense of feeling is enhanced.

Elevated.

The infinite ocean of light is swirling now.

Around you.

Within you.

Ripples widen and expand.

The awakening movement stirs in you a recognition.

A knowing.

A deep well of wisdom is accessible now.

Your sankalpa.

Your truth.

You feel it.

It feels you.

A wave of power rushes through you.

It awakens your solidity.

Your strength takes shape.

Move in ways that feel organic and authentic for your awakening.

Practice of yoga nidra is complete.

Hold yourself close.

And when you are ready to lift to a seat,

Do so.

Sit in the stillness and infinity of yourself.

Your light.

Hold yourself here.

In reverence.

In love.

Hari Om Tat Sat.

Namaste.

Om Tat Sat.