Welcome to a loving kindness yoga nidra practice.
When you practice yoga nidra,
You should be comfortable lying down if possible.
So take some time to settle in,
Making any small adjustments you need to be comfortable.
And as you find your comfort,
Take a few deep breaths and allow your body to begin to soften.
Right now nothing else matters.
Nothing exists but your body and breath.
You have nowhere to go and nothing to do but simply be.
This time is for you.
Find stillness in your body.
Allow your body and mind to deeply rest and rejuvenate.
Settle your body down into the earth.
Feel the earth beneath you,
Holding and supporting you in your practice.
Let the earth support you.
Allow yourself to open to its nourishment.
Feel the earth blessing you.
And if it feels right,
Send gratitude to the earth for being here.
Everywhere you are in every moment of life,
This same earth will be here nourishing and supporting you.
Five,
Allow your head to become soft and heavy,
Releasing the weight of the head into the earth.
Four,
Invite your arms to become soft and heavy,
Releasing tension into the earth.
Three,
Soften your legs.
Allow them to become heavy,
Releasing into the earth.
Two,
Allow your shoulders to release,
Becoming soft.
One,
Allow your low back to release.
Imagine yourself now in a place that feels peaceful and nourishing.
It can be anywhere you like a real place or an imaginary place.
It could be outside in nature,
Like a beach or the forest.
Or it could be inside on your bed or in a favorite room.
This is your inner sanctuary.
Feel yourself here and notice your surroundings.
Notice how it smells.
Notice the sounds you would hear in this peaceful place.
Notice the colors that you see and the light.
Notice any special objects,
People or animals in the space.
See yourself in this peaceful place and feel the energy here.
You feel full of peace,
Comforted and nourished.
At any time during practice,
You can guide yourself back here.
Your inner sanctuary is always here for you whenever you need it.
Become aware of your heart space.
Feel your heart beating warm in your chest.
Feel your breath moving in your chest.
Now go inward,
Deep inside your heart and ask,
What is my heart's deepest longing?
What does my heart desire more than anything else?
When your heart has given you its answer,
Create an intention based on your heart's longing.
This is a positive statement in present tense,
As though it is already happening.
For example,
If your heart desires to feel at peace,
Your intention could be,
I am at peace.
Craft your intention now and then repeat it quietly to yourself three times.
Now turn your awareness to your face.
Notice sensations in your cheeks,
Jaw,
Chin.
Feel your mouth,
Inside your mouth,
Roof of the mouth,
Tongue,
Teeth,
Gums,
Insides of the cheeks.
Feel your whole mouth alive and vibrating with sensation.
Feel your lips,
Nose,
Eyes,
Forehead,
Crown of the head,
Back of the head.
Ears.
Feel your throat.
Bring attention to your right shoulder,
Right upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist.
Feel the palm of your right hand,
Back of the right hand,
Right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger.
Feel your whole right hand alive with energy and sensations.
Feel your left shoulder,
Left upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm of the left hand,
Back of the left hand,
Left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger.
Feel your whole left hand alive with energy and sensation.
Bring awareness now to the center of the chest.
Feel the shoulder blades on the back,
Back of the rib cage,
Sides of the rib cage,
Front of the rib cage,
Belly,
Lower back,
Pelvis.
Feel the right hip,
Right thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Top of the right foot,
Bottom of the right foot,
Toes.
Bring awareness to the left hip,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Top of the left foot,
Bottom of the left foot,
Toes.
Feel the back of the body resting on the earth.
Feel the back of the body.
Feel the front of the body facing skyward.
Feel the front body.
Sense the whole body now.
Feel your whole body.
Observe your natural breath.
Notice inhalations.
Feel exhalations.
Notice the pauses in between breaths.
Notice the sense of expansion as you breathe in and the sense of softening as you breathe out.
Notice the temperature of the incoming breath.
Feel the temperature of the outgoing breath.
See yourself again in your inner sanctuary.
See yourself in this most peaceful and relaxing place.
Remember how it smells.
Notice what you can see from your resting place.
Listen to the sounds.
Feel yourself resting in this safe space.
See yourself resting peacefully from up above as if you are on the ceiling or floating above your body looking down at yourself.
You look so calm and serene.
As you continue to look at yourself,
Send yourself some love and kindness.
Feel the positive energy and loving kindness soaking into your body and mind as you repeat these phrases quietly to yourself.
May I be safe.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be healthy.
May I live in peace.
May I live in peace.
As you continue to watch yourself,
You see and feel yourself soaking up all of these positive wishes.
The positive energy of the loving kindness practice fills every cell of your body.
You are at peace,
Safe,
Happy and healthy.
You are at your essence,
Pure joy and light.
See yourself,
Feel yourself as pure joy and light.
Now,
Resting in this amazing feeling,
Return to your intention statement that you created at the beginning of this practice.
Repeat it again three more times.
Letting it soak into every cell of your being,
Knowing that it is the truth.
Five,
Feel yourself expansive,
Open and free,
Radiating pure bliss and light.
Aware of your innate healing energy.
Four,
Now become aware of yourself as your witness,
The part of you that has observed your body,
Breath and journey.
Three,
Now begin to notice thoughts and feelings flowing back into your awareness.
Two,
Notice your breath,
Feel its rhythm and pace.
Invite your breath to begin to deepen.
Feel yourself reawakening.
One,
Now sense your body.
Notice the back of your body on the earth.
Feel all the places where you touch the ground.
Feel the front of your body facing skyward.
You are now becoming slowly more awake and aware.
Invite a deeper breath into your body now.
Feel your fingers and begin to move them with your breath,
Gently opening and closing your hands with the breath.
Slowly now beginning to make larger movements,
Stretching and moving in any way that feels good to you.
And now as we come to the end of your yoga nidra practice,
Enjoy the sound of the bell,
Letting it wash over you and sealing in the healing work of your practice.
The bell is invited.
