Welcome to this practice of Yoga Nidra.
Lie down comfortably on your back,
Your side or your front.
Let your body settle.
Take your time to find comfort.
Perhaps placing a pillow under the head,
Some support for the backs of the knees if you're lying on your back or between the knees if you're on your side,
A blanket to cover you and perhaps even an eye mask if there's light in the room.
Adjust any clothing or supports so you feel completely at ease and once you're settled begin to invite stillness but know that throughout this practice if you need to move you may welcome that movement with the intention of getting comfortable again.
Become aware of the natural rhythm of your breath moving in and out of the body like a wave.
On this journey,
This autumn Yoga Nidra practice you will enter a state of deep rest,
A state between waking and dreaming.
This is the practice of Yoga Nidra.
Try to stay awake and aware following the sound of my voice but if of course you drift off that's okay too.
Sense the weight of your body resting heavily on the ground.
The floor supports you completely,
There is nothing left to hold.
Feel the earth beneath you solid and unwavering.
Bring awareness once again back to the natural breath.
Try not to control it here,
Simply observe.
Breathing in the body expands,
Breathing out the body softens.
Breathing in the body expands,
Breathing out the body softens.
Imagine with each exhale you are letting go,
Releasing what no longer serves you like autumn leaves falling gently from a tree.
Your breath carries away old tension,
Old stories,
Old striving.
With each inhale invite freshness,
Clarity and space.
With each exhale release and surrender.
The inhale invites freshness,
Clarity and space and with the exhale you release and surrender.
Now bring to mind your Sankalpa for this Yoga Nidra practice,
A short heartfelt intention stated in the present tense.
It might be something like I let go with ease and trust or I am grounded,
Calm and free.
Repeat your Sankalpa three times silently with feeling and belief.
Let it settle into the fertile soil of your awareness.
Begin now to take a deeper breath,
A longer inhale and a longer exhale.
Feeling the breath as you breathe in fully and feeling that sense of release,
Of letting go as you breathe out fully.
Take 15 breaths like this and count back from 15 with each exhale.
Wherever you are in your counting of breath,
Let that go now.
Come back to your natural breath.
Now we begin a rotation of consciousness through the body,
A journey of pure awareness.
Move your attention effortlessly without analysing,
Simply noticing the body part and moving on.
We start with the right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
The right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
The right side of the waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the right foot,
Top of the right foot,
The right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Left side of the waist,
Hip,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the left foot,
Top of the left foot,
The right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
Both shoulder blades,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
Crown of the head,
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Space between the eyebrows,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Nose,
Tip of the nose,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Both lips together,
Chin,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Chest,
Upper abdomen,
Navel,
Lower abdomen,
Pelvis,
Pelvis,
Feel the whole body lying on the ground,
Feel the whole right side of the body,
Feel the whole left side of the body,
Feel the whole front of the body,
The whole back of the body,
The whole body as one,
Still,
Supported and safe.
You find yourself now in an autumn forest,
The air is crisp and golden light filters through the trees,
Leaves drift down in spirals,
Reds,
Golds,
Ambers,
Browns,
A gentle rain of release from above,
You hear the soft rustle beneath your feet,
The forest is peaceful,
Preparing for rest,
You find a quiet clearing and you lie down on the soft earth,
The ground holds you warm and steady,
Around you nature releases with grace,
Showing you that letting go is part of life's natural rhythm,
There's no rush,
No resistance,
You too can release what you no longer need,
Let the earth beneath you absorb it,
Transforming it into nourishment,
Rest here in this awareness for a few moments,
Silent,
Spacious and still,
Now return to your sankalpa,
Your intention,
Repeat it once again silently three times with full awareness and conviction,
Feel it as true already living within you,
Trust that this seed has been planted deep in your consciousness,
Begin now to draw awareness slowly back to the body,
Feel the rise and the fall of your chest as you breathe,
The contact of your body with the ground,
The air on your skin and the sounds around you,
Now let your next inhale be a little deeper than the last,
Filling the lungs on the in-breath and fully letting go on the out-breath,
Another one just like that,
Filling the lungs on the in-breath,
And fully letting go on the out-breath,
Gently begin to move the fingers and toes,
Circle the wrists and the ankles,
Stretch the arms up overhead,
Take a big breath in and when you're ready roll onto your right side and rest there for a few breaths,
This little pause before we rise symbolic of transition,
Like a gentle pause between seasons,
As you rest on your side internally bow to yourself for the courage to release and the trust to let the new growth emerge when the time is right,
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
