Yoga Nidra For Connecting To Inner Peace

Welcome to your yoga nidra practice.

Traditionally,

Yoga nidra is done lying on your back in shavasana.

Make your way there now,

Or if you prefer a different pose,

You're welcome to take any posture that feels most deeply restful to you,

Including a seat.

Use props to maximize comfort as you arrive.

A bolster or rolled blanket under the knees can support a gentle bend in the legs,

Or you might use an eye pillow to block out some light.

Take care in setting up a posture where you can lie still with comfort and ease,

Knowing that you are free to move and adjust at any time.

As you begin to settle in here,

Say to yourself,

I will not fall asleep.

I am going to practice yoga nidra.

I will not fall asleep.

I am going to practice yoga nidra.

Know that if you do happen to drift off,

You'll still receive what you need using the sound of my voice as an anchor.

Let your body drape over your mat and your props.

Feel your body fully supported by the earth below you.

Allow yourself to be held by these supports and by the container of your practice.

Close your eyes or take a gentle gaze.

Soften all of your edges,

Releasing any remaining traces of effort in your muscles.

Take a deep breath in,

Fill your belly.

Exhale,

Let it all go.

Another big breath in.

Open mouth exhale.

One more expansive breath.

And a full body sigh.

Let your breath return to its natural pace and give yourself permission to simply be.

I'll invite you to set an intention for your practice.

What do you wish to cultivate while you're practicing today?

What inner purpose do you wish to fulfill?

What do you desire to embody?

In answering these questions,

You'll set your sankalpa,

Which is your intention or resolve.

State your sankalpa in the present tense,

Ushering it in as though it is already true.

For example,

This could be in an I am statement.

If nothing comes to mind,

I'll offer out the shared intention of I am peaceful and at ease.

Silently repeat your sankalpa to yourself three times,

Stating it with conviction.

Let your sankalpa wash over you.

With each breath,

Envision your intention taking hold in both your physical and subtle bodies.

Let it beam outward from your heart space.

With each inhale,

Your sankalpa strengthens.

Like an ember,

It gets brighter with each breath in.

With each exhale,

Let it settle into your bones.

We'll now scan through the body,

Bringing your full attention into your physical being.

Let my voice guide you,

And as I name each part of the body,

Bring your full awareness there,

Holding it in your attention.

Feel into any sensations that arise as you bring your mind's eye to each area.

You may even imagine yourself being bathed in light as you rotate your consciousness through each area of your body.

Bring your full attention to your right hand thumb.

Right index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Pinky finger.

Palm of your right hand.

Back of your right hand.

Right wrist.

Right forearm.

Right elbow.

Right upper arm.

Right shoulder.

Right side chest.

Right side waist.

Right hip.

Right thigh.

Right knee.

Right lower leg.

Right ankle.

Sole of your right foot.

Top of your right foot.

Right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Your whole right side.

Bring your attention to your left hand thumb.

Left index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Pinky finger.

Palm of your left hand.

Back of your left hand.

Left wrist.

Left forearm.

Left elbow.

Left upper arm.

Left shoulder.

Left side chest.

Left side waist.

Left hip.

Left thigh.

Left knee.

Left lower leg.

Left ankle.

Sole of the left foot.

Top of your left foot.

Left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Your whole left side.

Low back.

Upper back.

Lower abdomen.

Upper abdomen,

Your solar plexus.

Chest.

Collarbone.

Your whole torso.

Throat.

Back of your neck.

Lower lip.

Upper lip.

Both lips at the same time.

Bottom row of teeth.

Top row of teeth.

Both rows of teeth at the same time.

Tongue.

Roof of your mouth.

Your whole jaw.

Left cheek.

Right cheek.

Both cheeks at the same time.

Left nostril.

Right nostril.

Entire nose.

Left eye.

Right eye.

Both eyes at the same time.

Center of your forehead.

Your whole focus on your third eye point.

The space just above the center of your eyebrows.

Your whole body.

Shift your attention back to your prana and practice the art of being with your breath.

There's no need to make any changes to the rhythm of your breath.

Simply notice it exactly how it is.

Trust that the next breath will arrive in its own time.

Without your conscious effort.

Let this be a vessel for inviting in more ease and more acceptance.

Imagine your breath flowing deeper into your physical body.

Breathe into your right hand palm.

Breathe into your left hand palm.

Feel your breath bringing a spark of energy to each individual finger.

Imagine your breath reaching the soles of your feet.

Feel your breath filling up to the crown of your head.

Feel your breath expansive along the whole back of your body.

Expansive through the front plane of your body.

Feel your breath filling up your whole body.

Begin to imagine being enveloped by a pleasant sense of warmth.

Being wrapped in a soft blanket,

You feel the comfort of your own self-generated heat.

Feel your fingertips pulse with warmth.

The rosy glow on your face.

With this warmth you melt into a state of complete relaxation,

Everything softening down.

Now imagine a chill,

Your whole body immersed in cool air.

The blast of cold feels invigorating and wakes up each cell of your body like stepping outside on a crisp,

Dry morning.

Your skin is cool to the touch and you feel alert,

Refreshed.

Returning to a sense of heat,

Imagine stepping outside on a hot day and feeling the sun on your skin.

With the sensation of heat,

Any remaining tension leaves your body with ease.

Back to a sense of cold once again,

Like a splash of water hitting your sun-kissed skin,

Bringing a feeling of playful delight.

Now feel the warmth and chill at the same time,

Letting both exist within you at once.

Warmth and chill at the same time.

Release the feelings of hot and cold and return to a state of equilibrium perfectly at ease.

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Imagine yourself outside on a cool summer night,

Spending time by a fire.

You're surrounded by friends or loved ones,

People whose company you enjoy.

There is a sense of carefree happiness in the air,

Where everyone is unburdened and present in the moment.

You're standing close enough to the fire to bask in its warmth and incandescence.

You extend your hands out,

Wanting to feel the heat a little closer.

You watch as the flames dance playfully in the air,

Simultaneously seeming formless,

Yet completely contained.

As the fire gently crackles and you listen to your friends' laughter all around you,

You become aware of the simple,

Yet profound joy of the moment.

You look at everyone's faces and see the golden glow reflecting off everyone's skin,

Like you're all mirroring a sense of inner warmth back to one another.

You step back and look up to see a clear night sky.

With a step back,

You're reminded of the cool,

Crisp air of the evening.

You gaze up at the stars twinkling above you and stare in wonder,

Captivated by the vastness of the universe and your place within it.

You realize how connected you are to the stars,

Space,

Earth,

And to everyone around you.

The moment has an expansive quality to it,

Like all limits have ceased to exist.

Like the dancing flames of the fire,

You feel both formless and completely contained.

You feel a glimmer of inner peace start to rise within you,

Starting in your core and radiating outward.

With this peace,

You realize that the best version of yourself already exists within you.

You're connected to your very essence,

Like a pilot light that's been available all along.

You close your eyes to feel it more deeply,

Tapping into this innate quality.

The peace and clarity of connection continue to strengthen.

A smile comes to your lips and you pause to soak it all in.

Begin to shift your awareness back to your presence in the space and your consciousness inhabiting your physical being.

Recall your sankalpa,

Your intention,

Bringing it back to your consciousness.

Feel it alive within you and silently repeat your sankalpa to yourself three more times.

Become more deeply aware of your body here.

Feel into your grounding points,

Each place where your body connects to the surface below you.

Feel the air on your skin and the breath filling your lungs.

Notice the light just beyond your eyelids.

Notice what arises in your heart or mind as you begin to re-emerge from your journey into yoga nidra.

Invite in a few deeper breaths,

Reinvigorating your entire being.

Continue to wake back up slowly with small movements in the fingers and toes,

Wrists and ankles.

Gently rock your head side to side or take a full body stretch.

In an unhurried way,

Open your eyes and return to the world around you.

Thank you for practicing with me.

Namaste.