Welcome to this Yoga Nidra.
Allow yourself the time now to pause,
To be held,
And to rest in stillness.
To give yourself time to simply be.
See if you can take time to settle the body on the ground or on the chair.
And notice that you are supported and that you are welcome here.
And now start to open your ears wide to notice the sounds around you.
Notice the sounds far off in the distance.
And gradually listen to the sounds around your body.
And the sounds inside your body.
The sound of the breath.
And now allow yourself to drop into the silent place where all struggle stops.
This is your time to rest deeply.
Start to feel the breath gently entering and leaving the body.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Feeling the whole body breathing.
Sensing the breath and how it moves inside your body.
And as you exhale,
Simply melt into the sensations in the body.
And now inhale through the heart and exhale through the heart.
Paying attention to the sensations here.
Breathing through the heart.
Welcoming sensations.
Feel how each breath cradles the heart.
Notice how the body is held by the ground beneath you or whatever support you're on.
Letting go of all effort.
You are already here and you are already enough.
And now let yourself take in the words of this poem.
I want to be held by each moment as the arms of branches cradle a nest,
As the center of that nest lined with the cottony down of thistle holds a single blue egg so gently it might never crack.
I want to be cradled that carefully,
Protected from all the noise and the push,
The jostling that life sometimes brings.
As the tree holds still around the nest,
Rooted and patient,
Letting the wind sway its limbs without ever letting go.
And now if you like,
Invite a quiet intention to arise from the heart.
A simple phrase,
Something kind,
Something true.
Let it rest gently in your awareness like a seed.
And trusting whatever intention arises,
Saying it to yourself three times.
And if nothing arises,
Perhaps using the words,
I am a safe place for myself and others.
Taking time with your intention now.
And now we'll move awareness gently through the body.
Experience the body breathing itself and notice each area,
Letting it relax or soften as it is named.
Starting with the right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Shoulder,
Collarbone,
Right chest,
Right waist,
Right hip,
Thigh,
Ankle,
Right leg,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Feeling now the whole right side of the body,
Right side of the body.
Soft,
Heavy,
Held.
Now bringing attention to the left hand.
Left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the left hand,
Back of the hand,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Collarbone,
Left chest,
Left waist,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Foot,
Toes,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
The whole left side of the body.
The whole left side of the body.
Soft,
Heavy,
And now feeling into the whole body.
The whole body lying here,
Safe and still.
All the sensations in the body melting into one sensation.
Experiencing the body as sensations radiating in all directions.
To the left of the body,
To the right of the body,
Behind the body,
In front of the body,
Below the body,
And above the body.
And now noticing the whole body.
Bringing attention now to the breath.
Sensing the breath flowing gentle in and out through the body.
Like wind through the branches.
Noticing each in-breath and each out-breath.
Each breath cradling the heart.
And start to slow down each breath.
We're going to count now with each breath.
Breath starting with 11 like this.
Inhaling 11.
Exhaling 11.
Inhaling 10.
Exhaling 10.
Inhaling nine.
Exhaling nine.
Continuing in your own time now.
Counting your way down to one.
If you lose track of the count at any point,
Just begin again from 11.
And now let go of the counting.
Bring your attention to the place just between the eyebrows.
Begin to notice cold.
Just aware of any sensations of cold around or inside the body.
Body cold.
And now aware of your breath.
Aware of warmth or heat inside the body or on the surface of the body.
Aware of warmth.
And now aware of cold and warmth together.
Cold and warmth together.
How do you feel that in body and mind?
Cold and warmth.
And now release and just be still.
Notice the space between the eyebrows and drop back into a level of deep tranquility.
And now see in front of you a tall,
Strong tree rooted to the earth.
And as you zone into the branches of the tree,
You see a nest.
Imagine now that you are that tree.
You are that nest.
You are a soft place built twig by twig,
Lined with feathers and grass.
And thistle down safe,
Gentle,
Made with care,
Resting in the crook of the strong,
Compassionate branches.
Cradled and cradling.
You are a safe space for yourself and for others.
You offer warmth,
Shelter,
A place to grow.
Feel what it's like to be made of care and held with care.
Feel what it's like to build a life of softness,
Strength,
And quiet love.
Each moment held with care.
Each moment supported.
Feel this.
And rest now in stillness.
There's nothing to do,
No role to play.
Just resting in the warmth of your own heart.
Resting in the vast kindness that holds you and flows through you.
You are part of a greater tenderness.
A quiet,
Loving presence that supports all things.
Take time now to let go into tenderness.
Fully held by stillness extending everywhere.
And now I'll bring back the space of the heart.
And recall your intention.
Like a soft thread bringing you back to your heart.
Take time repeating that intention to yourself gently three times.
And if you can't find that intention,
Using the intention,
I am a safe place for myself and for others.
And now begin to gently come back.
Start to notice the sounds around you.
Become aware of the room and the space that you're in.
And if you feel like you'd like to rest some more,
Just giving yourself permission to do so.
And if you're bringing yourself back into the rest of your day or night,
Begin to slowly move the body,
The fingers and the toes.
Stretch in any way that feels nourishing.
Take some deeper breaths.
Perhaps noticing if there's any place in the body that needs a tender touch or a tender hand.
Your yoga nidra is now complete.
May you be held by each moment.
May your life be a nest of safety and love.
For yourself and for those around you.
