You can choose to receive this short yoga nidra,
Lying down or sitting upright.
But whatever position you choose,
Allow yourself to be 10% more comfortable than you would habitually be.
Let your whole body sink down into the earth.
Let it surrender fully to gravity.
No effort.
The practice of yoga nidra is a practice of total rest.
So you can let go of any muscle tension,
Emotional tension or mental tension.
And this yoga nidra in particular is all about reconnecting with the earth.
Reconnecting with our nature.
Reconnecting with the steadiness inside us that is available even in the most agitative times.
So go ahead.
Allow your eyes to close or simply drop the gaze down.
Let the eyes sink towards the back of the head.
Let them feel really heavy.
Let the earth have them.
And as you let go of your physical vision,
Allow your inner vision to become more sensitive.
Take a moment to notice the soothing darkness of your eyelids.
And this very darkness can be a signal for you to relax and open and drop down a little deeper into silence.
Let your awareness flow to your nose and your sense of smell.
Your sense of smell which is your primary sense.
Your sense of smell which is also connected to the element of earth,
Our sense of safety,
Belonging and feeling welcome in this world.
So take a moment to notice any fragrances in the air around you or maybe the absence of fragrances.
Allow them to travel up your nostrils and down your throat.
And notice the instinctive labeling that happens without our conscious input.
Is this a safe smell or unsafe smell?
And often it happens without any word.
It's our instinct.
So take a moment to really trust that instinct,
Your natural wisdom and intuition.
Welcome your sense of smell and the feeling of grounding.
Welcome all of your being here exactly as it is.
And take a moment to invite a feeling of heaviness into your physical body.
Become aware of your feet and let them sing heavily into the floor or whatever support you have underneath you.
And as they do so,
Imagine all the little joints and bones inside you.
Find a little more space between them.
Become aware of your ankles,
Your calves,
The back of your knees,
Your thighs.
Let them sing down into the earth.
Let all of your senses and senses be in your body.
Let all the muscles surrender to gravity.
Let them rest.
Let the earth have them.
Become aware of your groin,
Your hips,
Your lower belly.
Let the hips release any tension they might be holding.
Let them really crash into the earth.
Let them rest and be fully supported.
Let the earth have them.
Become aware of your belly.
And let it sing towards the lower back.
Let the earth have your belly.
No need to hold it.
No need to pull it in.
It can just really rest under gravity.
Become aware of your heart and your chest.
Notice your chest expanding and contracting back down with every inhalation and every exhalation.
You might become aware of the pause at the end of the exhalation.
And give it full expression.
No need to rush.
Nowhere to go.
Nothing to do.
Become aware of your upper back,
Your shoulder blades,
Your neck.
Become aware of all the heaviness and support that this part of our body handles throughout our lifetime.
Let it rest.
Let the earth have it.
Become aware of your arms and your shoulders.
Let your shoulders drop down towards the earth.
Let them collapse under gravity.
Let your upper arms be fully supported by the floor or your padding.
Let the forearms relax.
Let the wrists relax.
Let the palms of the hands let go.
Let the earth have them.
Become aware of your throat.
And let the hollow part of your throat really sink down towards the earth.
Let the earth have it.
Let your vocal cords bathe into the silence and let them relax.
No need to talk.
Nothing to say.
Become aware of your face,
Your cheeks,
Your mouth,
Your jaw,
Your temples,
The space around your eyes,
Your nose,
Your forehead.
Let every single muscle of your face relax.
Let it surrender to gravity.
Let the earth have it.
Become aware of the crown of the head and the back of the head.
Let it drop down.
Let it be supported by the floor or the padding.
Let it be supported by the earth.
Let the earth have it.
Once more,
Become aware of the palms of your hands.
Notice how heavy they are.
So heavy that if you try to move them you might discover that it's really hard.
They weigh a ton.
Heavy arms.
And you might even imagine,
If you're someone visual,
That the palms of your hands are so rested,
So connected to the earth that they start growing little roots from each fingertip.
Imagine these roots going into the earth,
Spreading wide and far,
Connecting you deeply with the soil,
The earth's crust,
The underground rivers,
And all the way to the oceans.
Imagine this network of roots spreading so far and wide that it wraps around the whole earth.
And so the whole of the earth is now supporting you,
Steadying you,
Providing your connection to everything that is.
All of your being is welcome here.
