Namaste and welcome back.
In a small ancient village,
Nestled among rolling hills,
There lived a weaver named Nalini.
Nalini was renowned for her exceptional skill in creating exquisite fabrics.
Her loom was a thing of wonder,
With threads of various colors meticulously arranged to craft the most beautiful textiles in the land.
Nalini was known not only for her craftsmanship but also for her wisdom.
She understood that her work was a reflection of a profound truth,
The interconnectedness of all living beings.
To her,
Every thread in her loom represented a life,
A story and a unique experience.
One day,
A curious traveler named Dev approached Nalini's humble home.
He marveled at the intricate patterns she wove and said,
Your work is truly remarkable,
Nalini.
How do you create such intricate designs and colors?
Nalini welcomed Dev and offered him a seat.
She replied,
Thank you,
Dear traveler.
My work is a reflection of a deeper understanding.
You see,
The threads in my loom are like the lives of all living beings.
Each thread is distinct with its own color,
Texture and purpose.
Just as every individual is unique in their experiences and qualities.
Dev was intrigued and asked,
But how do you weave them together to create such beautiful patterns?
Nalini smiled and continued,
I weave the threads together with care and precision.
Just as life weaves all living beings together in the grand tapestry of existence,
In each design you can see the harmony and unity that emerges when the threads come together.
As Nalini worked on her loom,
Dev observed the patterns forming before his eyes.
He began to understand the message behind the weaver's words.
Nalini explained further,
You see,
Dev,
Just as thread has a role in creating the fabric,
Every living being has a unique place in the grand design of life.
The threads may seem separate,
But in reality they are interconnected,
Each influencing the others.
When we recognize this interconnection,
We understand that our actions,
Thoughts and choices have an impact on the entire fabric of existence.
Dev realized the profound wisdom in Nalini's metaphor.
He understood that just as threads created a beautiful fabric when woven together,
Individuals could create a harmonious and beautiful world when they recognized their interconnectedness and acted with love and compassion.
As he bid farewell to Nalini and her timeless wisdom,
Dev carried with him the realization that the unity of all beings was not just a philosophical concept,
But a truth that could be applied in daily life.
He understood that by recognizing our interconnectedness and acting with kindness,
Individuals could weave a tapestry of love and unity that would adorn the world with beauty and harmony.
And so in the humble village of Nalini,
The allegory of threads of the fabric continued to inspire those who understood that.
In the grand design of life,
Every individual,
Like a thread,
Played a significant role in the interconnectedness of all beings.
This allegorical story emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living beings,
Drawing a parallel between the weaver's loom and the tapestry of existence.
It illustrates the importance of recognizing this interconnectedness and applying the principle of Vedanta in daily life to create a harmonious and beautiful world.
With this,
Let's prepare to sleep.
Now before we get started,
Just take a moment or two to get comfortable.
Lying in your bed,
Make sure you are under the covers.
If you do fall asleep during this practice,
And even if you don't usually go to sleep on your back,
I would like you to begin the practice by lying flat,
Maybe your knees slightly bent.
You can keep a small pillow under the back of your knees if you like.
Just lie flat on the bed in supine position.
Now gently close your eyes and start taking a few nice big deep breaths,
Breathing in and out through the nostrils only.
As you inhale,
Feel that whole body is getting healed.
And with exhalation,
Feel that all the cares,
Tensions and worries from the day are flowing out.
Let go of the deep breaths now,
Releasing any tension from your entire body.
It is not necessary to deliberately release tension in each part of the body.
Just develop the feeling of total relaxation.
Just enjoy that feeling of letting go.
Body is relaxed,
Sinking into the bed beneath you.
We are going to have a simple practice to wind down.
Just follow along with the voice and the instructions.
Try not to overanalyze or intellectualize the instructions.
Now gently shift your awareness to your surroundings.
Start to notice all the different sounds present here.
Without getting struck with any one particular sound,
Try to keep your awareness moving from sound to sound.
Observe one sound,
Notice it and then move to the next sound.
Observe this sound and then move to other sound.
Like this,
Keep your awareness moving from sound to sound.
Keep the awareness moving from sound to sound.
And try to find the most distant sound which you can hear.
Let go the sound awareness and feel your body from within.
Now,
We begin body scan.
I will name a body part.
You just become aware of that body part.
Feel it and then just move to the next body part which is named.
Become aware of the right hand,
Right hand thumb,
Fingers of right hand,
Whole right hand,
Whole right arm,
Right shoulder,
Right side of the chest,
Waist,
Whole right leg,
Right foot,
The toes.
Now left hand,
Left hand thumb,
Fingers of the left hand,
Whole left hand,
Whole left arm,
Left shoulder,
Left side of the chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Whole left leg,
The left foot,
The toes.
Feel the both legs together,
The buttocks,
Stomach,
Chest,
Back,
Shoulder blades,
Arms,
The neck,
The head,
Forehead,
Eyes,
Nose,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Mouth,
Lips,
Chin,
The whole face,
The whole head,
The whole neck,
The whole back,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Again we will go through the whole body.
This time a little more slower and in detail.
Starting with the right hand thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
Fingers and thumb together,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper part of the right arm,
Right shoulder,
Right armpit,
Right side of the torso,
Right side waist,
Hip,
Right thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
The whole right side of the body,
From toes to the fingers,
Fingers to the toes,
The whole right side of the body.
Now go to the left hand,
Become aware of the left hand thumb,
First finger of left hand,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
Fingers and thumb together,
Palm of the hand,
Back side of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper part of the arm,
Left shoulder,
Left armpit,
Left side of the torso,
Left side waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Left foot heel,
Sole of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth,
Whole left foot,
The whole left side of the body,
From toes to the fingers,
Fingers to the toes,
The whole left side of the body.
Now to the back,
Become aware of the lower back,
The right buttock and the left buttock,
Middle back,
Upper back,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
The whole back side together.
Now go to the top of the head,
The crown of the head,
Forehead,
Both sides of the head,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between two eyebrows,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right side cheek,
Left side cheek,
Bridge of the nostrils,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Upper lip,
Upper jaw,
Tongue,
Lower jaw,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Throat,
Right collar bone,
Left collar bone,
Chest,
Right part of the chest,
Middle part of the chest,
Left part of the chest,
Upper part of the belly,
Middle part of the belly,
The navel area,
Lower part of the belly,
The whole of the right leg,
The whole of the left leg,
Both legs together,
The whole of the right arm,
The whole of the left arm,
Both arms together,
The whole of the back,
Buttocks,
Spine,
Shoulder blades,
The whole of the front,
Abdomen,
Chest,
The whole of the back and front together,
The whole of the head,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Become aware of your breath now.
Just feel the flow of your breath in and out through the body.
The breathing is natural,
Automatic.
We are not trying to change the rhythm of the breath.
We are not doing it.
Just witnessing the breath.
Maintain the awareness of breath.
Dual awareness of breath.
Now,
Keeping the awareness on the breath,
Start mentally counting down your breath from 54.
As the breath comes in,
Count 54.
As it flows out,
54.
Breathe in 53.
Breathe out 53.
Like this,
Continue.
Not trying to fall asleep.
Just counting down the breath and knowing that it really doesn't matter too much when the sleep comes.
As you lie there in this way,
Both the body and the mind are getting all the rest that they need.
If you lose track of the countdown,
Come back to 54 and start over.
