So inviting,
Inviting the whole body just to start to soften and settle down into the floor,
Into the mat.
Inviting coziness and relaxation all the way down the body into the tips of the toes.
Becoming curious about where the body meets the floor.
Becoming curious of that shape or pattern of touch and sensation.
Just noticing if anywhere in the body is feeling tight and it's just keeping holding on and encouraging the softness and know that you're entirely welcome just as you are.
So extending that warmth of a welcome to any part of you that perhaps needs a little extra support today.
From the awareness of the body just noticing the soft flow of the breath flowing in and flowing out.
Very soft and light.
No formality just like a dear friend coming in,
Sitting down having a cup of tea.
So inviting the awareness and the breath to flow all the way down the body and out through the toes with every exhale,
Waves of soothing relaxation flowing down the whole body.
And in this morning the sun shining through the window.
This morning in autumn here in Glasgow the rattle of the leaves turning brown and yellow crisping at the edges on the sycamore trees outside.
It's as if the wind outside could be the breath and as it blows the leaves off the trees and along the way down the lane it creates space.
And so in autumn time we focus our energy inward.
What is of real value?
And so often the image of a gemstone is used.
We go inwards to mine our hidden depths to find our own gemstones.
And so if you like you can imagine that as we rotate the awareness around the body that we can place tiny precious stones as we go.
And so taking the awareness to the eyebrow centre and placing the awareness in the tiny glittering gem there.
Taking the awareness down to the centre of the collar bones in between the collar bones in the soft centre and placing the awareness and our second gem there.
Going to the left shoulder,
The gem down at the left elbow and at the wrist and at the tip of the left thumb,
The index finger,
The middle finger,
Ring finger and little finger.
Bring the awareness back to the gemstone at the wrist,
At the elbow and at the shoulder and then back over to the centre of the collar bones and then the awareness flowing over to the right shoulder.
Gemstone placed at the elbow and at the right wrist and at the tip of the index finger,
The middle finger,
The ring finger and the little finger.
Tiny little gems.
Taking the awareness back to the wrist and the elbow and the shoulder,
Back to the centre of the collar bones and now the awareness is flowing down the body to the centre of the chest,
To the heart.
Tiny little gemstone,
The awareness placed just there and then over to the left side of the chest and then coming back to the gemstone in the heart and over to the right side of the chest and then coming back to the gemstone in the heart and the awareness flowing down the body to the navel,
Placing kindness and our attention there in the form of a tiny little gemstone.
Glittering gemstone.
Coming down the body to the pelvis and the centre of the pelvis behind the pubic bone,
Placing a little gem there and then over to the left hip and one at the left knee and at the ankle and at the tip of the left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe and fifth toes.
Taking the awareness back to the gemstone at the ankle,
At the knee and at the hip.
Coming back over to the centre of the pelvis and then over to the right hip,
Placing a tiny little gemstone,
Little seed of preciousness there and then again one at the right knee and one at the ankle and five placed at the tip of the right big toe,
The second toe,
The third toe,
The fourth toe and the fifth toe.
The whole body mapped,
The whole body mapped with awareness and an intention to find and place true worth and value.
As you are right now is more than enough.
As you are right now asleep the body deeply relaxed and resting and the mind tearing away all of the clutter.
We can simply let go of all of that like the drifts of dry,
Crispy,
Crunchy leaves outside in the street can just be blown away.
And so here we are as clear and as loved as we will ever be.
The awareness soothing each and every part and each of these little gemstones placed around the body sharing their preciousness with you and bringing the awareness back to the gemstone at the right ankle and the knee and at the hip,
At the centre of the pelvis,
Coming up the body to the navel and to the gem at the heart,
The gem in the centre of the collarbones and then back up to the first gem placed in between the eyebrows.
From there taking the awareness above the head to the crown of the head and placing a tiny gemstone there and you may like to choose a colour for this and all of your gemstones.
Then taking the awareness back to the eyebrow centre,
To the pit of the throat in between the two collarbones and then coming down to the heart and staying in the heart.
And in the heart there's a sense of that tiny gemstone,
As tiny as a little grain of sand and yet a vastness at the heart that contains this room,
This house,
The whole universe.
A tiny gemstone at the heart,
A focal point so small,
It's as tiny as a grain of sand and yet in the heart a vastness that contains the whole universe.
And know that this space in the heart is always here,
Always aware,
Always listening.
In the heart we merge with the divine,
In the heart we merge with everything,
Pure awareness,
No judgement,
Just noticing.
And in this wonderful space of the heart,
If it feels helpful,
You may like to offer yourself something precious to take with you into the rest of your week.
It may be something you can visualise holding in your hand right now,
Something small enough to slip into a pocket or it may be a message,
A message of support and love,
Given all of the demands on your time and your roles and responsibilities this week.
Maybe a healing message can shore you up or it may be simply enough to do nothing but rest.
And then starting to bring the awareness into the very edges of the body,
Into the fingers and into the toes.
And just welcoming yourself into this very moment,
Becoming aware of the sounds that you can hear both in the room and elsewhere.
And as you breathe in,
Deepening the breath in,
Delicious coolness of the breath coming in and the warmth offering of ourselves into the room as we breathe out.
And so bringing yourself back into this very room in a sleepy house nestled by Queen's Park here in the south side of Glasgow.
Just starting to bring movement into the body.
If it feels like a lovely thing,
You might wish to take the arms overhead and stretch yourself out or hug yourself close or do both.
But moving now towards the end of this wonderful practice of yoga nidra in autumn time.
The practice is now complete.
Thank you for listening.
