Begin by lying down in a comfortable position.
Allow the body to rest on the earth,
The feet gently falling open,
The arms resting beside the body or on the belly.
Make any small adjustments now so the body can become very still.
Gently close the eyes and take a slow breath in through the nose and release it softly through the mouth.
And again,
Breathing in slowly and exhaling,
Letting the body sink in a little deeper into the support beneath you.
There is nowhere to go,
Nothing to accomplish.
Simply resting in awareness.
Bring attention to the natural rhythm of the breath,
Feel the rise of the belly as you inhale,
And feel the soft fall as you exhale.
Let the breath be completely natural,
And with every exhale,
Imagine the body settling like sand at the bottom of a calm lake,
Quiet,
Supported,
And safe.
And now bring to mind a gentle intention for today's practice,
A short phrase that reflects balance and harmony.
Perhaps using something like this,
I am centered and steady,
Or my mind and body move in harmony,
Or perhaps I rest in calm balance.
Choose a phrase that feels true for you and silently repeat it three times with quiet sincerity.
Now we begin moving awareness through the body.
Simply notice each area as it is named.
Right hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Right side waist.
Right hip.
Right thigh.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Heel of the foot.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth.
And now moving to the left side.
Left hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Right arm.
Shoulder.
Left side waist.
Left hip.
Thigh.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Heel of the foot.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Now awareness of the back body.
Back of the head.
Neck.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Middle back.
Lower back.
Right hip.
Left hip.
Back of the right leg.
Back of the left leg.
Both heels.
Now the front of the body.
Top of the head.
Forehead.
Right temple.
Left temple.
Right temple.
The eyebrows.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Nose.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Chin.
Jaw.
Throat.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Center of the chest.
Upper abdomen.
Navel center.
Lower belly.
Now the whole body together.
The entire body resting.
And now bring attention to the breath in the belly.
And feel the breath flowing in and out like gentle ocean waves.
Imagine the inhale traveling from the belly up to the heart.
And the exhale flowing from the heart back down to the belly.
Belly to heart.
Heart to belly.
And allow the breath to create a rhythm of balance as if the body were a quiet pendulum swinging softly into equilibrium.
And now imagine you are standing in a peaceful,
Natural place,
Perhaps a meadow,
Forest,
Beach,
Or mountain clearing.
And notice the colors around you.
The textures of earth beneath your feet.
A soft breeze moving through the air.
And nearby there is a perfectly still pool of water.
And you walk toward it slowly.
And the surface of the water is calm and reflective like a mirror of the sky.
And as you look into the water,
Imagine it reflecting balance back to you.
All the parts of your life gently settling into their natural rhythm.
Nothing is forced.
Nothing is out of place.
Just a quiet sense of inner alignment.
And take a moment to feel that harmony spreading through the body.
The mind balanced.
The body balanced.
The breath balanced.
And sitting here in this balanced and harmonious state for a few moments.
And now bring back your intention for today's practice.
Perhaps something like this.
I am centered and steady.
Or my mind and body move in harmony.
Or I rest in calm balance.
Whatever phrase you choose,
Silently repeat it three times.
And let it land deeply in the quiet mind.
And now begin to notice the natural breath again.
There's no need to change or fix it in any ways.
Just noticing.
Feeling the gentle rise and fall of the belly.
And become aware now of the room around you.
Noticing the surface supporting your body.
Maybe bringing awareness to small sounds in the distance.
And now begin inviting some tiny movements into the body.
Perhaps wiggling the fingers and the toes.
Maybe rocking the neck back and forth.
A few times.
Perhaps stretching the arms overhead if that feels right for you.
And now taking a deeper breath in through the nose.
And exhale fully out of the mouth.
And when you're ready,
You can slowly roll onto one side.
And rest there for a few moments.
And then gently come up to a seated position,
Bringing the calm and balance of this practice with you throughout your day.
Take one final breath in through the nose.
And exhale softly out of the mouth.
Your practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Thank you so much for your practice today.
