Hello,
I am Gabriella,
And this is a yoga nidra for deep sleep and nervous system balance.
Finding your way into Shavasana pose,
Whether lying on a mat,
The floor,
Or a bed.
Lying flat on your back,
Legs extended,
Feet falling naturally to the sides,
Arms by your sides,
Palms facing up to the sky.
Adjust your head,
Neck,
Or shoulders so you feel completely at ease.
Closing your eyes gently,
Take a deep,
Unhurried breath in through your nose,
And a slow,
Soft exhale through your mouth.
Feel the surface beneath you,
Notice the support of the ground,
Holding your weight completely.
Allow your body to know you are safe.
Bring your attention to your natural breathing,
Notice the rise and fall of your chest and belly.
Now slowly begin to elongate your exhale.
Inhaling for a count of 4.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhaling for a count of 8.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Inhaling for a count of 4.
Exhaling for a count of 8.
Continue this cycle for a few more rounds.
Inhaling for 4.
Exhaling for 8.
Each exhale softening your body further,
Slowing your heart,
Quieting the mind.
Now imagine a sun,
Soft golden light above your head.
This light begins to flow down from the crown of your head,
Through your neck,
Shoulders,
Chest,
Down your arms,
Torso,
Hips,
Legs,
All the way to the soles of your feet.
Bend gently beyond into the earth.
With every breath the golden light clears tension,
Leaving you grounded,
Calm and open to rest.
Now we begin our body rotation of awareness.
Bring your attention to each part of your body as I guide you.
If your mind drifts gently return to my voice.
There is nothing to judge,
Simply become aware of each body part in your mind's eye,
Keeping your eyes closed throughout.
Bring awareness to your right thumb,
2nd finger,
3rd finger,
4th finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
The whole entire right arm,
The whole entire right arm,
The whole entire right arm,
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Now to the left hand thumb,
2nd finger,
3rd finger,
4th finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
The whole entire left arm,
The whole entire left arm,
The whole entire left arm,
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Awareness now of the back of the head,
Neck,
Upper back,
Shoulder blades,
Wrist,
Mid back,
Lower back,
Pelvis,
Feel the whole back of your body,
The whole back of the body becoming aware and relaxed.
Awareness to the forehead,
Eyes,
Cheeks,
Mouth,
Throat,
Chest,
Heart space,
Solar plexus,
Abdomen,
Chest,
Pelvis,
The whole front of the body the whole front of the body,
The whole front of the body becoming aware and relaxed.
Move to the right hip,
Right thigh,
Right knee,
Right calf,
Right shim,
Right ankle,
Right foot,
Right heel,
Right toes,
Awareness of the whole entire right leg,
The whole entire right leg,
The whole entire right leg becoming aware and relaxed.
Now to the left hip,
Left thigh,
Left knee,
Left calf,
Left shim,
Left ankle,
Left foot,
Left heel,
Left toes,
Awareness of the whole entire left leg,
The whole entire left leg,
The whole entire left leg becoming aware and relaxed.
Finally bring awareness to your entire body together,
A single field of relaxation,
Aware and deeply at rest.
Now let's explore sensations of opposites.
First imagine your body becoming heavy,
So heavy you feel the pull of gravity holding you firmly to the ground.
Imagine you have roots sinking down deep into the earth allowing this feeling of heaviness to wash through your whole body now.
Now imagine the opposite,
Your body is light,
Weightless,
As if you could float upward drifting gently toward the sky,
Feeling as light as a feather allowing this sense of lightness to wash through your whole body now.
Returning now to neutral balanced awareness,
We will now count the breath,
A practice to soothe the nervous system,
Inhaling for the count of 21,
Exhaling 21,
Inhaling 20,
Exhaling 20,
Inhaling 19,
Exhaling 19.
Continually silently at your own pace,
Counting down with each breath.
If you lose track or drift to sleep,
Simply start again.
If you reach one before I guide you back,
Start again at 21.
Each breath slower,
Softer,
Deeper.
Now let the counting fade away.
Imagine a fresh seashore line,
Waves rolling in with the scent of silt and sea air,
A mountain trail,
Cool wind brushing against your skin,
Or the stillness of a quiet pine forest,
Sunlight breaking gently through the trees,
Or a wide open field,
Grasses swaying softly in the breeze beneath an endless blue sky.
Whatever image arrives,
Let it expand around you,
A space where you feel calm,
Grounded and deeply at ease.
If sleep comes,
Allow it to take you.
Your system feels soft,
Quiet and deeply relaxed.
For all those still awake,
Gently begin to notice the space around you,
The support of the surface beneath your body,
The soft sounds in your room,
The distant noises outside.
