Hello and welcome to today's yoga nidra practice with myself Gabriella.
This practice is designed to assist with anxiety and those suffering with insomnia to aid you in having a restful sleep.
I recommend practicing this yoga nidra session before bed.
If you can have a position laid out for you with either a mat and some blankets and some cushions or perhaps your bed while setting the intention to stay completely awake and aware throughout today's practice.
I recommend switching off the lights or using an eye mask to avoid distraction.
Yoga nidra is also known as a yogic sleep or wakeful meditation and a few hours of sleep are the equivalent of an hour's yoga nidra practice.
I'd like you to bring your attention to your breath.
Focusing on the inhale and the exhale.
Bringing your attention to your solar plexus chakra which is situated above your navel.
Inhaling to this point here above your navel.
Exhaling from this point.
Inhaling through the nose.
Exhaling through the nose.
Imagining a golden yellow light on the inhale.
And releasing on the exhale.
Our solar plexus chakra is the seat of our will and our courage and our confidence.
When we breathe into this chakra we can imagine this light is empowering us.
Giving us the strength and courage to move releasing all doubts,
Anxiety and worry as we exhale.
I'd now like you to bring your attention on the sounds furthest away in the distance.
Perhaps they are the sounds of cars or buses.
Perhaps they are the sounds of birds or people talking.
Bring your attention there.
I'd then like you to bring your attention outside of the room you're in.
What sounds are you aware of here?
Then bring your attention to the room you're in.
Becoming aware of the space above you.
Becoming aware of the space below you and the space that surrounds you.
Then bringing your attention to your body.
What sounds can you hear from within your body?
Perhaps you can hear your breathing.
Maybe gargling sounds,
Bubbling sounds.
All is okay,
All is normal.
I'd like you to bring your focus of attention to your right thumb.
Becoming aware of your right thumb.
Your index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
All four fingers and thumb.
Back of the right hand.
Palm.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Right elbow.
Upper arm.
Right shoulder.
Armpit.
Right arm.
Right arm.
The whole right arm.
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Right side.
Ribcage.
Waist.
Hip.
Pelvis.
Right thigh.
Knee.
Shin.
Calf.
Ankle.
Top of foot.
Heel.
Sole of foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
The whole right foot.
The whole right leg.
The whole right leg.
The whole right leg.
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Left thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
All four fingers and thumb.
Back of the hand.
Palm of the left hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Left elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
The whole left arm.
The whole left arm.
The whole left arm.
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Side of body.
Left ribcage.
Waist.
Hip.
Pelvis.
Left thigh.
Knee.
Shin.
Calf.
Ankle.
Top of foot.
Heel.
Sole of foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
The whole left foot.
The whole left leg.
The whole left leg.
The whole left leg.
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Top of head.
Back of head.
Back of neck.
Shoulder blades.
Spinal cord.
Spine.
Back of ribcage.
Back of pelvis.
Right glute.
Left glute.
Right back of thigh.
Left back of thigh.
Right calf.
Left calf.
Right ankle.
Left ankle.
Right heel.
Left heel.
The whole back side.
The whole back side.
The whole back side.
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Top of head.
Forehead.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Right eye socket.
Left eye socket.
Right temple.
Left temple.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Bridge of nose.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Right jaw.
Left jaw.
Top lip.
Bottom lip.
Chin.
Tongue.
Throat.
Front of neck.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Right chest.
Left chest.
Abdomen.
Stomach.
Pelvis.
Right hip.
Left hip.
Pubic bone.
Right thigh.
Left thigh.
Right knee.
Left knee.
Right shin.
Left shin.
Right ankle.
Left ankle.
Right top of foot.
Left top of foot.
The whole front side.
The whole front side.
The whole front side.
Becoming aware and relaxed.
The whole entire body.
The whole entire body.
The whole entire body.
Become aware and relaxed.
Now I'd like you to bring your attention back to your breath.
Focusing on the inhale through your nose and the exhale through your nose.
And bringing your focus to your third eye.
The point between your brows and your forehead.
And on the inhale focusing on the third eye.
And on the exhale focusing on the third eye.
Inhale.
Exhale.
And a few breaths here.
Now we will count down from 27 together following our breath.
Inhale 27.
Exhale 27.
Inhale 26.
Exhale 26.
Counting as we go.
If you finish before my count you can start from the beginning again.
If you lose your count or fall asleep start from the beginning again.
Inhale 27.
Inhale 27.
Inhale 26.
Exhale 26.
And so on.
Now we will count down from 27 together following our breath.
And on the inhale focusing on the third eye.
And on the exhale focusing on the third eye.
And on the exhale focusing on the third eye.
And on the exhale focusing on the third eye.
And now we will count down from 27 together following our breath.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Now I'd like you to visualize yourself becoming hot.
Imagine the room you are in is becoming hot and your body is becoming hot.
And the surface you are lying on is becoming hot.
Imagine yourself feeling this heat in your body and around your body now.
I'd like you to imagine yourself becoming cold.
The temperature has dropped and your body is becoming cold.
The room is becoming cold.
The air around you is becoming cold.
Feeling this cold now.
I'd like you to imagine your temperature is returning to warm.
You are feeling warm now.
Your body is feeling warm.
The room around you is feeling warm.
The air is feeling warm.
I'd now like you to imagine your body becoming heavy.
Feeling the pull of gravity on your body,
On your bones,
Pulling your muscles,
Your tendons,
Your ligaments.
Feeling the weight of your body on the surface as you lie.
Feeling heavy now.
Becoming heavy.
I'd now like you to imagine your body is becoming light.
Light as a feather.
Your body is becoming light.
Your head is becoming light.
And your shoulders are becoming light.
Your pelvis is as light as a feather.
Your knees are becoming light.
Your ankles becoming light.
Your elbows becoming light.
And your wrists are becoming light now.
I'd like you to imagine you are at the bottom of a mountain.
Picture this mountain in your mind's eye.
Take in the scenery of the mountain now.
I'd now like you to imagine the river.
Picture this river in your mind's eye.
See the water.
View the river.
I'd now like you to imagine a bird flying up above you in the sky.
Picture this bird flying high.
What does it look like?
I'd now like you to picture a flower in your mind's eye.
What colour is the flower?
How many petals does it have?
How many flowers do you recognise its name?
What flower now in your mind's eye?
I'd now like you to bring your focus of attention back to your body.
Listening to the sounds of your body.
And again bringing your attention to the furthest sounds you can hear in the distance now.
Taking a moment to feel and hear the sounds furthest away from you.
Bringing your attention to the space outside the room you're in.
Bringing your awareness of any sounds outside the room you're in now.
Bringing your attention now to the room you're in and the space above you.
And the space below you and the space that surrounds you now.
Bringing your attention back to your body.
Feeling your body again.
With your eyes closed perhaps you can start to wriggle your fingers and wriggle your toes,
Bringing the sensation back into your body now.
And with your eyes remaining closed,
Rolling over to your right side and spending a moment there.
And coming up to a seated position.
We are going to close today's practice with one Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
So,
Inhale to begin.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
And then rubbing our hands together to generate some heat with our eyes closed,
Going to place our hands over our eyes.
Giving thanks to our body.
This day,
Our breath,
Our life.
Thanks for taking the time to practice today.
Bye.
