Welcome to your Yoga Nidra practice for new growth and expansion.
Thank you for being here today.
My name is Stefano.
It's an honor and a pleasure to guide you in this meditation.
Please take a moment now to lie down on your back,
Resting in Shavasana.
Placing a cushion or pillow behind your head,
And using another pillow or cushion as support behind your knees,
Allowing your legs to separate so that your feet can freely fold to either side,
And allowing the arms to part away from your torso so that you can invite a slight bend at the elbows,
Noticing your palms facing skyward,
And taking a deep breath in through the nose,
And exhaling with a deep sigh,
Taking a few moments to settle in,
Covering the whole body with a blanket if you so choose,
And deciding whether you wish to practice with your eyes closed,
Perhaps with an eye mask or an eye pillow,
Or with your eyes open while maintaining a soft gaze into the distance.
You are the sovereign of your own body at all times,
Allowing the body to sink deeper and deeper into the surfaces beneath you,
Letting go of all thinking and doing,
And becoming aware of all internal sensations as you soften to jaws and temples,
Feeling the internal length of your spine,
And letting go of any tightness,
Any pressure in the orbits of the eyes.
As you breathe in,
Feel a subtle upward movement of energy,
From the toes of your feet to the crown of your head,
And bringing your awareness back to the spaces behind the eyes,
Releasing,
Beholding intention,
Softening,
And easing.
Now taking two sips of air in through the nose,
And exhaling with a deep sigh,
Taking another two sips of air in through the nose,
And letting go even more with a deep sigh,
Returning to your natural breath,
As you feel the contours of your body,
Noticing the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you,
Allowing your body to sink deeper and deeper into the omnipresent field of gravity,
Letting go of any need to hold yourself up,
As you notice each expansion of the breath,
Helping you feel buoyant as the back of the body remains grounded and supported.
Now bring your awareness to the center of the chest,
In the fertile void of the sacred heart space,
Begin to sow the seeds of your intention,
Your true heartfelt desire,
Repeating your sankalpa three times now,
With feeling and awareness,
And if you have yet to become familiar with your intention,
You may use the following affirmation for today's practice,
I trust the path that is unfolding before me,
I am limitless in my potential,
I trust the path that is unfolding before me,
I am limitless in my potential,
I trust the path that is unfolding before me,
I am limitless in my potential,
Repeating this affirmation three times while maintaining awareness at the center of the chest,
Now allow the tip of the tongue to slightly touch the upper palate,
Allowing random thoughts to become still,
And begin to imagine a bowl of energy of glowing white and golden light,
Gathering and hovering above the space of the heart,
Concentrate on this healing bowl of energy,
Feeling a sense of expansion and warmth,
And notice this bowl of energy starting at the heart,
And ascending up to the throat,
Traveling up to the upper palate,
Then moving to the point between the mouth and the nose,
Traveling up to the tip of the nose,
And feeling the warmth and expansion move up to the center of the forehead,
And then to the crown of the head,
Changing direction toward the back of the head,
And slowly moving down toward the spine,
Resting for a moment at the base of the spine,
Feeling this ball of energy moving down to the tip of the tailbone,
And traveling forward to the perineum,
Noticing this ball of energy moving toward the outside of the left thigh,
Traveling downward to the outside of the left ankle,
This ball of energy moving to the front of the foot,
Continuing down to the big toe of the left foot,
Then to the second toe,
The third toe,
The fourth toe,
And the fifth toe,
The golden white light moving toward the sole of the foot,
Ascending through the inner side of the ankle,
Continuing up the inner side of the left thigh,
And ascending to the middle of the belly,
Then to the right side,
Across the outer edge of the right thigh,
And downward to the outside of the right ankle,
And continue to the front of the right foot,
The ball of energy expanding and warming the big toe of the right foot,
Then the second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And fifth toe,
The ball of energy now rolling over to the sole of the foot,
Starting from the inside ankle,
And ascending up the right side,
And across the inner edge of the right thigh,
And ascending all the way up to the middle of the belly,
Then upwards to the left side of the chest,
Moving across to the left shoulder,
And down towards the outside of the left wrist,
Traveling across the back of the left hand,
Then moving from the thumb of the left hand to the index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
And little finger,
Ball of energy now resting at the center of the hand,
And moving up to the inside of the left wrist,
Ball of energy now traveling to the inside of the left shoulder,
And back to the heart center,
Resting here,
Feeling the warmth and expansion,
Before moving to the right side of the chest,
Then to the outside of the right shoulder,
And traveling down toward the outer side of the right wrist,
Moving across the back of the right hand,
And settling on the right hand thumb,
Before moving to the index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
And little finger,
The ball of energy moving to the center of the right hand,
And flowing upward to the inside of the right hand and arm,
And moving to the inner side of the right shoulder,
Traveling now to the center of the throat,
And then moving up to the point between the lower lip and the chin,
Feel the ball of energy resting now at the center of the tongue,
And returning the ball of energy back to the center of the heart space,
Breathing in,
And breathing out,
Letting go of all holding,
Noticing this ball of energy,
Warming and restoring all parts of your being,
Letting go of all doing,
Letting go of all thinking,
Simply noticing the breath at the sacred heart space,
Breathing in in your own natural pace,
Simply witnessing the breath just as it is,
Allowing yourself to be just as you are,
Whether the breath is deep or shallow,
Fast or slow,
Ragged or smooth,
Simply observe it without comment or judgment,
Allowing the breath to expand with each inhalation,
And release all debris with each exhalation,
Breathing in,
And breathing out,
Letting go of all pressure,
And allowing the ball of energy to dissolve,
Noticing the silent stillness extending everywhere at once,
Now bring your attention to the space between the eyebrows,
Gently focus at this point,
Noticing any pulsations or vibrations here,
Now rest your awareness in the space behind the closed eyelids,
Picturing the dark screen of space,
And allow all images,
Visuals,
Memories,
Thoughts,
Emotions,
And sensations to arise,
Unfold,
And pass away in their own time,
Simply witness,
Remaining perfectly still,
As you continue to relax and release any holding intention,
Now begin to imagine yourself walking along a meadow that borders a massive forest,
In the distance you see wild horses galloping with the backdrop of a fiery sky,
It is the dawn and the air is crisp,
The soil is damp after the spring rains,
See yourself walking along the edge of the forest,
And see what calls your attention first,
Perhaps it is the chirping of songbirds,
Or the smell of sap from the maples,
Or it could be the massive roots of a large tree rising above the ground,
Or it could be flocks of migratory birds covering the sky,
Simply witness as you listen to the wind moving through tall grass,
As you gaze toward the horizon,
You see the sky widening,
As your vision returns to the forest,
You see branches reaching higher and higher,
With green shoots emerging,
Leaves beginning to unfurl,
And light filtering through the canopy,
Continue to walk along the edge of the forest,
Until you reach a river clearing away the rest of the snowmelt,
Everything washing away,
As you see the clear water and small fish returning to the banks,
Noticing a large boulder by the river where you can sit comfortably,
Allowing yourself to rest here,
Noticing the sides of your body,
Letting go of all holding,
Feeling the tendons in the knees,
The ligaments of your spine,
Relaxing and releasing as you lie down,
Resting here,
Observing the clouds in the sky,
Letting go of all doing,
Simply resting,
Allowing new ideas to emerge,
As you see the different colors of the sky give way to a vibrant blue,
Gently closing your eyes,
Allowing all visuals to simply melt away,
And as you bring your awareness back to the center of the chest,
Dropping into the deepest levels of relaxation here,
Resting,
Allowing everything to be just as it is,
Allowing yourself to be just as you are,
Now begin to recall your sankalpa,
Your resolute intention,
See it emerge from the fertile void of the sacred heart space,
Like a tiny sprout,
I trust the path that is unfolding before me,
I am limitless in my potential,
I trust the path that is unfolding before me,
I am limitless in my potential,
I trust the path that is unfolding before me,
I am limitless in my potential,
Silently repeating your sankalpa or this affirmation three times now,
Feeling and awareness,
Knowing that it has already come to pass,
Feeling it to be true in this very moment,
Now begin to gently deepen your breath,
Noticing the touch of air on your skin,
Bringing awareness back into the body,
As you slowly wiggle your fingers and toes,
Inviting a full body stretch,
As you extend your arms above your head,
Now bend your knees and pull them closer to your chest,
As you rock sideways gently,
Take your time now,
Do not hurry,
Then turn onto your right side,
And rest here,
Bringing your intention into your awareness once more,
No longer changing nothing,
I trust the path that is unfolding before me,
I am limitless in my potential,
Now you can gradually move and begin to sit up with your eyes closed,
Continue to stay deep in this deep inner experience,
Become aware of your whole body,
And feel a deep sense of peace and contentment,
Rising from within you,
As you bring your attention back,
To your whole body,
Be still,
And be grateful,
Know that you can easily come back here,
Again and again,
And when you're ready,
Bring the hands together in prayer position,
As we bow down in namaste,
You may gradually open your eyes to conclude this practice,
Peace,
Peace,
Peace,
