Welcome to Yoga Nidra for Self Love.
For this practice,
You can settle yourself down on the floor,
A sofa or your bed and make yourself as comfortable as you like.
You can place a pillow or blankets under your knees and something under your head for support.
Bring your heels hip distance apart and allow your hands to fall open at your sides or rest softly on your belly.
Allow your eyes to be soft.
Ask yourself,
How can I make myself 5 or 10% more comfortable?
Adding or changing anything to bring that comfort to your practice.
Allow your body to soften and settle.
We're going to practice Yoga Nidra,
A deeply healing and supportive practice.
I will guide you through the practice.
There will be a few times where I will be silent,
Helping you draw your awareness inward to your true essence.
If at any time you need to move during the practice,
Shift or settle in more deeply,
Please do whatever feels best for your body in this moment.
Now that you are fully settled,
Begin to notice your breath.
Where do you feel your breath centered?
How does it feel?
Is it fast or slow?
Deep or shallow?
There is no right or wrong breath here.
Whatever your breath is,
It's exactly as it needs to be.
Softly begin to count your breath backwards on each exhale from 10 to 0,
Feeling that with each breath you become more and more and soft.
If you lose track of the count of your breath,
Don't worry.
Just start back at 10,
Slowly exhaling and relaxing more deeply.
On this next breath,
Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale your breath out with a deep sigh.
Today we're going to work with the sankalpa or intention for our practice.
A sankalpa is a simple phrase stated in the present tense that is true.
My true essence is love.
My true essence is love.
My true essence is love.
Repeat this softly to yourself three times.
Allow your breath to infuse your sankalpa with energy and softly release it to the universe.
Gently become aware of your body now.
Notice where your body is supported by the floor or bed or any props you have beneath.
Notice your head,
Shoulders,
Arms,
Back,
Hips,
And heels as they touch that surface.
Feel the weight of your body as it sinks into the support and feel that support rise up to hold the weight of your body.
Softly become aware of the sounds furthest from you,
Reaching or trying or efforting,
Just noticing.
Maybe it's the sounds outside,
Sounds of a honk or a car or a plane.
Bring awareness to that sound and gently pull your awareness in a little bit closer,
Noticing the sounds in the space you are in or around the space you're in.
Maybe the sounds of other people or conversations,
The noises of life going on all around you.
Just becoming aware and now notice the sounds right around your own body.
Maybe it's the sound of your breath as it comes in and goes out,
The beat of your heart,
The gurgling of your stomach,
Or the sounds of your joints as they settle.
Allow your awareness to settle here softly.
We are going to do a body scan now.
Allow your awareness to rest lightly on each area I name,
Gently,
Effortlessly following my voice.
Let this be easy,
Effortless.
Bring your awareness to the tip of your right thumb,
Right pointer finger,
Right middle finger,
Right ring finger,
And right pinky.
Bring your awareness to your right palm,
Back of hand,
Right wrist,
Right lower arm,
Right elbow,
Right upper arm,
Right shoulder.
Become aware of your entire right shoulder,
Arm,
Hand,
And fingers.
Bring your awareness to your right chest,
Right waist,
Right hip,
Right upper leg,
Right knee,
Right lower leg,
Right ankle,
Right top of foot,
Right arch of foot,
First toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Become aware of your right chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Leg,
Foot,
And toes together.
Gently bring awareness to the tip of your left thumb,
Left pointer finger,
Left middle finger,
Left ring finger,
And left pinky.
Bring awareness to your left palm,
Left back of hand,
Wrist,
Left lower arm,
Left elbow,
Left upper arm,
Left shoulder.
Become aware of your left arm,
Hand,
And fingers together.
Bring awareness to your left chest,
Your left waist,
Your left hip,
Your left upper leg,
Left knee,
Left lower leg,
Left ankle,
Left top of foot,
Left arch of foot,
First toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And fifth toe.
Become aware of your left chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Leg,
Foot,
And toes together.
Bring awareness to your heels,
The back of your hips,
Your lower back,
Your middle back,
Your upper back,
Your shoulder blades,
Your neck,
The back of your head,
Top of your head,
Center of your forehead,
Right temple,
Right eye,
Right eyelid,
Right cheek,
Right ear,
Right side of your nose,
Jaw,
Tongue,
Teeth,
Chin.
Bring awareness to your left temple,
Left eye,
Left eyelid,
Left cheek,
Left ear,
Left side of your nose,
Left jaw,
Mouth,
Tongue,
Teeth,
Chin.
Become aware of your head and face together.
Become aware of your right and left sides of your body together.
Become aware of your front and back body together.
Become aware of the top and bottom parts of your body together.
Become aware of your entire body together.
Become aware of your entire body together.
My true essence is love.
My true essence is love.
My true essence is love.
Gently notice your breath,
The rise and fall of your belly and chest,
The feel of your breath coming into and out of the tip of your nose.
Allow your breath to be whatever it is.
Notice the sounds of your breath and your heartbeat.
Feel the weight of your body resting on the floor or your bed and feel the support of the floor or bed rising up to support your body.
Breathe into your sankalpa.
My true essence is love.
Softly begin to wiggle your fingers and your toes,
Bringing awareness to your entire body with soft movements and deeper breaths.
On your next inhale,
Slowly stretch your body,
Open your eyes and roll to your right side.
Allow yourself to take the energy of this practice into your day or night.
Whenever you feel ready,
Press yourself up to whatever seated position you like best.
May you be happy.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be at peace.
Thank you for sharing this practice with me.
