The practice of Yoga Nidra starts now.
Find a comfortable position laying on your back.
You may wish to lay on your bed or yoga mat.
Let your arms rest slightly away from your body with your palms facing upward.
Allow your legs to soften and feel the feet roll outward.
Adjust until your body feels supported,
Warm,
And safe.
You may wish to help with this by using the support of pillows under the knee,
Under the head,
And a blanket on top of the body.
Now close your eyes.
Take a slow,
Gentle inhalation and a long,
Unhurried exhalation.
You are here now.
The day is over.
You have nothing to do.
Nowhere to go.
Nothing to carry but the softness of this moment.
Now in this quiet,
Bring to mind a sankalpa.
A sankalpa is a short,
Clear,
Positive statement expressing your deepest intention.
It might be something like,
I am peaceful and whole.
Or I rest deeply and awake and refreshed.
Feel this sankalpa as though it is already true and repeat it silently to yourself three times with intention and certainty.
We will begin by visiting the body with awareness as though touching each part with a feather light brush of attention.
Bring your awareness to your right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Moving to the palm of your right hand,
The back of your hand,
The wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Right side of the chest,
Moving down to your waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Ankle,
Down to the top of your right foot,
Sole of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And your little toe.
Now shift your awareness to the left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
The palm of your hand,
Back of your hand,
The wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left side of the chest,
To your waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Ankle,
Moving down to the top of your left foot,
Sole of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And little toe.
Now moving to the back body,
Your right heel,
Left heel,
Back of the thighs,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Shoulder blades,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
And now to the front of your body,
Moving to the crown of your head,
Forehead,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Eyebrows,
Space between the eyebrows,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Nose,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Throat,
Collarbone,
Chest,
Abdomen,
And pelvis.
Your whole body felt as one,
A field of gentle sensation floating in space.
Now let your awareness rest with the breath,
No need to change it,
Just noticing it.
The breath flows in.
Feel it.
The breath flows out.
Feel it.
Feel the rise of the belly as you inhale.
Feel the gentle fall as you exhale.
Imagine each inhale as a wave rolling towards the shore,
And each exhale as the wave receding,
Sliding back into the ocean.
With every exhale,
Your body sinks deeper and deeper into the earth.
With every inhale,
You are filled with quiet,
Soft light.
Now picture yourself standing at the edge of a calm lake at twilight.
The air is cool and still.
The sky is painted in dusky lavender,
And a soft silver moon is rising.
The lake's surface is smooth as glass.
It reflects the moonlight.
You step onto a small wooden boat.
It's gentle rocking like the breath itself.
You lie back,
And the boat begins to drift slowly,
Effortlessly across the water.
The stars appear one by one,
Scattering like diamonds across the sky.
The air smells of pine and night-blooming flowers.
The sound of water lapping at the sides of the boat is a lullaby,
Steady and timeless.
You are held by the water.
You are carried by the night.
You are safe here.
You are free to let go.
The boat becomes lighter and lighter until it no longer separates from the lake.
The lake itself begins to merge with the sky.
There is no boat,
No shore,
No separation.
Only a vast,
Warm,
Dark stillness.
This stillness is a stillness that cradles you.
A stillness that is you.
Thoughts may appear,
But they drift away like the clouds.
The breath is soft.
The body weightless.
Now in this deep state of stillness,
Call upon your sankalpa once more.
The mind is quiet.
The body is open.
And the seed of your intention can sink deeply into the fertile ground of your being.
Silently repeat your sankalpa three times,
Feeling it vibrate through every cell of your being.
The practice of yoga nidra ends now.
You may choose to remain here,
Floating in this infinite quiet,
Drifting into sleep,
Or you may want to get up and finish your day.
Rest well and be gently restored.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
Wishing you a wonderful day and I'll see you again soon.
