Namaste.
My name is Amanda and thank you for joining me today.
Yoga Nidra is often referred to as bliss for your brain.
It is a practice unlike any other in that it offers a unique state of consciousness between waking and sleeping.
This effortless practice helps to progressively slow down the brain wave states that naturally occur during sleep,
Helping you disconnect from your active thinking mind while you're gently guided into the subtle layers of your body.
Before we begin,
You could make a mental note of how you're feeling at this very moment.
Are you feeling overwhelmed?
Anxious?
Tired?
Worried?
Sad?
You might just do a quick check-in to notice how you're feeling.
As you prepare for this practice,
I invite you to give yourself as much time as you need.
Ensure that you're free from interruptions,
That you're cozy and warm,
And that you have all that you need to support your mind and body during this time.
You might turn off the notifications on your phone,
Wrap yourself in a blanket,
Place a pillow or a bolster under your knees,
And ensure that your head and neck are fully supported.
Cover your eyes with an eye covering to help remove unwanted light.
Perhaps you'll even place a hot water bottle or a heating pad on your feet for an added grounding effect.
Gather everything you need to get settled into your yoga nidra nest.
Traditionally,
Yoga nidra is practiced in savasana or corpse pose.
Laying on your back,
Legs and arms relaxed and comfortably spread alongside the body,
Palms facing up.
However,
If laying in this position isn't agreeable for you at this time,
You might instead lay on your side or sit in a comfortable seated position.
Give yourself as much time as you need to get completely comfortable.
Is there anything else you can do to become even one percent more comfortable?
As you begin to tune out the sounds in the environment around you,
Your focus will tune in on my voice as you're gently guided through this nidra experience.
If your mind wanders,
Which it naturally will,
Simply bring your attention back to my voice.
Begin by deepening your breath,
Each inhale expanding the ribcage,
Each exhale helping to unwind tension from your face and body,
Your scalp and forehead releasing all the little muscles in and around your eyes,
Relaxing your jaw,
Unclenching the tightness built up in your neck and shoulders,
Letting go.
Use your breath to free your body from stress,
Tightness,
Rigidity.
It's safe to let go and unwind.
That's right.
Let your body begin to feel loose and lazy.
Return to your natural breathing pattern as you call in your sankalpa or your deepest intention.
If you don't currently have a sankalpa or if you'd like to add a secondary one,
You might use,
I am resting deeply now to restore my mind and body.
I am resting deeply now to restore my mind and body.
Repeat this intention three times,
Each followed by a deep nourishing breath.
Bring your attention to the tip of your tongue,
The root of your tongue,
Inside the right cheek,
Inside the left cheek,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right temple,
Left temple,
The space in between the eyebrows,
The crown of your head,
The back of your head,
The base of your neck,
Right shoulder blade,
Right shoulder,
Armpit,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Palm of your right hand,
The thumb and all four fingers,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third,
Little finger,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Elbow,
Shoulder,
Left shoulder blade,
Left shoulder,
Armpit,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Palm of the left hand,
The thumb and all four fingers,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Elbow,
Shoulder,
Heart center,
Navel,
The pubic bone,
The entire pelvic bowl,
Right hip,
Knee,
Ankle,
Heel and sole of the right foot,
All five toes,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Top of the foot,
Ankle,
Knee,
Hip,
Back to the pubic bone and the entire pelvic bowl,
The left side of the hip,
Knee,
Ankle,
Heel and sole of the left foot,
All five toes,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Little toe,
Top of the foot,
Ankle,
Knee,
Hip,
Feel your breath breathing your body,
The ebb and flow of each breath coming in and then releasing,
Like waves moving into the shore,
Then flowing back out to the vast ocean,
Each breath moving to its own rhythm,
In and out,
Your chest and stomach gently moving up and down with each inhalation and exhalation.
On your next inhale,
Might you focus your attention on breathing in through the right nostril,
Inhaling through the right nostril,
Then focus your attention on breathing out through the left nostril,
Exhaling through the left nostril,
Then inhaling through the left nostril,
Exhaling through the right nostril,
Inhaling through the right nostril,
Exhaling through the left nostril,
Inhale left,
Exhale right,
Inhale right,
Exhale left,
Inhale left,
Exhale right,
Inhale right,
Exhale left,
Inhale left,
Exhale right.
Continue this breathing pattern on your own for a few moments,
And return to your own natural breathing pattern now,
Effortless inhale,
Easy exhale,
Unaltered breathing.
Allow yourself to simply be in this moment,
There's nothing else you need to do except breathe and be.
Planting the seed of your sankalpa,
Silently repeat three times,
I am resting deeply now to restore my mind and body.
I am resting deeply now to restore my mind and body.
Now begin to expand your awareness past my voice to the sounds in the space around you.
Feel the surface beneath your body,
The walls,
The ceiling,
The floor,
Feel the weight of the blanket that is covering you,
The fabric from your clothes touching your skin.
Allow a deep breath,
And you might start to slowly move your fingers and your toes,
Your wrists and your ankles.
If you've been on your back,
Slowly roll over to one side and linger there for a few moments.
Be generous with your time right now,
There is no need to rush back into your day.
Let your mind and body linger in stillness for a little while longer.
You might even you might even pause this recording to give yourself more time to simmer in the bliss you've created within.
When you're ready,
Only when you're ready,
Ever so slowly begin to gently flutter open the eyes and bring your full awareness back.
You might make a mental note of how you're feeling.
How does it compare to how you felt at the beginning of the practice?
Has it changed?
It's wonderful if you've experienced a significant shift,
However,
Know that it is more than okay if you haven't.
Even if you feel five percent different,
That's fantastic and is worth acknowledging.
Thank you so much for listening today.
This has been Amanda,
And it has been my honor to be your guide on this Yoga Nidra bliss for your brain journey.
If you have a moment,
Please leave a message letting me know where you're listening from and what you liked about this practice.
I love hearing from you,
And I am so grateful to everyone who gives a few minutes after listening to leave a comment.
If there's a particular Yoga Nidra practice you'd like to hear,
Please feel free to leave that in the comments as well.
May you continue to bask in the blissful energy you've created within as you move throughout the rest of your day.
Namaste.
