As you prepare for the practice of yoga nidra,
Take your time as you settle into a comfortable position lying down on your back.
You might like to place a pillow underneath your head and underneath your knees,
Maybe something to cover the eyes.
Make any last adjustments to your body so that you feel as comfortable as possible.
And allow yourself to settle into stillness.
Take a deep breath in.
As you exhale,
Feel your entire body softening.
Once more a deep breath in.
And as you exhale,
Feel the sensation of settling down.
Feeling the parts of your body that are touching the floor.
And allow your body to soften into that support.
Imagine and feeling the earth beneath you,
Holding you.
Letting yourself just be held.
Let your senses open.
Bring awareness to any sounds you can hear.
From the ones way off in the distance to the ones happening right here inside the space.
Let your eyes soften back into the supportive structure of your skull.
Letting any tension around the eyes soften.
Feeling sensations inside of your mouth as you relax your jaw and tongue.
Notice the flow of air inside of your nostrils.
Notice the touch,
The texture of the air on your skin.
And place where clothes meet the body.
Where the body meets the floor.
Take this moment to set an intention for your practice.
Bringing awareness to the space of your own heart.
What is your heart's deepest longing?
Could you imagine and feel this longing as true now?
Meet this intention in the positive present tense starting with the words I am.
And now we'll begin to scan awareness through the body.
Feeling sensation in each part.
You may feel a lot of sensation or nothing at all.
Trust that whatever you experience is perfect exactly as it is.
Bring awareness to the right hand thumb.
Next finger on the right hand.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
So the entire right hand alive with sensation.
Right arm.
Right shoulder.
Right side of the chest.
Right waist.
Right hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Right ankle.
Top of the right foot.
Sole of the right foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Feel the entire right side of the body.
Recognize the left hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Feel the entire left hand.
Left arm.
Shoulder.
Left side of the chest.
Waist.
Left hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Left ankle.
Top of the left foot.
Sole of the left foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Feel the entire left side of the body.
Bring awareness to the crown of the head.
Forehead.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Space between the eyebrows.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Feel the nostrils.
Lips.
Inside of the mouth.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Space between the ears.
Awareness to the throat.
The right lung.
Left lung.
Feel the belly.
Feel the space inside the belly.
Awareness to the pelvis.
Feeling the entire pelvic bowl.
Bring awareness to the sacrum at the base of the spine.
Vertebra in the lower back.
Mid back.
Upper back.
Back of the neck.
Back of the head.
Feel the entire back of the body.
The entire front of the body.
Feeling your body from the inside out alive with sensation.
Feeling your entire body as one field of sensation.
Vibrating with aliveness.
Begin to feel the rise and the fall of your own breath.
As you inhale,
Feel the expansion of space inside the body.
As you exhale,
Feel the way space gathers in towards your body.
Breathing in space expanding inside.
Breathing out space hugging closer in towards you.
Starting to count down the breath from 10 to 1.
Breathing in 10.
Breathing out 10.
Breathing in 9.
Breathing out 9.
Breathing in 8.
Breathing out 8.
Continue to count the breath from 7 to 1.
Feeling the space inside and out.
Feel the motion betweenmusic and throughout the body.
And now imagine yourself sitting in the most beautiful garden.
Notice your surroundings,
The flowers that bloom around you.
Their soft fragrance filling the air.
Notice the trees that grow in this garden.
Perhaps filled with fruit.
Branches blowing softly in the breeze.
Notice the butterflies that fly around.
The soft touch of grass beneath you where you sit.
Gentle warmth of sunlight on your skin.
Taking in this beautiful garden.
Fullness of life blossoming all around you.
Sounds of birds.
You feel completely at ease.
Completely at peace.
Walking in the garden,
You notice someone in the distance.
This person walks through the garden.
You notice their likeness.
You walk towards this person.
Gazing into very familiar eyes.
As you see,
This is you.
This person wears no clothing.
Their eyes sparkle.
The deep sense of joy.
The deep sense of being at home in this body.
At home in this skin.
As you gaze at yourself,
Sparkling with pure joy.
You are in awe at your own beauty.
You take yourself in every detail.
Every curve.
You gaze at every single part of yourself.
The magic of every single inch of your own skin.
You see yourself as perfect.
You see yourself as beautiful.
You see this body as a beautiful expression of life itself.
Now you embrace yourself.
Taking yourself into your own arms.
Feeling the touch of your skin beneath your hands.
Offering gratitude.
Offering love to your own body,
To your own skin.
You might offer some words of appreciation and love.
You're so beautiful.
You are so precious.
Thank you for this beautiful body.
And now once again feel yourself lying on your back.
Feel the rise and the fall of the breath in your body.
The touch of the air on your skin.
Realizing sounds as they come and go.
Allowing yourself to simply rest into this moment.
And allow everything to be exactly as it is.
Allowing thoughts to come and go.
Sensations.
Emotions.
Sounds.
Letting everything come and go.
Letting everything be exactly as it is.
Letting yourself be exactly as you are.
And now return your awareness to the space of your heart.
Once again call in your intention.
Your heart's deepest longing.
Once again repeating your intention as you feel and believe this as already true.
And now bring awareness once again to the movement of your breath.
And gentle rise and fall.
Feeling into the life moving through you.
You might stay here and rest longer or take your time as you slowly reawaken.
Perhaps placing your hands on your own body.
Perhaps touching hands to your own skin.
Perhaps once again offering gratitude and words of care to this beautiful body.
This perfect expression of life.
Whenever you're ready let your eyes softly blink open.
Returning to your day awake and alert.
