Welcome to your lunchtime lie down.
This is a short Nidra practice for you to use during your day to find a little bit of space.
Give yourself,
Your body and your mind a few moments to rest,
Restore and re-energize.
And it's okay if your mind is busy.
It's also okay if you drift off.
The Nidra is still working.
You cannot fail at Yoga Nidra.
Take your time to get really comfortable.
Making any small movements.
Taking a couple of nice long breaths.
This is your time to rest.
Give yourself a break from a head full of thoughts.
And create a little bit of space.
While I guide you through this practice,
You don't have to listen to everything that I say.
It's perfectly fine if you drift off at times.
And my voice just becomes a gentle sound in the background.
So begin to feel the surface beneath you.
Notice any sounds that you can hear.
Notice any thoughts.
Any sensations.
Any feelings.
And notice where your energy levels are.
Perhaps you're experiencing some fatigue.
Or maybe there's almost an energy of agitation.
This Nidra is designed to bring us to a place in between.
A place of calm.
A place of clarity.
So bring your awareness to the breath.
And take a couple of long exhalations.
And as you breathe out,
Feel this sense of surrender.
This sense of release.
This sense of peace.
Washing over you.
And ask yourself,
What do I need right now?
This may come as a thought or an image.
Perhaps a feeling deep down inside.
And if nothing comes to you,
Just use this time to breathe and relax.
What do I need right now?
As you allow your awareness to drift back to the body.
And when I name a part of your body,
Just hold your awareness here.
Starting with the top of your head.
The left ear.
The right ear.
Both ears together.
The left eye.
The right eye.
Both eyes together.
The throat.
The lips.
The nose.
The forehead.
The back of your head.
Your left shoulder.
Left elbow.
Left wrist.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Little finger.
Fourth finger.
Middle finger.
Index finger.
The thumb.
The whole left hand.
The whole left arm.
And your right shoulder.
Right elbow.
Right wrist.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Little finger.
Fourth finger.
Middle finger.
Index finger.
Thumb.
The whole right hand.
The whole right arm.
Your throat.
Your throat.
Your heart space.
Your upper abdomen.
Your navel.
Your lower abdomen.
And the left hip.
Left knee.
Left ankle.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
The toe.
The whole left foot.
The whole left leg.
And the right hip.
Right knee.
Right ankle.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
The toe.
The whole right foot.
The whole right leg.
The base of the spine.
Moving up to the sacrum.
Lower spine.
Middle spine.
Upper spine.
Back of the neck.
Back of the head.
Top of the head.
The whole head.
The whole left arm.
The whole right arm.
The whole left leg.
The whole right leg.
Feeling the whole body.
The whole body.
The whole body resting.
Now let your awareness rest in your tummy.
And in your chest.
Observe how it feels.
Watching the natural rhythm of your breath.
And the way that the body gently moves.
As you breathe in.
And as you breathe out.
Noticing the four phases of your breath.
The inhale.
The slight pause.
The exhale.
The slightly longer pause.
Let your awareness rest on the exhale.
And with each exhale.
Allow yourself to let go.
And to soften.
And shifting your awareness.
To the pause after the exhale.
Rest deeply.
In this space.
As you slowly let the awareness.
Of the breath.
Begin to dissolve.
And feel.
A sensation of being grounded.
In your arm.
Your arms resting on the floor.
Soft.
And relaxed.
And now find a feeling of lightness.
In your arms.
As if they could float up.
Effortlessly.
Like a feather.
Then come back to the feeling of the arms grounded.
And connected.
Like the roots of a tree.
And then the legs.
Grounded.
And connected.
And the legs light.
As if they were floating away.
And now the legs.
Grounded.
At ease.
Softening.
Connecting to a feeling of the heart.
The whole body.
The whole body letting go.
The whole body grounded.
The whole body softening.
Then connecting to a feeling of lightness.
In the whole body.
The whole body.
The whole body light.
The whole body free.
Now the whole body grounded.
Connected.
Centred.
And from this place.
Imagine or sense.
A place in nature.
A place where you feel.
Completely safe.
Completely calm.
And it's a beautiful clear day.
And you choose to take a rest in this place.
Perhaps you lie down on the ground or in a comfortable chair.
And you look up towards the sky.
You sense warmth from the sun.
Illuminating your face.
And you hear the birds.
And wind rustling in nearby trees.
And you look up at the bright blue sky.
So spacious.
So open.
So much clarity.
And filled with possibility.
So much clarity.
As your awareness drifts to the space behind your closed eyes.
Your gaze is soft.
And wide.
Just like looking into the bright blue sky.
What do you sense?
What do you see?
What do you feel?
What do you need?
Right now.
As we begin our gentle return.
Bring your awareness back to your body.
Feeling the weight of your legs and your feet.
Your arms and your hands.
The gentle movement of your tummy and your chest.
And perhaps the gentle flutter of your heartbeat.
Welcoming your whole body back.
Your whole body back.
Your whole body back.
As you bring some gentle movement into your fingers.
Into your toes.
Taking a gentle stretch.
And eventually rolling onto your side.
Pushing yourself up.
Bringing your palms together,
Maybe giving them a little rub.
And placing them on a part of your body that feels helpful to you.
When you're ready slowly opening your eyes.
