Welcome to this full moon yoga nidra,
A journey of deep rest,
Release and renewal beneath the luminous glow of the full moon.
Yoga nidra,
Often called yogic sleep,
Is a state of conscious relaxation that guides you into the space between awakefulness and sleep.
Here the body rests deeply,
The nervous system unwinds and the mind becomes spacious and receptive.
The full moon represents completion,
Illumination and release.
Just as the moon waxes and wanes,
We too move through cycles of effort and rest,
Holding on and letting go,
Expansion and renewal.
You'll be invited to soften your grip on what no longer serves you,
Reconnect to your inner wisdom and rest in the quiet truth of who you are.
Take a moment now to settle into your position,
Adjust your body so that you can remain completely still and comfortable.
I'd recommend lying for this,
Maybe having a blanket on you or nearby in case your temperature drops.
Eye pillows are also good.
Felling that,
Just allow your eyes to gently close.
There's nothing you need to do,
Nothing you need to achieve,
Just simply allow yourself to arrive and open your awareness to this practice.
I invite you now to silently repeat the following three times.
Here begins the practice of yoga nidra.
I will remain aware.
I will receive what I need.
I will awaken feeling refreshed and renewed.
Here begins the practice of yoga nidra.
I will remain aware.
I will receive what I need.
I will awaken feeling refreshed and renewed.
Here begins the practice of yoga nidra.
I will remain aware.
I will receive what I need.
I will awaken feeling refreshed and renewed.
Just allow these words to settle like seeds planted in fertile soil.
Begin to notice where your body meets the ground,
The weight of your head,
Your shoulders,
Your back and your legs.
Feel the earth beneath you,
Steady,
Supportive and unmoving.
Allow yourself to be held.
I invite you now to imagine a soft silvery moonlight appearing above the crown of your head.
With each breath,
This gentle light begins to wash slowly down through your body.
It starts by softening the muscles in your face,
The jaw,
The neck,
Your shoulders.
It flows through your arms down to your fingertips before returning to your chest,
Down through your tummy,
Down through your hips,
Slowly working its way down through your legs towards your toes.
Each place it touches begins to melt and soften.
Notice how your body starts to grow heavy,
Your breath becoming effortless.
You feel safe,
Supported and now ready to start your journey inward.
Without effort,
I invite you now to silently repeat this intention to yourself three times,
Allowing it to resonate through your body.
Under the full moon's light,
I release the old and welcome transformation.
I trust in change,
Embrace wisdom and open myself to new possibilities.
Under the full moon's light,
I release the old and welcome transformation.
I trust in change,
Embrace wisdom and open myself to new possibilities.
Under the full moon's light,
I release the old and welcome transformation.
I trust in change,
Embrace wisdom and open myself to new possibilities.
Let these words sink beneath the surface of the mind,
Into the deep layers of your awareness.
We're now going to start a gentle body awareness,
Inviting each part of the body I guide you to,
To relax and to soften.
Slowly bring your awareness to the right side of your body.
Relax your right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Shoulder,
Collarbone,
Waist,
Thigh,
Shin,
Foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe,
Now move your awareness to the left side of your body.
Relax your left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Collarbone,
Waist,
Thigh,
Shin,
Foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe.
Now bring your awareness to the centre of your body.
Relax your spine,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Space between the brows,
Chin,
Heart centre,
Solar plexus,
Belly,
Pelvis.
Now relax your whole right arm,
Your whole left arm,
Both arms together,
Your whole right leg,
Your whole left leg,
Both legs together,
The front of your body,
The back of your body,
Your entire body,
Relax your whole and complete body.
Now slowly bring your attention to your natural breath.
Imagine each inhale drawing in a soft silver moonlight through the nose,
Each exhale gently releases through the mouth,
Letting go of heaviness and shadow.
In a moment we're going to breathe together,
Inhaling through the nose gently to a count of four,
Holding for a count of four and then gently releasing through the mouth to a count of six.
Inhale four,
Hold four,
Exhale six.
I shall lead you for a couple of rounds before you then continue using your own count internally.
Let's begin.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six and now you continue.
No force,
No effort,
Just allow the breath to guide you deeper into stillness.
Each inhale picturing the silver moonlight entering,
Each exhale softening and releasing.
Gently inhaling through the nose and softly exhaling through the mouth.
If you lose the count,
It's okay,
Just simply start again.
Just allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm,
No effort,
No control.
We're now going to experience some opposing sensations one at a time.
Allow yourself to experience them but don't get bogged down in the detail or question why.
Just allow yourself now to experience warmth as though bathing in bright summer sunshine.
Coolness as you feel the winter moonlight on your skin.
Heaviness sinking into the earth.
Lightness floating beneath the moon.
Tension like a closed fist.
Release like an open palm.
Stillness,
Gentle movement.
Resistance.
Surrender.
By allowing ourselves to experience the rich dichotomy of opposing sensations,
Thoughts and experiences,
We bring ourselves into balance and harmony.
Imagine yourself sitting at the edge of a wide slow-moving river.
It's so still it appears like a lake.
The river flows from left to right with a gentle current.
It's nighttime and the sky above is a deep intergo scattered with stars.
Soft clouds drift easily and lazily past.
In the distance,
Two gentle hills rise on either side of the river,
Forming a wide V.
Like open arms holding the horizon.
And cradled between them,
The full moon sits.
Round.
Bright.
Luminous.
A silver light spills across the surface of the water,
Creating a shimmering path that stretches all the way to you.
The world is quiet.
The air is soft.
And you are safe.
The moonlight begins to move,
Rising gently from the water like a glowing mist.
It drifts toward you,
Wrapping around your shoulders,
Your chest,
Your heart.
It feels like a hug from someone who understands you completely.
An embrace that asks nothing of you.
It whispers.
You are safe.
You are held.
You are allowed to rest.
If there's anything you've been carrying,
Fatigue,
Sadness,
Tension,
Unnamed emotion,
Just allow them to arise now,
Unhindered,
But felt.
The moon understands your tides.
She knows your phases.
And just like her,
You wax and wane.
Yet you remain whole.
Whatever it is you're experiencing,
Just allow the moonlight to hold it all.
Feel the moonlight settle deeper now,
Behind your eyes,
Into your tummy,
Down your arms.
The moonlight feels like warm water in a quiet bath,
Soothing and cleansing.
Let it refill the places that you've been giving too much.
Let it soften what feels tired.
Remember,
You're not broken.
You're simply becoming.
And with every breath,
You're restored.
The moonlight begins to soften now,
Like a blanket gently tucked in.
It leaps behind a quiet shimmer in your chest,
A pearl of calm you can return to at any time.
The river is still again.
The moon glows above it.
And you are held,
Seen,
Soothed,
And healed.
Follow the next gentle breath into the centre of you.
And from your body,
Connect to the space around you.
Silently repeat to yourself the following.
I am light.
I am free.
I am open to the wisdom of my heart.
Now allow the eyes to slowly flicker open.
And carry this feeling of the moonlight deep within you into the rest of your day.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Namaste.
