This will be a 25 minute yoga nidra with gentle pranayama breathing techniques to regulate and calm the nervous system,
Ensuring your body is settled and supported by the surface below.
Adjusting any body parts that might be able to find more comfort,
More ease.
Inviting in pillows behind the knees,
The head,
A blanket is nice to add weight and warmth to the body.
This yoga nidra is intended to help you relax into spaciousness within the body and mind.
By following along to the sound of my voice,
You are guiding your body and mind back into spaciousness.
Slowly allowing tension in the physical form to seep away.
Allowing your mind to find space between the thoughts.
Guiding your whole being to melt into a deep state of spacious form where you are totally relaxed.
Before we start our guided body scan,
You might wish to set a sankalpa,
A personal intention or resolve for your practice.
For example,
I am relaxed or I am aware,
Relaxed and present.
Starting with a breath in through the nose.
Find a gentle pause at the top,
Followed by an exhale out through the mouth.
Inhaling through the nose.
Retaining the breath.
Before releasing slowly out through the mouth.
One last time.
Inhaling.
Retaining.
Releasing the breath.
Our next breath will take the form of an inhale through the nose for a count of four.
And a long exhale out through the mouth.
Maybe inviting in a sound such as an ah,
A sigh.
Inhale through the nose,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale out through the mouth.
Three more times.
In breath,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Ah.
Inhale.
And exhale.
Last round in breath.
And exhale,
Letting everything go.
We will now begin our guided body scan.
Letting your awareness drift from body part to body part,
Following the guidance.
Bringing the awareness to the length of the back body,
Resting on the surface below.
Back of the skull,
Shoulders,
Pelvis,
Ankles,
The entire back body becoming heavy.
And we drift the awareness slightly above the crown of the head.
This space above the crown of the head opening as a channel to receive deep relaxation into the body and mind.
Back of the skull resting.
Forehead.
Right ear relaxing.
Left ear relaxing.
The mind trusting it is safe to relax.
Eyelids soften.
Eyes roll back in space,
Resting deep into the eye sockets.
Cheeks relax.
Tip of the tongue gently presses onto the roof of the mouth.
Top jaw and bottom jaw part ways slightly.
This space here allowing you to take a full body sigh.
Inhaling spaciousness.
Exhaling tension.
Front of the neck.
Back of the neck.
Imagining spaciousness travelling down the body.
Drifting the attention now to the upper right body.
Relaxing all the muscles in the upper right body.
Right shoulder.
Upper arm.
Forearm.
Palm of the hand.
Right thumb.
First finger.
Middle finger.
Forefinger.
Little finger.
Back of the hand.
Ripples of relaxation move throughout each cell in the right arm.
Right shoulder.
Right collarbone.
Becoming aware of the sensations in the right side of the body.
Moving the attention now to the upper left body.
Relaxing all the muscles in the upper left body.
Left shoulder.
Upper arm.
Forearm.
Palm of the hand.
Left thumb.
First finger.
Middle finger.
Forefinger.
Little finger.
Back of the hand.
Ripples of relaxation move throughout each cell in the left arm.
Left shoulder.
Left collarbone.
Becoming aware of the sensations in the left side of the body.
We drift the awareness onto the chest.
Settling back into the heart.
As you inhale invite spaciousness to settle into the heart.
Exhale as you receive the power of this life-giving organ.
The space between the front of the torso.
Right ribcage.
Back of the heart.
Left ribcage.
Vital organs held in this space.
Relaxing.
Resting.
The diaphragm softens.
Movement of the belly slows as spaciousness seeps into the inhale,
The exhale.
The entire upper body is relaxed.
Awareness resting on the gentle and natural rhythm of the breath.
We drift our awareness to the gateway between the upper and lower body.
The pelvis anchoring,
Relaxing.
Finding more spaciousness as each muscle relaxes with each letting go.
You can do a small scan from your neck down through the upper body all the way to the pelvis.
Giving your body permission to relax.
Imagine spaciousness travelling down the body.
Right thigh relaxing.
Front of the thigh and the back of the thigh letting go.
Right knee.
Right shin.
All the way to the foot.
Top of the foot.
Soul of the foot.
First toe.
Second toe.
Middle.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Soul of the foot opening to receive deep relaxation.
Ripples of relaxation move throughout each cell in the right leg.
Left thigh relaxing.
Front of the left thigh and the back of the left thigh letting go.
Left knee.
Left shin.
All the way to the foot.
Top of the foot.
Soul of the foot.
First toe.
Second toe.
Middle.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Soul of the foot opening to receive deep relaxation.
Ripples of relaxation move throughout each cell in the left leg.
The entire lower body is relaxed.
Becoming heavier.
More relaxed.
The entire body relaxing into space.
Every organ,
Every cell relaxes.
Nourished by the life giving breath.
The entire body relaxing into space.
Every muscle,
Every bone melting into a deep state of relaxation.
Relaxing into this spaciousness.
The physical body resting.
The emotional body.
Mental body.
Trusting there is nothing to do here but relax.
Let go.
Ease into spacious awareness.
You are like a spacious open sky that is not touched by what passes through it,
Yet simply aware.
Thoughts can come and go if they wish to.
Drifting in and out like clouds as you allow the sensations to drift in and out like clouds.
You are aware of spaciousness itself.
The spaciousness is within you,
To the side of you,
Below you,
Surrounding you and holding you like a soft comfy cloud.
Staying relaxed in this aware and spacious state as you allow thoughts and sensations to move through you.
Remaining in deep stillness.
Resting in the expanse of the open sky.
You might like to spend more time here in aware relaxation.
Asking how am I feeling?
What do I most need to support myself right now?
Or you might allow yourself to drift off into a deep sleep.
Thank you for joining us.
