Welcome to the practice of yoga nidra.
This practice is offered to help you find relief from pain,
To offer you a refuge that you can return to throughout the day and to support your healing.
We'll begin our practice now by finding a comfortable place to lie down.
Let your body feel supported by the ground or the bed beneath you.
Allow your legs to fall slightly apart and let your hands rest alongside your body or you may place them on your belly and heart.
Gently close your eyes.
In this yoga nidra I will be guiding you through a series of physical sensations,
Images,
Thoughts and emotions.
Simply follow the sound of my voice without effort.
Whatever you experience is perfect.
Just as it is.
Just as you are.
Let go and trust.
Welcome what arises for you with love and acceptance.
Let your eyes close.
Allow them to find rest in the dark behind your lids and open to inner vision.
Notice the taste inside your mouth and the scent of air as it enters your nose.
Feel the weight of your clothes on your skin and all the points where your body meets the ground.
Let the muscles in your shoulders and face and chest untie any knots of holding and soften into water.
Bring your awareness to the soles of your feet.
Allow any tension to flow out through the bottoms of your feet as you exhale.
Witness a healing white light entering the soles of your feet as you inhale.
Continue like this for a few more breaths.
Inhaling healing white light and exhaling anything that is ready to be released as it dissolves into water and flows out through your feet.
As we enter into the state of yoga nidra,
You will naturally loosen and release more tension and pain,
Past emotions and attachments.
Let them flow through and out.
There is nothing you need to do to make this happen.
Simply rest in this healing space.
In yoga nidra,
We set a sankopa.
This is an intention for our practice and beyond.
We state it as though it were already true with the deep understanding that it will be so.
You might use I am vibrant and joyful.
I am healthy and strong.
I am rested and healing.
I am full of love and light.
Rest in your heart now to discover your own intention and when you're ready,
State it silently to yourself three times.
If some part of you is experiencing pain,
Allow your attention to come to this place.
We approach with love and understanding.
Without bracing against it,
Turn towards the pain.
There's nothing to be afraid of here.
You're safe.
Rather than turning away,
We allow ourselves to go deeper into the pain,
Through the pain,
Sensing its power over us,
Softening to its teachings and finally resting beneath it with love and acceptance.
Let go of any holding.
Let go of fear.
Watch as it begins to lessen and dissolve in your gentle presence.
Follow the sound of my voice now as we rotate our consciousness through the body,
Activating neural pathways and systematically entering a state of rest and relaxation.
Allow your awareness to follow to each place as I name it.
Right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Waist,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Knee,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the right foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Left shoulder,
Waist,
Hip,
Left thigh,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Sole of the left foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Back of the body,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Spine,
Whole back,
Crown of the head,
Space between the eyebrows,
Right eyelashes,
Left eyelashes,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Tip of the nose,
Lips,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Heart center,
Whole left leg,
Whole right leg,
Both legs together,
Whole right arm,
Whole left arm,
Both arms together,
The whole body,
The whole body,
Feel the body breathing,
Witness without needing to change it in any way,
Watch your breath like waves in the ocean as you gently count backwards from 27 to 1.
If you lose your way or finish counting,
Begin again.
Feel your body growing heavy now,
The weight of your bones sinking deep into the earth.
Now feel the left side of your body growing even heavier,
As the right side of your body grows light.
Now the right side heavy,
Sinking like stones in a lake,
While the left side of your body grows lighter.
Now both sides of your body light,
Lifted,
Floating on air.
Experience darkness and cold,
Like lying on the snow beneath a dark and moonless sky.
And now the sensation of light and warmth,
The hot summer sun warming your skin.
Recall a time when you felt brave and full of courage.
Now a time when you felt uncertain.
Feel the sensation of movement.
And now the feeling of stillness and quiet.
Now bring about the feeling of unconditional love.
A love that is boundless and requires nothing in return.
Rest here in that space.
Reflect on all that is and has ever been.
Experience this with pure awareness,
Acceptance.
Imagine a clear white light radiating from your heart and encircling you.
Healing and purifying all of your cells.
I'm going to name some objects now.
Let these images arise and pass,
Along with any memories or emotions that they may evoke.
Red clouds drifting,
A flickering flame,
Moonlight on a river,
Torrential rain,
A coffin beside a grave,
Steam rising from a cup of tea,
A wild orchid,
A piece of chocolate,
Green leaves coming up through the dark soil,
A mountaintop on a sunny day,
A child laughing,
A blue stone in the palm of your hand,
A woman twirling in the forest,
A lavender shell on a sandy shore,
A starry sky,
Bare feet in a summer stream.
Let your mind follow the stream,
Trust in its course as you let it carry you.
Now remember your intention or sankopa.
Let it rise to the surface and repeat it again silently to yourself three times.
Notice how you feel in this space of deep relaxation and acceptance.
Know that this place of inner calm in you can be accessed at any time and carried into your day beneath the layers of experience.
Let wakefulness return to you now,
Sensing the energy in your fingers and toes.
With eyes still closed,
Begin to see the room you are lying in.
Welcome yourself back into wakefulness,
Ready to engage with the day.
From the center of peace and unchanging spacious awareness,
You may open your eyes.
The practice of yoga mudra is now complete.
Namaste.
