Welcome to Yoga Nidra.
This Yoga Nidra practice is offered to help you let go of what you no longer need to carry.
Maybe that's tension,
A relationship,
Or a past version of yourself.
Yoga Nidra is practiced in Savasana.
So find a place where you can comfortably lie down on your back.
Let your hands and feet rest wherever they can be at ease.
Feel your body sink into the ground.
Take a deep breath in and let all worry and tension go as you exhale.
If your eyes are still open,
You can close them now.
And once again,
Take a long slow inhale.
I will guide you through a series of instructions and visualizations.
There's nothing you need to do.
In Yoga Nidra,
Our body and our mind enter a state of deep relaxation.
And from this place,
We have an innate ability to heal and to hear that inner voice that already knows what needs to be done.
So let yourself rest and trust in the process.
Allow yourself to become calm and steady.
Let your shoulders drop towards the ground.
Release any holding in your jaw.
Let the muscles in your face soften.
Feel the energy coming from the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.
Let your awareness scan your body from head to toe,
Looking for any places of tension,
Holding,
Or pain.
And if you can let that go,
Do so now.
Become a witness to your breath without needing to change it in any way.
Simply notice where it enters the body and how you feel your belly or your chest rise and fall with each inhalation and exhalation.
Here we state our heart's intention or sankalpa for the practice.
What are you ready to release?
We state this as though it is already true.
For example,
I am ready to let go of all that no longer serves me.
Or I release you.
Open your heart for a moment to form your own intention.
And when you're ready,
State it silently to yourself three times.
As my voice leads you through a rotation of consciousness,
Know that this very systematic approach is designed to bring your brain into a state of deep rest.
And to calm the nervous system.
Just allow your body to listen and let your awareness rest in each space,
As I name it.
Right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm of the right hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Lower arm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Right shoulder.
Right 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.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Lower arm.
Elbow.
Left shoulder.
Waist.
Left hip.
Left thigh.
Calf muscle.
Ankle.
Heel.
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.
Crown of the head.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
The space between the eyebrows.
Right eyelid.
Left eyelid.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Tip of the nose.
Jaw.
Throat.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Heart center.
Whole right leg.
Whole left leg.
Both legs together.
Whole right arm.
Whole left arm.
Both arms together.
The whole body.
Become aware of the whole body.
Deeply resting.
Feel the body becoming very heavy.
Sinking to the pull of gravity.
Now feel your body becoming light.
Like air.
Floating.
Feel places of warmth in your body.
And places of coolness.
Now bring your attention to the space between your eyebrows.
Let your awareness rest there.
And imagine yourself walking on a trail in the woods.
Your feet are bare and you can feel the soft earth beneath you.
Feel the leaves on the soles of your feet.
Notice what it smells like.
What it looks like.
As you walk along the path,
You notice that you're carrying a heavy pack on your back.
But it doesn't phase you.
You've been carrying it for a long time.
The air is cool.
And it smells like rain.
You come to a place where there's a fork in that trail.
And if you're not sure which way to go,
Don't choose.
Close your eyes.
Breathe.
And follow your feet.
You already know which way to go.
See what it feels like to walk this path with your eyes closed.
Complete trust in the forest.
In the journey.
And in yourself.
Now as you're walking,
You notice the sound of running water.
And you see a creek.
Stop to rest here.
Set down your pack.
And put your bare feet into the cool water.
Find a place to sit on the bank of the stream.
And open your pack now.
It is full of stones.
Some of them are quite beautiful.
Each one is a past version of yourself.
A story you've held on to.
Hold each one in your hand.
Give it thanks for everything it brought you at the time.
And then set it down in the creek.
As you place it in the water,
You notice that it doesn't sink to the ground.
Rather,
It becomes light.
Curling into a leaf.
And floating down the stream.
Let it go.
Do this with each stone.
Holding it.
Thanking it.
And letting it go.
When you're ready,
Come back to standing.
Pick up your pack.
It's empty.
Light as a feather.
Now look at the path that you came from.
You can return.
And follow your footsteps on that trail.
Or you can cross the stream.
And head somewhere new.
Knowing that when you feel lost,
You can close your eyes.
And trust.
Now bring your attention back to the space between your eyebrows.
Let your awareness shift to your heart center.
Recall your intention or sankopa.
And state it again silently to yourself three times.
Notice how much lighter you feel.
Having let go of the past.
Imagine a white light entering through the crown of your head.
Moving through your body to the soles of your feet.
Clearing any residual energies or tensions or stories that still need to be released.
Let it move through you like a wave.
Feeling lighter each time.
Now let your awareness return to your body.
Imagine yourself in the room that you're in.
Feel the sensation of your feet and your hands.
Maybe let a smile come to your mouth.
Wiggle your fingers.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
Knowing that you are ready for whatever lies ahead.
