Welcome to your Yoga Nidra practice.
This is a practice of yogic sleep,
A deeply restorative meditation.
This practice is offered to support you in finding relief from physical pain.
Whether you are recovering from injury,
Surgery,
Illness,
Or navigating through chronic pain,
You are invited to rest into this state where your body can soften and your nervous system can begin to repair.
The more you practice,
The more you strengthen the neural pathways that support healing,
Calm,
And resilience.
May this offering bring healing to your body,
Your heart,
And your spirit.
Please lie down now on your back if you can,
Or find some other position that is comforting to you.
Place a light covering over your eyes if you wish,
And use a blanket to keep your body warm.
Your body temperature naturally lowers during Yoga Nidra,
And warmth will support your relaxation.
Know that what you are doing for yourself right now is incredibly profound.
Studies have shown that Yoga Nidra changes the structure and function of the brain,
Calming overactive pain responses and allowing the body to enter a parasympathetic state where healing can occur.
As you rest,
I will guide you into a state between waking and dreaming.
In Yoga Nidra,
We aim to stay awake,
Residing in this space.
But if you drift off to sleep,
Allow your body to find the healing rest it needs.
And if you drift back,
Simply return to the sound of my voice.
If at any time during this practice,
The pain begins to intensify,
Gently return your awareness to the quiet and still place in your heart.
This place exists beneath the pain,
And is always available to you.
Gently close your eyes,
Take a long slow inhale through your nose,
And as you exhale,
Hum softly through closed lips.
Feel the vibration in your face,
Your jaw,
Your chest.
Do this two more times.
Now,
Allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Relax the muscles of your face,
Soften your jaw,
Allow your tongue to rest.
Release any tension in your hands,
Let your shoulders drop away from your ears.
Feel a wave of relaxation go down your legs and into your feet.
Bring your attention to any parts of your body that are in pain,
And try to soften to that experience.
We hold this pain with love,
And where you can,
Go of any resistance or tension in this place.
At this time,
Bring to mind a sankalpa,
Which is a simple positive resolve,
A seed of healing planted in the subconscious mind.
Choose something short and heartfelt.
You might say,
I am healing.
I am finding relief.
I am deeply resting.
Choose what resonates with you,
And repeat it silently to yourself three times.
We'll now begin a rotation of consciousness,
A gentle journey through the body.
As I name each part,
Simply place your awareness there.
No need to move,
Just notice.
Right hand thumb.
Pointer finger.
Right shoulder.
Top of the foot.
Pointer finger.
Left wrist.
Middle back.
Front of the body.
Now draw your attention to your breath.
Simply observe.
Breathing into the quiet place in the heart.
Resting in stillness.
I will speak a series of images.
A wooded trail.
A tall oak tree.
A ripe strawberry.
Now let the images fade and just rest here in the spaciousness.
I invite you into the stillness.
My voice will call you back when it is.
Bring your sankopa to mind.
Begin to bring your awareness back to the physical body.
Feel the support of the earth beneath you.
Begin to hear the sounds within you.
Feel the energy in your fingers and toes.
As you bring yourself back into your waking day.
You are carrying this stillness with you.
The healing work that you have begun will continue throughout the day.
And you can come back to this space again and again.
We reside in the stillness beneath it.
We have access to boundless grace and love.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful.
May you feel loved.
Namaste.
