Welcome to your Yoga Nidra session for today.
My name is Julie and together we are going to go on a journey.
But first of all,
Start to find a comfortable position.
It could be lying down,
It could be sitting.
As long as you can make yourself fully comfortable.
You can use cushions or bolster if you have one.
And put them under your knees so you have your lower back closer to the floor or to the mattress under you.
You could have pillows under your arms.
Whatever makes you feel truly at home.
Feel free to pause this audio to get your nest done and start again when you're ready.
Yoga Nidra is called yogic sleep.
So you will keep on listening to the sound of my voice throughout this session.
Your mind will stay awake and aware while we will bring your body to sleep.
Let's start.
Settle in your resting pose.
Softly close your eyes.
And allow the body to be fully supported by the floor beneath you.
Adjust anything you need so the body can remain still for a long time.
And when the body is ready,
Just start to breathe slowly,
Softly,
Without effort.
Take a moment to sense the whole body resting.
Feel where the body meets the floor.
Notice the natural weight of your being held,
Safe,
Supported.
There is nothing you need to do,
Nothing to fix.
Simply being here is enough.
Now allow yourself to arrive inwardly.
Gently step away from the outer world.
From the sounds,
The thoughts,
The roles,
The expectations.
This time is just for you.
Your presence here matters.
You matter.
Now bring to mind a simple inner intention.
Not a demand,
Not a wish,
But a quiet intention.
Maybe it's only these two words,
I matter.
Or maybe this can be any intention that you have that is dear to your heart.
And let it go.
Now we begin a slow dreamy journey through the body.
Bring your awareness to the right side of the body.
Feel the right hand resting.
Sense the fingers.
Feel the palm of the hand.
The back of the hand.
The wrist.
Sense the right forearm.
The elbow.
Upper arm.
Right shoulder.
And now notice the right side of the chest.
The right hip.
And slide down to the right thigh.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Foot.
And all the toes.
Now feel the entire right side of the body.
The entire right side resting.
Supported.
Allowed.
Now gently shift awareness to the left side of the body.
Feel your left hand resting.
Sense the fingers.
The palm of the hand.
The back of the hand.
The wrist.
Feel the left forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
And left shoulder.
Sense the left side of the chest.
The waist.
The hip.
Feel the left thigh.
Down to the left knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Foot.
And all the toes.
Now feel the entire left side resting.
The left side of the body complete.
Equal.
Now bring your awareness to the back of the body.
Feel the back of the head resting on the floor.
The back of the neck.
The shoulders.
The shoulder blades melting down.
Sense the entire back.
The upper back.
The middle back.
The lower back.
Continuing to the back of the pelvis.
Feel the back of the legs.
The calves.
The heels.
The back body heavy.
Safe.
Fully supported.
Now bring awareness to the front of the body.
Sense the top of the head.
The forehead.
The eyes.
And flow to your temples left and right.
Your cheeks.
Your jaw.
Continuing down,
Sense the throat.
The collarbone.
Arriving to the chest.
Rising and falling softly.
And feel the belly.
Warm and alive.
And allow awareness to gently gather in the centre of the body.
In the area between the lower ribs and the navel.
Feel the space from the inside.
Notice its temperature,
Its movement,
Its presence.
You do not need to change anything.
Simply sense.
This place knows effort and rest.
Action and pose.
For now,
It is allowed to rest.
Now bring your attention to the natural breath.
Do not control it.
Simply notice the breath as it moves in.
And out of the body.
Feel the breath arriving gently.
And leaving gently.
Notice how the breath softly touches the chest.
And then the belly.
Each breath is a quiet reminder.
That you are here.
That you matter.
We will now explore opposite sensations.
Bring to mind the sensation of warmth.
Imagine a gentle warmth spreading throughout the body.
Like sunlight on the skin.
Feel warmth in the hands,
The feet,
The belly,
The chest.
The body bathed in a comfortable,
Pleasant warmth.
Now gently let that fade.
And imagine coolness.
A fresh,
Calm coolness.
Like shade on a warm day.
Feel the cool air touching the skin.
Notice the contrast.
Cool and refreshing.
Now let go of temperature.
And bring awareness to heaviness.
Feel the body becoming heavy.
Sinking into the floor.
The muscles soften.
The bones feel dense and supported.
Heavy,
Grounded.
Settled.
And now shift to lightness.
Imagine the body feeling light.
Feeling so light,
It's almost floating.
Legs,
Arms feel spacious,
Effortless.
Light and easy.
And let go of these sensations.
Let all these sensations dissolve.
Now allow a gentle image to form.
Imagine you're walking slowly along a quiet path in a pine forest.
The ground beneath your feet is soft.
Covered with dry pine needles and small pine cones.
Each step feels cushioned and steady.
The air is cool and clean.
And it carries a familiar scent of pine.
You're not in a hurry.
Your body knows exactly how fast to move.
Tall pine trees surround you.
Their trunks strong and grounded.
Light filters through the branches above,
Creating soft patterns of shade and sun on the path.
And you notice small movements around you.
Perhaps a bird shifts on a branch.
Or maybe squirrels playing jumping from tree to tree.
The sounds are muted and calm.
As if the forest is holding everything softly.
And as you walk,
You hear another sound in the distance.
Very far away.
Almost like a memory.
There is the low steady sound of the sea.
It is faint but constant.
With each step forward,
That sound becomes a little clearer.
A little closer.
You continue walking,
Feeling your breath move easily in your body.
There is a quiet warmth beginning to grow in your center,
Just below the ribs.
It is subtle and steady.
Like an inner sun that does not burn,
Only warms.
The trees slowly begin to thin.
The ground changes beneath your feet.
The scent of pine mixes with the fresh,
Salty air.
The sound of the sea is closer now.
Rhythmic and soothing.
You step out of the forest and arrive at a small,
Quiet beach.
The space opens up around you.
The sky feels wide.
The sea stretches calmly in front of you.
You walk onto the sand.
It is warm beneath your feet,
Soft and supportive.
With each step,
Your feet sink slightly,
Held by the ground.
The sun is gentle but present.
You feel its warmth on your skin,
On your shoulders,
Your arms,
Your face.
And you stop and stand for a moment,
Facing the sea.
Sunlight on your face,
Closed eyelids.
This warmth comes to your chest,
Your belly.
Your full body.
And the warmth in your center becomes clearer now.
Clearer,
More comfortable and alive.
You feel steady.
You feel present.
You feel here.
There is nothing you have to do on this beach.
Nothing to fix or understand.
You simply stand,
Breathe and feel the warmth of the sun.
The steadiness of the ground.
In this moment,
A simple understanding settles in your body.
Not as a word you think about,
But as something you feel.
I matter.
I matter so much.
And let this feeling spread gently.
Rest here for a while,
Enjoying the sun,
The air,
The sound of the sea.
And the quiet truth of your presence.
Maybe it is a good moment now to remind yourself of your intention.
Repeat it for yourself.
Would it be,
I matter?
Or any other intention you had.
And gradually the images begin to fade.
The warmth remains.
The sense of being enough settles quietly in your body.
And you begin to bring awareness back to the physical body resting on the floor or on your chair.
Feel all the points of contact again.
Notice the breath.
Notice the shape of your body.
And begin to sense the room around you.
The sounds.
The air on your skin.
And slowly you will invite small movement back in the body.
Maybe wiggling the fingers or the toes.
And after a while maybe stretching,
Yawning if you need.
And when you are ready,
You will roll on one of the sides.
Keeping your eyes closed.
Pausing here for a moment.
When it feels right,
Gently come back in a seated position if you were lying down.
Or remain resting if it feels best.
Take as much time as you need.
If you are ready to go,
Take one final quiet breath here.
And allow this yoga nidra practice to settle.
This practice is now finished.
I hope you enjoyed it.
And I hope that you will remind yourself time after time that you matter.
Thank you very much for practicing together.
See you next time.