Welcome.
My name is Leah and this is a yoga nidra to help you connect back in with yourself through the practice of conscious rest,
A journey inward where the body rests deeply yet awareness remains awake.
Connecting yourself in this way allows you to find your sense of belonging out in the world and it is my deepest hope that this practice will serve you.
Please find a comfortable lying down position on your back,
Arms slightly away from your sides,
Palms facing up,
Legs resting naturally apart.
You could lie on your yoga mat in a supported shavasana with cushions or bolsters under the knees,
Head and spine or rest on the couch or in a reclining chair or even cozied up in your bed.
Make sure that you are feeling comfortable and nested.
Take the time to settle in fully so that you feel supported and warm.
An eye covering or a piece of cloth over the eyes is also helpful to block out any light if you are in a brighter space.
Let the eyes gently close and feel the eyelids soften.
Release any expression in the face,
Relax the jaw and invite a sense of ease across the brow and around the temples.
And now bring your attention to your physical body.
Feel the points of contact where your body meets the surface beneath you,
The back of the head,
The shoulders,
The elbows,
Spine,
Hips,
The back of the legs and the heels.
Feel yourself being held by the earth.
Nothing is needed right now.
There's nowhere else to be.
You are safe.
You are supported.
And now bring awareness to your breath without changing it.
Notice the natural rhythm of the inhale and the exhale.
And feel the movement of breath in and out through the nostrils,
The rise and fall of the chest or the belly.
And let's take a nice deep breath in here.
Holding the breath at the top.
And a long,
Slow exhale.
Another deep breath in.
And a long,
Slow exhale.
And exhale either through the nose or through the mouth.
And one more.
Breathing in.
Hold the breath.
And exhaling.
Know that you are present.
And breathing out,
Allowing a letting go.
With each exhale,
Releasing anything energetically that won't serve you.
Feel the weight of the body sinking deeper as the earth receives you.
And now become aware of the space around you.
The temperature of the air,
The sounds near and far,
And in this recording.
Let all sounds be a part of your experience without needing to label or follow them.
This is the beginning of turning inward,
Welcoming a sense of your inner landscape,
And a still presence that is waiting to be discovered.
You are moving into a state between waking and sleeping,
Where deep breaths are the key to your awareness.
Healing and insight naturally unfold.
Stay aware.
Stay effortless.
Let your body rest in stillness.
Let your breath be natural.
Let your mind be free.
Feel your whole body resting.
No effort.
No doing.
Just being.
Feel the weight of the body,
From the crown of the head all the way down to the soles of the feet.
Sense gravity drawing you downward,
Anchoring you to the earth's pull.
Let the bones be heavy.
Let the muscles be soft.
Let the breath become more subtle.
And now bring your awareness to the face.
Feel the eyes resting effortlessly,
The skin of the forehead smoothing out,
The cheeks releasing,
The tongue resting heavy.
Draw this sense of release down to the heart.
Feel the neck and shoulders.
Let the shoulders soften.
The arms feel heavy.
Hands relaxed.
Fingers open.
Travel now through the torso.
Feel the chest expanding with each inhale.
Softening with each exhale.
Feel the belly rise and fall with the breath,
Effortless.
Let this soft wave of awareness flow through the pelvis.
Hips relaxing.
Thighs softening downward.
Knees,
Calves,
And ankles.
Down to the soles of the feet and the toes,
And let every part of the body rest in stillness.
You are present.
You are aware.
You are resting in pure being.
And now begins the journey of Yoga Nidra.
From this quiet and open state,
Gently invite into awareness your Sankalpa,
Your heart's intention.
A vow or seed of truth that supports your path of healing and wholeness.
Let it come softly and naturally.
Perhaps a word or a phrase.
Perhaps a prayer from deep within your being.
Choose something that feels relevant to you at this time and is phrased in the present moment.
It could be a word,
A small sentence,
Or even an image.
And if no words arise,
Rest in a feeling of inner refuge.
A place inside where you feel safe,
Connected,
And true.
Let your Sankalpa or inner sanctuary gently emerge,
Not from the mind,
But from the heart.
Let it be simple and felt,
Trusting that it will unfold in its own time.
It might be something like,
All of me belongs in this moment.
I am whole.
Or simply being here,
Connected with my breath,
And a deeper presence is enough.
And now mentally repeat your Sankalpa slowly three times to yourself,
Entering it into the field of your awareness,
Saying it with full feeling,
And then let it go.
All of me belongs in this moment.
I am whole.
Or simply being here,
Connected with my breath,
And a deeper presence is enough.
You are now aligned with your deeper self,
Ready to journey inward with intention and trust.
Now we begin a rotation of awareness through the physical body,
Moving your attention gently,
Without effort,
Without judgment,
Simply sensing each part as it's named,
And then releasing it.
Let the awareness move like a sparkle of light,
Touching each part of the body briefly,
And then passing on.
We begin with the left side of the body,
Left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left side of the chest,
Left waist,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Shin,
Ankle,
Heel,
Soul of the left foot,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
Baby toe.
Now shift awareness to the right side,
Right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Right side of the chest,
Right waist,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Ankle,
Heel,
Soul of the right foot,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
Baby toe.
Now move to the back body,
Back of the head,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Upper back,
Middle back,
Lower back,
Right glute,
Right glute,
Left glute,
The spine from top to bottom.
Now the front of the body,
Forehead,
Eyebrows,
The space between the eyebrows,
Nose,
Eyelids,
Eyes,
Eyelashes,
Cheeks,
Nose,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Hinges of the jaw,
Chin,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Center of the chest,
Upper belly,
Navel,
Lower belly,
Now the whole left leg,
Whole right leg,
Both legs together simultaneously,
Whole left arm,
Whole right arm,
Both arms together simultaneously,
Whole torso,
Whole head,
The entire body as one,
Whole body,
Resting in stillness,
Held in awareness,
Completely relaxed.
Feel the body now as a field of sensation and energy,
Open and alive,
And allow yourself to remain in this awareness,
Simply noticing your inner connection,
Simply being.
And now bring your awareness gently to the breath,
Natural and unforced.
Feel the breath just as it is,
Inhaling and exhaling,
Exhaling and exhaling,
Arising and dissolving.
Let your awareness rest lightly on the nostrils,
Noticing the coolness as you breathe in,
And the warmth as you breathe out.
And now feel the breath in the chest,
Expanding with the inhale,
Relaxing with the exhale.
And now the belly,
Rising and falling,
As if the breath is being received deep in the center of your being.
Breathe as though your whole body is breathing,
Every pore gently receiving and releasing.
Let yourself be breathed from the inside out.
There's nothing to do,
Only to receive the breath,
To feel it moving in and out of the body,
Effortlessly,
Continuously.
Life unfolding in every breath,
Every cell breathing.
And now bring awareness to the pause between the breaths,
That subtle stillness after the inhale and again after the exhale,
A sacred space,
A gateway to deep inner peace.
Notice how the breath is not just air,
But prana,
Life force energy,
Moving through the body,
Nourishing every cell.
With each inhale,
Receiving life.
With each exhale,
Releasing all that is ready to go.
Breathing in,
Calm.
Breathing out,
Letting go.
Continue resting with the breath for a few more moments.
Breath as connector.
Breath as belonging.
Breath as presence.
Now return once more to your sankalpa,
In this receptive and open state.
Let it sink into your deepest awareness.
You may have chosen your own sankalpa,
And if you chose an image,
Rest in this felt sense of your inner refuge,
The place inside where you feel safe,
Connected,
And true.
Or you may have borrowed the intention,
All of me belongs in this moment,
I am whole.
Or simply being here,
Connected with my breath,
And a deeper presence is enough.
Repeat your chosen sankalpa slowly and silently to yourself,
Three times now.
Now it is time to begin to return,
Gently awakening through the layers of your being,
Bringing with you the connection and presence of your practice.
Begin by reconnecting with the subtle essence of awareness itself,
That spacious presence that has held you throughout your practice,
Calm and clear.
From this space,
Sense the wisdom layer,
The vijnanamaya kosha,
The inner knowing,
The witness,
The part of you that observes with compassion and trust.
Now allow awareness to descend into the emotional body,
The manomaya kosha.
Feelings,
Memories,
Dreams,
All held in a soft field of acceptance.
Let them be here,
They belong.
Bring your awareness into the energetic body,
The pranamaya kosha.
Feel the gentle hum of life from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.
The breath moving a bit more deeply now,
The flow of prana beginning to awaken and circulate.
And now arrive fully in the physical body,
The anamaya kosha.
Feel the contact of the body with the ground,
The earth,
The texture of clothing on your skin,
The temperature of the air around you.
Feel the weight of your limbs and the edges of your body.
Take this time now to slowly reawaken the body,
To integrate the insights of your practice.
Begin with the breath,
Inhale gently and feel the breath touching the body from the inside.
Exhale and feel the body resting more fully in presence.
Let the breath deepen,
Feel it expanding through the ribs,
The chest,
The belly.
And now begin to invite subtle movement into the body,
The chest,
The belly.
Wiggle the fingers,
Move the toes,
Make small gentle circles with the wrists and ankles.
Sensing your energy returning,
Aliveness in every cell.
Feel your spine from the base to the crown,
Lengthening as you wake from a long,
Nourishing rest.
Begin to stretch if it feels natural,
Reaching the arms overhead,
Extending the legs,
Yawning if it feels good.
And now slowly roll to one side,
Curled up and cozied in,
And resting here for a few breaths.
Allow yourself to arrive fully in this moment,
Connected,
Grounded,
And alive.
From here,
Press gently into the hands and rise to a comfortable seated position,
Spine tall,
Face soft,
Heart open.
Feel the earth beneath you,
A steady foundation that supports you.
Feel your breath,
Feel your body,
Feel your presence and connection to this moment.
Notice any subtle shifts,
The calm in the nervous system,
The quiet in the mind,
The spaciousness in your heart.
And take a moment to silently offer yourself gratitude for making space for this inner work,
And for allowing yourself to rest,
To connect,
To nurture a sense of belonging.
And now bring the palms together in front of the heart in namaskara mudra,
Feeling the warmth,
The pulse,
The life between them.
Taking a final breath,
Inhaling fully through the nose,
And exhaling slowly through the mouth as if you were gently blowing out a candle.
Om shanti shanti shantihi.
May you have peace in your mind,
Peace in your heart,
And peace in your life.
And may this practice serve to bring peace to all beings,
And may we be free.
Namaste.
