Welcome,
My name is Leah and this is a short yoga nidra practice to honor the earth element within the body.
As we move into deeper brainwave states through the process of yoga nidra,
Allow yourself to softly surrender,
To feel held,
Safe and grounded.
This journey will support you.
Find a comfortable lying down position,
Completely supported,
On your back,
Arms slightly away from your sides,
Palms facing up,
Legs resting naturally.
You could lie on your yoga mat in a supported shavasana with cushions or pillows under the knees,
Head and spine,
Or rest on the couch,
Or in a reclining chair,
Or even nested and cozy in your bed.
Let the eyes softly close,
Allow the skin to receive the air around you.
Feel the solidity of the ground beneath you.
With each breath,
Feel yourself sinking into the earth's embrace.
Inhale,
Arrive.
Exhale,
Release.
You are safe.
You are grounded.
You are so welcome here.
Feel your body settle and begin to root into stillness.
Let your forehead soften,
The jaw relax,
Shoulders soften towards the earth,
Hips sink,
Legs release.
Your breath is slow and even,
Like the rhythm of nature itself.
Hearing any sounds around you,
Hearing the sounds in this recording,
And tuning into the sounds within you,
Your heart beating,
Your breath.
Let the ground receive your weight now,
Like a stone in a stream bed,
Steady,
Unmoving,
Supported.
Now bring to heart a sankalpa,
An inner resolve or truth.
Let it arise from your connection to this deep,
Rooted stillness.
It may be,
I am grounded and steady,
Or I trust the earth supports me.
Or choose something that feels meaningful at this time,
Something just for you,
Planting it like a tiny seed in fertile ground.
And let it rest there,
Nourished,
Alive.
Silently repeat your sankalpa to yourself three times now.
We'll begin the rotation of awareness through the body.
Start at the soles of the feet.
Right sole,
Heel,
Toes,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Baby toe,
Top of the foot,
Ankle,
Calf,
Knee,
Thigh,
Left sole,
Heel,
Toes,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Baby toe,
Top of the foot,
Ankle,
Calf,
Knee,
Thigh,
Hip,
Now the pelvis,
Lower abdomen,
Belly,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
The whole spine,
Chest,
Shoulder blades,
Right shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Hand,
Right thumb,
First finger,
Second,
Third,
Little finger,
Left shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Hand,
Left thumb,
First finger,
Second,
Third,
Little finger,
Neck,
Base of the throat,
Jaw,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Bridge of the nose,
Nostril flares,
Cheeks,
All around the eyes and behind the eyes,
The delicate tissues behind the eyes,
Eyebrows and in between the eyebrows,
Forehead,
Crown of the head,
And now feel the whole body,
The entire body resting upon the earth,
Grounded,
Still,
Held.
Bring your attention to the breath,
Feel it moving like a breeze through a forest,
Inhale cool,
Fresh,
Earth-scented air,
Exhale warmth released back to the soil,
Exhale,
No need to control the breath,
Just witness its rhythm,
Let each breath root you more deeply,
A steady stream of nourishment,
Now become aware of what you feel,
Like stepping barefoot onto cool moss or sun-warmed stones,
Notice sensations without judgment,
Let feelings move through you,
Like wind through trees,
You are not the sensation,
You are the one who feels,
Held in stillness,
Cradled by the earth,
Now imagine yourself walking barefoot through a meadow,
You feel the ground below,
Soft earth,
Dry leaves,
The texture of life beneath your feet,
The scent of wild mint rise around you,
You brush past cedar,
Step over stones warmed by the sun,
The breeze carries the scent of earth,
The whisper of trees,
You hear the birds,
Feel the brush of grass,
You are walking through your inner landscape,
Connected,
Whole,
You are the witness,
Present with every step,
Now rest in stillness,
In the joy that requires no reason,
Peace held in the bones,
Quiet,
Rising from the earth,
You are not separate from nature,
You are the breath of the meadow,
Of the forest,
Of the forest,
The stillness of the stone,
There is no doing here,
Only being,
Now return to your Sankalpa,
You may have chosen,
I am grounded and steady,
Or,
I trust the earth supports me,
Or perhaps you planted your own Sankalpa,
Repeat it softly in your heart,
Like a prayer,
Offered to the soil,
Let it root deeply,
Watered by stillness and breath,
Then let it go,
Whispering it silently to yourself,
Three times now,
Begin to gently return,
From bliss to witness,
From feeling to breath,
From body to world,
Feel your breath again,
Feel the shape of your body,
The earth beneath you,
You are here,
Returning,
Slowly,
Fully,
Begin to deepen your breath,
Taking two sips of air in through the nose,
And one slow exhale through the mouth,
And again,
Two sips of air in,
One slow exhale through the mouth,
Ah,
One more just like that,
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes,
Giving your head a soft turn side to side to release your neck,
Take a long stretch if it feels good to you,
And if you're ready,
Rolling to one side,
Like a seed ready to rise,
And gently press up to sit,
Spine rooted,
Heart open,
Bring your hands to the heart,
And feel your grounded presence,
Carry this earthy stillness with you,
Throughout your day or evening,
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti,
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.
