Welcome,
My name is Leah and this is a short yoga nidra practice to honor the water element within the body and we'll also be exploring an inward oceanic journey to bring ourselves into a deep state of serenity and ease.
Allow yourself to lie down completely supported on your back,
Arms slightly away from your sides,
Palms facing up,
Legs resting outstretched.
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 your body rest as if it were floating,
Weightless and free,
Eyes gently closed,
Arms soft,
Palms open to the sky,
Feet naturally falling outward.
Begin to notice your breath as it moves in and out like the tide.
Inhale to receive the breath,
Exhale to release.
Feel yourself arriving here into this moment at the edge of inner stillness.
You are safe.
You are held.
You are ready to drift inward.
Feel the body melt into the ground beneath you.
Let go of effort.
Let go of holding.
Let the face soften,
The mouth gently part,
The shoulders sink,
The hips soften,
Legs heavy and relaxed.
With each breath,
Feel yourself sinking deeper.
Listen to the quiet around you like distant waves,
Soft and rhythmic.
You are floating in stillness.
And now allow a quiet intention to arise,
A sankalpa,
A heartfelt whisper from within.
It may be something like,
I am fluid and free,
Or peace moves through me,
Or choosing your own sankalpa that feels meaningful to you at this time,
And repeating your sankalpa silently to yourself three times,
Planting it like a seed into the waters of your awareness,
And then let it drift away,
Held in the current of your being.
Now we begin the rotation of awareness,
Starting at the mouth,
Like entering a pool of cooling light.
Feel the inside of the mouth,
The tongue,
The roof,
The floor of the mouth,
The upper teeth,
Lower teeth,
The gums,
The inner cheeks,
The upper lip,
The lower lip,
The nose,
The right nostril,
The left nostril,
The breath as it moves through both nostrils,
The eyes,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Behind the eyes,
The ears,
Both ears,
The space between the ears,
The space inside the head,
The throat,
The back of the neck,
Right shoulder,
Right arm,
Hand,
Right thumb,
First finger,
Second,
Third,
Little finger,
Left shoulder,
Left arm,
Hand,
Left thumb,
First finger,
Second,
Third,
Little finger,
Chest,
Ribs,
Belly,
Lower abdomen,
Back of the body,
Spine,
Hips,
Right leg,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Baby toe,
Left leg,
Foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Baby toe.
Feel the whole body now as if immersed in a cool,
Luminous pool,
Calm,
Clear,
Effortless.
Now bring your attention to the breath,
Breathing in like a wave coming to shore,
Breathing out like the wave returning to the sea.
Let the breath be effortless,
Flowing,
Cool.
Feel it at the nostrils,
The chest,
The belly.
With each inhale,
A cooling breeze.
With each exhale,
The body softens.
Let the breath move you like water moves seaweed,
Gentle,
Swaying,
Free.
Now become aware of the emotions and sensations within.
Let them rise like bubbles from the depths.
No need to judge or follow them.
You are the vast ocean,
And these are ripples on your surface.
Feel sensations gently,
Without effort.
Let them move and pass.
All is held in the vast container of your awareness.
Imagine you are now floating effortlessly in a vast sea of light.
The sun shimmers through the surface above.
You swim with grace through cool,
Crystalline waters.
Time disappears.
Thoughts dissolve.
You are the witness gliding through the depths of your inner ocean.
You move through light and shadow,
Through silence and space.
Here in these clear waters,
You feel deeply yourself.
Free,
Spacious,
Deeply at peace.
You are the one who sees,
Who knows,
Who is.
Now allow yourself to rest in the feeling of deep inner joy,
A joyful stillness,
A feeling of peace.
Imagine floating on your back in the ocean,
Weightless,
Luminous.
There is nothing to do,
Only being.
Now bring your sankalpa back into awareness.
You may have chosen,
I am fluid and free,
Or peace moves through me.
Or perhaps you planted your own sankalpa.
Let it flow through you effortlessly,
Like a current of quiet truth.
Repeat it gently,
Three times,
As if carried on a wave of breath.
And then release it once more,
Trusting it will stay anchored within.
Now begin to return.
Feel the light of bliss fading gently into intuitive awareness.
From the depths of witnessing,
Return to your emotional landscape.
From breath into body.
Feel the breath now,
More clearly,
Coming in,
Going out.
Feel the outline of your body resting on the earth.
You are returning to the shore.
Begin to deepen the breath,
Breathing in,
And a long breath out through the mouth.
Lightly brush the thumbs against the fingertips.
Gently wiggle the fingers and the toes,
And taking a long stretch,
Like you are waking up from a deep,
Cool dream.
Roll to your side,
If you are ready to get up.
And then pause here.
Noticing how you are feeling.
How was your inner experience?
Taking another breath,
Allowing anything to rise up to the surface to be witnessed,
Acknowledged,
Felt.
And then slowly rise to a comfortable seated position.
Bring your hands over the heart.
Feel the steady rhythm within.
And carry this oceanic calm with you.
Taking a final breath,
Inhaling fully through the nose,
And exhaling slowly through the mouth.
Thank you so much for practicing Yoga Nidra with me today.
We'll close with an Aum 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.
