Welcome to your yoga nidra practice.
Take a moment to settle into a reclined position that feels deeply comfortable for you.
Allow your legs to soften.
Let your arms rest easily by your sides.
Palms turned upward in a quiet gesture of receiving.
If your body is asking for a little extra support.
Place a bolster beneath your knees,
A pillow under your head,
And cover yourself with a blanket so you can remain warm.
Comfortable and completely at ease.
Yoga Nidra.
Is one of the most nourishing rituals I know.
A ritual of deep listening,
A ritual of softening.
A ritual of remembering that rest itself is healing.
There is nothing you need to do perfectly.
Sometimes the body settles into profound stillness.
Sometimes sleep arrives.
All of it is welcome.
If sleep comes,
Trust that your body is receiving exactly what it needs.
If you have somewhere to be after our practice,
You may wish to set a gentle alarm before we begin.
And if you drift into sleep and awaken later,
Simply reconnect with the sound of my voice.
Allowing yourself to rejoin the practice wherever you are.
For now.
Allow yourself to arrive.
Allow yourself to settle into deep rest.
Let the support beneath you receive the full weight of your body.
Let the Earth hold every part of you.
There is nothing to carry here.
Nothing to manage.
Nothing to become.
Simply resting.
In Yoga Nidra,
We work with one of the most powerful seeds we can plant.
Arsan kalpa.
A Sankalpa is more than a simple intention.
It is a quiet whisper from the deepest part of your heart.
A gentle knowing.
Of what is ready to grow within you.
It may be a quality you long to embody.
A truth you are remembering.
Or way of being you are gently growing into.
When repeated during this deeply relaxed state.
Your sankalpa settles softly into the subconscious mind.
Where it can take root and quietly blossom over time.
There is no forcing here.
Only planting.
And trusting.
You may offer your Sankalpa as though it is already true.
Perhaps,
I am safe.
I am worthy.
I am healing.
I am love.
Or allow your own words to arise naturally.
Take a quiet moment now.
When your sankalpa comes to you,
Repeat it silently to yourself three times.
Allow these words to settle gently into your heart.
Imagine this practice nourishing that seed with every breath.
Trust that it has been planted.
And now for a little while.
We release it.
Begin to notice the gentle rhythm of your breath.
Breathing in through the nose.
And out through the nose.
Take a slow,
Unhurried breath in.
And gently breathe out.
Again.
Breathing in.
And this time exhale with a soft sigh.
Sigh.
Beautiful.
Feel the body becoming just a little heavier.
A little softer.
A little more at ease.
Allow your muscles to soften and your bones to grow heavy.
Your whole body resting effortlessly in the support beneath you.
Now become aware of your entire body.
Resting here.
Supported.
Notice the quiet present of your whole body just as it is.
Let go of any tension,
Holding,
Or control.
And go deeper into stillness.
Deeper into relaxation.
Letting go.
Allow the forehead to soften.
Smoothing away any real or imagined lines.
The eyes resting softly into their sockets.
The cheeks soften.
The jaw releases.
The tongue rests gently away from the roof of the mouth.
The neck softens.
The shoulders become heavy.
The arms resting with ease.
The hands relaxed.
The belly soft.
The pelvis heavy,
The legs completely supported,
The feet at rest,
Softening,
Settling,
Letting go,
Letting go.
Letting go.
Now set a gentle intention for this practice.
Silently repeat to yourself.
I will remain awake.
And aware.
And aware.
Simply allow the sound of my voice to guide your awareness gently through the body.
There is nowhere to go.
Nothing to accomplish.
Only noticing.
If sounds arise around you,
Allow them to become part of the practice.
Carrying you even more deeply into rest.
And now.
.
.
We begin.
Allow your awareness to gently travel through the body.
There's nothing to change,
Nothing to fix.
Simply noticing,
Allowing.
Receiving Bring your awareness to your right hand.
Notice where your hand is resting.
Feel where the back of your hand meets the earth.
Without changing anything.
Simply notice.
Bring your awareness to your right thumb.
Allow it to soften.
Resting effortlessly.
Now the first finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
The palm of your hand.
The back of your hand.
The wrist.
Notice the space inside the wrist.
If you discover anywhere that is still holding,
A little effort Allow it to soften.
The forearm,
The elbow.
The upper arm.
The shoulder,
Feel the entire right arm becoming heavy,
Supported,
At ease,
Letting go,
Letting go,
Letting go.
Your whole right arm resting like a quiet branch on the forest floor.
Nothing to hold.
Simply resting.
Bring your awareness to your left hand.
Notice where your hand is resting.
Feel where the back of your hand meets the earth.
Bring your awareness to your left thumb.
Allow it to soften,
Resting effortlessly.
Now the first finger,
Second finger.
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
The palm.
The back of the hand.
Allow your wrist to completely relax.
And as you do.
.
.
Your palm and your fingers become even more relaxed.
Your whole left arm resting like a quiet branch on the forest floor.
Softening the forearm,
The elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Feel the entire left arm becoming heavy,
Supported,
At ease,
Letting go,
Letting go,
Letting go.
Relaxed,
Supported,
Resting completely.
Become aware of both arms together.
Heavy,
Quiet,
Effortless.
Bring your awareness to the toes of your right foot.
Notice each one.
Softly,
Without effort.
The sole of the foot,
The heel,
The ankle,
Top of the foot,
Allow the foot to rest exactly as it is.
The calf,
The shin,
The knee,
The thigh,
The hip.
Feel the entire right leg becoming heavy,
Resting,
Supported.
Now the left foot,
The toes,
The sole of the foot,
The heel,
The ankle,
The top of the foot,
Calf,
Shin,
Knee,
Thigh hip,
Allow the whole left leg to soften into the earth beneath you.
Become aware of both legs together,
Heavy,
Peaceful,
Completely supported,
As though the earth is holding them for you.
Nothing to carry,
Nothing to do,
Only resting.
Bring your awareness to the pelvis.
Notice the places where your body meets the support beneath you.
Feel the muscles around the hips gently softening.
Imagine spaciousness throughout the pelvis.
Easy.
Open.
Supported.
Now bring your awareness to your belly.
Feel its gentle rise as you breathe in.
It's soft release as you breathe out.
Allow the muscles of the belly to soften.
Trust that life is unfolding in its own time.
There is nothing to solve here,
Nothing to figure out,
Only breathing,
Only resting.
Bring your awareness to your lower back.
Notice the contact with the surface beneath you.
If there is any place asking for a little more softness,
Offer it now.
Allow the whole lower back to be received by the earth.
Awareness moves to the space between the shoulder blades,
The ribs,
The muscles surrounding the spine.
Let the whole back broaden,
Spread,
Soften.
Rest.
Bring your awareness to the center of your chest.
Notice the gentle movement of your breath.
Maybe the subtle beat of your heart.
Feel spaciousness here.
The ribs expanding.
Softening,
Receiving each breath.
Bring awareness to the lungs.
Imagine each breath creating a little more room inside you,
A little more ease,
A little more peace.
Become aware of your physical heart.
Quietly beating.
Steady.
.
.
Faithful.
A gentle rhythm that has carried you through every moment of your life.
Allow yourself to simply rest with that rhythm.
Let radiant energy flow freely through your heart and all the vessels within and surrounding it.
Now bring your awareness to your emotional heart.
Let go of any holding,
Control,
Or tension in your emotional heart and allow radiant energy to flow freely bringing healing to your deepest emotions.
Let love and forgiveness flow through your emotional heart.
Now become aware of your spiritual heart.
The place where love lives without condition.
Feel love radiating at your heart center.
Let it overflow and circulate throughout your entire body.
Imagine a warm light beginning to glow at the center of your chest.
With every breath.
The light grows brighter,
Expanding gently throughout the body.
Flowing through every cell.
Every breath,
Every tissue,
You are held in love.
You are surrounded by love.
You are love.
Now visualize it entering every cell.
Let every cell of your body.
Know that it is loved and it is loved.
Letting go.
Letting go.
Letting go.
Deeper and deeper into relaxation.
Deeper and deeper into surrender.
Letting go.
Allow your awareness to continue upward.
The throat soft and open,
The lips relaxed.
The tongue resting easily,
The cheeks,
The nose,
The eyes resting deeply in their sockets.
The space between the eyebrows,
Smooth,
Quiet.
The forehead soft,
The temples at ease,
The scalp relaxing.
The back of the head.
My neck.
Finally,
The crown of the head.
Imagine a gentle light flowing in through the crown.
Warm,
Peaceful.
Filling your whole body with a sense of ease.
Every cell remembering its true nature.
Whole,
Peaceful,
Complete.
Now become aware of your entire body.
Resting.
Supported.
Breathing.
Receiving.
Letting go.
Letting go.
Letting go.
Resting here.
Become aware once again of your whole body.
Completely supported.
Breathing with ease,
Letting go,
Letting go,
Letting go.
Now imagine that your awareness is like a warm,
Gentle light.
Wherever this light travels,
It brings softness,
Ease,
And healing.
Allow this light to move naturally to any place in your body that is asking for a little extra care.
There is no need to search.
Trust that your awareness already knows where to go.
Rest your attention there.
Breathe gently into this space.
Imagine each breath.
Creating a little more room.
A little more ease.
A little more freedom.
If there has been discomfort.
Offer kindness.
If there has been fear.
Offer compassion.
If there has been fatigue,
Offer rest.
You do not need to fix anything.
Simply being present is enough.
Now imagine this gentle light spreading beyond that one place.
Flowing through your entire body.
Through your muscles,
Your bones.
Your organs.
Your heart.
Your body remembers how to heal.
Your heart remembers how to love.
Your spirit remembers its wholeness.
Allow yourself to trust this quiet remembering.
Now bring mind the most radiant version of yourself.
Not someone different.
Simply you.
Free from unnecessary fear.
Free from self-doubt,
Standing with quiet competence,
Meeting life with an open heart.
See yourself moving through your days with steadiness and grace.
Responding instead of reacting.
Trusting instead of resisting.
Breathing instead of bracing.
Notice how this version of you walks through the world.
Notice your posture.
Your breath.
The softness in your face,
The ease within your heart.
Allow this image to become clear.
Know that this version of you is already here.
Growing quietly within you.
With every breath,
You are becoming more fully yourself.
Now gently return to your sankalpa.
The intention you planted at the beginning of this practice.
Bring those words back into your awareness.
Repeat your sankalpa silently three times.
Not with effort,
But with trust,
As though each repetition is watering a seed already planted in fertile soil.
Allow those words to settle into every layer of your being.
Trust that they are taking root in their own perfect time.
Now release even your sankalpa.
There's nothing more to do.
Nothing more to hold.
Simply rest.
Feel yourself floating in a quiet field of spacious awareness.
Notice the stillness beneath every thought.
The peace beneath every emotion,
The steadiness that has always lived within you.
This piece has never left.
It has been here all along,
Waiting patiently beneath the surface.
Rest here.
Receive this stillness.
Allow yourself to simply be.
Become aware of yourself as the quiet witness,
The loving awareness that notices every sensation.
Every thought.
Every feeling without becoming any of them.
Not this body.
Not this mind.
Simply awareness itself.
Open.
Spacious Peaceful.
Rest here for a few more breaths.
Knowing that beneath every changing experience,
There is something within you that remains steady.
And now.
Very gently,
We begin the journey back.
There is no hurry.
No need to rush.
Allow yourself to return slowly.
Carrying this quiet steadiness within you.
I will count from 10 down to zero.
With each number,
Invite a little more awareness back into the body.
While holding on to the peace you've cultivated here.
Remembering your true nature.
Hole,
Peaceful.
Complete.
9.
Feeling the gentle rhythm of your breath.
Easy?
Natural.
Study.
Awareness returning to your physical body.
Resting comfortably.
Supported by the earth beneath you.
7.
Feeling life flowing through you.
The quiet current of energy,
Soft and vibrant.
6.
Trust that this practice continues to nourish you long after it ends.
The body remembers.
The heart remembers.
The nervous system remembers.
Bringing awareness back to the room around you.
Listening to the sounds nearby.
Remaining calm.
Present.
Begin to notice the gentle weight of your body once again.
The places where you are supported.
The temperature of the air on your skin.
Invite small movements into your fingers,
Perhaps your toes,
Moving slowly without hurry.
Maybe circling the wrists,
The ankles,
Stretching only if it feels good,
Welcoming yourself back with kindness.
1.
Take a long,
Nourishing breath in.
And slowly.
Let it go.
Zero.
When you're ready,
Roll gently onto one side.
Pause there for a moment.
Resting.
Noticing,
Receiving Using your hands for support,
Slowly rise to a comfortable seated position.
Allow the head to be the last thing to lift.
There's nowhere to rush off to.
Take your time here.
Once you're seated,
Allow your eyes to remain softly closed if that feels comfortable.
Notice your breath.
Notice your heartbeat.
Notice the quiet that still lives within you.
Perhaps notice how your body feels now.
Compared to when we first began.
There may be more space,
More softness,
More ease,
Or perhaps something else entirely.
Simply notice whatever is here.
Is enough.
May you walk gently.
May you rest deeply.
May you trust the quiet wisdom that lives within you.
May you remember that you are held.
That you are enough.
May peace fill your heart.
May kindness guide your steps.
May the light of the divine healer illuminate your heart and your mind.
And may you always know that you are loved.
And no.
That you can always find your way back to this place within yourself.
Thank you for allowing me to share this practice with you.
It has been an honor to spend this time together.
Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti.
Peace,
Peace,
Peace.
Namaste.
