Welcome to this short rest and reset yoga nidra practice.
Take a moment to prepare for your practice.
Laying on your back with your arms resting by your sides,
Palms facing upwards,
Your feet about hip distance apart.
You might want to place pillows behind your head and perhaps your knees to make sure your lower back is supported.
Let's begin by taking a long breath in through the nose and as you exhale purse your lips as if blowing through a straw.
Extending the exhalation.
We'll do that three more times at your own pace.
Inhaling through the nose and exhaling like you're blowing through a straw.
With each exhalation allow your body to sink a little deeper into the support beneath you.
Scan through your body now and see if there are any areas where you can soften.
Perhaps your temples,
Your cheeks,
Jaw,
Your shoulders,
Your hips.
And make any small adjustments to get even more comfortable for the practice today.
Notice the rise and fall of your breath.
The natural rhythm of your body effortlessly breathing itself.
With each inhalation imagine your whole body expanding ever so slightly and with each exhalation contracting.
Inhaling open and expansive,
Exhaling contracting.
Just imagining.
And now we begin the rotation of consciousness.
As I name a body part allow your attention to rest here in this area of the body.
Start by placing all of your attention at the mind's eye center,
The center of the forehead.
The right eye,
The left eye,
Both eyes resting back,
The tip of the nose.
Notice the inhale and the exhale,
The air moving in and out of the nostrils.
The upper lip,
Lower lip,
The tip of the tongue and all the way down to the root of the tongue.
The right ear,
The left ear,
Both ears listening.
The right side of the chest,
Right shoulder,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Palm of the hand and all five fingers of the right hand.
Attention moving from your fingers up the right arm to the right side of the chest and the left side of the chest.
The left shoulder,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Palm of the hand and all five fingers.
Attention moving from your fingers up the left arm to the left side of the chest,
The front and the back of the chest,
The waist,
The belly,
The pelvic bowl,
Right hip,
Left hip,
Left hip,
Knee,
Ankle,
Sole of the foot and all five toes.
Awareness throughout the left foot,
Up the left leg,
Through the left side of the torso,
Left arm.
Awareness throughout the left side of the body and the right hemisphere of the brain,
Left body,
Right brain.
Moving your attention to the right side of the body from the right foot,
Up the right leg,
The right side of the torso and arm,
Throughout the right side of the body and the left hemisphere of the brain.
And now feel sensation throughout your whole body,
The left side and the right side of the body,
The left and right hemisphere of the brain.
Returning your attention to the breath,
The air moving in and out of the body,
Easy and rhythmic,
In and out.
Bring your awareness to the place in front of your closed eyes.
Rest your mind in this infinite space,
The silent darkness and welcome the image of a burning flame,
The flickering orange and red flames of a campfire.
Feel the warm glow of the fire and listen to the crackle of wood as it burns,
The smell of woody smoke of the fire,
Entranced by the constant dance of the flickering flames.
Laying back,
Look up at the night sky,
The hundreds of brilliant stars and planets that twinkle in the sky above you.
Why not rest here a while by the warmth of the fire?
Become aware of the solid earth beneath you,
All the points where your body is held by the ground beneath you and slowly start to awaken the body,
Making slow,
Gentle movements,
Wiggling the fingers and toes and flutter the eyes open.
Thank you for practicing Yoga Nidra with me today.
Namaste.
