Welcome to your Yoga Nidra practice today.
My name is Lucy and I will be your guide.
Letting go of thinking,
The mind and body become still,
Moving into a deep state of relaxation,
Where rest and healing can take place.
Take your time to settle in and get comfortable.
Adjust pillows and blankets.
Find a position that feels right for you,
Perhaps laying on your back with your arms by your sides.
Do you need any extra pillows under your knees,
Your head?
Take as much time as you need to make sure your body is completely comfortable and warm.
We'll start by noticing any holding or gripping in your body.
Are there any areas you can soften and release?
Perhaps your temples,
Jaw,
Face.
Shoulders,
Hips.
And now,
Take a deep breath in,
The deepest breath you have taken all day,
And let it go,
Slowly breathing out,
Extending your exhalation.
And again,
Deep breath in,
And a long,
Slow exhalation,
Feeling your body rest a little deeper into the surface beneath you.
One more deep breath in,
And letting go,
Letting go.
As you allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm,
Scan again your jaw,
Face,
And shoulders.
Notice how you are held and supported by the ground beneath you.
Could you welcome in an intention for this practice,
A short phrase in the present tense,
For example,
I am resting deeply to restore every layer of myself,
Or I let go of that which no longer serves me.
Mentally whispering your heart's vow to yourself three times.
And now we begin the rotation of consciousness.
As I name a body part,
Allow me to be a part of your body.
As I name a body part,
Allow your attention to rest there a while,
Moving from one point to the next,
Like a continuous stream of awareness.
Start by placing your attention at the mind's eye centre,
The centre of the forehead,
The tongue,
Inside the mouth,
The teeth and gums,
Lower lip,
Upper lip,
Tip of the nose,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Sensation of air moving in and out,
The right ear,
Left ear,
Both ears,
Both ears listening,
The space between the ears,
The muscle of the mind,
Releasing,
Resting back,
Letting go of thinking,
Simply welcoming sensations as they arise.
The right eye,
Eyebrow,
Temple,
Cheekbone,
The muscles behind the right eye,
The left eye,
Eyebrow,
Temple,
Cheekbone,
The muscles behind the left eye,
Both eyes resting back,
The mind's eye centre,
Crown of the head,
Back of the head,
Back of the neck,
The back of the neck,
Inside the throat,
The heart centre,
Right side of the chest,
Right shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Hand,
Back of the hand,
Thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
The palm,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Moving down the right side of the torso,
The right side of the belly,
The right hip joint,
Top of the leg,
Knee,
Calf and shin,
Ankle,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth,
Little toe,
The whole right foot,
Sensation throughout the right foot and the right leg,
The right side of the torso,
Right arm,
Right side of the head,
The right side of the body,
Feel sensation throughout the right side of the body.
Allow your attention to return to the heart centre.
The left side of the chest,
Left shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left hand,
Just feeling,
Letting go of thinking,
Moving down the left side of the torso,
Left side of the belly,
Left hip joint,
Top of the leg,
Knee,
Calf and shin,
Ankle,
Sole of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth,
Little toe,
Sensations throughout the left foot and left leg,
The left side of the torso,
Left arm,
Left arm,
Left side of the head,
Feel sensation throughout the left side of the body,
Allow attention to move back to the right side of the body,
Throughout the right side of the body,
And now back to the left side of the body,
Throughout the left side of the body,
The whole body now,
The whole body,
A unified field of sensation,
Feel sensation throughout the whole body,
Notice the breath in the body,
The gentle movement of air in the chest,
In the belly,
The continuous flow of respiration,
Breathing in and out,
The body effortlessly breathing in and letting go,
Now imagine breathing in through the soles of the feet,
All the way up to the crown of the head,
And exhaling out through the crown of the head,
Inhaling from the feet to the crown of the head,
Exhaling through the crown of the head,
Just imagining,
Breath moving through the body from the soles of the feet,
And then out through the crown of the head,
Just imagining,
Bring attention to the space in front of your closed eyes,
Notice any color,
Light or patterns here,
Into this space,
Imagine seeing your body laying on the ground,
Witnessing the shape,
The form of your body from above,
Imagine you are laying on a soft bed of autumn leaves,
The colorful yellow,
Red and brown leaves beneath and around your body,
Laying here you see the trees above you,
The beautiful colorful leaves swaying on the branches,
The leaves falling softly to the ground,
The trees effortlessly letting go,
Shedding what no longer serves them,
Rest here a while,
Witnessing the simplicity of nature,
This moment of release,
The ease of letting go,
Welcome back your intention,
Welcoming the felt sensation of your heart's vow to rest here with you,
Begin to sense the edges of your body touching the ground below,
Meeting the air above,
Take a deep breath in and out,
And again in and out,
And slowly start to awaken the body,
Starting with gentle movements of the fingers and toes,
Rolling the head very gently and fluttering the eyes open,
Gently welcoming back the light and the world around you.
Thank you for practicing Yoga Nidra with me today.
Namaste.
