Welcome to your yoga nidra practice.
Take a moment to settle in,
Finding a comfortable resting position,
Lying on your back.
Your legs gently apart,
Falling naturally to the sides,
Your arms resting a short distance from your body.
If it feels right,
You might want to support your head with a pillow and cover yourself with a blanket as your body temperature may drop once you begin to unwind.
Welcome any last little movements or adjustments that will help you achieve ultimate comfort.
Gently close your eyes whenever you're ready.
Notice any sounds you might be hearing.
It could be a sound from outside,
Farther in the distance,
Or from somewhere in the room or space you're in.
There is no need to focus too hard on what the sound is.
Simply allow your ears to acknowledge it.
Now bring your awareness to the sound of your breath.
Notice if the other sounds become less obvious as you continue to draw your attention inward.
Notice the weight of your body resting on the surface beneath you,
And feel the steady support of the surface holding your body up,
Inviting you to relax a little more.
Now as you settle into this space,
Take a moment to set an intention for your practice,
Also known as a sankalpa.
This is like sending a direct message to your subconscious mind,
Guiding your focus and energy for the practice ahead.
Keep your intention simple,
Short,
And in the present tense,
As if it's already happening.
For example,
I am present in this moment,
Or I trust my body to relax.
Choose an intention that resonates with you today,
And remember you can always set a new one tomorrow,
So don't worry about finding the perfect one.
Take a moment to set your intention now,
And repeat it silently three times to plant it into your mind.
If you feel yourself drifting into sleep,
Gently guide your awareness back to the sound of my voice.
If sleep fully takes over,
Trust that it's all part of the journey,
And with time and practice,
Remaining awake will feel more natural.
Now take a deep inhale,
And on your exhale,
Release all effort.
We now begin to gently rotate your awareness through different parts of your body.
Allow your attention to move effortlessly from one area to the next,
Bringing a sense of presence and relaxation to each body part.
Bringing your awareness to your right hand,
Feel a wave of relaxation spreading from your right hand thumb to your second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth,
Fifth finger,
The palm of your hand,
The back of your hand,
Your right wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Right side body,
Your hip,
Thigh,
Back of your thigh,
Right kneecap,
Back of your knee,
Right shin,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of your right foot,
Top of your foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
And fifth.
Bring awareness to the whole right side of your body.
Now sweep your awareness to your left hand,
Feel a soothing wave of relaxation flowing from your left hand thumb to your second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth finger,
The palm of your hand,
The back of your hand,
Left wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left side body,
Thigh,
Back of your thigh,
Left kneecap,
Back of your knee,
Left shin,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of your left foot,
Top of your foot,
Left big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
And fifth toe,
The whole left side of your body.
Now bring your awareness to the crown of your head,
Your forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The center of your brows,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Your nose,
Lips,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Jaw,
Throat,
Chest,
Abdomen,
Navel,
Pelvis,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
The back of your neck,
The back of your head.
Now the main groups of body parts,
Your whole right leg,
Your whole left leg,
Both legs together,
Your whole right arm,
Your whole left arm,
Both arms together,
The entire back of your torso,
The front of your torso,
Your torso as a whole,
Your entire head,
Your entire body as a whole.
Visualize your body laying perfectly still on the surface beneath you.
Become aware of the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe.
No need to change the rhythm of your breath,
Simply become aware of it as it's happening to you.
Begin counting your breath backwards from 10.
With every exhale,
Feel your body become more and more relaxed.
Gently shift your focus away from your breath now.
I will begin guiding you through different visualizations.
There's no right or wrong way to experience this.
For some,
The images may appear vivid and detailed,
While for others,
They may be more abstract or subtle.
Both are perfectly okay.
Picture a willow tree swaying gracefully in the wind,
A vibrant purple flower in bloom,
The warm sun shining above,
Green grass beneath your feet,
A towering mountain in the distance,
A peaceful forest ahead.
You take a few soft steps toward the forest,
Noticing that your bare feet are sinking into the lush,
Comfortable grass,
Almost like you're walking on pillows.
With each step,
A sense of calm washes over you.
The forest feels inviting,
Almost as if it's been enchanted to protect and welcome you.
As you move forward,
Your attention is drawn to the wildflowers lining the path,
Blues,
Yellows,
Pinks,
All dancing in a gentle,
Warm breeze.
Your feet guide you to a hidden meadow where a hundred more flowers bloom,
Painting the landscape with color.
In the center of the meadow,
You notice a pond,
Its water sparkling and clear and more pristine than you've ever seen.
You approach the pond and slowly sit on the soft grass beside it,
Feeling the earth support you.
As you gaze into the water,
You notice fish gliding gracefully beneath the surface and flowers floating on top,
Their roots anchored deep below.
Then you catch a glimpse of your reflection in the pond.
For a moment,
You're surprised,
But also filled with a deep sense of familiarity.
As you look closer,
You see your own eyes,
Your smile,
And suddenly realize that the reflection staring back at you is a much older version of yourself.
The two of you exchange a look of gentle amusement and you're overcome by an overwhelming sense of love.
You spend a few moments with yourself,
Appreciating the rarity of this moment.
You gently speak the intention you set earlier into the water,
Waiting to see if your reflection has anything to share in return.
You gently rise from the grass and take one last look at your reflection as you both smile your goodbyes.
You feel settled and supported as you slowly walk back through the meadow,
Embracing the flowers and the warmth of the sun on your skin.
A door appears at the edge of your path.
The door is slightly ajar,
Inviting you to walk right in.
You take one step in,
And then another,
And you find yourself in the present moment.
You notice your body in the room that you're in,
Resting peacefully,
And gently begin to walk toward yourself.
You effortlessly merge back into your body,
Fluidly returning home with a sense of complete ease and peace.
Become aware of your breath,
Noticing the rise and fall of your chest.
Sweep your awareness down your arms to the tips of your fingers,
Down your legs to the tips of your toes.
Begin inviting gentle movement into your body,
Keeping your eyes closed.
Notice any sounds in the room you're in,
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Your yoga nidra practice is complete.
Thank you for trusting me to guide you.
