Hello.
And welcome to this Yoganidra.
Hello.
I'm Mark.
Welcome.
To this yoga nidra.
I am so pleased you've chosen to spend this time with me.
Just before we begin.
Make any final adjustments.
That will allow your body.
To rest comfortably.
For the duration.
Of this practice.
Perhaps a blanket over your body?
Cushion beneath your knees or anything else that allows you to to settle in.
More completely.
Allow your arms to rest comfortably by your sides.
Let your legs fall naturally.
It feels comfortable.
Gently.
Close your eyes.
There is nowhere else you need to be.
Nothing to accomplish.
Nothing to get right.
For these next.
45 minutes or so.
Your only invitation.
Is simply.
To rest.
Yoganidra is sometimes called yogic sleep.
A state that is somewhere in between wakefulness.
And sleep.
But there is no need to try to stay awake.
And no need to worry if sleep briefly comes.
Simply.
Continue to listen.
Allowing my voice to become.
Another gentle part.
Of your experience.
Become aware of your natural breathing.
There is nothing at all to change.
Nothing to control.
Simply noticing each breath arriving.
And each breath.
Leaving.
Exactly as it is.
Notice where your body meets the surface beneath you.
The back of your head.
Your shoulders.
Your upper arms,
Your forearms.
Your hands,
You're back.
You're hit.
The backs of your legs.
And your heels.
Each point.
Gently and safely supported.
You are not holding yourself up.
The earth beneath you.
Doing that for you.
So there is nothing to carry.
Nothing to support.
Nothing to maintain.
Simply allowing yourself to be held.
Now.
Very gently.
Spring.
Awareness.
To your forehead.
Without trying,
Just simply notice whether it can soften even if that's just by 1%.
Allow the tiny muscles around the eyes to relax.
Eyelids becoming comfortably heavy.
The cheeks softening,
The jaw.
Unclenching.
The tongue resting easily inside the mouth.
The whole face becoming peaceful again.
As though every expression has quietly faded.
Dissolved.
Bring awareness to your neck.
Than your shoulders.
Perhaps.
They can become.
Just a little heavier.
Because they no longer need to hold the weight of today.
Feel that same ease.
Lowing naturally down through both arms,
Upper arms.
The elbows.
Forearms.
The wrists.
Hands.
All the way.
To the fingertips.
Bring awareness now.
To your chest.
Notice it.
Gentle movement.
Quiet rhythm of breathing.
Life.
Breathing itself.
Without your effort,
Without your attention.
Allow your abdomen to soften,
There is nothing to hold in,
Nothing to brace against.
Just allowing.
This part of your body.
To become.
Completely.
A tease.
Now become aware of your hips.
Your thighs.
Your needs.
Lower legs.
Your ankles.
Your feet.
All ten toes.
Entire lower body.
Resting.
Safely.
Comfortably.
Your whole body.
Is now lying quietly.
Supported.
Safe and still.
Now.
Without trying to create a perfect picture.
Simply become aware of the feeling.
Of being outdoors.
Fresh air upon your skin,
The gentle warmth of daylight.
The quiet,
Soothing sounds of nature.
There is a peaceful lake.
Its surface.
Almost perfectly still.
Only the occasional ripple.
Moving slowly.
Across the water.
Notice that.
You are floating effortlessly.
Not swimming or trying to stay afloat.
You are simply resting upon the water.
As though the lake itself.
Has chosen to carry you.
The water feels calm.
Comfortably cool beneath you.
Supporting every part.
Of your body.
Holding you.
Safely.
Holding you.
Completely.
Above you.
An open sky.
Pale blue.
Scattered with slow-moving clouds.
There is no need to follow or study them.
Noticing there.
Gentle movement.
In the sky.
The distance.
You hear birds calling,
Leaves moving softly in the breeze.
The quiet sound of water lapping against the shoreline.
None of these sounds ask.
Anything of you.
They are simply a reminder.
That nature continues peacefully.
Around you.
Notice the tiny movement.
Of the lake.
Gentle rise.
A gentle fool.
Almost as though the lake.
Breathing.
With you.
Every exhale.
Allows you to drift.
A little deeper.
Into comfort.
Every inhale.
Remind you.
You are alive.
You are supported.
Safe.
You are held.
For the next part of this practice.
You will remain here.
Floating peacefully.
Awareness gently travels throughout the whole body.
The late.
Continuing to carry you.
Without any effort or expectation.
Only rest.
Remain exactly as you are.
There is nowhere to drift to.
Nothing to change.
Simply allowing yourself to continue.
Floating upon this calm surface of the lake.
Notice how the water completely supports you.
There is no effort in floating.
No need to balance,
No need to hold yourself in any particular way.
The lake carries every part of you with certainty.
Feel the gentle rhythm beneath you.
A slow rise.
And a slow fall.
Your breath has become part of the lake itself.
As you breathe in.
There is space.
As you breathe out.
There is release.
Nothing force.
Nothing controlled.
Only the rhythm of life.
Unfolding.
The air around you.
Feels fresh.
Comfortable.
It's clean and refreshing.
Each breath arrives with complete and utter ease.
Exhale.
Allowing you to soften.
A little more.
Into the water.
Benefi.
If thoughts appear,
Allow them to arrive.
And allow them to leave.
Like small leaves settling upon the surface of the lake.
They drift for a while then.
And quietly continue on their way.
There is no need to follow them.
Perhaps you become aware of sunlight.
Gently warming your face.
Not harsh or hot or bright.
Just the comforting gentle warmth.
The kind of warmth that's asking nothing of you.
Accept.
To receive it.
A short distance away,
You hear water meeting the shoreline.
So.
.
.
Steady and unhurried.
It's a sound that has been here long before today.
And will continue.
Long after.
Birdsong rises now and again.
Before.
Fading naturally into silence.
The breeze stares the leaves.
And then everything.
Become still.
Once more.
You don't need to search for these sounds,
Simply allowing them to come and go.
Notice how peaceful it feels.
To have nowhere you need to arrive.
You have no destination or timetable.
There are no expectations waiting for you.
There is only this moment.
Floating peacefully.
Your body knows exactly.
How to rest.
Just as a lake knows how to remain still.
Need the one needs instruction.
Neither one.
Needs improvement.
Perhaps there are moments where you almost forget where your body ends and where the water begins.
Not because you're disappearing.
Because every part of you feels so completely supported.
There is nothing beneath the surface asking for your attention.
There is nothing hidden or uncertain.
The water beneath you is calm.
Clear.
The water is trustworthy.
And you are safe here.
Completely safe.
Take a slow natural breath.
Then another.
Each breath becoming quieter than the one before it.
As your body continues to rest.
It may begin to feel pleasantly heavy.
While at the very same time wonderfully weightless.
Held without effort.
Floating without effort.
Resting.
Without.
Allow yourself now to enjoy several quiet moments.
Nothing to listen for.
Nothing to imagine.
Nothing to achieve.
Only resting peacefully upon the still lake.
Notice how silence itself can feel so welcoming.
As they Even the silence is gently holding you.
You have nowhere else to be.
Nothing else to become.
For now.
This peaceful lake.
Is enough.
Continue to float exactly as you are.
Nothing is changing,
The lake still holds you.
The gentle movement of the water continues beneath you.
Your breathing remains soft and so effortless.
Notice how little you need to do even your breathing is happening by itself.
Your heart continues it's quiet work.
Your body knows exactly.
How to rest.
Everything that truly matters in this moment.
Is already happening.
Without.
Effort.
Now that the surface of the lake has become even calmer,
It's so still.
That it almost reflects the whole sky above.
Sky and water.
Meet without any edges.
As you rest here,
Allow your awareness to become just a little wider.
No need to focus on any one sound or anyone's sensation.
Simply resting within this whole experience.
Aware of the gentle movement beneath you.
Aware of the fresh air around you.
Aware of the spacious sky above.
All at once.
If a thought appears,
Welcome it gently.
Then allow it to drift off away in its own time.
There is no need to chase it or to push it aside.
Nothing to hold on to.
Only allowing.
Perhaps there are moments where words become less important,
Where simply resting feels enough.
Allow yourself.
To enjoy that now.
Feeling supported.
Feeling peaceful.
Feeling completely at ease.
Notice the.
.
.
Quiet confidence of the late.
As it never rushes or competes.
It simply remains what it is.
Perhaps part of you can rest.
In that same quiet confidence.
Without trying to become anything different.
Take one slow comfortable breath.
And now gently begin to notice the feeling.
Your physical body once again.
The weight of your body resting beneath you.
The natural rhythm of your breath.
Slowly becoming aware of the room around you The image of the lake doesn't need to disappear.
You can simply allow it to settle quietly in the background.
Knowing that you can return.
Whenever you wish to.
Begin to notice the points where your body meets the surface beneath you.
The back of your head.
Your shoulders.
Your arms,
You're back.
You're hit.
Your legs.
And your heels.
Feeling fully grounded.
Fully supported.
Fully present.
Become aware of the sounds around you in the room.
Without judgement,
Just simply noticing them.
Take a slightly deeper breath in.
And a gentle breath out.
Perhaps now allowing some small movement to return to your fingers.
Perhaps giving your toes a wiggle Maybe rolling your shoulders a little if that's comfortable.
Or stretching in whatever way feels good for you.
There is no hurry.
Take all the time you need.
Knowing the calm that you have experienced here doesn't belong only to this practice,
It is something you can return to.
Simply by pausing here.
Breathing and remembering.
This peaceful lake.
When you feel ready.
Take one final comfortable breath.
And in your own time.
Gently.
Open up your eyes.
Welcome back.
Thank you so much for taking this practice with me.
I really appreciate your support and you being here with me.
Until we meet again.
Have a beautiful rest of your day.
Go in peace.
Namaste.
