Tonight we are going to use the gentle power of gratitude to soothe the nervous system and help us drift into sleep.
Please take a few moments to arrange your body in the most comfortable position possible.
Maybe that means lying on your back or perhaps supporting your knees with a pillow.
So,
Since every body is different today,
Please listen to what your body needs to feel held and supported.
Adjust your blanket,
Your position,
Your props so that for the next little while there's nothing left for you to do.
Soften your gaze or close your eyes if that feels comfortable and allow the day to fade into the background.
Feel the surface beneath you rising up to hold you.
You are safe.
You are supported.
You can let go.
Bring your awareness gently to your breath.
Don't try to change it,
Just notice the rhythm that is already there.
With every inhale,
Invite a sense of gratitude for this moment of pause.
With every exhale,
Feel your body getting heavier,
Sinking deeper into the mattress or the floor.
Soften your jaw and let your tongue fall away from the roof of your mouth.
Let the space between your eyebrows smooth out,
Sending a signal to your nervous system that it is okay to rest now.
Now guide your awareness to the space around your heart.
Tonight we are cultivating a sense of gratitude not as a thought but as a feeling.
A feeling of having enough,
Of being enough.
I invite you to welcome this encelpo or intention for deep rest.
You may repeat silently after me,
I am safe.
I am grateful.
I am at rest.
Repeat this three times silently,
Planting it like a seed in the soil of your mind.
I am safe.
I am grateful.
I am at rest.
I am safe.
I am grateful.
I am at rest.
We will now move our awareness through the body.
As I name each body part,
Simply touch it with your mind.
Imagine placing a small warm light of gratitude in each area.
Bring your awareness to the right hand,
The right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the right hand.
Gratitude for this hand and everything it has held today.
The right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder.
Let the whole right arm feel heavy,
Warm and appreciated.
Shift to the left hand.
The left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the left hand,
Back of the left hand.
Gratitude for the left hand,
The left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder.
Let both arms sink into the earth.
Bring your awareness to the crown of your head,
To the very top of your head,
Your forehead,
Your eyebrows,
Your third eye,
The space between your eyebrows,
Your eyelids,
Your cheeks,
Your temples,
Your nose,
Your lips.
Bring awareness to the throat,
The center of the chest.
Feel the gentle rhythm of your heart beating,
The tireless rhythm of support,
The stomach,
The navel,
The hips,
The right leg,
The right thigh,
Knee,
Ankle,
Foot and all five toes.
Sending gratitude to the right leg for supporting you today.
The left leg,
The left thigh,
Knee,
Ankle,
Foot and all five toes.
Sending gratitude to the left leg.
Now feel the whole body lying here,
From the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.
Feel your whole body simply resting here,
Completely at ease.
Grateful for the stillness.
Grateful for the rest.
Now allow a memory of comfort wash over you.
It doesn't need to be a big moment.
Maybe it's the feeling of warm sun on your skin.
A warm cup of your favorite tea.
Or the face of someone you love.
Don't worry about the details.
Just focus on the glow of that moment.
Where do you feel that gratitude in your body?
Is it a warmth in the chest?
A softness in the belly?
Breathe into that feeling.
Imagine that feeling is a golden light filling you up from the inside out.
You are soaking in gratitude.
You are soaking in rest.
Now let everything go completely.
Drifting deeper and deeper into rest.
Into stillness.
Into this moment.
There's nothing left to solve,
Nothing left to fix,
Nothing to do.
You are exactly where you need to be.
Allow your body to just be.
This moment is perfect,
Just as it is.
You are resting in stillness.
Your body is resting under this blanket of gratitude.
Be here right now.
If you fall asleep,
That's perfect.
That's exactly what your body needs.
Allow your sankalpa to come back into your mind.
I am safe.
I am grateful.
I am at rest.
If it's time for you to sleep,
You can simply let my voice fade away.
Let yourself drift into a deep healing slumber.
You are free to let go completely.
Simply let yourself go.
If you are still awake,
Know that there's no rush to move,
No place you need to be.
You can stay here resting in this gratitude for as long as you need.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Thank you for practicing with me.
