Namaste.
I'm Casey,
And this is Sacred Pause,
A place to slow down,
Soften,
And come back to yourself.
This is part four of five in a Yoga Nidra beginner series I'm calling Re-Learning Rest.
In this episode,
We begin to follow the breath a little more closely.
Not perfectly.
Not rigidly.
Josh Gentle Awareness.
If the mind starts to drift.
Bring it back to the breath.
This is the practice.
The point of yoga nidra is not to fall asleep.
Plenty of people do,
Myself included,
And it's okay.
It just means that your body and your spirit need sleep.
Instead of a journey into the bliss bodies.
The good news is that even if you fall asleep during yoga nidra,
Your subconscious is still absorbing the yoga nidra.
And you're receiving exactly what you need.
So let's begin.
Go ahead and settle into the surface,
Lying down.
Covering up the blanket.
Supporting yourself with pillows or a bolster.
Possibly covering up the eyes.
Allow your legs to extend long.
Hips width apart.
And let your feet just kind of fall open organically.
Relax your shoulders down off your ears.
This is your time now.
Arms are comfortably by your sides.
And just begin to breathe into your body.
Filling up each part of you.
From the top of your head.
All the way down to your toes.
Do that a few more times.
Big,
Big breaths.
Filling up your body.
On the top of your head.
All the way down to your toes.
As you continue to lay and breathe into your body.
Take a moment and notice the sounds in the room.
Just listening.
And then start to notice the sounds of your own breath.
And allow the sound of your breath.
To invite you to melt a little bit more.
Each inhale.
Each exhale.
Just falling deeper into your nidra nest.
You are here to connect with yourself.
So we state the longing in our hearts and the present.
A Sankalpa.
A Sankalpa is an intention that's already within.
These are positive I am statements.
For this series and this practice today,
Perhaps you borrow this one.
I am resting deeply.
Let it land.
And now repeat it after me.
Internally three times.
I am resting deeply.
I am resting deeply.
I am resting deeply.
We'll move to our rotation of consciousness.
I'm going to guide your awareness now gently through parts of the body.
As I mention the part,
I invite you to touch it mentally with its name and try to visualize that body part.
Bringing awareness to the top of your head.
The center of your forehead.
The center of your throat.
The center of your chest.
Both sides of the chest.
Both shoulder joints.
Both upper arms.
Both elbow joints.
Both lower arms.
Both wrist joints.
The palms of both hands.
And then notice the backs of both hands.
Returning back to the wrist.
Both elbows.
The shoulder.
Both sides of the chest.
Center of the chest.
Allow your awareness to rest here.
At the center of your chest.
As you rest here.
Welcome in.
Your attention to your natural breath.
Paying attention.
To how the body is receiving the breath.
And how the body is letting the breath go.
Begin to imagine.
You breathe in through the right nostril.
And as you exhale,
Allow the breath to go out of the left nostril.
And when you breathe back in.
Inhale through the left.
And exhale out of the right nostril.
Inhale,
Right nostril.
Exhale out love.
Imagining the breath.
Repeating again.
Inhale left.
Exhale,
Right.
Continuing this mental alternate breath.
At your own pace for four more breaths.
Letting go of the breath.
And allow your awareness to land behind your forehead.
And rest in this space where there is nothing to do.
Welcoming back in our Sankalpa.
Repeating internally.
Three times after me.
I am resting deeply.
I am resting deeply.
I am resting deeply.
Welcoming back in a slow,
Deep breath.
In through the nose,
Filling the lungs.
Feel your belly rise and then exhale slowly from the mouth.
Repeating again,
Inhale deeply through the nose and just as slowly.
Exhale out of the mouth.
Noticing the support beneath you.
As you begin to wake up the body gently.
And in your own way.
Maybe noticing the sense of calm you created.
Before leaving this practice.
And when you're ready,
Bring any other movements you need to slowly awaken the body.
Taking just the amount of time that you need.
This yoga nidra is now complete.
Thank you for practicing with me.
My name is Casey and I'm thrilled you're here at Sacred Paws.
Namaste.
