You're very welcome.
Before we start.
Take some time to really get yourself properly comfortable.
Find somewhere you can be undisturbed for the next little while.
Make your environment feel right for you.
Maybe close the curtains Pop on some headphones.
And the blankish is always a good idea.
The body can cool down surprisingly quickly when you are lying still.
And then whenever you're ready,
Come down to lie on your back.
Let yourself wriggle around a little if you need to shift the shoulders adjust the heps.
Find the position where the body feels like it can genuinely stop trying.
And if lying on your back isn't comfortable today.
Of course,
Choose another position that is.
And once you've found your spot,
Let the eyes close.
This yoga nidra is generally themed around confidence.
And more specifically.
Something I know I struggle with myself sometimes.
I can worry far too much about what other people might think of me.
We're playing conversations afterwards.
Worrying if I said too much or not enough.
Whether I came across the wrong way.
Or the right way.
And maybe you recognize some of that in yourself too.
And I don't think the answer is to somehow reach a point where we don't care what anyone thinks.
I know I care.
Being liked.
Accepted understood matters.
We're human.
But something I do find helpful to remember.
Is that I don't actually need to know that nobody will judge me.
I need to trust that I'll be okay if they do.
And so from here.
.
.
You might allow yourself to.
.
.
Settle a little more You might notice now the places where your body is touching the surface beneath you.
The back of the head and shoulders the arms The bum,
Back of the legs.
The heels,
Just noticing each point resting against the surface beneath you and from here take one slow comfortable breath in through the nose and as you breathe out through the mouth feel those points of contact becoming a little heavier the body settling more fully into the support beneath it.
And another slow breath in and breathing out.
Sensing those points of contact becoming a little broader.
As the body gives over a little more of its weight and one last slow breath in and as you let it go Allow the whole body to soften.
Settling a little deeper into the surface beneath you and letting the breath find its own natural rhythm again you might welcome your sankalpa.
A short positive intention or resolution.
If there's one you're currently working with.
Allow that to come to mind now.
Or for this practice You might use.
.
.
I trust myself to be okay.
Even without approval.
I trust myself to be okay.
Even without approval mentally repeating your sankalpa three times.
And now we'll begin to move awareness inward could you bring your attention to the rice and the fingertips of the right hand the palm.
Back of the hand Breath.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Other arm.
Shoulder,
To the right side of the chest the ribs.
Waste.
Rice hips.
Bye.
Me.
Hello,
Relax.
Anchor heals.
Soul of the rice bush top of the first.
Sensing all five toes.
Awareness moving to the left foot all five toes on the left foot Top of the first.
So,
Heal,
Ankle.
Lower leg.
To the left knee.
5.
.
.
Up to the left side of the waist ribs.
Left side of the chest.
Shoulder the left upper arm.
Help her.
Hold on.
Rest.
Back of the hand.
Calm.
All five fingertips.
Allowing awareness to gather at the center of the chest.
The center of the neck the chin.
Tip of the nose bridge of the nose center of the forehead to the crown of the head and now allowing your attention to gently spread throughout the whole body awareness from the crown of the head right to the tips of the toes the entire body.
Self-awareness.
And now letting your attention linger with the natural rhythm of the breath perhaps sensing the breath where it passes through the nostrils the subtle touch of air as you breathe in and as you breathe out just noticing the natural in the noose the body breathing all by itself And with the next inhale.
Could you imagine the breath entering at the center of the crown of the head?
And as you exhale Imagine it traveling down through the entire body.
All the way through to their souls of the feet Breathing in through the crown of the head breathing out through the whole body through to the soles of the feet just imagining.
Each inhale arriving in through the crown of the head and each exhale traveling down through the whole body and out through the soles of the feet at your own pace.
And releasing that now.
I'll offer you a short sequence of images here and there's no need to picture them clearly just let each one arrive in whatever way it does.
And allow your mind to Make whatever it will of us.
Trusting that it knows exactly what to do could you allow lioness to come to mind?
Lion F.
Still and watchful.
Grace Elephant a great elephant standing quietly in long grass Amen.
Its peak disappearing into cloud an old oak tree on a windy day branches moving in the wind house last night.
Rain tapping against the windows a heron at the edge of a lake perfectly still beside the water an old stone bridge fast moving water passing beneath it and letting the images fade now returning to the feeling of the whole body resting the whole body still.
And supported.
And for the next little while Just rest.
And from this place of deep breath and stillness could you allow your sankalpa to return?
I trust myself to be okay,
Even without approval and this time see if you can allow the words to blend a little more deeply not just words being repeated but something you might begin to trust.
I trust myself to be okay even without approval repeating to yourself three times and now beginning to become aware of your surroundings again perhaps noticing any sounds in the room or sounds in the distance feeling the air against your skin the temperature of the room the body resting beneath your clothes And gradually inviting some movement back in here.
Maybe flexing and releasing the hands pointing and flexing the feet.
You might even draw the knees up for a moment.
And let them fall gently from one side to the other taking a fuller breath in here and letting this go through the mouth and whenever you're ready allowing the eyes to open up taking in the room around you thank you for practicing with me
