You are very welcome to this Shor's Morning Yoga Nidra.
Whether you've woken up feeling rested and ready to go,
Or you'd quite happily stay under the covers for another few hours.
We're going to take a little time to wake up the body and the mind gently.
Now I'm not promising this will have quite the same effect as your morning cup of coffee.
But Yoga Nidra isn't just for helping us fall asleep.
It's a practice of conscious rest.
And while it can be wonderful for widening down at the end of the day,
It can also be a really nice way to begin one.
Giving the body a chance to rest.
The mind a little space to settle before gradually bringing ourselves back towards a more awake state.
Alert state.
And there's nothing you need to rush into just yet.
For these next few minutes,
You can simply rest.
He might already be lying in bed.
Or perhaps you found somewhere else more comfortable to practice this morning.
If you are lying on your back.
Allow the legs to rest a little apart.
The arms resting easily alongside the body.
And the head comfortably supported.
And if you find yourself in another position that feels better for you today that's absolutely fine too.
Take a moment to make any little adjustments you might need.
Maybe moving a pillow or shifting the shoulders.
And when you're ready.
Gently allow the eyes to close.
And we'll take one lovely slow breath together here.
Breathing in through the nose.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine the whole body softening into the surface beneath you.
Shoulders relaxing bellies of an angel.
The legs giving their weight to the surface beneath them.
And now bringing your awareness to the very top of the head.
I'm taking a little time here.
Sensing the crown of the head the skull.
The whole head resting where it lays.
And gradually moving awareness down towards the forehead sensing the broad surface of the forehead from one temple.
Across to the other ear.
Perhaps becoming aware of the little muscles here.
And seeing if they might soften a little And now bringing awareness to both eyes.
The tiny muscles around the eyes.
The space behind them.
And taking a little time here.
Almost as though your awareness could settle right inside the eyes allowing them to rest completely perhaps sensing the tiny efforts of looking.
Focusing watching.
Begin to release.
And noticing what happens to the rest of the face and the eyes become less quiet awareness moving down towards the cheek the rice cheese and the left.
The whole middle of the face.
Down to the jaw.
The muscles along either side of the jaw.
The space between the teeth.
The tongue resting heavy in the mouth.
Sensing the whole lower part of the face.
So.
.
.
Real life.
Art is.
.
.
I'm sensing the whole face now the forehead.
Eyes.
Cheeks.
So.
.
.
The entire face resting together awareness drifting down towards both shoulders now Sensing the way.
Of both shoulders here from the base of the neck out towards the top of the arms perhaps becoming aware of the weight of the shoulders.
The way they're resting against the support beneath you.
Allowing awareness to travel down through both arms towards the hands both palms.
The backs of the hands.
All ten fingertips.
Sensing all ten fingertips you might notice the warmth coolness.
A faint tingling or simply the feeling of the fingers resting against one another and now allowing awareness to make its way back towards the chest Sensing the whole chest here.
Becoming aware of the gentle movements.
The chest rising a little and easing back awareness drifting down towards the belly the whole belly.
Upper belly.
The area around the belly button the lower belly.
Sensing the whole stomach now.
Noticing the gentle movement of the breath and the muscle resting to the hips.
Awareness resting in the right and left hips the whole pelvis.
And taking a little time here Sensing the width of the pelvis.
It weighs.
The places where it meets the surface beneath you awareness moving down through both eyes Both eyes together.
Perhaps sensing the muscles.
And both the left and the right thigh.
The waste.
Allowing awareness to continue down through the lower legs all the way towards the feet Both heels.
Both souls.
All ten toes.
Sensing the whole of both feet together And again.
Noticing any sensations that might be present here you might sense the temperature of the air against your skin the feeling of socks or blanket.
Torching against the toes.
Or the little spaces between all ten toes Both peace.
Resting in awareness.
And now allowing your awareness to widen.
Including both feet Let's Valley.
Cheers both arms and hands shall rise.
Neck and head.
Sensing the entire body now.
From the crown of the head all the way to the tips of the toes.
The whole body resting here.
Completely support it.
Alive with sensation and now bringing your attention to the natural rhythm of the breath And there's no need to breathe any differently here.
Just becoming aware of the breath as it moves through the body you might sense the gentle rise of the belly as you breathe in and notice how it softens again as you breathe out we're thriving and leaving and its own time.
Just noticing.
And we'll begin to silently count the natural breaths.
And one of two ways I'll begin the first few with you.
And then you can continue at your own pace.
Campaign each natural inhale and exhale.
Breathing in.
.
.
Breathing out.
On.
Breathing in two.
Breathing out And.
3,
Out three and now allowing the counting to fall away breath continuing that release body breathing all by itself and sensing the whole body resting here the entire body now.
Resting deeply breath at ease muscles relax nothing you need to do for the next few moments nothing you need to think about or prepare for just giving yourself this little time to rest And slowly now.
Beginning to bring your awareness back into the morning becoming aware of the sounds around you hands in the room.
Hands in the world at times sensing the air against your skin the support beneath you I'm beginning to bring a little movement into the fingers maybe opening and closing the hands.
Moving the toes.
Rolling the ankles in One direction.
And then the other.
And we'll take three full breaths together here.
Beginning to bring a little more energy into the body Getting ourselves ready for the day ahead.
Take a full comfortable breath in through the nose feeling the ribs widen the chest expand and breathing out through the mouth Again,
Breathing in.
Allowing the whole torso to expand.
And breathing out letting the breath leave naturally And one last one,
Breathing in through the nose.
And perhaps here reaching the arms overhead as you inhale,
Stretching through the hands.
Fingers,
Whole body.
And breathing out through the mouth.
And whenever you're ready gently allow the eyes to open take a moment here to look around let the eyes adjust to the light and whenever you're ready beginning to ease yourself up and into the rest of the day thank you for practicing with me this morning
