Welcome to this yoga nidra practice.
Take a comfortable position lying down with the low back supported maybe placing something underneath the knees a blanket over the body and perhaps something underneath the neck or the head to ensure comfort in this area.
Have a wriggle and a settle ensuring that you will be able to lie still for the entire practice.
Allow the palms to turn up letting the shoulders roll down onto the floor.
Lengthen the skull away from the neck easing any tension in the jaw and shoulders.
Let the tongue soften into the bottom of the mouth.
Allow the eyelids to softly caress the eyeballs and the edges of the lips to turn slightly wide and up.
Let the legs be heavy and separate the feet.
Feel the heaviness of the body in contact with the earth.
Notice the points touching the ground.
And be aware of the points where there is space between the earth and the body.
Return to the whole body connecting to the earth beneath.
And become aware of the breath subtly moving the body.
Do not change the breath but just be gently aware of its natural rhythm and flow.
And then think of a place a real or imaginary where you feel safe and secure.
Imagine with all senses that you are in that safe space right now.
Feel that space through all senses of your being.
And know that you can return to this space at any time throughout the practice or in life in general.
And then return to the body.
Sensing the breath and set the intention to practice Yoga Nidra.
Remaining awake and aware,
Listening to my voice throughout the practice.
If the mind drifts,
The consciousness appears to wander.
Just remember to come back to the voice,
Hear the words,
But do not analyze or create critical thought.
Settle back into the body on the ground.
Feel the connection into something larger than your body.
And from the earth,
Notice any sensation or thought that percolates into your heartfelt deepest desire.
Your sankalpa and current intention.
Repeat it to yourself three times with feeling and in the present tense.
Return to the body.
Taking awareness in rapid succession around body parts,
Either visualize or sense feel into them.
We shall begin inside the mouth.
The floor of the mouth.
Inside right cheek.
Inside left cheek.
Roof of mouth.
Back of mouth.
Teeth.
Bottom jaw.
Top jaw.
The whole inside of the mouth.
The lips.
The nose.
Right eyelid.
Left eyelid.
Point between the eyebrow center.
Middle of the mind.
Right ear canal.
Right ear.
Middle of the mind.
Left ear canal.
Left ear.
Inside space of the head.
Back of the head.
Right side of the head.
Left side of the head.
Crown of the head.
Forehead.
Hole of the head.
The neck.
Base of throat.
Right shoulder.
Right upper arm.
Elbow.
Forearm.
Wrist.
Back of hand.
Palm.
Thumb.
Index finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Right hand.
Right arm.
Right armpit.
Side waist.
Side hip.
Right thigh.
Knee.
Calf.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of foot.
Top of foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Right foot.
Right leg.
Right side body.
The whole right side of the body.
Base of throat.
Left shoulder.
Left upper arm.
Elbow.
Forearm.
Wrist.
Back of hand.
Palm.
Thumb.
Index finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Left hand.
Left arm.
Left armpit.
Side waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Calf.
Left ankle.
Heel.
Sole of foot.
Top of foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Left foot.
Left leg.
Left side body.
The whole left side of your body.
Return to the base of throat.
Right chest.
Left chest.
Abdomen.
Pelvis.
Groin.
Right buttock.
Left buttock.
Right shoulder.
Left shoulder.
Tail through base of skull.
Whole back body.
The whole front body.
Be aware of the full body.
Awareness of the whole body.
Be aware of the breath.
Moving in and out of the nostrils.
Moving in and out of the nostrils.
Moving in and out of the nostrils.
Moving in and out of the nostrils.
Focusing with the mind.
Mentally begin to draw the breath through the left nostril and between the eyebrow centre.
As you exhale,
The breath moves from eyebrow centre through the right nostril.
Then inhale through the right nostril to the eyebrow centre.
Exhale from eyebrow centre through the left nostril.
Repeat inhaling through one side.
Meet in the eyebrow centre and exhale out the other side.
Allow the breath to be natural.
And if there is a pause,
Hold that pause and allow the space that it contains.
If you lose awareness of which nostril you're breathing in through,
Go back and start with the left.
And if you lose awareness of which nostril you're breathing in through,
Go back and start with the right.
And if you lose awareness of which nostril you're breathing in through,
Go back and start with the right.
And if you lose awareness of which nostril you're breathing in through,
Go back and start with the right.
And if you lose awareness of which nostril you're breathing in through,
Go back and start with the right.
Release the breath and the mental breathing.
And come to the awareness of the body's shape.
Notice the points touching the earth and how gravity makes them feel heavy.
Spread this heaviness throughout the body,
Feeling the body heavy like a marble statue.
Feel heaviness throughout the whole of the body.
Create the sensation of heaviness throughout the entire body.
And then become aware of the spaces between your body and the floor.
Feel their lightness.
Allow this lightness to spread through the whole body.
Feel the body light,
Allowing the sensation to ripple through the whole of the body,
The sensation of lightness.
Then return to the heavy sensation and experience that sense of heaviness throughout the whole of the body.
And return to that sensation of lightness,
Feeling the entire body light.
Sensation of lightness spread through the whole body.
And release that sensation and come to the feeling of lethargy.
A feeling of no interest and no energy to do anything.
And be aware of the sensations in the body as you feel this sense of lethargy.
Be aware of all the changes throughout the body as you feel the sense of lethargy.
And release that sensation and create in your mind and sense experience the sensation of excitement.
Whether it's a time or place in your life that you felt excited about,
Create those experiences and feelings in your body.
And return to that sensation or experience,
The feelings of lethargy in the body.
Feel that sensation in the body right now.
And then release the sensation of lethargy and return to the feelings of an experience of excitement.
As you release the sense experiences,
Bring the awareness to the point between the eyebrow centre.
Visualise the ground,
Natural earth or soil beneath you.
Be aware of its texture.
Begin to walk on this earth,
Feeling the texture of the earth beneath you.
As you walk,
Become aware of the earth feeling more stagnated between your feet.
A bogginess,
Hard to move through.
Each step is hard work,
There's effort.
And then see the earth change,
It is dry,
Full of cracks and the wind easily carries the surface of this earth.
Continue to walk on this new ground beneath you,
Feeling the difference of this moving and dry earth.
And as you walk,
Be aware of the earth changing to lush,
Nutrient rich soil.
Perfectly balanced between stagnation and the dryness,
Feel the earth beneath your feet.
The light bounce it creates,
The fullness of your step.
As you stand on the luscious soil,
See water in front of you,
Be aware of the body of water and its quality of movement.
As you observe the movement,
It becomes stagnant,
Non-moving body of water.
Watch this change of stagnant,
Stale,
Non-moving water.
And then a rush of fresh water comes through,
Power,
Strong moving flowing water,
Witness the change in the quality of the water.
The sensation,
The impact of this fast,
Strong flowing water.
Then permit this body of water to settle into a gentle,
Easy flow.
Calm and serene body of water,
Fresh and vibrant,
Full of life.
Next to the body of water is some firewood.
Take this wood and build a fire.
As you begin to build,
The water in the logs has made them a little damp.
The fire stagnates,
It puffs and struggles to light.
Whatever you try,
It remains slow and heavy to light.
Then as you blow on your fire,
Slowly the embers begin to pick up and the flames begin to grow.
As the wind and the air begin to feed the fire,
It grows and it grows.
The fire becomes so big,
You take a step back as an angry energy to consume all around it.
Take steps to control the fire,
Bringing it back to the perfect size and warmth you desire.
Calm and contented fire.
As you see the air dancing around the fire,
Be aware of the quality of the air.
And then the air falls still,
A stagnant air.
Feels heavy.
Notice the challenge to breathe in this stagnant air.
Like a hurricane the wind changes,
Suddenly it is fast and furious and moving.
Be aware of this rapid changing air around you.
And then the air settles like a clear and easy summer day.
It is easy to breathe.
There is clarity in all you see around you.
And as you look up towards the sky,
It is so clear that you can see the stars out there in space.
Feel the body weightless floating in space.
Be aware that in the space there is only space.
Experience looking and feeling yourself in space.
And as you are aware of the space around you,
Be aware of the space within your body.
And within your body be aware of its physical form,
Its shape,
Lying on the floor.
Feel its contact with the earth.
Be aware of the moving breath within the body.
Begin to hear any sounds around you.
And be aware of the space that you are in.
Recall your sankalpa with the same words and feelings that you did at the beginning three times in your mind.
Start to move the body,
Allowing the breath to increase the movement.
As you become aware of the space and your body in the space.
When you are ready,
Roll over onto one side.
When you feel like it is time,
Use the hands to support yourself back up to a comfortable seat.
Place the hands on the body and give the body a little squeeze,
Making sure that you feel fully physically present.
And when you are ready,
Open the eyes and return to the rest of your day.
Have a wonderful day.
