Welcome.
You are here.
And that is enough.
If you're struggling with anxiety.
Know that you are not alone and there are tools to help.
Yoga Nidra can be one of those tools.
So find a quiet,
Comfortable place to lie down,
Where you will not be disturbed.
Perhaps on your back.
With a support underneath your knees and your head.
Maybe a blanket for warmth.
Allowing your arms to rest a little way from your sides.
The palms facing skyward.
Let your feet fall open naturally.
Take a moment now to settle in fully.
This time is yours.
Allow your eyes to close.
And let the surface beneath you.
Hold your full weight.
You do not have to hold yourself up anymore.
Allow yourself to let go.
Know that you may feel sleepy during this practice.
And that is perfectly fine.
Whether you remain lightly aware.
Or drift into the borderlands of sleep.
Something in you will always be listening.
And now without changing anything about your breath.
Simply draw your awareness there Notice the rise and fall of your chest and your belly.
Just observing this,
The way you would watch waves moving on a shore.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Feel the body gently expanding on the inhale.
Softening,
Releasing more on the exhale.
With settling.
Let the whole face soften.
And feel the weight of the head and the skull.
Let the shoulders and the arms be heavy.
Feel the weight of the torso.
And the hips.
And the legs.
And in this state of relaxation.
We plant a seed.
An intention or sankalpa.
If you don't have one.
You might use,
Peace flows through me with every breath Peace flows through me with every breath.
Or I am grounded in this body and in this breath.
I am grounded in this body.
And in this breath.
Repeat whichever one resonates with you.
Three times.
Feel it in your heart.
With full sincerity.
And now we will rotate awareness throughout the body.
Bring your awareness to the crown of the head.
The forehead.
The right eye.
The left eye.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
The right ear.
Left ear.
The upper lip.
Lower lip.
The inside of the right cheek.
Inside of the left cheek.
Sense the volume of the tongue.
Throat.
Now sense the right side of the neck.
Right shoulder.
Elbow.
Rest.
Palm of the right hand.
Right thumb.
First finger.
Second.
Third.
Little finger.
Back of the hand.
Rest.
Elbow.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Right side of the chest.
Right waist.
Bye.
Me.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Top of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second.
Third.
Forth.
Little toe.
Sole of the foot.
Heal.
Back of the knee.
Right buttock.
Right side of the back.
Right shoulder blade.
Back of the neck.
Left side of the neck.
Left shoulder.
Elbow.
Rest.
Left palm.
Thumb.
First finger.
Second.
Third.
Little finger.
Back of the hand.
Elbow.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
The left side of the chest.
Waste.
Side.
Me.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second.
Third.
Lord.
Little toe.
The sole of the foot.
Heal.
Back of the knee.
Left buttock.
The left side of the back.
Shoulder blades.
And awareness to the very center of the chest.
The heart center.
Allow your awareness to rest here.
In this sacred space of yourself.
And now bring your awareness back.
To the natural breath.
This ebb and flow of the breath.
Gently moving in and out.
Nothing to change.
Just observe.
And imagine yourself now standing at the edge of a forest.
It is early morning and the light is filtering down through tall trees.
In long golden beams.
The air is cool and clean.
Carrying the scent of pine.
And earth.
Everything here is still.
Everything here is unhurried.
You step onto a soft path.
That leads into the trees.
And with each step you feel the ground beneath your feet.
The sounds of the world outside this place fall away behind you.
Here there is only the occasional call of a bird.
And the sound of your own quiet breathing.
As you walk deeper into the forest.
You begin to feel a deep sense of ease spreading through your body.
The trees around you are ancient and steady.
They have stood here through every season.
Every storm.
Every long winter.
And bright summer.
You feel held by their presence.
Safe.
Unhurried.
You come to a small clearing.
Where warm golden light spills down through a gap in the canopy.
You step into it and the warmth touches your face,
Your shoulders,
And your chest.
You feel it absorbing into you.
Softening any last tension held in your body.
You notice a large tree in front of you.
And you sit down on the soft ground at the base of this great tree.
You lean into it and let it support you completely.
A forest breathes around you.
A light wind moves through the leaves above.
And for a moment you can hear what sounds like a distant stream.
A soft,
Steady murmur.
The light shifts gently.
A leaf drifts down and lands without a sound.
You are perfectly still.
Perfectly held.
You rest here in this forest.
Simply breathing.
Simply be.
All the things you were carrying.
The worries to-do lists.
The noise.
They're far away.
Here,
There is only peace.
And now gently bring your awareness back to your breath.
Notice it moving quietly through you.
Let your breath anchor you back into your body.
Which has been resting deeply this whole time.
And return now to your sankalpa.
In this quiet space.
Bring it forward once more.
Repeating the same.
Peace flows through me with every breath.
Or,
I am grounded in this body and in this breath.
Repeat quietly three times.
Know that it has been received by the deepest part of you.
And that it will continue to work gently in the days ahead.
And begin to bring an awareness back to your physical body.
Take a deep breath in through the nose.
Letting it out with a soft sigh.
And to wiggle the toes.
The fingers.
And when you are ready,
You might draw your knees in towards your chest.
And give yourself a gentle hug.
Rolling onto your side,
Rest there for a moment.
Letting yourself fully absorb the feeling of rest Notice the stillness,
The spaciousness.
And bring yourself up to a seated position.
You might take your hands and pressing them gently together,
Bringing the thumbs at your heart.
And as you bow down towards your fingertips.
Thank your body.
Thank your mind.
Thank your spirit.
And thank the earth for holding you When you are ready,
Open your eyes softly.
Move slowly back into the world.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
