Lying down for this meditation,
This yoga nidra.
Perhaps you're lying on your back,
But adjusting anything you need so that your body feels completely supported.
Maybe a blanket over the top of you,
A cushion under your knees,
Or something soft under your head.
So getting settled.
Letting the eyes gently close down.
And then taking a slow breath in through the nose.
And then exhale out through the mouth.
And again breathing in.
And letting the breath go.
Feel the weight of your body descending.
Your bones settling.
Muscles softening.
The earth beneath you is steady and unmoving.
Ancient.
Allowing the breath to just be natural.
Notice the rise.
Notice the fall.
You're not here to achieve anything.
You are here to remember.
So imagining deep beneath you,
Below the surface of the earth,
Stone foundations of a temple built long ago.
A secret temple carved from stone and rock.
You are lying above it.
And you are also within it.
And in this liminal state between waking and sleep,
The subconscious mind is open.
Invite you to choose a simple sankalpa.
A sacred sentence.
It might be something like,
I remember who I am.
Or,
I trust my inner knowing.
Or,
I am guided.
So choose something that resonates for you,
Don't overthink it.
And then repeat it silently three times in your mind.
Let it echo,
Like a whisper,
Inside the temple walls.
And now we move awareness through the body.
So you don't need to move physically,
Just allow your awareness to travel.
Firstly bringing awareness to the right hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Rest.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
The right waist.
Right hip.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
The whole right side of the body.
Now moving over to the left.
Left hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
The palm.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
The left waist.
Left hip.
Shoulder.
In.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
The whole left side of the body.
Now sweeping awareness to the back of the head.
Back of the neck.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Middle of the back.
Lower back.
Sacrum.
Back of the thighs.
Back of the calves.
The whole back body.
Now moving awareness to the crown of the head.
The forehead.
The space between the eyebrows.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Left eye.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Lips.
Jaw.
Throat centre.
Right side of the chest.
Left side of the chest.
Heart centre.
Navel centre.
Pelvis.
The whole front line of the body.
And now the whole front line of the body.
The whole body together.
Imagine your whole body as a temple.
Your bones are like pillars.
Your heart like an altar.
Fully inhabiting yourself.
Now bring awareness to the centre of the chest.
Imagine a small flame here.
Steady.
It's not flickering.
A devotional steady flame.
And with every inhale the flame glows slightly brighter.
And with every exhale it steadies.
Now bring awareness to the lower belly.
Feel warmth here.
Grounded.
Weighted.
And feel the breath rising from the belly to the heart.
And the heart to the belly.
A subtle current flowing between the two.
This is your inner temple axis.
From the heart to the sacral.
This place of inner guidance.
Deep within.
And now allow the following images to arise gently.
Stone steps descending.
Cool air on your skin.
Candlelight against temple walls.
The scent of the incense.
The scent of oil and incense.
Bare feet on the stone floor.
Red cloth draped over an altar.
A bowl of water.
A jar of sacred oil.
A woman kneeling in silence.
Feel yourself within the center of this temple.
There is no hierarchy here.
No judgment.
No audience.
It is just a space for remembrance.
You kneel beside the altar.
And you realize the altar is your own heart.
And the woman you see is not separate from you.
She is just a version of you has already remembered.
She places her hand over your heart.
No words are spoken.
But perhaps there is a message that you receive.
And in this receptive state allow these statements,
These truths to settle.
I am not too much.
I am not behind.
My body is wholly grown.
I fully trust my intuition.
Imagine also any inherited guilt,
Shame,
Or silencing of your voice,
Your gifts to dissolve.
Like dust falling from old stone.
Your spine lengthens.
Your jaw softens.
Your heart widens.
You are safe in your depth,
In your voice,
In your knowing.
You are the temple.
Return to your sankalpa now and repeat it silently in your mind three times.
Let it move through your body like the tone of a bell.
It's clear and certain.
Already rooted in your being.
And now begin to deepen the breath.
Feel yourself lying on the surface that you're lying on.
The ground beneath you.
Maybe starting to breathe a little deeper.
Notice any sounds around you in the room that you're in.
Notice the temperature of the room.
And begin to make some small movements in your fingers and toes.
Perhaps rotating your wrists and your ankles gently.
And take a stretch if it feels right to do so.
Maybe you roll onto one side or make your way up to a seat.
Maybe you remain exactly where you are.
But just keeping your eyes soft.
Notice the quiet.
The temple does not need to disappear as you awaken.
It travels with you within you.
Your body is the sacred architecture.
Go gently.
