Allowing Softening - A Yoga Nidra Practice

A rapid Yoga Nidra practice, which invites us in to soften the entire body, bringing us in to a deep state of rest.

It's always fascinating to me just how much softening can be induced purely with the power of our own awareness.

This Nidra will help guide you and your awareness to bring this state of relaxation into your own body.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to your yoga nidra practice today.

Take a moment to settle yourself.

So you want to come to lie down wherever feels most comfortable for you.

This can be on a bed,

On a sofa,

On a yoga mat,

On the floor.

Just pick a place where you're not likely to be disturbed.

Gather any props that you might want,

Such as a pillow for behind the head.

Perhaps a rolled up blanket or a pillow or bolster for under the knees.

You might have a blanket or a duvet to cover yourself to prevent yourself from getting cold.

You may even want to get an eye pillow or something just to cover the eyes to stop any light from entering the eyes.

Once you've gathered everything that you might want or need,

Just take a moment to find that nice comfortable position.

You don't have to kind of stick with the first place you land.

You might have a little fidget,

A shuffle.

Whatever might help you even get just 5% more comfortable.

It's always worth that little extra effort.

And then once you've found that space,

If you haven't already,

You might come to close down the eyes.

Then just notice for a moment if we're holding in the face any tension.

How would it feel to soften through the forehead?

Particularly that space in between the eyebrows.

Softening through the jaw,

So much so that the lips might even gently part.

The whole face getting so soft that it begins to resemble that of a sleeping child.

And then we'll allow that softening to move down through the shoulders and the neck.

Allowing a heaviness to come into the arms,

The legs.

And then noticing that gentle movement of breath through the whole of the torso,

The front,

The back and the sides.

The whole body softening and yielding into gravity.

And then just notice how your natural breath feels from here.

That natural rhythm of breath without trying to change in any way.

Feel that breath gently moving throughout the entire body.

Perhaps even to the fingertips and the toes.

It might be super subtle,

But just see what we notice when we really listen in with the awareness.

And then with every exhalation,

Visualize your body getting just 5% softer.

Almost like that pull of gravity is getting just a tiny bit stronger with every round of breath.

And now from here,

We're going to begin to gently move our awareness to different parts of the body.

And as I read out a part of the body,

See if you can move your full awareness to that place.

And as you hold the awareness in that space,

Can we perhaps allow it to soften?

Physically with the muscles and the bones.

But also energetically.

So begin by moving your awareness to the tips of all five fingers on the right hand.

Full awareness to the tips of the fingers on the right hand.

Perhaps you notice a gentle pulsing or tingling.

And then allow that awareness to expand to include all five fingers completely on the right hand.

How would it feel to soften the fingers just 5% more?

And then become aware of the space in between the fingers.

Can we sense into that space between each of the fingers and the thumb?

And then the awareness moves to include the palm of the hand.

The back of the hand.

The right wrist.

The entire right forearm.

Elbow.

And upper right arm.

The right shoulder joint.

The entire right arm.

In your awareness and softening.

The right collarbone.

Shoulder blade.

The entire right ribcage.

The right lung moving with the breath.

Expanding in and out.

The right side waist.

The right half of the pelvic bowl.

And the right buttock.

Notice the contact between the buttock and the support beneath you.

The right thigh.

The right knee.

And the lower right leg.

The right ankle.

The sole of the right foot.

And the tips of all five toes on the right foot.

The space in between the five toes.

The entire right side body.

In your awareness.

And softening.

The entire right side body.

And the left half of the brain.

Right side body.

Left side brain.

Softening.

Letting this go now.

Awareness moves now to the tips of all five fingers on the left side.

All five fingertips on the left side alive with sensation.

All five fingers.

Softening.

And the space between the fingers on the left hand.

Palm of the left hand.

The left wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper left arm.

And the left shoulder joint.

The entire left arm.

Softening.

The left collarbone.

Shoulder blade.

And the entire left ribcage.

The left lung.

Moving with the breath.

In and out in all directions.

The left waist.

Left half of the pelvic bowl.

And the left buttock.

The contact between the left buttock and the support beneath you.

Softening.

Left thigh.

Left knee.

Lower left leg.

And the left ankle.

The sole of the left foot.

And the tips of all five toes on the left foot.

The space in between the toes on the left foot.

The entire left side body.

The entire left side body softening.

Left side body.

And the right side brain.

The jaw.

Both of the lips softening.

And the tongue softening inside of the mouth.

Both of the eyes becoming heavy in the sockets.

And all of the muscles around and behind the eyes.

Becoming soft.

The entire forehead.

Releasing.

Every muscle in the face becoming soft.

Softer and softer.

The entire brain.

Softening inside of the skull.

And the entire physical body now as one.

Alive with sensation,

Movement.

The entire physical body softening.

Beginning to now notice the space around you.

The contact,

The support beneath you.

The weight of any props and clothes on top of you.

Touch of air against your skin.

And the gentle movement of your breath.

The breath moving throughout the entire body.

And then only when you feel ready,

We might begin to gently wiggle a finger or a toe.

You may decide that you want to stay in stillness for a little bit longer.

And that's also fine.

Only if you have the calling,

You might allow that movement to build a little bit more.

Perhaps eventually turning into a stretch or a yawn or a sigh.

And only awakening when you feel ready.

Thank you so much for practicing with me today.

If you enjoyed,

Please feel free to drop me a follow.

I'll be posting more of these going forth.

Have a lovely rest of the day or evening wherever you are.

Thank you.