Hello dear one and welcome.
My name is Letitia and today I'll guide you through a yoga nidra practice to give yourself the permission to rest.
You can use this practice as a standalone.
Consider a beginning with a simple seated sequence of movements to release tension.
Maybe some shoulder rolls,
Neck stretches,
Spinal twists,
Forward folds.
Just see what works for you today.
Whenever you are ready,
Get comfortable.
Laying down or seated,
But make sure that you are supported.
Choose any position that feels good right now.
Getting ready for this practice to help you feel good about resting whenever you need rest.
If it feels good,
You can tuck a thin pillow or a folded blanket under your head.
Cover yourself with the blanket.
Tuck a cushion or bolster under your knees.
Whatever will help you feel comfortable.
And you might choose some of the things.
You might choose all of them.
You might choose different things.
Or none of them at all.
Any option is fine.
This is your practice and you know best how to create comfort for you.
So take time to get comfy now.
And notice how the body responds to comfort.
You might experience it as a softening,
A release,
A sinking or a settling.
Any way you experience it is welcome.
Checking in with yourself,
Adjusting as you need.
Are your feet feeling that experience of comfort?
What about your legs?
Your hips.
Your back.
Allow the arms and shoulders to settle into comfort.
The neck.
Drawer.
Forehead.
Notice the sensations of comfort.
And notice.
Have any thoughts or reasons disturbing your peace or comfort?
Maybe thoughts of your day,
Expectations,
Your to-do list,
Negative self-talk.
Notice any thoughts disrupting the comfort.
Know that you can choose to let them go in this moment.
The thoughts are not needed for the next 20 minutes or so.
You can come back to them after the practice if you like.
For now you can allow them to melt away,
Melting into the surface beneath you.
Feel the weight and grip of the thoughts leave you as they melt away.
And with the mind free from the grip of those thoughts,
It's free to enjoy the sensations of comfort.
Notice in the absence of those thoughts there is peace.
Settling into that peace and comfort will be very restorative for you.
The more you let go of them now,
The more refreshed you will feel and if you wish,
You will have more energy and presence of mind to process those thoughts after the practice.
But for right now,
There's nothing you need to do.
Nothing to accomplish.
Nothing you need to think about.
Give yourself full permission to simply be.
Just for now simply being.
And bring awareness to the sweet sensation of comfort.
Softening into the comfort.
Take a deep breath in.
And as you exhale shift from doing to being Take a deep breath in.
And as you exhale shift from thinking to feeling.
Shifting from thinking and doing to feeling and being.
This is your opportunity to simply enjoy peace.
Make any final adjustments if you haven't already.
Begin to experience the non-doing even more.
Noticing the sensations of comfort,
The stillness.
Know that you can move but if it feels good allow yourself to enjoy this stillness.
You have done so much.
You do so much.
This is your chance to rest.
Simply rest.
This chance for restoration.
Doing nothing.
Resting.
And gaining everything.
Peace,
Comfort,
Renewed energy,
Creativity,
Strength.
It all comes through rest.
Resting now.
Just as you lie.
Even the mind can rest now.
In its place,
There is effortless awareness.
Feel all experience becoming more and more effortless.
Tranquil and effortless.
The practice of Yoganidra has now begun.
If it feels right,
Setting yourself up to enjoy more of this effortless,
Restorative rest by setting an intention,
A sankalpa.
If you like mentally repeating.
When I need to rest,
I rest.
When I need to rest.
I rest.
Taking a moment to feel the freedom and joy in this statement.
When I need to rest.
I rest.
Now taking awareness on a trip around the body.
Awareness floating effortlessly from point to point.
Start by floating awareness to the point between the eyebrows.
Effortless awareness of the point between the eyebrows.
The hollow of the throat.
The right shoulder joint.
The right elbow.
Breast joint,
The right thumb.
Tip of the index finger.
Tip of the middle finger.
Tip of the ring finger.
Tip of the little finger.
A thoughtless awareness.
The right wrist joint.
Elbow joint.
Shoulder joint.
Hollow of the throat.
Shifting awareness over to the left shoulder joint.
Elbow joint.
Brace joint.
The left thumb.
Tip of the index finger.
Tip of the middle finger.
Tip of the ring finger.
Tip of the little finger.
Shifting freely to the left wrist joint.
Elbow joint.
Shoulder joint.
Hollow of the throat.
The heart center.
The right side of the chest.
The heart center.
The left side of the chest.
The heart center.
The heart center.
The heart center.
Resting awareness at the heart center.
And now notice here at the heart center,
At the chest,
A gentle rise and fall like a soft wave.
Nothing for you to do.
Body is gracefully waving,
Breathing itself to rest.
Just observe this beautiful wave.
And now bring awareness to the nostrils.
Notice here at the nostrils,
Subtle contraction on inhalation,
Expansion on exhalation.
Soft closing and opening.
Just observe this graceful movement of the body breathing itself.
These are the sublime movements,
Intricate workings and effortless intelligence of your being.
You are not the doer.
Simply observe this divine,
Exquisite dance of your body breathing itself.
And allow awareness to revolve in this beauty and miraculous quality of this non-doing.
Now if you like,
Mentally repeating your intention again.
Filling it with even more clarity.
Knowing it as your new reality.
When I need to rest.
I rest.
When I need to rest.
I rest.
Take a moment to feel the freedom and joy in this statement.
Knowing that freedom and joy as your new reality.
When I need to rest.
I rest.
Float awareness back to the heart center.
Notice the heart center rising on inhalation and falling on exhalation.
Feel the heart center rising on inhalation,
Falling on exhalation.
Take a deep breath.
Feeling the movement break up the stillness.
Notice that as you breathe the body is moving.
But with ease and effortlessness.
And now bring awareness back to your body.
Feel your body peacefully resting.
Notice your body surrendered to gravity.
His practice of Yuga Nidra is now complete.
Be aware of the room,
The space around you,
The objects.
Notice any sounds and how they travel through the space,
Giving you a sense of the size of the space.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Moving against gravity.
Feel yourself more aware of the body now and the body at ease.
Stretch or move in any way you like.
If you are laying down,
Whenever you are ready,
Roll to your right side.
And if you'd like,
Repeat your intention one more time.
When I need to rest.
I rest.
Knowing this as your new reality.
Keeping your eyes closed here just a little longer.
And if you are,
Onto your side.
Gently press yourself up to sitting.
Thank you.
Take a deep breath in.
And a side out.
And before opening your eyes,
Give yourself a moment of gratitude for allowing yourself this beautiful restorative permission to rest.
Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti
