Hello,
And welcome to Shulev Yoga and Breath.
My name is Natalie.
Today's practice is an evening yoga nidra to help you unwind from the day.
Release what you've been carrying and settle into deep effortless rest.
This is a quiet space where nobody needs anything from you.
You are allowed to simply lie back.
Be supported.
And nourish yourself deeply.
This is your time.
Let's get ready for Yoga Nidra.
Lie down on your back with your body straight from head to toe,
With your arms by your sides,
Palms facing up.
If that's not accessible to you,
You may take any position that feels best to your body.
Your comfort and your needs are the most important.
You may choose to cover yourself with a blanket.
Place a pillow underneath your head and your knees.
And cover your eyes with a soft covering cream.
Once you are settled in,
Try to make yourself a little bit more comfortable.
Gently close your eyes.
Take a long,
Deep breath in through the nose.
And let it out through your mouth with a heavy sigh.
There's nowhere else you need to be.
There's nothing else you need to do.
Take another long,
Deep breath in through the nose.
And let it out of your mouth with a heavy sigh.
Allow tension to melt away from your face,
Neck,
And shoulders.
Relax your abdomen,
Your arms,
And your legs.
Develop a feeling of relaxation in your body like the feeling that comes just before sleep.
Begin to notice your natural breath.
You don't need to change it.
Just notice your body breathing itself.
There's nothing you need to do.
You were already cared for.
We'll now move into a breathing technique to signal to your body.
That it is time to rest.
We will gently inhale through the nose for a count of four.
And then take a slow,
Long and smooth exhale through straw pursed lips for a count of eight.
If counting or blowing through pursed lips feels like work,
Simply let your breath find its own easy rhythm.
Let's begin.
Inhale 2 3 4 Exhale 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Inhale 2 3 4 4.
.
.
Exhale 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Inhale 2 3 4 Exhale 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 I'll now stay quiet to allow you to continue this breathing on your own.
Gently let that go and return to your natural breath.
You will now turn to your sankalpa.
Sankalpa is simply an intention.
It's a short,
Positive statement phrased in the present tense as if it's already happening.
For today's practice,
You might choose,
I give myself permission to rest tonight and rise tomorrow with ease in my heart.
Another option is,
Today is complete.
I give myself permission to rest deeply tonight.
A third option.
I let go of today and wake tomorrow,
Feeling rooted,
Steady,
And spacious.
You might find that one of these Tzinkalpas feels right to you,
Or perhaps another phrase may have arisen on its own.
Choose a Sankalpa that feels most supportive to you right now.
Once you've chosen your Sankalpa,
Repeat it silently to yourself three times.
We'll now move into a body scan.
I'll guide your attention through different parts of the body.
As I name each body part,
Simply bring your awareness there.
You don't have to move or change anything.
Simply notice and then allow your awareness to move on to the next area following the sound of my voice We begin with the right side.
Right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Rest.
Right forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Right armpit.
Right side ribs.
Waste.
Bye.
Me.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heal.
Sole of the right foot.
Top of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Whole right side of the body.
Feel the whole right side of your body.
Relax.
Resting.
Still.
And now the left side.
Left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Left forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Left armpit.
Left side ribs.
Waste.
Thigh.
Me.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heal.
Sole of the left foot.
Top of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Whole left side of the body.
Feel the whole left side of your body.
Relaxed.
Resting.
Still.
And now the back of the body.
Left heel.
Right heel.
Left calf.
Right calf.
Back of the left knee.
Back of the right knee.
Back of the left thigh.
Back of the right thigh.
Left buttock.
Right buttocks.
Lower back.
Middle,
Back.
Upper back.
Left shoulder blade.
Right shoulder blade.
Back of the neck.
Back of the head.
And now the front of the body.
Top of the head.
Forehead.
Left eyebrow.
Right eyebrow.
Space between the eyebrows.
Left eye.
Right eye.
Left cheek.
Right cheek.
Nose.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Ja.
Throat.
Heart center.
Upper abdomen.
Belly.
Pelvis.
Right arm.
Left arm.
Both arms together.
Both arms together.
Right leg.
Left leg.
Both legs together.
Both legs together.
Both arms and both legs together.
Both arms and both legs together.
Whole head.
Whole torso.
Whole head and whole torso together.
Whole head and whole torso together.
Both arms.
Both legs.
Whole head and whole torso together.
Both arms,
Both legs,
Whole head and whole torso together.
Whole body together.
Whole body together.
Feel the weight of your whole body being held by the surface beneath you.
Allow yourself to feel supported.
Your whole body is supported.
Resting.
And held by the surface beneath you.
Allow yourself to let go.
And now,
Bring awareness back to your breath.
Notice the natural rhythm of your breathing.
There's nothing you need to change.
Simply notice the breath moving in and moving out.
Let the rhythm of your breath rock you.
.
.
And now we'll begin counting the breath backwards from 27.
With each breath silently count down by one.
Inhale,
27.
Exhale,
27.
Inhale,
26.
Exhale,
26.
Inhale,
25.
Exhale,
25.
Continue at your own pace.
And if you lose count,
That's okay.
Simply return to 27 and begin again.
Wherever you are in the counting.
Let the numbers fade away.
Now move your attention to the quiet space behind your eyes.
The screen of your imagination.
Visualize yourself lying down comfortably.
Under a vast cloud.
Infinite night sky.
The sky is completely clear.
Open and filled with millions of quiet flickering stars.
Feel the heavy,
Unshakable support of the Earth beneath you.
Holding your spine your shoulders.
And your hips.
As you gaze upward into the depth of space.
As you rest under this wide canopy of stars.
Notice how immense and spacious the universe is.
Feel the boundaries of your own awareness beginning to stretch and open to match this vastness.
Anything you've been carrying is gently absorbed by the dark expanse above.
Like tiny passing streaks of starlight.
All that you've been carrying flashes for a brief second and dissolves completely.
Into the distance.
Leaving no trace behind.
The sky holds on to nothing.
And in this moment,
Neither do you.
With every soft breath.
Feel yourself drawing a steady calm gentle warmth and ease.
You are relaxed and at peace.
Out here.
Under the sky.
There is nothing.
To do.
You are a quiet,
Living part of the still universe.
You allow yourself to be held and restored.
You allow yourself to soften.
To expand outward into this quiet darkness.
To trust that you're in our foundation.
Is already steady.
Spacious and whole.
Feel your breath moving in harmony with the expanse of space.
Spacious clear.
And completely untethered.
Your work for today is entirely done.
Allow yourself to receive this rest.
Allow yourself to sink deeper.
And deeper.
Into the support.
Beneath you.
Allow yourself to drift into a deep,
Restoring sleep.
Feeling held.
And support it.
You can let go.
Let go.
