Welcome to this Yoga Nidra practice.
Allow your body to find comfortable,
Complete stillness.
Let the ground beneath you hold you fully.
There is nowhere else you need to be and nothing else to do.
Take a slow unhurried breath in now and a soft releasing breath out.
Feel your whole body begin to melt into quiet comfort.
Let a gentle intention rise within you,
A simple heartfelt truth,
Your sankalpa.
Repeat this silently three times now as though planting a seed in soft earth.
That's it.
Now allow your awareness to move through the body point by point.
No movement here is needed,
Just notice.
Right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Little finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the right hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Shoulder,
Right side of the chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Shoulder,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right toes,
One,
By,
Left side,
Left thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Shoulder,
Left side of the chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left toes,
One,
By,
Back of the body,
Spine,
Shoulder blades,
Back of the head,
Front of the body,
Belly,
Rising,
Heart space,
Throat,
Face softening,
The space between the eyebrows,
Your whole body resting in quiet awareness,
Your whole body resting in quiet.
Now bring your attention to the natural flow of your breath,
No need to change it,
Just noticing.
Begin counting your breaths backwards from 27 to 1,
27,
Exhale,
26,
Exhale,
If the mind wanders or the count is lost,
Gently return to 27 and begin again,
No judgement,
Just soft awareness,
Continue until you reach 1 or simply rest in the rhythm of counting and breath.
Release the counting now,
Allow an image to form in your mind,
You are standing at the entrance of quiet forest,
The air is cool and fragrant,
Carrying the scent of earth and leaves,
A soft golden light filters through the canopy above and ahead of you is a narrow path lined with smooth stones.
With each step you take on the road,
The ground feels soft beneath your feet,
The forest welcomes you.
As you walk notice the details around you,
The gentle sway of branches,
The distant call of birds,
The way the light dances across the moss,
Soon you come to a small wooden bridge arching over a clear stream,
Pause here,
Listen to the water flowing beneath you,
Steady,
Soothing,
Cross the bridge and continue along the path,
The forest begins to open into a wide clearing filled with soft grass and warm sunlight,
That clearing is a sanctuary,
A safe place created just for you,
It may appear as a small cottage,
A glowing circle of light,
Allow it to take shape now,
Move toward the sanctuary,
Feel its warmth,
Its safety,
Its quiet invitation.
Inside everything is calm,
Everything is gentle,
Everything supports your healing and rest,
Everything supports your healing and rest.
Take a moment now to explore this space,
Noticing the colours,
Textures,
Sounds,
Let your body soften even more deeply as you rest here.
In the centre of your sanctuary imagine a soft radiant light,
It glows with a colour that feels nourishing to you or soft green,
This light expands with each breath,
Filling the room,
Filling your body,
Filling your mind with ease.
Let it wash through you like warm water,
Let it dissolve tension,
Soften edges and bring a sense of deep inner spaciousness.
Rest in this light,
Rest in this sanctuary,
Rest in yourself,
You may now return to your sun culpa once more,
Repeat it silently,
Slowly,
With trust,
Feel it settle into the quiet safe space within you,
Your body is heavy and relaxed,
Your breath is soft and effortless,
Your mind is spacious and calm.
There is nothing you need to do now,
Simply rest,
Let yourself remain in this peaceful state for as long as you wish,
This sanctuary stays with you,
This light stays with you,
You are held,
You are safe.
