Beginning this yoga nidra practice in a comfortable lying down position,
Adjusting your body so that you feel completely supported,
Taking a few moments to arrive in this point of comfort for your body and mind.
And take note of where your body makes contact with the earth underneath you.
Feel how the earth rises up to support your entire body,
Allowing you to let go of any tension you might be holding onto.
Enduring this yoga nidra,
Welcome every experience with openness and curiosity.
Allow your body to move if it feels intuitive.
Allow your attention to passively absorb this form of meditation.
Feeling the support of the earth underneath you,
Offering you stability.
Recall your sankalpa or intention for today's yoga nidra practice.
I let go of thoughts of the day behind me and the day ahead of me.
I am at ease,
Relaxed and sleeping deeply and restfully.
I let go of the thoughts of the day behind me and the day ahead of me.
I am at ease,
Relaxed and sleeping deeply and restfully.
Fully welcoming and affirming your intention for today's practice with your entire body and mind.
And taking a gentle inhale through the nose,
A gentle exhale through the mouth.
And one more time,
Inhale through the nose,
Exhale through the mouth.
As you notice the earth supporting your body,
Begin to sense the body breathing itself.
The natural flow of breath entering and leaving the body.
Become aware of the gentle rise and release of the chest and belly.
The expansion and softening of the ribcage.
Welcoming the sensation of the body breathing itself.
And for the next few seconds,
Exerting the only effort required throughout this passive practice of yoga nidra.
For the next few seconds,
Can you tense every single muscle in your body?
Tensing the hands,
The feet,
The arms,
The legs,
The muscles of the belly,
Perhaps even lifting your head.
Tensing for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Let go.
Feeling the support of the earth underneath you.
Offering you stability.
One more time,
Tensing every single muscle in the body for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One,
And release.
Feeling the earth rising up to meet your body.
As you let go of every single muscle in the body,
How relaxed can you make every single muscle?
Allow the body to breathe itself.
Chest and belly rising and releasing.
Ribcage expanding and softening.
The inflow and outflow of the breath through the nostrils.
The entire body breathing itself.
Breathing in all directions.
At rest.
At ease.
And without forcing or changing the breath,
Silently in your mind,
Begin counting from seven to one.
Like this.
Seven.
Inhaling.
The entire torso expanding and rising.
Seven.
Exhaling.
The entire torso releasing and relaxing.
Six.
Inhaling.
The entire torso expanding and rising.
Six.
Exhaling.
The entire torso releasing and relaxing.
Seven.
Inhaling.
The entire torso releasing and rising.
Continuing with your body's own natural breathing rhythm.
Allowing the body to breathe itself.
Feeling the support of the earth underneath you.
Seven.
And if you lose count,
Simply starting again at seven.
Feeling the earth rising to support you.
Supporting the entire body.
Allowing you to let go of any holding in the muscles.
The entire body breathing itself.
Breathing in all directions.
Expanding into the space around you.
Now,
As you allow the counting to fall away,
Become attentive to the flows of sensation throughout the body.
The entire body breathing itself.
Breathing in all directions.
The entire body a field of radiant sensation.
Feeling secure.
Letting go of thinking.
Simply welcoming sensation.
Noticing where the earth meets the body.
As I name each part of your body,
Visualizing that part of your body falling away like sand.
Sensing your mouth,
The back of your throat,
Your tongue,
Your jaw,
Your entire mouth and jaw falling away like sand.
Letting go of thinking and sensing your left ear,
Your right ear,
Both ears together.
Sensing your left nostril,
Your right nostril,
The flow of air and sensation inside both nostrils.
Sensing your left eye,
Your right eye,
Both eyes together.
Relaxing the muscles around the eyes.
Allowing both eyes to softly rest back into your skull.
Letting go of any expression in your eyebrows.
Letting go of any expression on your face.
Consciously softening the muscles around the ears.
Softening the muscles of the scalp.
Without analyzing,
Sensing your entire head and face falling away like sand.
And sensing your left shoulder,
Your left upper arm,
Your elbow,
Your forearm,
Your left hand and fingers,
Your entire left arm falling away like sand.
Sensing your right shoulder,
Your right upper arm,
Your elbow,
Your forearm,
Your right hand and fingers,
Your entire right arm falling away like sand.
And sensing the front of your torso and the back of your torso.
Sensing your entire torso falling away like sand.
Sensing your left hip,
Your left upper leg,
Your lower leg,
Your ankle,
Foot and toes,
Your entire left leg falling away like sand.
Sensing your right hip,
Your right upper leg,
Your lower leg,
Your ankle,
Foot and toes,
Your entire right leg falling away like sand.
Sensing the front of the body,
The back of the body,
The entire right side of the body,
The entire left side of the body.
Sensation deep inside the body,
On the surface,
The entire body falling away like sand.
Taking this time to relax right now.
And sensing the front of the body,
The back of the body,
The entire right side of the body,
The entire left side of the body,
The entire body vibrantly alive,
A field of radiant sensation falling away like sand.
Sensing the front of the body,
The back of the body,
The entire right side of the body,
The entire left side of the body,
Sensation deep inside the body,
On the surface.
Taking this time to relax right now and rest.
