This is a 20 minute yoga nidra practice that is designed to soothe the nervous system and offer deep rest.
This is a practice to be done lying down somewhere comfortable either on a yoga mat or your bed.
You may wish to have a blanket nearby as the body's temperature can drop as we begin to fully relax.
Think of each breath gently unravelling the knots within,
As though it is massaging the nerves,
The tissues.
Giving yourself full permission to do nothing,
To allow yourself to soften,
To allow yourself to be.
And to return to that beautiful space of deep stillness that resides within,
Within the heart.
So when you're ready,
Getting as comfortable as possible,
Allowing the body to get heavy,
Sinking into the support beneath you,
Seeing how much you can allow your body to be completely held by the ground below.
Observe the breath,
Feel into the rhythm of the breath.
Trying not to take the breath,
But watch it,
Feel it,
Like waves rolling in and rolling out.
Allow everything to become effortless.
Relaxing from the doing,
The thinking,
The planning.
What a relief.
Heartfelt intention to your practice.
And if you're not working with one other moment,
You may mentally whisper,
I surrender to the present moment,
Allowing all tension to dissolve.
Whisper it silently to yourself,
Three times.
Let it settle like a seed into the fertile soil of your being.
And gently release it,
Knowing it will be carried by the practice.
Now beginning the gentle rotation of awareness throughout the body.
You may even feel a very subtle,
Tingly sensation as you bring your awareness,
Your energetic awareness to these spaces.
Bringing your awareness to the crown of the head,
Softening the muscles in your forehead.
Feel the eyebrows and the space between them,
Softening,
Letting go.
Allowing them to feel heavy in their sockets,
Like pebbles sinking into still water.
Allow the muscles in your face to soften,
Like a warm light spreading across the skin.
Feel the jaw and the tongue softening.
Feel the whole face relax,
A sense into the throat,
A vast openness,
As if the breath were gliding through like a breeze.
Shifting the awareness to the lap of your awareness,
Travel down the upper arm.
Now each part of your body softens,
As it's touched by your awareness.
Coming to the chest,
Feel the belly rise and fall,
Like a soft tide.
Feeling into that gentle movement that happens as you breathe.
Completely effortless,
Feel the spaciousness within the body,
As it guides you deeper still.
It's so subtle,
Feel yourself floating,
Weightless,
A sinking and softening as you return home to yourself.
In the vast space of oneness,
Not repeating it,
But feeling it,
In the residue of the practice.
Just noticing how you feel,
Invite the smallest of movements into the fingertips,
Into the toes,
Perhaps welcoming a soft sigh out through the mouth.
This oneness,
Taking as much time as you need to gently come out of the practice.
Thank you for practicing with me today,
May the nourishments that you've received ripple gently into the rest of your day.
Move forward with softness,
Openness.
