Welcome to the practice of yoga nidra.
Go ahead and get yourself comfortable either laying down or sitting up.
Put yourself in any position that will be the most comfortable for you today.
Taking time to put on any kind of socks or sweaters or blankets that might make you even more comfortable.
Settling into this position,
Settling into this practice simply by noticing the breath.
And then being intentional about the breath.
So as you inhale,
Think of inhaling into your abdomen.
And exhale to let all the air go.
Very intentionally inhaling into the abdomen.
And exhaling to let it all go.
If it feels right,
Perhaps you inhale into the abdomen and then the chest.
And exhale to release the air.
Only if that feels right,
Adding the chest,
Inhaling into the abdomen and chest.
And exhaling to let it all go.
Continue,
Although if it feels too strenuous to breathe this way,
Go ahead and stop and just follow your natural inhales and exhales.
But if it feels okay,
Intentionally inhaling into the abdomen and perhaps the chest and exhaling to let it all go.
Allow those intentional breaths to release.
Observing the natural breath as it is after doing a practice like that.
And welcoming yourself into this practice of yoga nidra,
A practice of deep rest.
Where there's no work involved,
There's no need to put forward any kind of effort,
No need to try throughout this practice.
Simply be and allow things to naturally unfold on their own.
Don't try.
Be effortless.
Be aware of your body where it is right now.
Notice the space you take up and the parts of the body that are connecting to the surface beneath.
Perhaps choosing to soften the body into those surfaces,
Knowing you don't have to hold yourself up,
Allowing the surfaces beneath to do the holding.
Be aware of sounds happening around you.
Be aware of sounds happening around you in the space you're in.
Allowing your awareness to move from sound to sound to sound.
You might notice as your awareness comes to a different sound that there's a softening that occurs through the body.
Be aware of sounds happening on the right side of the body.
Be aware of sounds happening all around the body.
Letting go of the sounds,
The awareness comes back to the natural breath.
Be aware of air coming in and air going out.
You might observe how the body shifts and changes on its own for each inhale and exhale.
Or perhaps you observe the temperature of the air on the nose as you breathe in and breathe out.
Each breath perfect.
Each breath unique.
Observing the breath coming in and out on its own.
Effortless.
Remember,
This is a practice of rest.
Deep rest where you don't have to try or work.
No effort needed at all.
Just know that everything will unfold naturally.
Setting the awareness of the breath off to the side.
Preparing now to rotate awareness through the body.
I'll say a part of the body.
Then you just allow your effortless awareness to move there without trying.
No need to push.
Just be aware of that part of the body.
Starting with the space between the eyebrows.
Be aware of the space between the eyebrows.
Perhaps you visualize it or imagine it or feel it.
That space between the eyebrows.
And then this awareness moves to the center of the throat.
And over to the right shoulder.
Elbow.
Wrist.
Palm of the right hand.
And all five fingers.
The right palm.
Wrist.
Elbow.
Shoulder.
Throat center.
Left shoulder.
Elbow.
Wrist.
Palm.
All five fingers of the left hand.
Left palm.
Wrist.
Elbow.
Shoulder.
Throat center.
Chest center.
Right chest.
Chest center.
Left chest.
Chest center.
Upper abdomen.
Navel.
Lower abdomen.
Right hip.
Knee.
Ankle.
Sole of the right foot.
Toes of the right foot.
Sole of the foot.
Ankle.
Knee.
Hip.
Left hip.
Knee.
Ankle.
Sole of the left foot.
Toes of the left foot.
Sole.
Ankle.
Knee.
Hip.
Lower abdomen.
Navel.
Upper abdomen.
Chest center.
Keeping the awareness here at the center of the chest and perhaps moving it to the heart.
Awareness at the center of the heart.
Settling into the space at the heart.
Notice the natural breath.
The effortless air coming in and going out.
And it's as if the breath originates here at the space of the heart.
Continue to hold the awareness at the natural breath originating at the heart by counting it down.
Counting down from 18.
So you'll take your inhale and count 18.
There will be an exhale 18.
And then an inhale 17.
And an exhale 17.
Continuing to count down the breath.
If you forget what number you're on,
Just start at 18 again.
If you get all the way down to zero,
Start at 18 again.
Continue.
Counting down the breath.
No matter the number,
Allowing the count to release.
Settled in the heart space.
Simply exist and observe this very moment.
Effortlessly noticing what's there,
Any sensations.
Not trying or doing anything.
Simply being.
And then there's a sense of gratitude.
Gratitude for this opportunity to rest deeply.
Gratitude for the fact that so many benefits and gifts were received from this rest without even trying to make them happen.
They happened on their own,
Naturally.
Whether or not there was an awareness of these gifts and benefits.
Gratitude for this rest.
This rest you deserve.
Acknowledging now that it is time to bring this practice of yoga nidra to a close.
But doing so gradually.
First,
Simply by noticing the breath.
And if it feels right.
Starting to lengthen the inhales and exhales,
Taking some deeper breaths,
But only if it feels right.
Be aware of the sounds happening in the space you're in.
Perhaps this time naming the sounds,
Using this as a gentle way to come closer to the surface.
There may be a sense of awakening as you hear the sounds.
Notice the body right here and right now.
Notice the surfaces the body is touching.
Be aware of the room you're in.
It may feel right to begin to wiggle your toes,
Fingers.
Or perhaps to bring the arms up overhead and stretch.
Or it may feel right to remain still.
Just listen in.
Do what's best for you right now.
And then when it is right for you,
When you are ready.
You can begin linking your eyes open.
And then the rest of this practice of yoga nidra is complete.
