Welcome to your Yoga Ninja practice,
A slumber party for your nervous system.
Today we'll aim to engage in conscious relaxation.
By bringing neutral awareness to sensations in the body,
To our emotions,
Mental chatter,
Or any physical ailments,
All with the aim of having a bit more of a grounded response in the outside world.
Inviting response versus reaction,
By connecting a little bit deeper to our internal practice of yoga.
We'll focus today on the season of spring.
A time for reawakening,
Growth,
And expansion.
If you fall asleep,
That's great.
You probably need the rest.
We'll begin by fine-tuning your comfort.
Making any shifts or adjustments to the position of your body.
Pillows,
Blankets,
Or clothing,
So that you're completely comfortable.
And starting to allow your sensations to open.
Without judgment or ascribing meaning,
Sensing all of the sounds you may hear.
Watching the radius of your hearing expand and contract.
Noticing any sensations around your eyes.
Feeling the weight of closed eyelids.
Relieving any straining or gathering of information the eyes may have conducted for you today.
Bringing attention to the nostrils.
Feeling your breath flow in and out.
Noticing any sensations around the lips.
Perhaps gently licking your lips or running your tongue over your teeth to invite more attention to the mouth.
Sensing your skin,
The texture of clothing,
Or props.
Sensing the space around your body.
All of the space above you.
All of the space behind you.
All of the space ahead.
Sensing the space below you.
All of the space around you.
The layers of earth,
Concrete,
Soil,
Coal,
Sandstone,
Limestone.
All of the layers of earth that make their way towards the regenerative center of lava.
Noticing how the layers of earth support you.
Sensing your connection to the ground and the reciprocal nature of the ground's connection to you.
Begin to invite the sensation of safety into your body.
Either from memory or imagination,
Visualize a time when you felt completely at home in your body.
Perhaps in the comfort of a loved one's arms.
A moment in nature.
Maybe the warmth of a fire or in laughter with friends.
Imagine a physical environment where you felt totally safe.
Creating a vivid image in your mind.
And now,
Allow this cognitive awareness of safety to expand into an embodied state.
Remembering what it feels like to be completely safe in your skin.
And from this place of safety,
You might cast a wish,
An intention or sankalpa,
Something you would like to see come true.
And letting your wish rest in the fertile ground of sleep.
Trusting that the earth is working in your favor to bring you into alignment,
Joy and peace.
Bringing all of your attention to your eyes.
Sensing your eyebrows.
All of your lashes.
Giving your eyes a break from external stimulation.
From any responsibility.
Allowing them to rest in the healing waters of darkness.
Noticing any sensations behind the eyes.
Bringing attention to the ears.
The earlobes and cartilage.
Sound waves flowing in and out.
Attention to the nose.
Sensing your breath.
Bringing all of your focus to the inside of your mouth.
Sensing your cheeks.
All of your teeth.
The jaw.
Mouth.
Full of sensation.
Attention to your throat.
Right shoulder.
Right elbow.
Right wrist.
Palm of the right hand.
All of your right fingers.
Any sensation around the right arm.
Attention to the right palm.
Wrist.
Right shoulder.
Center of your chest.
All of your attention to the center of your chest.
Left shoulder.
Left elbow.
Left wrist.
Center of the left palm.
All of your left fingers.
Sensation around the left arm.
All of your attention to the left palm.
Left wrist.
Left shoulder.
Center of your chest.
Attention to your upper back.
Mid-back.
Lower back.
The right hip.
Right knee.
Right ankle.
Sensing the right foot.
Your heel.
Arm.
Ball of the foot.
All of your toes.
Notice any sensation around the right leg.
Bottom of the right foot.
Ankle.
Sensing the pelvis.
Left knee.
Left ankle.
Attention to the left foot.
The heel.
All of your left toes.
Any sensation around the left leg.
Bottom of the left foot.
Left ankle.
Knee.
The pelvis.
Attention to the tailbone.
The lumbar spine.
The middle thoracic spine.
The upper cervical spine.
Sensing the skull.
All of your attention to the skull.
Cervical spine.
Thoracic spine.
Lumbar spine.
The tailbone.
Notice the currents of intelligence streaming from head to tail.
Your own personal cranial sacral connection.
The vagus nerve deeply relaxed.
Allow your attention to rest on the heart space.
Noticing any sensations around the heart.
Feeling the rise and fall of breath in the chest.
Using the breath to tether to your heart space.
Feeling connected to your house of compassion.
Inhale compassion for self.
Exhale compassion for others.
Noticing any instances of apathy in the body.
Any places of stuck emotion or indifference.
And using the breath to wrap the emotion in compassion.
In the springtime,
In traditional Chinese medicine,
The element is wood.
And the organ is associated with the liver.
Allow your attention to drift towards the right side of the abdomen.
Noticing any sensation in or around the liver.
Allow your breath to expand into the right side of your belly.
Noticing any sensation or emotion that might be stuck in the liver.
Sending calm breath and open awareness to help the liver more easily process information.
Set healthy boundaries and create emotional balance.
On the inhale breath,
I know my healthy boundaries.
On the exhale breath,
I easily communicate to others.
Wrapping any stuck emotions of anger or resentment with calm presence.
Using the breath to bring emotional balance and smooth flow of chi or energy to your organs.
Sensing the body in balance.
The whole body breathing.
The whole body calm.
Watering the seed of your intention.
Visualizing you connected to your highest self.
Seeing yourself full of joy.
Feeling wrapped in peace.
Remembering what it feels like to be full of love.
Imagining your intentions coming true.
Allowing your dreams to carry out your intention.
Drifting into peace.
