Welcome to this Yoga Nidra session.
In this practice I am inviting you to soften the muscles of your body,
Relax your brain and get you into a deep sleep.
Come to a comfortable laying down position,
Whatever that looks like for you.
And we'll get ready for the practice of Yoga Nidra,
A state of conscious sleep where the body rests deeply while the mind remains aware.
Bringing your body to stillness,
Let all conscious or unconscious movements cease and settle into the space around you.
We'll start by taking the biggest breath you've taken all day.
Breathe in through your nose,
Filling your belly,
Your lungs and your chest.
And when you reach the top,
Hold your breath.
While you hold,
See if you can soften your jaw,
Your shoulders,
Your hips,
Your belly.
Then release the breath.
Let's do that again one more time.
Breathe in naturally,
Filling up the belly,
Lungs,
Chest and hold.
As you reach the top,
Notice that energy at the back of your throat,
That urge to release your breath right away.
Can you allow it to soften,
To drop down into your body?
Maybe sip in a little more air and then release.
Now take a deep breath in and exhale it out with any noise you need to make.
Let your whole body land right here in this space.
Continue to listen to my voice.
My voice is your guide for the next 30 minutes.
If you haven't already done so,
Close your eyes down and then soften your eyelids.
Let your awareness travel from the crown of your head down to the tips of your toes.
Then reverse that journey,
Bringing your awareness from the tips of your toes all the way through the body,
Landing at the crown of your head.
Notice any sensations along the way,
But don't linger.
Simply observe and move on.
Become aware of your entire body lying still,
Heavy and grounded.
Although you have the ability to move,
You are choosing not to in this moment.
Embrace this choice.
Experience the stillness and the sensations that come with it.
Relax your mind.
Relax your body.
And bring your attention back to your breath.
Notice the natural rise and fall of your belly with each breath.
Do not change or alter your breath.
Simply observe it.
Watch it as it flows freely from your nose to your navel and back again.
With each inhale your body expands.
And with each exhale it becomes heavier and more relaxed.
We are now beginning the practice of yoga nidra.
A state of deep rests where the body relaxes while the mind remains awake and aware.
All you need to do is listen to the sound of my voice and follow its guidance.
Make any final adjustments that you need.
And then say to yourself,
I choose to remain awake and aware during the practice of yoga nidra.
Yoga nidra has now begun.
Become aware of the sounds within the four walls of your room.
Listen to the sounds around you.
Remain in stillness.
Your ears are like a microphone,
Picking up all the sounds within those four walls.
Move your mind from sound to sound,
Just listening to the sounds.
After you have heard one sound,
Moving on to the next until you have heard all the sounds in the room.
You do not have to identify the source of the sound.
Just acknowledge that you have heard a particular sound and then letting it go,
Moving on to the next sound.
Simply listening for any sounds at all.
Become aware of the closest sounds now.
The closest sound is not the sound you can hear in the room.
It is the sound of your breath,
Of your beating heart,
Or the blood flowing through your body.
Deepen your perception of sounds within your body.
Maybe bringing your attention to the sound of your own breath.
Become aware of the sound of your breathing by focusing on the natural rhythm of your breath.
Feel the body rise on the inhale and notice the body soften as you exhale.
Notice the expansion on the inhale and the relaxation on the exhale.
With each inhale the body expands more and more.
And with each exhalation the body becomes heavier.
It is now time to set your sankalpa or heartfelt intention.
This is a positive statement that reflects something you wish to manifest in your life.
Phrased in the present tense as though it is already true.
Using phrases like I am,
I have or I create.
Take a moment to connect deeply with the rhythm of your breath and the calmness within your heart.
And allow an intention to arise naturally.
Something that feels meaningful and aligned with where you are right now.
If intention doesn't come to mind,
You're welcome to use mine.
Which is,
I move through life with ease and clarity.
I move through life with ease and clarity.
Once you have found your sankalpa,
Silently repeat it to yourself three times with full awareness and belay.
I will now guide your awareness through different parts of the body.
Beginning with the right side.
As each body part is named,
Allow your attention to rest there briefly before flowing gently to the next.
There's no need to linger or analyse.
Simply observe and let your awareness move with ease.
Like a soft wave travelling through your body.
Your awareness lands on your right hand thumb.
First finger.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Palm.
Back of the right hand.
The wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Right side body.
Waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Calf muscle.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the right foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
The whole right side.
The whole right side.
Awareness of the whole right side of the body.
Now bring your attention to the left side.
Landing on the left hand thumb.
First finger.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Palm.
Back of the hand.
The wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Left side body.
Waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Calf muscle.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the left foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
The whole left side.
The whole left side.
Awareness of the whole left side of the body.
Continue listening to the sound of my voice.
And let your awareness travel now to the back of the body.
Landing on the right glute.
The left glute.
The right lower back.
Left lower back.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
The whole right back.
The whole left back.
Spine.
The back of the neck.
Back of the head.
Top of the head.
The whole back body.
The whole back body.
Awareness of the whole back body.
Your awareness travels now to the crown of your head.
Your forehead.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Tip of the nose.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Chin.
Throat.
Right chest.
Left chest.
Right abdomen.
Left abdomen.
The navel.
The whole torso.
The whole torso.
Awareness of the whole front of the body.
Visualise the whole body now from the top of the head to the tip of the toes.
Complete awareness of the whole body.
Relax your whole body.
Whole body is relaxed.
Bring your attention to your breath.
Notice the gentle flow of air as it moves in and out through your nostrils.
Visualise two distinct streams,
One for each nostril,
Effortlessly flowing.
Simply observe your breath,
Allowing it to rise and fall naturally.
Stay completely relaxed as you watch your breath without trying to change or control it.
Now begin to visualise a mental alternate nostril breath or Nadi Shodhana.
Imagine the inhale rising through the left nostril and the exhale flowing out through the right.
Then inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left.
Continue this effortless rhythm,
Visualising the gentle flow moving side to side.
Once this feels natural,
You might like to add a backward count,
Starting from 27.
Inhale through the left,
27.
Exhale through the right,
27.
Inhale right,
26.
Exhale left,
26.
Inhale left,
25.
Exhale right,
25.
Continue with this backwards count,
Finding your own rhythm,
Your own pace.
If your mind wanders or you lose track,
Gently return to 27.
There is no need to reach the number zero.
That is not the goal.
Continue following the rhythm of your breath and the gentle backward count,
Allowing your awareness to flow with ease.
Then,
Letting go of this count of breath,
I now ask you to create the following sensations and feelings within the body.
Feelings you have felt previously.
Begin to notice a cool sensation spreading through your body,
Starting with a gentle chill that gradually intensifies.
Feel the cold settle into every part of your body,
Your arms,
Legs,
Back,
Chest and even your head.
Each breath magnifies this coolness as if you're standing in a snow-covered landscape.
Let the sensation grow until your whole body feels completely immersed in cold.
Whole body is cold.
Shift your attention now to creating warmth within your body.
Begin to sense a gentle heat radiating from deep within,
Spreading through your arms,
Your legs,
Back,
Chest and head.
The heat settles into every part of your body as though you are lying on a sun-soaked beach.
With every inhale,
The warmth intensifies,
Filling you with a deep sense of comfort and ease.
Whole body is hot.
Now begin to develop a deep sense of heaviness in your body.
With each breath,
Feel your body growing heavier as though it is melting gently into the surface beneath you.
Notice your right leg become heavy,
As if it is being softly pulled downward by gravity.
Then feel that same heaviness spreading to your left leg.
Right arm,
Your left arm,
Anchoring you further.
Your entire body is now heavy and grounded,
Fully supported.
Allow yourself to relax into this heaviness,
Feeling deeply connected and secure,
As though you're becoming one with the surface beneath you.
Whole body is heavy.
And begin to develop a feeling of lightness throughout your body.
Imagine your body becoming lighter and lighter,
As though all tension is lifting away.
Allow the sensation to deepen with every inhale.
Your body feels lighter and lighter,
As if you could just lift off the surface beneath you.
Your entire body is now weightless,
Unbound and free.
Whole body is light.
Now we will move through some visual symbols.
See these visions in your mind's eye,
Or the space directly in front of your forehead.
I will repeat each one three times.
A glistening seashell.
A glistening seashell.
A glistening seashell.
Shimmering school of fish.
Shimmering school of fish.
Shimmering school of fish.
Moonlit water.
Moonlit water.
Moonlit water.
A tall guiding lighthouse.
A tall guiding lighthouse.
A tall guiding lighthouse.
Vibrant coral reef.
Vibrant coral reef.
Vibrant coral reef.
Deep blue sea.
Deep blue sea.
Deep blue sea.
A drifting sailboat.
A drifting sailboat.
A drifting sailboat.
Endless sandy beach.
Endless sandy beach.
Endless sandy beach.
Golden ocean sunset.
Golden ocean sunset.
Golden ocean sunset.
Now imagine yourself lying on a soft sandy beach.
The sun is warm on your skin,
And you can hear the gentle rhythm of the waves rolling onto the shore.
You rest here for a moment,
Feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin.
And the cool breeze carrying the scent of salt water as you prepare to explore the ocean's depth and beauty.
Now picture your subtle body beginning to rise gently from the sand.
You can see your physical body below,
Safe and peaceful,
Resting on the beach.
As you float upward,
The endless blue of the ocean comes into view.
The water sparkles in the sunlight,
And the horizon stretches as far as you can see.
Far in the distance,
You see a small island surrounded by vibrant coral reefs.
You feel drawn to it.
As you approach,
You see that the island is alive with colour.
Lush and green,
With tall palm trees swaying in the breeze.
At its centre rises a magnificent rocky peak.
The peak stands strong and steady,
Like a quiet guardian of the island.
You land gently on the beach,
Your feet sinking into the warm sand.
And ahead,
A narrow path appears,
Winding between soft grasses and smooth stones.
You begin to follow the path,
Feeling the sand and earth beneath you.
And with each step,
You feel more at ease,
More connected to the calm energy around you.
As you walk,
The path starts to ascend gently,
Winding upward toward the rocky peak at the island's centre.
You climb steadily,
The sound of the waves below fading into the distance.
And ahead,
You see the entrance to a hidden cave.
The opening is dark,
But you feel no fear,
Only curiosity and calm.
You pause here for just a moment before stepping inside.
The air is cool and refreshing.
And you walk deeper into the cave,
Where the walls shimmer with a faint blue light,
As if reflecting the essence of the ocean.
You walk deeper into the space,
Feeling peaceful and grounded.
At the centre of the cave,
You discover a pool of still,
Clear water.
The surface reflects the glowing light,
And as you gaze into it,
A vision begins to take shape.
This vision is something deeply personal.
A symbol,
Image,
Or even a person that represents peace,
Strength,
Or clarity for you.
It might be a familiar place,
A meaningful object,
Or even something from nature,
Like the ocean itself.
Take a moment to connect with this image.
It carries wisdom or insight just for you.
You may ask it a question,
Or simply sit with its presence.
Listen to any message it may offer,
And let its meaning settle in your heart.
When you feel ready,
Rise from the pool.
Walk slowly back through the glowing cave,
Retracing your steps.
Step back onto the path,
Feeling the earth beneath your feet.
As you walk back down the rocky peak,
Notice the sound of the waves growing louder and louder.
Welcoming you back.
Arriving at the shore,
You feel the warmth of the sun on your skin once again.
Gently,
Your body lifts into the air,
Floating above the ocean,
Light and free.
Far in the distance,
You see the beach where your practice began.
You descend softly,
Returning to your body,
Resting safely on the sand.
Feel the gentle rhythm of your breath as you bring your awareness back to the present moment,
Grounded and calm.
To close this practice,
Repeat your sankalpa three times silently to yourself.
Saying these words with absolute certainty,
They will be fulfilled.
And then slowly bringing your awareness back to the room around you now.
Come back to your breath.
You might like to invite movement back to the body,
Wiggling the fingers and the toes.
Take a moment to experience the effects of this practice.
To really feel the sensations.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
