Welcome to the practice of yoga nidra.
Please make yourself comfortable.
You can place a blanket or pillow underneath your head and neck,
Possibly also a cushion or bolster underneath your knees.
This practice is body sensing.
It can be done simply to relax,
To restore,
To rejuvenate.
It can also be done as a way for you to fall asleep in the evening.
So if you use it to fall asleep in the evening,
Make sure you do this on your bed.
Bring your awareness to your body.
Sense the back of your body on whatever surface beneath you.
What part of your body is touching the floor?
And then become aware of the front of your body.
Bring your attention to your arms and your hands and your legs and your feet,
Your torso front and back,
And your head,
The back of your head,
The crown of your head,
Your face,
Just sensing your whole body.
Bring your attention to your ears.
Allow your ears to open up to sounds.
Listen for the more obvious sounds and then the more subtle sounds.
And now go through the hallways of the ears to the inner ears.
Bring your attention inside of your mouth.
Sense your inner cheeks,
Your upper palate.
Sense your lower palate,
Your tongue,
Gums,
Teeth,
Right jaw,
Left jaw.
And bring your attention to your forehead,
The skin around your temples,
Your eyelids,
Your eyeballs.
Even sense the space behind your eyeballs.
Bring your attention to your eyebrow center,
The space between your eyebrows.
And now allow your eyelids to release down towards your cheekbones,
Sensing the very delicate skin right below your eyes.
Sense your cheekbones,
Your nose,
Your nostrils,
And the air flowing in and out through your nose,
Sensing the gentle touch of the air in your nostrils,
Sensing the in-breath and the out-breath.
And bring your attention to your throat,
The back of your neck.
Become aware of your right arm from your right shoulder and all the way down to the palm of your right hand.
Sensing the palm of your right hand.
Perhaps you feel a sense of thickness,
Warmth,
Feeling the energy,
The aliveness in the palm of your right hand.
Bring your attention to all five fingers,
Thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger.
Sensing your whole hand,
Arm,
And shoulder at the same time.
And bring your attention to your left shoulder,
Left arm,
Left hand,
Palm of your left hand.
Notice any sensations in the palm of your left hand.
Your left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger.
Sensing your whole hand,
Arm,
And shoulder at the same time.
See if you can sense both shoulders,
Both arms and hands simultaneously.
Now bring your attention to your right hip,
Right buttock,
The whole right side of your pelvis,
Your right upper leg,
Thigh,
Hamstrings,
Knee,
And lower leg.
Sensing your right foot,
Sole of your right foot,
All five toes.
Sensing your whole right leg,
Foot,
And hip at the same time.
Bring your attention to your left hip,
Buttock,
Left upper leg,
Thigh,
Hamstrings,
Knee,
And lower leg.
And stretch your attention all the way down to the sole of your left foot,
All five toes.
Sensing your whole left leg and foot and hip simultaneously.
Now see if you can sense your entire pelvis,
Legs,
And feet at the same time.
Now bring your attention to your torso,
The back of your torso,
Your lower back,
Your mid back,
Your upper back,
Your back ribs,
Shoulder blades.
Bring your attention to the front of your torso,
Your abdomen,
Your front ribs,
Your side ribs,
The center of your chest,
Your whole chest.
Maybe you can sense the movement that the breath creates,
The rising and falling of your abdomen.
Sensing the back of your torso and the front of your torso,
The sides of your torso,
And even the space inside your torso.
Sensing your whole body at the same time,
Your whole head and face,
Neck,
Arms and hands,
Torso,
Pelvis,
Legs,
And feet.
All at the same time.
Sensing your whole body at the same time.
As you're breathing in,
Imagine that it's your whole body breathing in.
And as you're exhaling,
It's your whole body breathing out.
Your whole body breathing in and your whole body breathing out.
And imagine for a moment as you're breathing in,
You're able to breathe in to the space around you as if there are no physical borders and you could expand infinitely,
Wide open like space.
And that as you're exhaling,
There's a deep relaxation,
A deep letting go.
Feeling deeply relaxed,
At ease.
Your whole body breathing in and your whole body breathing out.
Feeling wide open as if in space.
Spacious,
Expansive,
Open,
Deeply relaxed.
At the same time,
Noticing how you're supported by the floor,
Whatever surface beneath you.
Allow your mind's eye to rest in the center of your chest.
Imagine that in your center,
There's a seat.
And you consciously take a seat,
Finding your own inner seat.
A place of stillness.
A place where you can go.
A place where you can connect.
A place where you feel a sense of wellness,
Stillness,
Peace.
A deep sense of connectedness,
Not only to yourself,
But to the world around you.
I bring your attention back to your breath.
Now you can either choose to stay here a bit longer,
Or if you're ready to bring yourself back,
Allow your breathing to deepen.
Allow your ears to open up to sounds.
Wiggle your toes and your fingers and place your hands on your abdomen or chest,
Whatever feels connecting and centering.
Take your time to bring yourself back.
There's no rush.
When you are ready,
You can bend your knees and roll over onto one side.
Continue to allow your breathing to deepen so that you can just gradually,
Slowly bring your attention back to the outside.
And when you're ready,
Just slowly sit back up.
You might want to rub your hands together a few times and bring the palms of your hands to your face or to your eyes and allow your face or eyes just to rest in the palms of your hands for a moment.
Thank you for joining me for this yoga nidra.
Namaste.
