This will be a short yoga nidra practice.
Yoga nidra is a systematic guided meditation that roughly translates into yogic sleep.
This is because the practice brings us into a hypnagogic state where we're between sleep and wake.
And it's in this state that we can have powerful impacts within the practice.
As we tap into the subconscious,
We can begin to heal old wounds.
We can begin to let go of old patterns that no longer serve us.
In addition to feeling energized and or rested.
This is really the power of the yoga nidra practice is that it serves you in your needs in the moment.
So notice for yourself how you feel after the practice without a right or a wrong way to feel.
Traditionally there are many steps within a yoga nidra practice.
We're just going to be working with the rotation of consciousness and the breath.
Come to find a comfortable posture for this practice.
Traditionally yoga nidra is done lying down in shavasana.
If you prefer you can certainly do this on a sofa or a bed.
The body temperature often lowers.
So if you do tend to get cold I do suggest covering yourself with a blanket.
And give yourself permission to make yourself just even a little bit more comfortable.
Really give yourself the time and space to set yourself up in a way that will serve you in your practice today.
And when you settle in I invite you to close the eyes.
In yoga nidra we close the eyes to shut off the external sensory information that comes through the eyes.
So if it's not comfortable to close the eyes you can certainly find a soft gaze and a point of focus.
And to prepare the body and the mind we're going to bring the focus inward.
So begin to notice any sounds that you hear outside of the room.
Almost like a butterfly going from flower to flower just noticing and naming.
Then bring your awareness into the sounds inside of the room in which you're in.
Again noticing and naming.
If judgments or stories start arising around the sounds notice that.
And then shift your awareness to a new sound.
And now shifting your awareness to any sounds that you hear around your body or coming from your body.
Bringing the focus now inward.
It's taking a moment to notice your inner landscape with our awareness within.
Imagine that a warm healing oil begins to tap down at the center of the forehead.
Move this warm healing oil over the top and back and sides of the head.
And spread this warm healing oil across the forehead and the temples.
Softening the muscles of the forehead.
And spread it over the eyes,
Softening the eyes.
Spread it across the nose,
Top lip and the bottom lip.
Allow it to massage across the cheeks.
And delicately wrap around the ears.
Allow it to massage the jaw from the ears all the way down to the chin.
As you inhale notice the warmth on your face and head.
And as you exhale invite a softening in all of the facial muscles.
And spread this warm healing oil over the chin and spread it across the neck.
And as you exhale inviting a softening in the muscles of the neck.
Imagine that this warm healing oil begins to tap down in the center of both palms of the hands.
And spread it across the palms.
And delicately wrap it around the thumbs.
And second fingers.
Third fingers.
Fourth fingers.
And fifth fingers.
Allow it to spread across the backs of the hands.
And delicately wrap it around the wrists.
Allow this warm healing oil to massage the forearms.
And delicately wrap it around the elbow joints.
Allow it to massage the upper arms.
And then spread it across the shoulders.
Wrap this warm healing oil around the armpits.
And down the sides of the body.
Allow it to wrap around the hips inviting a sense of grounding.
Allow it to massage the tops of the thighs.
Spread it across the tops of the knees.
Shins.
Tops of the ankles.
Tops of the feet.
And delicately wrap it around the big toes.
And second toes.
Third toes.
Fourth toes.
And fifth toes.
Massage it down the soles of both feet.
And spread it over the heels.
And the backs and sides of the ankles.
Allow this warm healing oil to massage the calf muscles.
And then exhale,
Softening the muscles of the calves.
And spread it across the backs of the knees.
And the backs of the thighs.
Spread it across the buttocks.
Allow it to massage the lower back,
Middle back,
And upper back.
As you inhale,
Feel the warmth in your back body.
And as you exhale,
Invite a softening in the muscles of the back body.
Spread this warm healing oil up over the tops of the shoulders.
On your next exhale,
Allowing this warm healing oil to soften and release the muscles of the shoulders.
And spread it across the chest and the abdomen.
Notice the whole body is being bathed in this warm healing oil.
As you inhale,
Notice the heat.
As you exhale,
Invite a softening in the body and the mind.
Inhale heat.
Exhale softening.
And now keeping your awareness on your breath,
Notice any particular rise and fall in the abdomen as you inhale and exhale.
We're going to count down from 11.
So one breath is one inhale and one exhale.
So it'll sound like this.
11,
Inhale.
11,
Exhale.
10,
Inhale.
10,
Exhale.
If you lose your place or reach 1,
Simply start over from 11.
And allow the counting to be done silently,
Keeping your focus inward.
We'll start you off with the first breath,
And then you'll continue at your own pace,
Taking a natural breath in and out.
Whenever you're ready,
11,
Inhale.
11,
Exhale.
And continue at your own pace.
And wherever you are in the count,
Allow yourself to let it go.
And just take a notice of how it is that you feel in this moment.
Is that a right or a wrong way to feel?
Just begin to notice.
And you can certainly stay lying down if that's what your body is asking for.
If you wish to get up and move on with your day,
Begin to deepen the breath.
Rub the thumb over the fingertips.
Allow the head to rock side to side.
And when you feel ready,
Allow yourself to roll to one side and press yourself up to a seated posture,
Keeping the eyes closed if they're closed and allowing the head to be the last thing to rise.
And if the eyes are closed,
Softly fluttering the eyes open,
Integrating your inner and your outer world as one.
And I thank you so much for practicing with me today.
May you move easily through the rest of your day.
