Yoga Nidra

In this practice, you will experience relaxation and peace through noticing breath and moving through a calming golden light body scan. You will create your sankulpa or intention. You will take a journey through nature and a secret garden.

Transcript

Hello, I'm going to guide you today through yoga nidra. So make sure you're comfortable. It helps if you're lying down on your back, Whatever feels comfortable in a position. You don't want to be in a position that's hurting and have to move throughout the practice. So do what you need to do to get comfortable. You could put a pillow under your knees or lay on your side, Whatever feels best for you. And just allow yourself to listen to my voice, To everything I say. And it's perfectly okay if you drift off sometimes. Just so know that my voice can be that safe sound in the background. Towards the end of this nidra, The invitation to visualize or feel an imaginary place in nature in summertime, And I'll guide you through a walk in nature. But if any other images or sensations come up, Feel free to ignore my suggestions and create your own. So just feel yourself lying down, Settling in, Feeling the connection to the bed or wherever you are. Feeling the earth is holding you up. Bring your awareness to your breath. If you like, Inhale through your nose and allow the belly to expand and exhale through the mouth in a sigh, Relaxing the whole body. And again, Inhale through the nose, Allowing space and exhale through the mouth with a sigh. Do this two more times at your own pace. Inhaling in, Exhaling where it feels comfortable. One more time. I invite you to listen to the sounds around you. Become aware of the distant sounds around the room, Outside of the room, Outside of the building you're in. Let your sense of hearing expand. Move your attention from sound to sound. As you hear the sounds, Resist the urge to identify what they are or where they're coming from. Just listen. Now gradually bring your attention to sounds near or in the building, Inside the room. And coming back to yourself, Imagine you're in a place that feels peaceful and nourishing. This could be someplace you know, A place you've been, Or an imaginary place. Could be a place in nature or an inside place. This is your inner sanctuary. Feel yourself here and begin to see all the surroundings. Notice the colors, The light, What objects are there, If there's any plants, Animals, Or any other living things. See yourself here in this peaceful place. But I want you to feel the energy here. Really feel the peace, The calm, And contentment. And just know any time during this practice, You can guide yourself back here if anything feels too intense or uncomfortable in any way. Come back to your inner sanctuary. It is always here, Always a part of who you are. And you can always come back when you need to as part of this practice. Begin to feel your breath, Your natural breath, Aware of the breath in your belly. Notice the easy rise and fall. Feeling your heart rate, Your heartbeat. Being present with what is there in your body. If you asked your heart for what it needed, What would it say? What is your heart's deepest longing? Allow that to come up for you right now. In a feeling or an image or a sensation. Let the answer come from your heart. Your heart may speak in words, Sometimes not. From this, Create your sankalpa or an intention. Make it simple, Clear, And straight to the point. It's best to keep it simple, Keep it simple. Now state your intention to yourself clearly with feeling and awareness. Repeat it to yourself three times. And we begin the body scan. When I mention a body part, Bring your awareness there. And if you like, Imagine filling each part of that body with a golden, Warm, Nourishing light. Starting at the top of the head. The forehead. The right eye. The left eye. Both eyes together. The right ear. The left ear. Both ears together. The back of the head. The neck. The throat. And now focusing on the right side of the body. Feel the golden light gently touching your right shoulder, Upper arm, Forearm, Hand, The whole right arm, The right armpit, Outside of the ribs, And the waist. And the space between the outside of the upper body and the arm. The right side of the chest. The right side of the belly. The right hip. Thigh. Lower leg. And foot. The whole right leg. The right side of the pelvis. Lower back. Upper back. The whole right side of the body. And notice, Is there a difference between the sensations in the right and the left side of the body? Now bring your awareness to the left side of the body. A golden light gently touching the left shoulder, Upper arm, Forearm, And hand. The whole left arm. The left armpit. The outside of the ribs and waist. And the space between the side of the body and the arm. The left side of the chest. The heart. The left side of the body. The left hip. Thigh. Lower leg and foot. The whole left leg. The left side of the pelvis. Lower back and upper back. The whole left side of the body. The whole body. The whole body. The whole body. Glowing with the light. Now let your awareness rest at the soles of your feet for a moment. And just observe how that feels. If there's no sensation at all, That's also an observation. If you want, When you breathe in, Imagine drawing energy up through the soles of the feet, Along your legs, Hips, Upper body, All the way to your shoulders. As you exhale, Energy moves in the opposite direction, From the shoulders all the way down and out through the soles of the feet. Inhale from the soles of the feet to your shoulders. And exhale from the shoulders to the soles of your feet at your own pace. Try it again. Inhale from the soles of your feet to your shoulders. Exhale from the shoulders to the soles of the feet. Like a soft wave that gives you energy and washes anything you don't need away. And letting go of your awareness of your breath. Let's explore any of the part of the body that feels a little warmer than the rest. If you can't find this, Choose to focus on a part of the body like the heart and imagining a warmth there. Now feel any part of the body that feels a little cooler than the rest. If you can't find this, Choose to focus on the sensation on your upper lip and nose. Maybe the air is slightly cooler as you inhale. Now bring your attention back to where it feels warm. And then back to where it feels cool. And then back to where it feels warm. Imagine the warmth is expanding in the body. And when the warmth reaches in the area that feels cooler, Then these two merge. The warmth meets the cool. Perfect temperature. Perfect balance. And let go. The invitation is to see or feel that you visit an imaginary place in nature, A place you feel calm and centered. Imagine you're walking through a beautiful meadow in the summer. What do you see? What flowers? Colors are they? Notice what other scents are in the air. Notice any plants. So you decide to explore this magical place. And you can continue walking along the meadow or take a shortcut through a small forest. If you choose the forest, What do the trees look like? Notice the sun shining through the treetops. Seeing the blue sky. Feeling the peace within as you notice the comfort of being in this space, This place. You hear the sound of birds. And you hear the sound of water. You move in that direction. You look down at the path beneath you. What does it look like? How does it feel? Does it feel soft or harder, Like it hasn't rained? Or something else? You come upon the water. You notice the water. Maybe it's a small stream, A lake, Or something larger, Like the ocean. You have a seat and enjoy the peace of this space, Feeling a soft breeze against your skin. Here you can sit for a while if you want. Or maybe you decide to go into the water and feel it on your skin, Feeling the temperature of the water. Now visualize sitting next to the water again, Feeling refreshed, Feeling the sun warming your skin. And you get up and continue walking until you reach a secret garden. You notice a small gate that is almost hidden as it's overgrown. You gently open it and notice the creaking sound and step in. It's so peaceful there. Among the weeds there are beautiful flowers. What else do you see? You notice a swing and a bench. You choose one of them and sit down, Feeling so calm and relaxed and free. You feel the breeze again on your skin. It's time to leave this place, But know you can come back here anytime you need it. And initiating our slow and gentle return, Listen to the sounds around you, Feeling your body, Feeling your breath. Gently begin to move your hands, Your fingers, And your feet. Maybe you want to stretch your arms up over your head and down to your side. Move your body in a way that feels good for you. You could also bring your knees to your chest, Gently rocking from side to side. And taking your time, Pushing yourself up to seated. The practice of Yoga Nidra is now over. Notice the feeling within.