In yoga nidra,
The body sleeps but the mind remains awake and aware.
In this yoga nidra,
We'll be focusing on gratitude.
A gratitude practice is an important tool for our overall well-being.
It can help us appreciate what's truly important in our lives.
Through gratitude,
We can cultivate feelings of abundance and generosity.
And when we plant the seeds of gratitude into our minds during the deeply relaxed state of yoga nidra,
This is a way to really internalize and grow these positive feelings.
So,
In preparation for the practice,
Lie down on your back with your legs about a foot and a half apart and your arms away from the body,
Palms facing up.
Take a minute to make yourself completely comfortable so that you can be still throughout the rest of the practice.
Now that you're comfortable,
We're going to set our intention for the practice.
Start by thinking about the phase of life you're in right now.
If we approach this kind of self-inventory with honesty,
We can all find something we'd like to improve.
When you've found an aspect of your life you'd like to improve,
Mentally formulate a short positive statement of intent.
Some examples could be,
I eat healthy,
I get enough sleep,
Or I'm patient.
Mentally formulate your statement of intent three times now.
Now we're going to rotate the consciousness over the body and move deeper into meditation.
Whatever body part you hear me say,
Take your awareness to that part of the body.
Take your awareness to the right thumb,
Right second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Back of the right hand,
Center of the right palm,
Right wrist,
Right forearm,
Right elbow,
Right upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Right side of the torso,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Right knee,
Right calf,
Right ankle,
Right heel,
Sole of the right foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Now move your awareness to the thumb on the left hand,
Left second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Back of the left hand,
Center of the left palm,
Left wrist,
Left forearm,
Left elbow,
Left upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Left side of the torso,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Left knee,
Left calf,
Left ankle,
Left heel,
Sole of the left foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Now bring your awareness to your glutes,
Your lower back,
Both shoulder blades,
The entire spine.
Become aware of the back of the neck,
Back of the head,
Top of the head,
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Right eyeball,
Left eyeball,
Right ear,
Left ear,
The nose,
The upper lip,
The lower lip,
The chin,
The throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
The chest,
Upper abdomen,
Lower abdomen,
The navel.
Become aware of the entire right arm.
Become aware of the entire left arm.
Become aware of both arms simultaneously.
Become aware of the right leg.
Become aware of the left leg.
Become aware of both legs simultaneously.
Become aware of the entire body,
The entire body,
The entire body.
While we're aware of the entire body,
Take a minute to marvel at its intricate design.
Take the time to appreciate the complicated systems of the body,
Working behind the scenes so that you can go about the business of living your life.
Now we're going to focus on the breath.
Just observe the breath as air flows in and out of the nostrils.
We're going to be breathing gratitude.
With each breath,
We're going to focus on something we're grateful for in our lives.
It can be anything from the profound to the simple.
It works like this.
As you inhale,
Mentally say to yourself,
I am grateful for.
And as you exhale,
Mentally name the person,
Place or thing for which you're grateful.
I'll start and then we'll continue on our own.
Inhale I am grateful for.
Exhale my family.
Inhale I am grateful for.
Exhale my health.
Inhale I am grateful for.
Exhale planet earth.
Continue at your pace,
Filling each breath with gratitude until you again hear the sound of my voice.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Imagine that you're one of those birds up there in the trees.
Your little claws gripping a tree branch.
You can hear all the other birds around you singing and your entire being is filled with sonic vibration.
And then just as the sun breaks over the horizon,
You take to the wing the warm saffron light on your face.
The wind billowing beneath your wings lifting you high above the soft tree canopy.
Just enjoy soaring effortlessly in the sky.
On your flight,
You see tall pine trees,
Steely mountains,
A golden sun,
Fluffy clouds,
Butterflies,
A babbling brook,
Rocks,
Spongy moss,
A garden,
Soft green grass,
A lake of pure blue water.
Those eyes are near.
They're breathing heavy.
Now,
Focus your attention on the mind space between the eyebrows and try not to think of anything.
If thoughts come in,
Let them flutter away in the sky of your mind.
And if your mind is quiet,
Just enjoy the inner silence.
Focus your attention on the mind space between the eyebrows now.
Focus your attention on the mind space between the eyebrows now.
As we come to the end of this Yoga Nidra,
Recall the positive intention you set for yourself at the beginning of the practice.
Simply repeat your intention 3 times now.
Slowly bring your awareness back to the body.
You can start by moving your fingers and toes and gently rocking your head from side to side.
Bring your arms overhead and stretch from fingers to toes on both sides.
Bend your left leg and place your foot on the ground.
Roll onto your right side and just stay there a minute,
Noticing any changes in how you feel.
Slowly make your way back to a seated position and with your hands in front of your heart in a prayer position,
Thank yourself for taking the time to recognize all the blessings in your life.
Om Shanti.
Happy Trails.
Om Shanti.
