Welcome to Yoga Nidra for the Sabbath of Imbal.
Begin in a comfortable position with your eyes closed.
Lying down in the resting pose of Savasana is recommended.
If you haven't already,
Consider what your resolve or sankalpa will be.
This is a goal or intention you wish to set for yourself.
Only you can decide what this will be.
I cannot choose it for you.
Remember,
This is your practice.
I am here to simply guide you.
Allow yourself to completely relax as I take you through this practice.
Relax but do not fall asleep.
Allow your awareness to be on your breath.
Know that you are in a safe environment and protected space.
Stay awake by listening to the sound of my voice.
If your mind starts wondering which is natural,
Just come back to the sound of my voice.
You might choose to inhale through the nose and allow the belly to expand and exhale through the mouth while relaxing the whole body.
Do this several times.
It's natural to flow in and out of conscious hearing during this practice.
Understand that whatever your experience is today,
That is the experience meant for you.
There is no wrong way to do this.
At this time,
You should set your resolve.
Make this a short,
Positive statement and state it three times mindfully.
We will now begin a body scan as we make a quick trip through the body.
When I mention a body part,
Simply bring your awareness there.
Don't force your focus and don't fall asleep.
Starting with the top of the head,
The forehead,
The right eye,
The left eye,
Both eyes together.
The nose,
The mouth,
The right cheek,
The left cheek,
Both cheeks together.
The right ear,
The left ear,
Both ears together.
The back of the head,
The neck,
The throat.
Bring your awareness to the right side of the body,
The right shoulder,
Upper arm,
Forearm,
And hand,
The whole right arm,
The right armpit,
And the 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.
Now bring your awareness to the left side of the body,
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 outside of the upper body and the arm,
The left side of the chest,
The left side of the belly,
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.
And now the whole body,
The whole body at once.
Don't fall asleep.
Now bring your awareness to your breath.
Observe the pattern of your breath,
But do not alter it,
Just be aware of it.
If you wish,
Visualize a glowing white light of protection surrounding you.
You are safe within this light,
No harm may come to you.
As you inhale,
You might choose to visualize building energy of the coming spring.
As you exhale,
You might choose to visualize releasing what no longer serves you.
Inhale welcoming spring,
And exhale releasing winter.
Bring your awareness to the rise and fall of the navel with each inhale and exhale.
Again,
Do not change the rhythm of your breath,
Just breathe naturally.
Now begin counting your breaths backwards in your mind from 10 to 1,
Like this,
10,
Navel rises,
10,
Navel falls,
9,
Navel rises,
9,
Navel falls.
Begin this now,
Bringing total awareness to your counting.
If you miscount,
Begin again at 10.
Now observe if any part of the body feels somewhat lighter than the rest,
Practicing detached awareness.
With this lightness,
Feel the body rising up.
Now observe if any part of the body feels somewhat heavier than the rest,
Again,
Practicing detached awareness.
With this heaviness,
Feel the body being supported by the earth.
If you are feeling drowsy or sleepy,
Say to yourself,
I am awake,
Don't fall asleep.
Now observe any part of the body where you might be feeling discomfort,
Simply be aware of it.
Now observe any part of the body where you might be feeling contentment,
And simply be aware of it.
I invite you to see,
Sense,
And feel a white light of protection surrounding you.
I invite you to see,
Sense,
And feel that you are taking a walk in nature.
Perhaps there is some snow on the ground.
Is the ground fully covered with snow,
Or is there just a light dusting?
As you observe the earth beneath your feet,
You notice a crocus reaching up through the snow.
What color is it?
What energy do you observe from the crocus?
Would you take a moment to listen to the quiet whispers of nature?
Nature slowly awakening from its slumber.
Winter is burning,
Seasons are turning,
New life is coming back to us.
Do you sense any form of rebirth in yourself at this time of year?
Think about any type of magical rebirth you would like to welcome into your life going forward.
Take a moment to recognize the splendor of nature,
The splendor of yourself.
I will now call out a number of different things.
Recognize them on the level of emotion,
Memory,
And imagination as it resonates with you.
Jump from image to image,
And do not linger on any image for long.
Don't force your focus.
The element of earth.
A crocus.
The element of air.
A pentacle.
The element of fire.
A cauldron.
The element of water.
A rosemary bush.
The light of a candle.
Bay leaves.
Snow.
The goddess Brigid.
The sound of my voice.
The body at rest.
Spirit.
The body at rest.
Now call to mind your resolve or sankalpa.
Repeat the same resolve you made at the beginning of this practice in the same words,
And do so mindfully.
Now repeat your resolve three times.
Continue to stay awake as this practice concludes.
Be aware of the sounds around you.
Be aware of the body.
Be aware of the breath.
At your own pace,
Invite subtle movements into the hands and feet,
The fingers and toes.
Perhaps you will choose to stretch slightly.
Do what feels natural and comfortable to you.
At your own pace,
Come into a sitting position.
This concludes the Yoga Nidra practice for now.
Namaste and Blessed Be.
