Yoga nidra is typically done lying down.
I'm going to give you a moment or so to just go ahead and begin to prepare your space,
Prepare your body for a very comfortable lying down position.
Having the head supported.
Having something perhaps underneath of your knees.
You could also even put something over the eyes if you have an eye bag,
Great.
If you don't,
You can even put a shirt or a blanket over your eyes.
And then whenever you feel ready,
Go ahead and begin to close the eyes.
And as you're settling in with the eyes closed,
Take up as much as space as feels comfortable for you.
Traditionally,
Yoga nidra is done in shavasana,
So the palms are faced upward.
But of course,
If you feel more comfortable and safe and settled with the palms down.
Then please flip them in that direction.
We're going to do a little bit of tensing of the body and then releasing on our exhale.
The next time you inhale,
Make fist with your hand,
Hold the breath,
Squeeze from the hands all the way up to the shoulders.
Tighten,
Tighten,
Tighten,
Exhale and then let go.
Take a couple of breaths in between.
Do that two more times with different parts of the body.
We're going to do the lower half now,
As you inhale,
Squeeze the feet,
The legs,
The hips,
The glutes,
Even a little bit of the belly as you inhale,
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Let go.
And again,
Take a couple of resetting breaths right between.
Last time,
This time we'll do the whole body as you inhale,
Squeeze the hands,
The feet,
The face,
The glutes,
The whole body,
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Exhale,
Let go.
And on your next exhale,
Let go even further.
Moving into a bit of alternate nostril breathing by just using your imagery.
Seeing that the right and left channels of the nose are separate.
The next time you inhale,
Use the imagery of imagining inhaling through the left side.
Exhale out the right nostril.
Inhale,
Right.
Exhale,
Left.
Inhale,
Left.
Exhale,
Right.
We're going to stay here for a couple of moments.
Going from side to side.
And if the mind starts to float out of the space,
Just reconnect back to the breath and start again.
You don't even need to pick up where you were,
Just start over.
And go ahead and let the alternate nostril breathing imagery,
Just let go and release.
Bring your awareness to your heart center.
Your heart chakra right in the center of your chest.
Beginning with the heart of gratitude.
Give gratitude for you and who you are in this moment.
Gratitude for all the situations and experiences that led to you.
Right here and right now.
And in this space of gratitude,
We're going to set an intention for our practice this evening.
It could be a specific intention you're working with now.
It could be even a question you might have that you want an answer to.
So,
Forming a short,
Positive statement around this area.
Or really directly formulating a question.
Don't get too caught up in making it perfect.
Once you have formulated that statement or question,
Go ahead and say it to yourself three times silently.
And after you say it three times,
Let go.
Release any expectations and trust.
Bring your awareness to your third eye,
Right between the eyebrows.
Let go of this area.
Relax.
I'm going to continue to name parts of the body.
And each time that I name a point,
Let go and release that area.
Tip of the nose.
Throat center.
Right shoulder.
Right elbow.
Right wrist.
Relaxing the tips of the finger on the right side,
Starting with the thumb.
Point your finger.
Relaxing middle,
Ring,
Pinky,
Right wrist,
Right elbow,
Right shoulder,
Throat center,
Left shoulder.
Relaxing the left elbow.
Wrist.
It's the fingers on the left side,
The thumb.
First finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
Left wrist.
Left elbow.
Left shoulder.
Heart center.
Right side of the chest.
Heart center.
Left side of the chest.
Heart center.
Navel.
Center of the pelvis.
Right hip.
Right knee.
Ankle.
It's the toes on the left side,
The big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Middle.
Fourth toe.
Pinky toe.
Right ankle.
Right knee.
Right hip.
Center of the pelvis.
Left hip.
Left knee.
Ankle.
Big toe on the left side.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Pinky.
Left ankle.
Left knee.
Left hip.
Center of the pelvis.
Navel.
Heart center.
Throat.
Tip of the nose.
Third arm.
Feeling the body very heavy.
Back of the head is sinking into your support.
Shoulders sink.
The arms,
The backs of the hands are all very heavy.
The entire back,
Each portion of the body that touches the ground,
Heavy,
Sinking.
The lower part of the body,
The legs,
The heels.
Sinking into the ground.
You are heavy and weighted.
Like a deeply rooted tree.
A strong boulder.
The body is very,
Very heavy.
The opposite sensation now,
Lightness.
Beginning of the heels.
Almost as if the feet are beginning to float up off of the earth.
The heels are light.
The legs,
Light as a feather,
Beginning to float.
Glutes just lift off the ground as you become so very light.
The lower portion of the back and middle.
The hands lift up.
The arms follow.
You are so very light.
The shoulders,
The upper portion of the back floating.
The head.
The whole body is floating.
Like a feather drifting on the wind.
The entire body is very,
Very light.
Beginning to float up in the space that you occupy.
Floating up over your home or wherever you're located.
Over your town.
Becoming light and floating.
Floating up through space.
Continuing to float up.
The whole body is very light,
As if you're flying.
Making your way all the way up into the sacred space.
The sacred,
Safe space for us to be ourselves.
Where we can be authentic.
Where we can feel supported and protected.
Noticing any colors that you might see or images.
Any sensations.
Just observing and noticing what your sacred space may look like and feel like.
Noticing if you're alone or if anyone is joining you.
Maybe you can see clearly who they are.
Or maybe they look smoky light.
Or just like they're floating with you.
Staying in this place and just noticing.
Listening to any messages you may hear.
Allowing the third eye to be open and noticing if any images come forward.
Any smells.
Any thoughts.
Or any just intuitive thoughts that you might just all of a sudden know.
Maybe it's for your greater good just to be in silence.
With no expectation.
See what may come up.
Taking any last moments in this space.
Know it's a deep part of gratitude.
Thanking any support that might have been with you.
Gratitude for any clarity.
Any messages that might have come through.
And even if you didn't see anything.
Or hear anything.
Part of gratitude for an opportunity to be still.
Just slow down and be.
Body begins to become a little bit heavier.
A little bit more weighted.
As you travel back down.
Just as you came to your space.
Over the earth.
As you're coming heavier and weighted over your town.
Over your home.
Right back into the space where you occupy.
Inviting in the qualities of grounding.
Stability.
You're settled.
You're safe.
Letting the body connected with the space that supports you.
And then coming back to the heart center again.
Going back to that intention that you said at the very beginning.
Maybe you found a bit of clarity in your sacred space.
And even if you didn't.
Trusting that the answers.
The knowing will come in divine timing.
Exactly when you need it.
A heart of trust.
Before we conclude,
Sending a message to yourself.
Just acknowledgment or pride or love.
Speaking to yourself as if you were our own best friend.
And from this place,
Sending love out to someone whom which you may love dearly or who may need a little bit of extra love right now.
And from my heart center to each of yours.
I'm deeply grateful you joined me.
Namaste.
