Welcome yourself to this yoga nidra by softening into your chosen position,
Lying down or semi-reclining.
Make your body as straight and aligned as you can and use any extra support you need.
Place your hands on your body,
Wherever you can easily reach,
Perhaps on your pelvis or abdomen.
Or if you prefer,
Place your arms at the side of your waist,
With the palms of your hands facing upwards and fingers slightly curled,
In the traditional yoga nidra pose of shivasana.
Take a slightly deeper breath and as you breathe out,
Let your body release and sink into the bed beneath you.
Feel all the places of contact between your body and bed.
Perhaps in your heels,
Backs of legs,
Buttocks,
Back,
Shoulders and the back of your head.
Let your shoulders release.
Let the back of your head and neck sink into your pillow.
Let your whole body and being come to rest.
Turn your gaze inwards and rest inside your inner body.
Place your attention on the third eye in between your two eyebrows.
Rest your awareness here.
Imagine breathing in and out through the third eye.
Become aware as you do this of the observing part of your mind that watches everything you experience with serenity.
With your observer still engaged,
Feel the rhythm of your natural breath move in and out of your body.
We will now open a space for sankalpa,
A Sanskrit word that means intention or heartfelt desire.
Let your face and jaw soften.
Tune into your heart center in the middle of your chest.
Notice any natural sensations that are here.
Move your hands here if you would like to.
Breathe in and out towards your heart center.
Let the muscles in your chest soften.
Bring to mind the boundless love that is the nature of the heart.
Name three things to yourself that you feel grateful for in your life right now.
Gratitude is fertile ground for the seed of your sankalpa.
Now gently ask your heart,
What is my soul's desire at this time in my life?
Stay relaxed and open to whatever flows to the surface.
When you have your sankalpa,
Shape it into a positive present tense statement.
For example,
I am attaining peace of mind.
I am wiser and more discerning.
I am happy and balanced.
See yourself embodying your sankalpa.
Now we begin a rotation of consciousness.
When you hear a body part named,
Take your attention there and mentally repeat the place to yourself.
Or you could place a small point of light there or feel if there are any natural sensations.
Do whatever suits you best.
The crown of your head.
Forehead.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Point between the two eyebrows.
Right eye socket.
Left eye socket.
Right cheekbone.
Left cheekbone.
Right temple.
Right ear.
Left temple.
Left ear.
Bridge of the nose.
Tip of the nose.
Top lip.
Bottom lip.
Space between the lips.
Inside the mouth.
Tongue.
Teeth.
Gums.
Roof of the mouth.
Back of the throat.
Chin.
Tip of chin.
Front of throat.
Right shoulder joint.
Right elbow.
Right wrist bone.
Back of right hand.
Middle of right palm.
Right thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Fourth finger.
Little finger.
Middle of right wrist.
Inside right elbow.
Right bicep.
Right armpit.
Right collarbone.
Front of throat.
Left shoulder joint.
Left elbow.
Left wrist bone.
Back of left hand.
Middle of left palm.
Left thumb.
Left index finger.
Middle finger.
Fourth finger.
Little finger.
Middle of left wrist.
Inside left elbow.
Left bicep.
Left armpit.
Front of throat.
Upper chest.
Breastbone.
Right ribs.
Left ribs.
Stomach.
Navel.
Abdomen.
Pelvis.
Right hip.
Right thigh.
Right knee.
Shin.
Right ankle.
Top of right foot.
Right toes.
Sole of right foot.
Right heel.
Calf.
Back of knee.
Back of thigh.
Right buttock.
Left calf.
Base of back.
Left hip joint.
Left thigh.
Knee.
Shin.
Outside ankle.
Top of left foot.
Toes of left foot.
Sole of left foot.
Left heel.
Calf.
Back of left knee.
Back of thigh.
Left buttock.
Base of back.
Right waist.
Left waist.
Lower back.
Middle back.
Upper back.
Back of head.
Whole spine.
Crown of head.
The right side of the body.
The left side of the body.
The right and left sides of the body together.
The front of the body.
The back of the body.
The front and back of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
Now engage the observing part of your mind again.
With the observer in place,
Calmly breathe in and out.
And feel the rise and fall of your stomach and chest.
Notice where you can sense the breath coming into your body most vividly.
Follow this feeling from your nostrils into the back of your nose.
The back of your throat.
And into your lungs.
Is there a slight coolness at your nostrils as you inhale?
Is the breath a little warmer as you exhale?
Become aware of the slight pause after the exhale before your next in-breath.
Now we begin the opposite pairings of heaviness and lightness.
Place your attention into the back of your body,
From your head through to your heels.
Feel heaviness in the whole of the back of your body.
Feel heaviness in both of your legs.
Feel heaviness in the backs of your thighs.
Buttocks.
And hips.
Feel heaviness in both of your arms.
Feel heaviness in both of your shoulders.
And the back of your head.
Imagine yourself sinking deeper and deeper into the surface beneath you.
Feel the weight of your body pulling you down.
Now move your attention to the front of your body,
From your head through to your toes.
Feel the air on your face and along the front of your body.
Imagine a sense of lightness along your body.
Feel this lightness in your face.
Feel lightness in your hands and arms.
Feel lightness in the front of your feet and front of your legs.
Spread this lightness along the whole surface of your body.
Feel as though your whole body is being lifted upwards and outwards,
As if it is lighter than a feather.
Now experience the lightness of the front of your body and the heaviness of the back of your body at the same time.
Feel any energy arising from this coming together of lightness and heaviness.
You are now invited to experience a visualisation.
Let your inner gaze come to rest on the area just in front of your closed eyelids.
Continue watching this space as a number of different images are suggested.
See them appear here.
The earth from space.
A wave gently lapping the shore.
A wave gently lapping the shore.
Dolphins leaping playfully.
Dolphins leaping playfully.
A blossoming tree.
A blossoming tree.
A misty mountain peak.
A misty mountain peak.
The full moon.
The full moon.
A cascading waterfall.
A cascading waterfall.
Now connect to your heart centre again and bring to mind your sankalpa.
Breathe it in as you say it to yourself three times and feel it resonate in your heart.
Now rest peacefully in your heart centre as the yoga nidra comes to a close.
Now rest peacefully in your heart centre as the yoga nidra comes to a close.
