Welcome to Yoga Nidra.
My name is Eleanor Hadley.
Yoga Nidra is a practice of full body awareness.
Let's start by getting comfortable.
Lying on your back in Shavasana.
Make sure you'll be warm enough.
Your body temperature can drop during the practice of Yoga Nidra.
Have the feet separated and falling freely outwards.
The arms resting on the floor,
Palms facing up in an open position.
Have the head and neck in alignment with the spine.
The eyes and mouth lightly closed.
The whole face soft and expressionless.
The whole body soft and releasing down onto the floor.
Feel supported by the floor.
Feel free to shift and move a little,
Letting your body sink deeper and deeper into the ground.
Feeling assured that right now nothing else matters.
Everything is okay.
There is nowhere to go and nothing to do.
Here is exactly where you need to be.
Here to simply feel into your body and to listen.
Throughout Yoga Nidra your mind may wander off.
This is okay.
It's natural to flow in and out of conscious hearing.
But know that the deepest part of you,
Your core self,
Is always listening.
Whatever your experience today,
This practice will still work.
There is no way to do this wrong.
Simply listen without trying too hard.
Coming into stillness now,
Feel your natural breath.
Feel it flowing through you.
Allow your bones to become heavy,
Feeling them sinking into the earth.
Allowing the muscles under the skin to relax,
To soften.
Let your feet fall out to the side,
Releasing any tension in your legs.
Release any tension in your stomach,
Your ribs,
Your chest.
Feel your arms,
Your hands,
Your fingers melt into the earth.
Soften your jaw.
Soften your eyes,
Your forehead,
Your scalp.
And inhale fully.
As you exhale,
Have a feeling of letting go,
Of release.
Do two or three full deep breaths in this way.
Inhaling fully,
Exhaling,
Letting go.
Letting go a little more and a little more.
Take your awareness now to sound and listen to the different sounds all around you.
Listen to a sound and then move on.
Move the awareness lightly from sound to sound without dwelling on any particular sounds.
Listening to all the different sounds all around you.
And now let go of listening to those sounds and bring your mind to your sankalpa.
The sankalpa is a personal resolve.
It's a short positive statement that you make to yourself each and every time you do yoga nidra.
About something in your life or your personality that you would like to change.
The sankalpa sows the seed of powerful change.
If you're unfamiliar with the idea of a sankalpa,
Use this time to choose an intention for yourself.
Choosing an intention with love for yourself and for your highest good.
Ensure your statement is in the positive present tense.
Say it as though it currently exists,
As if it is true.
Now stating your sankalpa to yourself three times.
And then let go of your sankalpa and become aware of the different parts of the body as they're named.
Moving the awareness lightly from body part to body part.
You might like to visualize a golden light highlighting each body part as we go.
Become aware of the right side of the body,
Of the right hand,
Thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Right side of the waist,
Right hip,
Upper leg,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Sole of the right foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Now bring the awareness to the left side of the body.
To the left hand,
Thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Left side of the waist,
Left hip,
Upper leg,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Sole of the left foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Now bring the awareness to the back of the body,
To the right heel,
Left heel,
Back of the right knee,
Back of the left knee,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
The whole of the back,
Back of the right shoulder,
Back of the left shoulder,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
And the crown of the head.
Awareness at the crown of the head.
And now coming to the front of the body,
The forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Eyebrow center,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Whole nose,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Both lips,
Whole mouth,
Chin,
Throat,
Collarbones,
Right chest,
Left chest,
Whole chest,
Upper abdomen,
Navel,
Lower abdomen,
Whole abdomen,
Groin,
Top of the right foot and top of the left foot.
And now have the awareness in both feet simultaneously.
Aware of both feet.
Become aware of both legs,
Both hands,
Both arms,
The whole trunk,
And the head.
Feet,
Legs,
Hands,
Arms,
Trunk,
And head.
Have the awareness sweeping the whole body simultaneously.
Whole body.
From the tips of the toes to the crown of the head.
Whole body.
And feel the body in connection with the floor.
And now focus on the breath.
Take the breath awareness to the belly.
As you inhale,
The belly rises slightly.
As you exhale,
It falls a little.
Follow the gentle movement of the breath at the belly.
And now visualize a radiant golden sun shining at the belly.
And visualize the sparkling golden energy from the Sun radiating out through the whole of the rest of the body.
Reaching every cell.
Sparkling golden energy.
Reaching every cell in the body.
Renewing,
Revitalizing,
Re-energizing every cell.
And visualize yourself as a radiant body of golden light.
And then let go of this visualization.
And recall your sun kalpa.
Your personal positive intention.
And state your sun kalpa to yourself three more times to reinforce your intention and purpose.
And then let go of your sun kalpa,
Your intention,
And know that it will continue to work for you in the deeper layers of the consciousness.
Become aware of your breath.
The magical breath that connects us to all life.
Become aware of your body lying on the floor.
Feel the earth underneath your body.
Become aware of the room that you're in and the sounds all around you.
Start to wiggle the toes,
The fingers.
Gently move the head from side to side.
Rolling through the ankles,
Through the wrists.
Gradually begin to bring movement back into the rest of the body.
Moving and stretching,
Waking your body back up.
And when you're ready,
Rolling over onto one side,
Taking a few deep breaths.
And slowly sitting back up.
Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Have a beautiful day.
