Hello and welcome to Yoga Nidra.
My name is Elena and I will be your guide.
This meditation is designed to offer your nervous system a soothing,
Restful break,
Helping you unwind,
Recharge and relax.
To prepare for this practice,
Come to lie on your back.
Let your arms rest alongside your body or place your hands on your belly.
Close your eyes.
Cover yourself with a blanket to stay warm and cosy.
Take a moment to arrive.
Feel free to stretch or adjust your position so that for the duration of this practice,
You can remain still and at ease.
Take a few deep,
Releasing breaths,
Beginning to drop the experiences of the day with each breath.
You're inviting deep inhales into your lower belly,
Letting it expand.
Deep,
Relaxing exhalations as your lower abdomen softens.
Inhale,
Lower belly rises.
Exhale,
Lower belly falls.
With each deep breath you take,
You're leaving behind the experiences of the day,
As well as all the stories,
Thoughts and interpretations.
You're clearing out internal space.
Now,
With your eyes still closed,
Become aware of the soundscape around you.
First,
Become aware of the sounds far out in the distance.
Then,
Let your attention gradually move closer,
Simply observing the sounds.
Become aware of the sounds in your body,
Your breath,
Your heartbeat,
Your digestive system.
Now,
Let go of the sounds.
Think of your sankalpa,
Your intention.
Feel free to set a new sankalpa or remember the one you've created before.
And repeat it to yourself internally three times.
Now bring your attention to your body.
Notice the position of your body in space.
Then let your awareness travel to different parts of your body,
As I name them.
We'll start with your forehead.
Place your attention at the center of your forehead,
The point slightly above the eyebrow center.
Then bring your attention to the center of your throat.
Then let it travel down the right arm,
Right shoulder,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger.
Back to the wrist,
Elbow,
Shoulder,
Back to your throat center.
Now let your attention travel down the left arm,
Left shoulder,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger.
Back to the wrist,
Elbow,
Shoulder,
Back to your throat center.
Let your attention move to your heart center,
Right side of the chest,
Back to heart center,
Left side of the chest,
Back to heart center,
Solar plexus,
Navel.
Let your attention travel down the right leg,
Right hip,
Knee,
Ankle,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Pinky toe.
Back to the ankle,
Knee,
And hip.
Place your attention on the navel once again.
Then let it travel down the left leg,
Left hip,
Knee,
Ankle,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Pinky toe.
Back to the ankle,
Knee,
And hip.
Let your attention travel down the right leg,
Right hip,
Knee,
Ankle,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Pinky toe.
Back to the ankle,
Knee,
And hip.
Come back to your navel.
Let your attention move to your solar plexus,
Heart center,
Throat center,
And center of your forehead.
Feel your whole body at once.
All parts of your body together as a whole.
And now invite into your experience a feeling of coolness.
Create a sensation of coolness in your entire body.
Reverse the sensation and create a feeling of warmth instead.
From the center of your body to the fingertips and toes,
Invite a feeling of warmth into your experience and let it flow through you.
Let go of both sensations.
Bring your awareness to your spine.
Visualize your spinal column.
Visualize your spinal column and the network of nerves throughout the body.
The nerve signals that are traveling through your body are beginning to slow down.
Your nervous system is relaxing.
Cranial nerves in your face and head are relaxing.
The point between your eyebrows is relaxing.
Your jaw is beginning to relax.
The back of your mouth is relaxed.
The spaces behind your closed eyes are beginning to relax.
Spinal nerves are relaxing.
Your whole back is relaxed.
The motor neurons that send impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles throughout your body are beginning to relax.
Sensory nerves that collect information about pain,
Pressure,
Temperature from the muscles and internal organs are beginning to relax.
Your whole body is letting go and relaxing.
You are letting your body melt into this experience of complete relaxation.
A pleasant feeling of ease and relaxation is permeating every cell in your body.
Remember your sankalpa,
Your intention.
Repeat it to yourself internally three times.
Now prepare to gradually come back to this physical space.
Keep your eyes closed for now and notice the texture of the fabrics against your skin,
The air temperature in the room,
The subtle and the obvious sounds around you.
Gently awaken your fingers and your toes.
Then stretch your arms over your head.
Enjoy the stretch and your relaxed,
Rested state.
When you are ready to come back to your day,
Softly open your eyes.
Thank you for joining me today.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
