Welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.
I invite you to lie down on a yoga mat or other soft but supportive surface.
You might like to place a small pillow behind the head for support.
If the neck or shoulders are tight,
Perhaps consider placing a thin rolled blanket directly under the neck.
The roll should fit the natural curve of the neck,
Filling the gap between the floor and the spine.
Tuck the chin slightly to lengthen the back of the neck.
Draw the shoulder blades in and down,
Allowing the shoulders to release away from the ears.
Turn the upper arms outward with the palms facing the ceiling,
Helping the shoulder blades to stay positioned comfortably.
Have the legs a comfortable distance apart,
Allowing the feet to fall open to the sides.
Option to place a bolster,
Cushion,
Or thick rolled blanket under the knees or thighs for extra support.
If you have a blanket,
You might like to draw that over you now so that you stay nice and warm throughout the practice.
It's best if you can stay still during Yoga Nidra,
So take a few more moments now to make any other adjustments,
Adding props or supports to make yourself even 1% more comfortable.
Remember that if you do feel the need to move or adjust during the practice,
That's okay.
Just try to do so slowly and mindfully.
You might like to have the eyes fully closed,
Or you may prefer to just soften the gaze but keep them slightly opened.
Do whatever feels right for you in this moment and throughout the practice.
Yoga Nidra is an experience in deep relaxation while remaining conscious and aware.
At times it may feel like you're hovering in that space between wakefulness and sleep.
You may not always be tuned in to what is being said.
You may at times be aware of words but not process what they mean.
All of that is perfectly okay.
Whatever you do here is enough.
I invite you to give this practice even more personal meaning now by making a heartfelt pledge,
A sankalpa.
Your sankalpa is something that is already within you,
A deep down truth of your heart.
Something that guides the overall arc of your life.
Perhaps there is something that you'd like to bring forth in your life.
Perhaps a quality or a characteristic that you would like to develop in yourself.
A sankalpa might not always come to you in words.
It may be an image or simply a felt sense.
If you don't have your sankalpa shaped into words right now,
Just continue to breathe into the heart space and stay with your sense of your sankalpa.
Your heartfelt pledge in whatever form it has come to you.
If you have a sankalpa statement,
You can repeat it silently to yourself three times now.
We will now rotate the consciousness through the various parts of the body.
I'll name a part and gently move your awareness there.
Place your awareness on your right thumb,
Right index finger,
Right middle finger,
Right ring finger,
Right little finger,
The back of the right hand,
Right palm,
Right wrist,
Right forearm,
Right elbow,
Right upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Right waist,
Right hip,
Right knee,
Right shin,
Top of the right foot,
Sole of the right foot,
Right big toe,
Right second toe,
Right third toe,
Right fourth toe,
Right little toe.
Become aware of the entire right side of the body.
Move your awareness to the left side,
The left thumb,
Left index finger,
Left middle finger,
Left ring finger,
Left little finger,
Left shoulder,
Left waist,
Left ankle,
Top of the left foot,
Sole of the left foot,
Left big toe,
Left second toe,
Left little toe.
Sense the entire right side of the body.
Sense the entire left side of the body.
Move your awareness to the head,
The top of the head,
The forehead,
The right eyebrow,
The left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
The right eyelid,
The right eyeball,
The left eyeball,
The right ear,
The bridge of the nose,
The right nostril,
The left nostril,
The tip of the nose,
The upper lip,
The tongue,
The upper set of teeth,
The lower set of teeth,
The jaw.
Move your awareness to the upper back,
The mid-back,
The lower back,
The entire spine,
The upper chest,
The middle chest,
The lower chest,
The belly.
Return your awareness to your right thumb,
Right index finger,
Right middle finger,
Right ring finger,
Right little finger,
The back,
The back of the right hand,
Right upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Right waist,
Right thigh,
Right ankle,
The top of the right foot,
The sole of the right foot,
Right big toe,
Right second toe,
Right third toe,
Right fourth toe,
Right little toe.
Become aware of your awareness and aware of the entire right side of the body.
Move your awareness to the left side,
The left thumb,
Left middle finger,
The back of the left hand,
Left upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Left waist,
Top of the left foot,
Left big toe.
Become aware of the entire left side of the body.
Move your awareness to the head,
The left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
The right eyelid,
The right eyeball,
The left eyeball,
The right ear,
The bridge of the nose,
The upper lip,
The tongue,
The upper set of teeth,
The lower set of teeth,
The jaw.
Place your awareness on the upper back.
The entire spine,
The upper chest,
The middle chest,
The belly of the entire body.
Become aware of the entire body resting on the mat.
Allow your awareness to shift now to the natural movement of the breath.
Nothing to change.
Simply noticing that you are breathing.
Noticing what it feels like in the body to inhale and noticing what it feels like to exhale.
Now notice the brief pause at the top of the inhale before you exhale.
Then notice the brief pause at the bottom of the exhale before the next inhale.
We will now begin breath counting.
We'll count downwards from 72,
Counting just the exhales.
We're not trying to control the tempo of the breath.
Simply focusing awareness on the breath's inherent rhythms.
And then as you exhale,
Say,
I breathe out 72.
Inhale again.
And as you exhale,
Say silently,
I breathe out 71.
Continue counting down in this way with each exhale.
If you lose count,
Simply return to 72.
If thoughts arise,
Acknowledge them and then return to the count.
The timing of the breath may change and if it does,
Allow the tempo of the count to follow with it.
Now gently release the counting but remain aware of the breath.
Repeat to yourself,
I am awake and aware in the practice of Yoga Nidra.
Allow awareness to shift to the field of the mind now.
Imagine yourself sitting comfortably on a beautiful golden sand beach.
There is a warm breeze blowing.
The blue-green ocean waves move rhythmically in the background.
Enjoy a few deep breaths of the salty ocean air as you gaze out over the blue water.
And in front of you on the wet sand,
Where the waves are lapping in,
You notice some words written on the sand.
These words are labels and roles that are part of your everyday life.
Perhaps you see your name,
Your job title,
In your life such as friend,
Student,
Parent.
These words represent ways that you move through the world.
They provide you with a sense of identity,
Help you to interact with others and navigate relationships.
Now,
You don't need to perform any of these roles or hold any of these labels.
You can take a little rest from it all.
Watch as a wave rolls gently forward and washes over the first word.
So that it is softened,
A little less defined on the sand.
You continue to watch calmly as another small wave comes towards you and another word becomes softened,
More faint in the sand.
Continue to observe the waves as the words,
The labels and roles become softened by them.
Notice the stable presence inside of you that is observing the waves,
The presence that feels steady,
Calm,
Peaceful,
Content.
And perhaps now in the sand,
A new word appears for you,
Something that wasn't there before.
Maybe some new insight or a new idea.
Maybe some helpful guidance you can take back to your day-to-day life.
And maybe now,
A quiet peace and joy coming over you.
If it's helpful,
Remembering a time where you felt deeply joyful and at peace.
Now,
But staying with the feelings of peace and joy.
And feeling that joy spreading outwards from you now.
Awareness once more your sankalpa,
Repeating it silently to yourself.
Breathing into the space where it is felt.
It's time to start transitioning back to this time and place.
Sensing the breath moving in the body.
Starting to deepen the breath.
Sensing the body on the floor,
The contact points with the floor.
Introducing some gentle movements.
Wiggle the fingers and the toes.
Slowly reawakening the body.
Roll over onto your favorite side and stay here in this place of comfort for a few breaths.
And in your own time,
Press yourself up to seated.
Thank you for joining me for this practice of yoga nidra.
Shanti,
Shanti,
Shanti.
