Welcome to this trauma-informed yoga nidra practice for winter's rest.
Yoga nidra,
Also known as the yoga of sleep,
Is an effortless practice of guided meditation.
This practice will be around about 25 minutes long and I'll let you know when we're bringing it to a close.
All you need to do is to find somewhere you feel comfortable and where you can be undisturbed so you're able to absorb the practice of yoga nidra.
Throughout,
You can make any choices that feel the most supportive for you.
It's always your choice to stop the practice at any time.
In a moment,
I'll guide you to choose or create an inner resource.
And this will be something you can come back to at any point or you can choose to open the eyes and connect back to your space around you.
So I invite you to choose a position for this practice that feels the most comfortable and safe for you right now.
That might be lying down on your back or on your side or possibly sitting with your back and head supported.
Before we begin,
It's important to be completely comfortable.
Make any small adjustments that will help you to settle your body and find some stillness.
So if you can be even just a little bit more comfortable,
Make any adjustments you need now as you settle into your comfy,
Cosy space.
Just let your eyes gaze around the room and begin to notice colour.
Perhaps there's a particular colour that's inviting for you,
Colour that's welcoming or drawing your attention in some way.
Allowing your eyes to linger here for a moment.
As we begin to move into the practice of yoga nidra now,
You may like to close your eyes or you can simply soften the gaze down.
Imagine a settling down.
Let the hinge of your jaw loosen.
The skin around the eyes begins to soften.
The eyeballs settle deeply into the sockets.
Shoulders melt towards the floor.
The bones feel heavy and sink towards the earth.
The muscles soften.
The skin relaxes.
The body's organs settle and are held by the back of the body.
Imagine thoughts and worries melting down towards the earth too.
Become aware of your breath.
You might like to choose to breathe in through the nose,
Filling the lungs and exhale through an open mouth with a deep sigh out.
Once again inhaling deeply and exhaling with a sigh.
You might like to do that just one more time.
And then allowing the breath to fall back into its natural pattern.
Each exhalation continues to be a letting go and a relaxing.
Feel the body sinking deeper and effortless breath.
Begin to imagine a safe and nurturing space.
A place where you feel well being.
Maybe real or imagined.
Perhaps a place in nature or anywhere else.
You might like to invite people,
An animal,
An object into this image.
Enhancing it so that it nourishes you with feelings of being secure,
Peaceful and at ease.
Feel this as your inner resource.
This safe haven or refuge that helps you to feel secure and at ease.
Feel that sense of well being in your body.
Know that you can return to your inner resource at any time throughout this practice.
Whenever you feel a need to feel secure and at ease.
You can choose an intention now for your body to rest.
An intention for your body to rest deeply.
You may like to use this intention.
I invite deep rest into every cell of my being.
Or you may like to phrase your own.
Repeat your intention three times inwardly now.
Your whole body now settling into rest.
Surrendering to rest.
Resting deeply.
I'll invite you now to move your awareness through different parts of the body.
Just listen and illuminate each part with your awareness.
And move onto the next part when I name it.
Move your awareness to your mouth.
Gums.
Floor of the mouth.
Walls of the cheeks.
Your tongue.
Lower row of teeth.
Upper row of teeth.
Both lips.
The space between the lips.
Tip of the nose.
Both cheeks.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
The space between the eyebrows.
Whole forehead.
Both temples.
The top of the head.
The back of the head.
The whole head.
A field of radiant sensation.
Moving awareness to the right hand.
Right thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Right wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Right shoulder.
Underarm.
Right side ribs.
Waist.
Right hip.
Right groin.
Right thigh.
Knee.
Calf.
Right ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
The right side of the body.
Feeling to the right side of the body.
Moving awareness to the left hand.
Left thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Left wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Left shoulder.
Underarm.
Left side ribs.
Waist.
Hip.
Left groin.
Left thigh.
Knee.
Calf.
Left ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Feeling to the left side of the body.
The whole of the left side.
Now the back body.
Back of the head.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Whole spine.
Right buttock.
Left buttock.
Back of the thighs.
Back of the knees.
Both heels.
The back of the body.
The back of the body.
Moving awareness to the forehead.
Both temples.
Right inner ear.
Left inner ear.
Back of the throat.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Right chest.
Left chest.
Upper abdomen.
Lower abdomen.
Right hip.
Left hip.
Right knee.
Left knee.
Top of the right foot.
Top of the left foot.
The front of the body.
The front of the body.
Right arm.
Left arm.
Both arms.
Right leg.
Left leg.
Both legs.
The head.
The torso.
Both arms.
Both legs.
The whole body.
Be aware of the whole body,
Alive as vibrant sensation.
Welcome every experience that's present.
And interweave your inner resource of well-being throughout your body.
Feeling secure and at ease.
Sense the body breathing itself.
Just the natural flow of sensation as breath enters and leaves the body.
Through the nostrils.
Walls of the throat.
Gentle rise and release of the chest and abdomen.
Breathing in nourishing every cell of the body.
Breathing out relaxing.
Body breathing itself.
Start counting backwards on each exhalation.
Starting at 33 as you exhale.
Inhale.
And exhale 32.
And so on.
Carry on counting downwards on each exhale.
If you lose count or get to zero.
Then simply start again at 33.
Invite your attention back to the front of your body.
Welcome a sense of heaviness in the front body.
From your face.
All the way down through your torso.
Legs.
And feet.
Let your whole front body feel heavy.
Let it settle and rest into the back of the body.
Let there be a sense of heaviness.
As your front body settles back.
Rest.
Front body rests into back body.
Imagine how it feels to allow your whole body.
To rest and sink into the support of the ground beneath you.
Your whole body to explore a restful deep heaviness.
Sink into deep rest.
Now welcome lightness.
Imagine your back body.
Floating up into your front body.
The whole body light.
Spacious.
Effortless.
Let your whole body experience lightness.
As you rest weightlessly.
Let yourself explore these two opposites.
Feel the body heavy.
Feel the body light.
Body heavy.
Body light.
Continue exploring this for the next few seconds.
How might it feel to experience both sensations.
Of weightlessness.
And heaviness.
At the same time.
Notice both sensations.
Of heavy and light in your whole being.
Can you find rest in between the two.
Neither heavy.
Nor light.
The essence of both experienced with ease.
Simply resting between the two.
A sense of deep deep rest in your body.
A sense of deep deep rest in your mind.
A sense of deep deep rest in your whole being.
Restful.
Whole.
Let your whole body rest.
Resting in the unchanging nature of your whole self.
Recall your intention to rest for this practice.
Repeating three times.
The phrase exactly as used earlier.
Internally now.
Affirming and experiencing this as a felt sense in your body.
As true.
In this moment.
Sense all that you're now aware of.
The sounds around you.
Sensations of your body.
The floor beneath you.
The room around you.
The body breathing.
Remind yourself of your inner resource of well being.
Everything is perfect.
And just as it should be.
Keeping your eyes closed.
Begin to deepen the breath.
You may like to gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
And as before you may like to inhale deeply through the nose.
And exhale through an open mouth with a sigh.
Inhaling deeply through the nose.
Exhaling with a sigh.
And when you're ready.
Just rolling over onto one side.
Resting on your side.
Slowly begin to open your eyes.
Gradually adjusting to the light.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
