So often we spend our days rushing from one activity to the next,
That we get home and then simply rush to prepare the next thing at home,
The meal,
The next Netflix thing.
So this short yoga nidra session is designed to help you let go of the part of the day before this and to welcome in the next part of your day,
Simply being intentional with how we're winding down from our day,
Usually a very busy work day,
And how we can start to prepare ourselves for the rest and relaxation part of our day.
Getting really comfortable wherever you are.
You might choose to lie down or sit up while doing this practice,
It's completely up to you.
Get warm,
Get comfy,
And then let's take the next few moments to set the intention to let go of the day that came before you up until this point.
And if it's helpful,
Take a deep inhale and as you exhale,
Let it go.
One more time,
Deep breath in and exhale,
Let it go.
Now releasing all control of the breath and simply notice what might be here in this moment.
Any leftover anxieties or stresses from the day before,
Perhaps a tensing contraction in the body,
Or perhaps a feeling tone or emotion from an argument that you might have had today or a good conversation that you might have had today.
No matter what it is,
Just simply feeling into what is here without feeling like you need to fix or change anything,
Just notice.
As you take a moment with nothing else to do,
Nowhere else to go,
No one else you need to be,
At least for the next few moments feeling into what might be here.
If there are any last few niggling remnants of your day that you might have suddenly remembered,
Tell yourself it's okay,
I'll come back to you after this.
I can put you aside just for the next few moments so we can feel into what is here.
Now noticing if you have a deeper heartfelt longing for this life that might also be present.
If nothing arises,
This too is your experience.
Simply stay curious to what is my heart's deepest longing for this life.
Now bringing sensations to the crown of your head,
Noticing all of the sensations that might be present at the crown of the head.
Now traveling sensation all the way down through the face,
The front of the face,
All the way down into the jaw,
Noticing if you might be holding onto any tension in the jaw.
There's no need to feel like you need to relax it,
Simply noticing tension in the jaw,
And perhaps as you stay with the sensations in the jaw,
Notice what else might be happening.
Perhaps noticing that it stays tense,
Or maybe it might have started to relax on its own without changing anything yourself,
Just simply noticing these changing sensations.
And then traveling the sensation from the jaw all the way down the back of the neck to the base of your throat,
Noticing sensation traveling through your left shoulder,
Down the left arm,
Down to the left wrist,
Left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Fourth finger,
Pinky finger,
Palm of the left hand,
Back of the left hand,
Your whole left hand as sensation.
Sensations in the left wrist,
All the way up through the arm to the left shoulder.
Sensations through the base of your throat,
And then traveling sensation through the top of the right shoulder,
And then noticing these sensations traveling down that right arm,
Through that right wrist,
Right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Fourth finger,
Pinky finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the right hand,
The entire right hand as sensation.
Traveling sensation up through that right arm,
And to the top of the right shoulder,
Across that right shoulder back to the base of the throat,
Noticing all of the sensations in the base of your throat,
And then traveling sensation down the midline,
Through the spinal column,
Noticing the sensations through the front and back of the body at the same time,
As you travel down through the middle of your spine,
Sensations through the body,
Down to the base of the spine,
Front and back of the body.
Now traveling sensation down that left leg,
From the thigh,
All the way down to the left ankle,
Left big toe,
First toe,
Middle toe,
Fourth toe,
Baby toe,
The sole of the left foot,
The top of the left foot,
The entire left foot as sensation.
Now traveling sensation all the way back up that left leg,
To that left hip,
Traveling sensation across that pelvis,
Into the top of the right hip,
And then traveling sensation down that right leg,
All the way down to the right ankle,
Right big toe,
First toe,
Middle toe,
Fourth toe,
Baby toe,
Sole of the right foot,
Top of the right foot,
The entire right foot,
Alive with sensation.
Traveling the sensation all the way back up that right leg,
Up to the right hip,
Through the pelvis,
And traveling sensation all the way up to the crown of the head once again.
Now the front of the body,
Sensation,
The back of the body,
As sensation,
The front and back of the body at the same time as sensation.
Noticing where sensation meets your skin boundary,
Noticing where sensation moves beyond your skin boundary,
Noticing sensations of well-being and being,
This ever unchanging presence and awareness that is always here.
Now taking a deep breath in and a deep breath out,
On the next inhale,
Imagine breath coming in through the left side of the body,
Traveling sensation across to the right side of the body as you exhale,
Inhaling through the right side of the body,
Traveling sensation across to the left side of your body as you exhale.
One more time,
Inhaling through the left side of the body,
Traveling sensation across the right as you exhale through the right side of the body,
Inhaling through the right side of the body,
Then travel sensation across the midline into the left side of the body as you exhale out through the left side of the body.
Continue with this alternating breath through the body,
Inhaling through the left side,
Exhaling through the right side,
Inhaling through the right side,
Exhaling through the left side.
Breathing in your own count,
There is no need to rush,
Nowhere else you need to be,
No one else you need to be,
Just here with your breath through this body,
Here with this breath,
With these sensations,
With this deeper sense of well-being and being,
Opening to the unchanging awareness that is always here.
Continuing with your last breath,
Wherever you might be,
Inhaling through the left,
Exhaling through the right,
Inhaling through the right,
And then finally exhaling through the left,
And then letting go of all control of the breath,
Coming back to a normal breath rate and allowing whatever that is present to arise,
Noticing a deeper sense of peace and calm,
This presence and unchanging awareness here,
Even as you might have any changing sensations,
Thoughts or images or emotions,
Noticing this deeper quiet and peace that is always a part of you,
Perhaps a sense of peace and joy radiating through you,
Opening into this timeless,
Spacious,
Limitless you,
Recalling the intention you set at the start of this practice,
At peace with the day up until here,
Moving forward into the next part of your day with this sense of peace,
Calm and openness,
And this unchanging part of you,
This unchanging peace and presence that you will bring with you through the rest of your day today,
Wishing you this deep peace,
Through the rest of your day today,
This yoga nidra is now complete.
