Welcome to this short practice in Yoga Nidra.
Before we get started,
Make sure you are lying down comfortably in a place of stillness where you will not be disturbed.
Maybe placing a blanket over your hips,
Maybe a bolster under your knees,
A pillow under your head if that will make you comfortable.
Then take a moment and feel if there is anything more you can do to alter your level of comfort just by a few percent.
When you've found you are as comfortable as you can be,
Gently bring your awareness to the weight of your body.
Notice all points of contact with the surface beneath you and how this surface is supporting you.
Then start to observe the spaces between your body and the earth beneath you.
Invite softness and rest to your body.
When you start inviting in a feeling of deep relaxation,
Notice how the space between your body and the earth becomes smaller and smaller.
Find a deep relaxation in your body.
Let it melt into the surface beneath you.
First I will guide you through a scan of your body that will support you in the shift toward quieting your mind.
As you tap into the more subtle aspects of yourself you may not hear everything I say and it is completely fine.
If your body drifts into sleep that is also completely fine.
Whatever happens is right for you right now.
Place your awareness on your breath.
Follow the soft tide of your breath without changing it in any way.
Watch as it flows up and down along your spine and gently notice the movement that your breath creates in your body.
The expansion of your belly,
The rise of the chest,
The breath expanding beneath your collar bones.
And then notice when your inhale turns into an exhale and follow your breath out again the same way that it came in.
Rest in this movement of your breath.
Move your awareness now to the top of your head.
Imagine a warm stream of bright light flowing down from the top of your head and into your body starting to fill you up.
And this warm bright flow of light inhabits the qualities of relaxation.
Feel as the light starts to fill up your toes.
Filling the soles of your feet,
The top of your feet,
Your heels,
Your ankles.
Releasing all tension in your feet.
Now watch as the light starts to fill your calves,
Fill your knees.
Filling your thighs making them soft,
Heavy,
Completely relaxed.
Allow the light to move up through your groin and your hips.
Inviting in the sensation of softness,
Feeling your hips starting to soften down towards the surface beneath you.
Now watch as the light fills your belly and your lower back.
As it moves up through your chest and upper back and out over your shoulders.
Feel as it's flowing with ease out through your arms.
Feeling your elbows and wrists and finding its way out into each of your fingers.
And now observe as it flows through your neck and starts to fill your head.
Feel the light as it fills your jaw,
Your lips,
Cheekbones,
Behind your eyes.
Allow this light to widen between your temples and invite it in to fill your entire skull.
Now feel your body full of light,
Completely relaxed and rest in this state.
Now imagine sitting comfortably in a rocking chair on a porch outside on a warm summer afternoon.
Your seat is reclined.
You're resting your head to the comfortable chair behind you.
You rest your gaze on the meadow in front of you.
Surrounded by lush trees.
The soft breeze creates waves in the long grass on the meadow.
You hear birds singing,
Several different sounds and several distances,
All beautiful,
All relaxing.
You hear the sound of a bumblebee as it's buzzing among the flowers next to you.
The light is soft and has a warm yellow tone.
You are soft,
Completely relaxed,
Completely at ease.
If you listen really carefully,
You hear a radio somewhere in the distance playing what sounds like an old tune.
You feel your entire body relax.
You feel your chest rise and fall with each breath.
The warm,
Soft breeze as it gently strokes your skin.
You feel fully present,
Fully relaxed in this moment.
Gently move your attention back to your breath.
Remember how the breath moves slowly in and out through your body.
Imagine your whole body breathing,
Your legs breathing,
Your arms breathing.
Feel the energy of your breath radiate from your chest.
Now move your attention back to this room and become aware of yourself in the space that you are in.
For your inner eye,
Visualize the surface beneath you,
The floor or the bed.
And visualize the walls,
The ceiling above you.
Just noticing the sounds in the room,
The sounds further away and the sounds that are very close.
Very softly invite small movements into your fingers and toes.
Small gentle rotations of your wrists and ankles.
Letting your head move from side to side and gently start moving shoulders and hips.
Take your time.
With your next inhale,
Stretch your arms over your head.
Make yourself tall and stretch like it was an early morning.
Then softly roll over to your right side and take a moment here.
Just feel into yourself,
Feel into the state that you are in.
And then when you are ready,
Gently come to a comfortable seat.
Blink your eyes open.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
