Welcome.
In this Yoga Nidra practice,
We'll be cultivating a sense of groundedness in our bodies,
Our spaces,
Our minds,
And our lives.
To maximize your ability to relax deeply.
Take your time setting up your space and your body's position.
If you're on your back,
Consider a small pillow under the head to tilt the chin down slightly.
And perhaps a bolster or several rolled blankets under the knees or thighs to assist the low back in releasing.
You are also welcome to practice on your side or in a seat with your back to a wall.
Eyes can be closed or gently open with a soft focus.
Pause this recording if you need more time to establish a comfortable position.
We are in no hurry.
Once your body is settled,
Take a few easy breaths.
Notice if there are any adjustments you might make to achieve even the tiniest bit more comfort.
Give yourself permission to make any changes.
And once you're comfortable.
Notice the state of your energy and decide if you'd like to remain aware throughout this practice or if you'd like to let yourself drift into sleep.
The practice of Yoga Nidra begins now.
Scan your body,
Beginning at the crown of the head,
And allow your attention to drift slowly forward.
All the way down to your fingers and toes.
As you scan,
Notice areas of the body that are calling for your attention.
Maybe they need a little extra care today.
Imagine the energy from the breath swirling around in those places,
Gently massaging them,
Helping them soften.
If there are any last physical adjustments you'd like to make,
Let yourself shift and find even more comfort.
And now notice your breath as it is.
Don't change it.
Just observe its flow.
Feel the breath moving into and out of the nostrils.
Feel the natural breath moving in and out of the nostrils and notice any scents that are present.
Notice the mouth.
And the presence of any tastes in the mouth.
Notice these scents and tastes,
Welcoming them as sensation in the body.
Now feel the eyes.
Feel the eyes settling heavily.
And see if you can relax the tiny muscles around the eyes.
Notice anything you can see.
Including light filtering in through closed eyelids.
Acknowledge and welcome what you see and what you don't see.
Shift your awareness now to your sense of hearing.
Let your hearing extend out away from your space,
Outside of this room and outside of this building,
And notice what you can hear.
Draw your sense of hearing back in and notice what you hear in your own space and in your own body.
Remind yourself that there will always be sounds.
Welcome them as they offer the opportunity to deepen your concentration.
And now notice the air on your skin.
The feeling of your clothes.
The temperature of the air as it enters and leaves the nose.
Feel the support beneath your body and feel the body settling heavily into that support.
Sink into the support beneath you.
You are safe,
Secure,
And rooted in your space.
Welcome sensations of groundedness and comfort into the body.
Feeling each exhale assisting you in releasing tension,
Allowing the body to settle into the stable ground beneath you.
From this place of steadiness,
Allow your sankalpa or resolve to emerge.
As you craft your sankalpa,
Consider states of stability,
Connectedness,
And trust that you'd like to draw into your life.
How would you feel?
What would living in that state feel like for you?
Use these feelings to craft a simple,
Present-tense statement about yourself inhabiting that state.
Here are a few examples.
I am safe.
I trust my body's wisdom.
I know my path.
I am peaceful.
I am grounded.
When you have it,
Repeat your sankalpa three times in your mind.
We move now to the rotation of consciousness.
In which I will name parts of the body.
And you will move all of your awareness to those parts as you hear them named.
Let your full awareness jump from part to part as soon as you hear them.
Remain still,
Moving only your attention.
We begin at the back of the head.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
The low back.
Right glutes,
Left glutes.
Right thigh.
Left thigh.
Right calf muscle.
Left calf muscle.
Right heel.
Left heel.
Sole of the right foot.
Sole of the left foot.
Go now to the crown of your head.
Center of the forehead.
Center of the throat.
Center of the chest.
Right side of the chest.
Right shoulder.
Right elbow.
Right wrist.
Right thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
And little finger.
Palm of the right hand.
Back of the right hand.
Right wrist.
Right elbow.
Shoulder Underarm Waste.
Right hip.
Right knee.
Ankle Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Top of the foot,
Sole of the foot.
Heal ankle.
Calf pit of the knee.
Base of the spine.
Naval Center Solar plexus.
Center of the chest.
Left side of the chest.
Left shoulder.
Left elbow.
Left wrist.
Left thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
And little finger.
Palm of the left hand.
Back of the left hand.
Left wrist elbow.
Shoulder.
Underarm Waste Left hip.
Left knee.
Ankle.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Top of the foot.
Sole of the foot.
Heel,
Ankle,
Calf.
Pit of the knee.
Base of the spine.
Naval Center.
Solar plexus.
Center of the chest.
Center of the throat.
Center of the forehead.
Crown of the head.
The whole right leg.
The whole left leg.
The whole right arm.
The whole left arm.
The whole torso.
The whole spine.
The whole head.
The whole body.
The whole body.
The whole body.
Sense the whole body settling into the support beneath it.
You are aware of the body.
And aware of your own awareness.
Shift that awareness to the natural breath.
Become aware that you are breathing quietly and slowly.
Become conscious of your breathing and nothing else.
Concentrate on the flow of the breath.
And begin to draw the breath up through the body.
With each inhale.
Feel it flowing back down through the body again.
With each exhale.
Sense your inhales beginning at the base of the spine.
And draw the breath up to the crown of the head.
Sense your exhales flowing back down from the crown of the head to the base of the spine.
Feel the vital energy.
The Prana as breath.
That you're sending up and down through the spine.
Feel it grounding you and energizing you here.
Begin to count your breaths backwards from 27 down to one.
Continuing to draw each inhale up from the base of the spine to the crown of the head.
And each exhale from the crown to the base of the spine.
Follow this pattern.
Inhale,
27.
Exhale.
Inhale 26.
Exhale.
Continue breathing and counting.
With full awareness until you reach one.
If you lose your place,
Return to 27 and begin again.
If you make it down to one.
Return to 27.
And begin counting backwards once again.
Continue counting with full awareness.
Let go of the process of counting.
And continue feeling the breath.
Feel the breath flowing through the whole body.
Feel the whole body breathing.
Create the experience of heaviness in the body.
The limbs are sinking.
The head is sinking.
The torso is sinking.
The whole body sinking heavily into the ground.
As if it could create an impression of itself there.
Feel a pervasive heaviness throughout the entire body.
Feel as if no amount of effort could possibly lift you up away from the ground.
And now,
Feel the body becoming light.
Lighter and lighter and lighter,
As if it could lift up out of the floor,
Away from the ground.
The limbs are light as air.
The head is light as air.
The torso is light as air.
Feel as if the whole body could float up away from the floor.
And now create the experience of both heaviness and lightness in the body.
Feel them at the same time.
Notice how it feels to hold both experiences simultaneously.
And notice that you are creating these experiences for yourself.
Continue to feel this sense of lightness with each inhale.
And heaviness with each exhale.
Let these sensations go slowly.
Let them fade.
And gently direct your attention.
Fully to the breath.
Feel the ease with which prana as breath flows in and out of your body,
With no effort at all on your part.
Continue sensing that flow.
And begin to notice the space behind your eyelids,
The Chittakasha.
Watch this space,
Which extends as far as you can see in all directions.
Notice what you see.
And notice what emerges.
You may see colors,
Patterns,
Shapes.
Or images.
Notice and acknowledge them.
Without trying to create any meaning around them.
Observe all that occurs within this space with detached awareness.
And invite your senses into the experience to the degree that serves you.
Keep your awareness attuned to the Chittakasha.
I will now name several different images.
Create a picture of each one as best you can.
On the levels of memory,
Sensation,
And imagination.
Allow each image to fade as soon as you hear the next.
Deep red rose.
Freshly turned earth.
A kind embrace.
The sun rising in the morning.
Lotus flowers in water.
A wooded path.
The aroma of chocolate.
Bare feet on the earth.
Your body resting on the earth.
Release the visualization.
And return your attention to the nostrils.
To the natural,
Intuitive flow of breath in and out through the nostrils.
Recall now your Sankalpa.
And repeat it three times in your mind.
With full feeling and conviction that it is already true in your life.
Feel the breath and notice scents present in the air.
Notice tastes in the mouth.
Become aware of any light filtering in through the eyelids.
And of sounds present in your body.
Can you hear your own breath?
What can you hear in this room?
What can you hear outside this room?
Feel the natural movements of the breath.
Where do you feel it?
Can you feel your clothes touching your body?
And your body.
Grounded and settled.
On the support beneath it.
Where do you feel it?
Feel the air on your skin.
What is its temperature?
Is it the same temperature on your hands and on your face?
Rest here for as long as you like.
Gently begin to find movement in the body.
When you feel ready to do so.
May you feel grounded here in the present moment.
Rested and ready to go.
To move back into whatever this day holds for you.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
