Welcome to this Yoga Nidra practice.
Start by taking some time to find a comfortable lying down position.
Make sure your head and neck are supported by a pillow or blanket and you might put some support under your knees.
It might help to cover your body with a blanket to stay warm and you can cover your eyes to block the light or just gently close the eyes.
Making sure your body is completely comfortable and at ease and able to rest fully.
Taking a few moments to make any small adjustments to allow yourself to get even more comfortable and then let yourself settle into relaxation when you feel completely ready.
Allowing the whole body to settle in stillness.
Today we're going to be exploring your inner refuge.
Your inner refuge is a place where you feel safe,
Secure,
At ease and experience a sense of well-being or peace of mind.
It can be a real or imagined place and is unique to you and helps you cultivate feelings of peace and well-being within yourself.
Bring your awareness now to your breath without forcing anything.
Just beginning to sense your breath.
Air moving in and out of the body.
Take a nice deep inhale through the nose.
Filling your chest and belly and then exhale softly through the nose or mouth.
Releasing any tension.
We'll do this two more times and with each exhale see if you can feel yourself letting go.
Sinking deeper into the surface beneath you.
Deeper into stillness as you prepare for profound rest.
Breathing in through the nose without forcing.
Nice and deep.
And then breathing out.
Letting go.
Sinking deeper.
Releasing tension.
And when you're ready one last time breathing in deeply and exhaling.
Releasing.
Letting go.
And now letting your breath return to its natural rhythm.
The body breathing itself.
There's nothing for you to do.
Maybe notice how your body is becoming even heavier.
The less you hold on the more gravity pulls you downward.
The shoulders soften.
The jaw releases.
The forehead and the face soften.
The arms and the legs and the torso becoming heavy.
You might imagine a soft golden light beginning at the crown of your head and with each breath this light gently flows through your body.
Dissolving any remaining tightness or discomfort.
Leaving behind a sense of warmth.
A sense of ease.
The golden light starts to settle in your heart center.
Warming the heart space.
And now you will choose a sankalpa or heartfelt intention.
Your sankalpa should be a simple statement in the present tense.
One that conveys your deepest wish for yourself.
Here are some examples.
I accept myself just as I am.
I am at ease and trust in myself and life.
I am loving and loved.
I embody peace and healing.
Picking a simple sentence that is meaningful to you in this moment and then repeating it silently to yourself three times.
And now letting go of any thoughts and begin to allow your awareness to move through the body following the guidance of my voice.
Imagine your attention moving fluidly from one point to the next.
Creating a stream of awareness flowing through the body.
As the attention moves the body remains in stillness.
Welcoming sensations just as they are without any need to change them or make anything different.
Beginning with the crown of the head.
Back of the head.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Moving to the forehead.
Right temple.
Left temple.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
The space between the eyebrows.
Right eye sinking back even deeper.
Left eye sinking back even deeper.
The right eyelid heavy.
Left eyelid heavy.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Tip of the nose.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Jaw fully relaxed.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Space between the lips.
Feeling sensation inside the mouth.
The roof of the mouth.
Inner right cheek.
Inner left cheek.
Upper gums and teeth.
Lower gums and teeth.
The tongue from the tip to the root.
Softening in the mouth.
And from the top of your throat down to the base of your throat.
Right shoulder.
Upper arm.
Elbow.
Lower arm.
Wrist.
Palm of the right hand.
Back of the hand.
Right thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Little finger.
Bringing awareness back up the right arm and shoulder to the base of the throat.
Left shoulder.
Upper arm.
Elbow.
Lower arm.
Wrist.
Palm of the left hand.
Back of the hand.
Thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Little finger.
Moving back up the left arm and shoulder and once again back to the base of your throat.
Center of the chest.
Right side of the chest.
Back to the center.
Left side of the chest.
Back to the center.
The navel.
Lower belly.
Pelvic bowl.
Right hip.
Upper leg.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Top of the right foot.
Sole of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Back up the right leg and hip to the pelvic bowl.
Left hip.
Upper leg.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Top of the left foot.
Sole of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
And moving up the back of the left leg to the left glute.
Right glute.
Moving your attention to the spine from the base of the spine all the way up to the top of the spine.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
And now the entire back side of the body at the same time.
The entire back side of the body.
And now the entire front side of the body.
Front side of the body.
The entire right side of the body.
Right side of the body.
The entire left side of the body.
Left side of the body.
And now feel the whole body.
Every cell.
Every tissue.
Every muscle at ease.
The whole body breathing with life and possibility.
Every cell breathing.
Every muscle breathing.
Every organ breathing.
Each breath a wave of healing.
A wave of calm.
Bringing balance to your entire nervous system.
Imagine as you inhale the breath like a wave coming into shore.
And as you exhale the wave returning back to the sea.
Breath is fluid like a wave.
Your in breath brings life force into your body.
And your out breath releases what no longer serves you.
Just allowing these waves of breath to come and go just as they are.
Without controlling.
Just watching.
Feel the inhalation.
Smooth,
Effortless inhalation.
Feel the exhalation.
Releasing.
Letting go.
Softening.
Feel the breath at the belly.
Expanding in all directions with the inhale.
And releasing with the exhale.
Feel the subtle sensations of the diaphragm at the bottom of the ribs.
Expanding downwards as the lungs expand with the in breath.
And releasing upwards as the lungs empty with the out breath.
And now begin to count down from 18 with your breath.
Breathing in,
18.
Breathing out,
18.
Breathing in,
17.
Breathing out,
17.
Counting down at your own pace.
And if you lose track of the counting,
Gently bringing your attention back to counting down the breath.
Starting again at 18.
There's plenty of time.
Nowhere to go.
Nothing else to do.
Just becoming absorbed in the process of witnessing an easy natural breath.
Counting down at your own pace.
And now letting go of the counting.
Noticing your breath as you breathe in.
And noticing as you breathe out.
And releasing from the breath.
Starting to feel the sensation of grounding as if your body is rooted deeply to the earth.
Heavy and supported.
Solid and steady.
And then sense lightness as if your body is floating in the clouds.
Your body feeling heavy,
Grounded.
And then light,
Floating.
And now feel the air touching your skin.
Imagine a cool breeze moving across your body.
And now feeling the heated warmth of sunlight on your skin.
And back to coolness.
A refreshing,
Calming coolness.
And back to sensing the warmth of the sun.
And now begin to invite an imaginary place or a peaceful memory to surface.
Somewhere where you feel relaxed,
At ease,
And completely safe to be yourself.
Take your time and allow it to come naturally.
Maybe it's a particular forest or beach or a meadow of wildflowers.
A cozy room.
Or an experience with a pet that filled you with love and warmth.
Or the presence of a beloved person in your life.
Just letting that image,
Feeling or memory arise.
You might include wildlife that you find comforting.
Or favorite things.
Smells of favorite flowers or foods.
Or simply the feeling of peace and well-being.
Your inner refuge is completely unique to you.
Inviting all of your five senses.
Experiencing this place and including images,
Sensations,
Noticing sounds,
Smells,
Tastes,
Colors,
Shapes that are present.
Sending feelings of security,
Ease and well-being.
As you imagine your inner refuge.
Notice in your body,
If and where you feel these sensory experiences,
And any accompanying feelings such as warmth,
Peace,
And relaxation.
Now that you've connected with your inner refuge,
Allow yourself to bask in the peaceful feelings you've created.
And begin to drop the imagery and let the feeling strengthen and become more familiar with each breath.
Noticing where you feel peace and ease in the body.
As you spend time basking in your inner refuge,
Feel it growing into a powerful and effective tool you can use at a moment's notice.
Experiencing feelings of security within you that are always available at any time you need them in your life.
Remembering that this place resides within you.
You can return to your inner refuge anytime you want or need to feel peaceful and at ease.
And from this deep state of peaceful relaxation,
Return once again to your Sankalpa,
The intention you connected with earlier in this practice.
And silently repeating the phrase to yourself three times.
Feeling your intentions settle deeply within you.
Resonating through every layer of your being.
And we'll now gently and mindfully begin our return to wakeful consciousness.
Begin to notice your breath again.
The gentle rhythm of the breath anchoring you back to the here and now and wakefulness.
Each breath,
Maybe bringing a little bit of awareness to your body and mind.
And feeling the body once again.
Your physical body lying here on the surface beneath you.
Starting to feel the cells of your body waking up.
Sense the air touching the surface of your skin.
And start to invite some physical movement back to the body.
Starting small.
Moving your fingers and toes.
And gradually allowing those movements to become larger.
Circling your wrists and ankles.
Maybe hugging your knees in towards your chest.
And rocking back and forth.
And gently rolling over onto one side.
Taking a few breaths here.
Before you slowly push yourself back up to a seated position.
And when you're ready,
You can blink your eyes open.
Maybe stretching your arms overhead.
Bringing your palms together.
And lowering your hands to heart center.
Namaste.
Thank you for being here today and practicing Yoga Nidra with me.
I hope you can carry the sense of relaxation and peace throughout the rest of your day.
