Welcome to this deep relaxation yoga nidra or non-sleep deep rest practice focused on warming the body.
Make yourself comfortable lying on your back or sitting up supported.
You may wish to have a blanket or pillow.
Create a relaxed place with whatever you need to feel as comfortable as possible.
Getting ready to do nothing.
Simply resting and allowing.
When you are ready close your eyes and take a deep breath in and as you breathe out release into the comfort even more.
In the practice which follows you are going to develop the feeling of deep relaxation in the body.
It is not necessary to deliberately relax your muscles.
Simply develop the feeling of relaxation.
It is like the feeling you have just before sleep.
During this practice you are functioning on the levels of hearing and awareness and so there is nothing to do except to follow the voice and if thoughts come to disturb you from time to time just allow the thoughts to pass by.
Now notice the sounds in the distance.
Move your awareness from sound to sound.
Just noticing all the sounds.
Move your awareness to closer sounds.
Notice if you can hear the sound of yourself breathing.
Notice now what you can see behind your closed eyelids.
Just looking and noticing.
Notice if there is a taste in your mouth.
Notice if you can smell anything in this moment.
Now notice any sensations on your skin.
Noticing the pressure of your body resting.
Maybe you can feel the clothes on your skin.
Maybe you can feel the air moving across your skin and rest into the stillness.
Now you will move your awareness through the different parts of the body as quickly as possible.
This awareness will jump from part to part.
Please repeat mentally the name of each part and simultaneously become aware of that part of the body.
The practice begins with the right hand,
The right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
The wrist,
The lower arm,
The elbow,
The upper arm,
The shoulder,
The underarm,
The right ribs,
The right waist,
The right hip,
The upper leg,
The knee,
Lower leg,
The ankle,
The heel,
The sole of the right foot,
The top of the foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Move your awareness now to your left hand,
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
The wrist,
The lower arm,
The elbow,
The upper arm,
The shoulder,
The underarm,
The left ribs,
The left waist,
The left hip,
The upper leg,
The knee,
The lower leg,
The ankle,
The heel,
The sole of the left foot,
The top of the foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Move your awareness now to the back of your shoulders,
Right shoulder,
Left shoulder,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Right side of the back,
Left side of the back,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
The spine,
The whole of the back together.
Moving now to the top of the head,
Top of the head,
The forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The eyebrow centre,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Nose,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Upper row of teeth,
Lower row of teeth,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Jaw,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right chest,
Left chest,
Middle of the chest,
Upper abdomen,
Lower abdomen,
Whole of the right leg,
Whole of the left leg,
Both legs together,
Whole of the right arm,
Whole of the left arm,
Both arms together,
Whole of the back,
Whole of the front,
Whole of the head together,
Legs,
Arms,
Back,
Front,
Head together,
The whole of the body together,
The whole of the body together,
The whole of the body together.
Now gently move your attention to the natural in-going and out-going breath,
Feel the flow of your breath in and out.
Do not try to change the rhythm,
The breathing is natural.
Now concentrate your awareness on the breath moving in and out of the nostrils,
And as you follow the movement of the breath in and out of the nostrils,
Start counting down from 27 to 1 like this,
27 breathing in,
27 breathing out,
26 breathing in,
26 breathing out,
25 breathing in,
25 breathing out,
And repeat the words and the numbers mentally to yourself as you count down to 1.
If you lose count just go back to 27 and start again counting down to 1.
Leaving the breathing now and awaken the sensation of bitter cold in the body.
Imagine you are walking on a very cold floor in winter,
Or you are standing under a freezing cold shower.
Your feet are cold,
Your legs feel cold,
Your fingers and hands are cold,
Your face and your ears feel cold.
You experience the cold feeling all over the body,
Awareness of coldness,
Awareness of coldness.
Now completely let that go,
Release the sensation of coldness from every part of the body.
Now awaken the sensation of heat,
Awaken the experience of heat in the whole body.
The entire body is hot,
The whole body is hot,
You feel hot all over.
Recall the feeling of heat in summer when you are out in the sun with no shade,
Or the feeling of sitting close to a blazing fire,
Or the feeling of standing under a hot shower.
Your feet and legs are hot,
Your hands and arms are hot,
Your face and your ears are hot,
Heat all around and through the body,
Awareness of heat,
Awareness of heat.
Leaving the sensation of heat now,
As we move onto a visualisation.
A number of different images will be mentioned,
Simply notice what arises either from your memory or your imagination.
Just watch with detached awareness.
The midday sun,
The midday sun,
The midday sun.
Steam rising from a warm drink,
Steam rising from a warm drink.
Steam rising from a warm drink.
A fire blazing in a fireplace,
A fire blazing in a fireplace,
A fire blazing in a fireplace.
An ice cube melting,
An ice cube melting,
An ice cube melting.
A soft warm blanket,
A soft warm blanket,
A soft warm blanket.
A tropical beach,
Tropical beach,
A tropical beach.
A fire blazing in a fireplace,
A fire blazing in a fireplace,
A fire blazing in a fireplace.
Become aware of your natural breathing,
And invite presence to return to your body.
Notice the feeling of your body,
Your arms and legs and fingers and toes.
Begin to slowly wake your body by deepening your breath,
Slowly breathing into your body.
Remembering where you are,
Develop an awareness of the room you are resting in.
Become aware of the sounds outside the room and the sounds inside.
When you are ready,
Start moving or gently stretching your body,
Take your time.
When you are sure that you are wide awake,
Sit up and slowly open your eyes.
This practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
