Welcome to this mind and body relaxation guided yoga nidra or non-sleep deep rest meditation focused on becoming grounded.
This has been designed for those who are traveling or who are in an office environment or in a public space who need to maintain a sitting position with eyes open.
It may be challenging to maintain awareness of the voice while keeping your eyes open.
Know that this will become easier with the practice.
Also know that this will assist you in developing focus.
Start by becoming as comfortable as possible in the chair you are sitting on.
If it is comfortable for you uncross your legs and place your feet on the floor.
Adjust your clothes and your position so that you are comfortable and can remain still.
Find a point in the distance to relax your gaze upon that is central to your body.
This point can be higher or lower than the level of your eyes.
Keep this point static as best you can during the meditation.
Now defocus your eyes slightly as you become aware of your peripheral vision.
Notice how far you can see to the right as you keep your eyes looking in front of you at that point.
Notice how far you can see to the left as you keep your eyes looking at the same point.
Now become aware of how far your peripheral vision extends both sides.
You will notice you can see beyond what is in front of you.
Keep this point static as best you can during the meditation.
If your eyes become tired lower your gaze slightly to relax your eye muscles.
Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out feel the involvement and focus of the day just leave you now.
Allow yourself to actively listen to my words and follow along.
Don't bother to try to analyze the instructions as this will disturb your focus.
Simply follow the voice with total attention.
Now bring about a feeling of inner relaxation in the whole body from the top of your head down to your toes.
Concentrate on this relaxation of your body and become aware of complete stillness.
Become aware of sounds in the distance.
Become aware of the most distant sounds that you can hear and let your sense of hearing operate like a radar,
Searching out sounds and following them for a few seconds.
Try not to associate the sounds with the vision.
Move your attention from sound to sound.
Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds,
The sounds around you and in the space that you are in.
Now develop your awareness of the space you are in.
Without looking around visualize the space that your body is sitting in,
In space.
Become aware of the existence of your physical body in that space.
Total awareness of your body sitting in total stillness.
This is a time to consider your resolve.
The resolve for this meditation is I am grounded.
Repeat this three times in your mind now.
I am grounded.
Next I will guide you as you become aware of different parts of your body.
In this stage of the meditation your awareness will move quickly from part to part.
Please repeat mentally the name of each part and simultaneously become aware of that part.
The practice begins with the right hand,
Right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand.
Become aware of your palm,
Back of the hand,
The wrist,
The lower arm,
The elbow,
Upper arm,
The shoulder,
Underarm,
The right ribs,
The right waist,
The right hip,
The upper leg,
The knee,
The 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.
Now move your awareness to your left hand,
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand.
Become aware of the palm,
Back of the hand,
The wrist,
The lower arm,
The elbow,
The upper arm,
Shoulder,
The underarm,
The left ribs,
The left waist,
The left hip,
Upper leg,
The knee,
Lower leg,
The ankle,
The heel,
Sole of the left foot,
Top of the foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Now move your awareness to the back of your shoulders,
Your right shoulder,
Left shoulder,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Right side of the back,
Left side of the back,
The buttocks,
The whole of the spine together.
Now move your awareness to the top of your head,
Focus on the top of the head,
Then the right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The eyebrow centre,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right cheek and temple,
Left cheek and temple,
The nose,
The upper row of teeth,
Lower row of teeth,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Jaw,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
The middle of the chest,
Upper abdomen,
Lower abdomen,
The whole of the front of the body,
The whole of the right leg,
The whole of the left leg,
Both legs together,
The whole of the right arm,
The whole of the left arm,
Both arms together,
The whole of the back,
The whole of the front,
The whole of the head together,
The whole of the body together,
The whole of the body together,
The whole of the body together.
Keep your focus on listening and following along,
Now become aware of your natural breath,
Effortless breath,
Become aware of the exhalation,
As you exhale feel as if any worries,
Any nervousness,
Unsteadiness is moving down and out,
Following the exhalation as it moves down and out,
Do this down and out however feels best for you,
Feel that with every exhalation more of the worry,
The nervousness,
The unsteadiness is moving down and out,
Becoming grounded,
Settled,
Calm,
Each exhale feeling more grounded and settled and calm,
Keep following this breathing exercise for the next minute,
Gently move your attention now to the natural ingoing and outgoing breath,
Feel the flow of the breath in and out of your lungs,
Maintain that effortless awareness of the breath,
Now move your awareness to your navel area,
Concentrate on your navel movements,
Your navel is expanding and contracting with every breath,
Concentrate on this movement in synchronisation with your breath,
Now start counting your breaths backwards from 27 to 1,
Like this,
27 navel expanding,
27 navel contracting,
26 navel expanding,
26 navel contracting,
25 navel expanding,
25 navel contracting and so on,
Say the words and numbers mentally to yourself as you count your breaths down to 1,
If you make a mistake just go back to 27 and start again counting to 1,
Moving your attention from your breathing to awaken now the feeling of heaviness in your body,
The feeling of heaviness,
Become aware of heaviness in every single part of the body,
You are feeling so heavy that you are sinking down into the chair beneath you,
Awareness of heaviness,
Awareness of heaviness,
Leave that heaviness now and awaken the feeling of lightness in your body,
Awaken the feeling of lightness,
A sensation of lightness and weightlessness in all parts of the body,
Your body feels so light that it seems to be lifting up,
Floating up,
Awareness of lightness,
Awareness of lightness,
Moving on from the sensation of lightness as we move to visualization,
In your imagination imagine that you are sitting in a forest,
Surrounded by many trees,
There are beautiful trees surrounding you,
Different types of trees,
Some are ancient and others are little saplings,
All of them stand in the soil with their roots extending out and across the forest floor and deep down into the earth,
The roots of any one tree overlap with the roots of many other trees in the forest,
As you sit surrounded by these trees,
You become aware of the earth beneath you and how abundant it is with nutrients,
Perfect for each and every tree,
You place your feet more firmly on the earth beneath you and begin to feel a feeling,
An energy that exists in the forest,
The energy of the forest and of the earth,
You focus on this feeling on the soles of your feet,
A subtle energy,
Perhaps a slight tingling or warmth,
Allow this feeling to rise up from the soles of your feet,
Lightly up your legs and up,
Moving up,
This energy of the earth moving up to the space around your heart,
Allow yourself to feel this energy more fully now and notice any sensations that arise,
It is time to recall the resolve that you made at the beginning of this meditation,
With the feeling of steadiness,
Repeat three times in your mind,
I am grounded,
Become aware of your breathing,
Become aware of your natural breathing,
Deepen your breathing and develop awareness of your physical existence sitting on the chair,
Become aware of your arms and legs and your body relaxing on the chair,
Allow your mind to become aware of what is going on around you,
Start moving your body and stretching yourself,
Blink your eyes a few times and look around you,
This guided meditation is now complete.
