We'll begin our yoga nidra practice by finding a way to be comfortable lying down,
Either on the floor,
On a couch,
On your bed,
And let your body sink into whatever's supporting you.
Get comfortable.
You can shift and move a little to let your body settle deeper and deeper.
Be comforted that at this time everything is okay.
Nothing else matters right now.
Everything is okay.
Nowhere to go and nothing to do.
Here to simply feel your body and listen.
Do not worry or become agitated if you do not hear everything I say.
It is natural to flow in and out of conscious hearing.
The deepest part of you,
Your core self,
Is always listening.
Whatever your experience today,
This practice will still work.
There is no way to do this wrong.
Simply listen without trying too hard.
You are in a safe environment,
Protected space,
Held space.
Come into stillness now and remain still for deep rest,
Deep nourishment.
Feel your natural breath.
Breath flowing through.
Allow your bones to become heavy.
Feel your bones heavy and sinking into the earth.
Release bones heavy and sinking.
Go deep inside now.
Deep inside to notice your heart's deepest longing.
What does your heart desire?
Create a sankalpa,
An intention,
Affirmation based on your heart's longing.
A positive statement in the present tense as though it's already happening.
For example,
I flow through life with ease and peace.
I am relaxed.
Come up with your own intention,
Your own sankalpa,
And state it three times as though it is already happening.
Allow your awareness now to travel through your body on a journey of sensation.
Simply feel each part as it's mentioned and without moving,
Remain still.
Welcome all sensation just as it is.
Begin with the mouth.
Feel your mouth.
Feel sensation in your mouth.
Feel your jaw,
Lips,
Upper lip,
Lower lip.
Notice where the lips touch.
Feel inside of the mouth,
Roof,
Tongue,
Undertongue,
Upper teeth and gums,
Lower teeth and gums,
Root of the tongue,
Center of the tongue.
Notice sense of taste in the mouth.
Feel the left inner cheek,
Right inner cheek.
Now feel all the parts together as a whole.
Feel your mouth as sensation,
As energy,
As radiant vibration.
Feel your nose.
Notice the nostrils,
Left nostril,
Right nostril,
Both nostrils.
Notice the breath,
Nasal passages.
Follow nasal passages all the way to the back into your head.
Become aware of your ears,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Both ears simultaneously.
Feel the wrinkles and folds of the ears,
Backs of the ears,
Ear lobes,
Ear canals.
Follow ear canals into the inner ear.
Notice your ears receiving sound,
Listening.
Feel your ears hearing.
Feel your eyes,
Left eye,
Right eye,
Both eyes together.
Notice the eyelids.
Feel each eyelash.
Notice where the eyelids touch.
Become aware of the surface of the eyes,
Centers of the eyes,
Backs of the eyes.
Feel your eyes now as energy,
Radiant,
Glowing embers.
Bring awareness to your crown,
Forehead,
Face.
Feel your whole head.
Feel your neck,
Back of the neck,
Sides of the neck,
Back,
Throat.
Notice your right palm,
Right thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger.
Feel your whole right hand alive with energy.
Feel your right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Whole shoulder.
Notice the notch at the base of the throat.
Notice your left palm,
Left thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger.
Feel your whole left hand alive and filled with sensation.
Feel your left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Whole shoulder.
Notice the notch at the base of the throat.
Become aware of the upper chest,
Upper back,
Shoulder blades.
Feel your heart center.
Notice your abdomen,
Ribs on the back,
Solar plexus.
Feel your belly,
Navel center,
Pelvis.
Feel your right hip,
Right thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Calf,
Ankle,
Your right foot,
Toes,
Sole of the foot,
Whole foot.
Feel again the pelvis,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Left foot,
Toes,
Sole,
Whole foot.
Notice both feet.
Feel your root between your sitting bones,
Navel center,
Solar plexus,
Heart center,
Throat center,
Mouth,
Third eye between the brows,
Crown.
Feel now the back body resting on the earth.
Bring your awareness of your whole back body of sensation alive with vibration.
Feel now the front body filled with radiant vibration.
Feel your whole body as a whole,
A complete entity,
And feel sensation throughout your entire body.
Begin to notice your breath,
Your natural breath as it flows through you.
Feel the in-breath.
Note the out-breath.
As you exhale,
Imagine a wave passing downward through your body,
Carrying away any tension.
And as you inhale,
A fresh wave flows upward through your whole body,
Bringing a sense of calm to every cell.
Exhale wave flowing downward through your body carries away fears.
Inhale fresh wave upward brings serenity.
Now remember your heart's longing statement,
Your sankalpa.
Repeat it again three times as the present truth,
Three times to yourself.
It is the truth.
Notice your back body side,
The side of the body facing the earth.
Feel all the places where you touch the ground.
Notice the front body facing skyward and notice all of the space that's surrounding you.
Let your body now expand wider into that space that surrounds you.
Notice your breath.
Feel its rhythm and pace.
We are now completing relaxation practice.
And before moving,
Sense your fingers and just imagine them moving.
Now begin to wiggle your fingers,
Feeling every sensation as you do.
Then notice your toes.
Begin to wiggle your toes.
Gently rock your head side to side,
A slow awakening.
Draw a deeper breath into your belly,
Into your chest.
Then roll over onto one side into a fetal position.
Imagine that you are in water and pressing into that palm,
Into the ground,
Into the floor,
Flow like a river to a comfortable seated position.
Lengthen your spine.
Take a full breath in.
And as you exhale,
Imagine filling with divine light.
Notice how you feel right now.
Notice the effects of your relaxation practice.
And ever so slowly,
Allow your eyes to open and enjoy the sense of peace and calm.
Namaste.
