Welcome to this Yoga Nidra meditation.
Yoga Nidra is a wonderful practice to allow your body to rest,
Your nervous system to settle,
And for you to connect with your deepest intentions,
Your sankalpas.
To begin,
Let's just take a nice deep breath in through the nose,
And slowly exhale out of the mouth.
I invite you to come into a laying down position.
Find your way into a space that feels completely supported for your body.
Imagine your body is being held.
Allow any small adjustments that help you feel safe and grounded.
And when your body feels relaxed,
Softly close your eyes.
Let's take another nice deep breath in through the nose,
And then a long exhale out of the mouth.
And then start to take a gentle breath in,
And an even softer breath out.
Feel the body begin to yield to gravity.
Let the surface beneath you,
Let the earth carry your weight.
Let your whole system start to settle.
As you rest here,
Remember there is nothing to fix,
Nothing to perform,
Nothing to do.
This is a space where you can fully surrender.
Feel yourself drifting towards a state of deep rest,
Where the body can unwind,
And the mind can quiet.
Invite a simple intention to arise,
Nothing too forced,
Nothing you're searching for.
An intention that brings a sense of ease or remembrance.
Let it be no more than a whisper inside.
Without overthinking your intention,
Begin to repeat it softly to yourself.
Begin to move awareness slowly through the body.
Letting each place in your body soften as it's named.
Yielding to gravity,
Melting towards the earth.
Your right thumb.
Your right index finger.
Your right middle finger.
Your right ring finger.
Your right pinky.
Notice the warmth in your right palm.
A quiet shape of your right hand.
Your right wrist.
Forearm.
Your right elbow.
Your right upper arm.
Your right shoulder.
Your right collarbone.
Your right ribs.
Your right hip.
Your right thigh.
And knee.
Your right calf.
And ankle.
The right heel.
The sole of the foot.
Each toe on your right side.
Your left thumb.
Your left index finger.
Your left middle finger.
Your ring finger.
Your left pinky.
Your left palm.
Back of the hand.
Your left wrist.
Your left forearm.
Your left upper arm.
And shoulder.
Left collarbone.
Right.
Left hip.
Left thigh.
Shin.
The left heel.
The sole of the left foot.
The ball of the foot.
Each toe on your left side.
The back of your head.
The weight of your skull.
The crown of the head.
And your forehead smoothing and softening.
Your right temple.
Your left temple.
Your right cheek.
Your left cheek.
Space around the eyes.
Releasing any stress.
Your nose.
Your lips.
Your jaw unclenching.
The tongue relaxes.
The throat.
Collarbone.
The center of the chest.
Gently widens.
Your upper abdominals.
Your lower belly releasing.
Your pelvis is heavy.
Your sits bones and lower back.
The middle back.
The upper back.
All resting.
The legs feel settled.
Any tension slipping away.
Sense the entire back body resting.
Like a shoreline meeting the earth.
Sense the entire front body softening.
Like a curtain gently falling.
Feel the whole body as one field of awareness.
It's spacious.
It's open.
Your body is at ease.
Notice the subtle movement of your breath.
The breath breathing itself.
Let each inhale be effortless.
Let each exhale be a deeper release.
Imagine the breath as a slow tide.
Coming in.
And going out.
A rhythm that soothes the body into even more rest.
Feel the breath widen the spaces inside of you.
Creating room.
And creating ease.
Allow the exhale to lengthen naturally.
Signaling safety to every part of you.
Now begin to count down from 10.
Each number.
Each breath together.
Taking a breath for 10.
Sense weight in the body.
Heavy like warm sand.
Let yourself sink deeper.
And imagine a feeling of lightness.
Loading.
Let both sensations,
The weight and the light.
Be possible without any effort.
Invite a gentle warmth to your body.
Allow it to move through you.
And then coolness.
Each sensation.
Warm and cold.
Arriving and leaving.
With no need to hold on.
Now imagine a place of profound rest.
A quiet landscape within you.
Maybe it feels like dusk.
Or soft light from the sunrise.
Maybe it's a wide open space.
Wherever you are.
A quiet landscape within you.
Be there.
Let every muscle.
Every thought.
Every breath settle into this inner refuge.
Return now.
To your intention.
Your sankalpa.
Feel yourself ready for it.
Repeat your intention.
Three times.
Allowing it to root deeply.
Within this state of rest.
Begin to sense the body again.
Feel the ground beneath you.
And let your breath deepen.
Just a little bit.
Bring small movements into your fingers.
And your toes.
Let your awareness rise slowly.
There's no rush.
Roll to one side of your body.
And rest there.
Letting go.
Being held by the earth.
And when you're ready.
Transition to a comfortable seat.
Keeping your eyes softly closed.
And taking one final.
Slow breath.
The practice of yoga nidra.
Is now complete.
