Welcome and Namaste.
My name's Iris.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Today we'll be practicing a yoga nidra to encourage us to let go.
Yoga nidra is a form of guided meditation.
It translates to yogic sleep.
However,
Ideally we do not sleep.
We remain conscious,
Alert and relaxed.
No effort or concentration is needed.
It is normal to drift in and drift out of consciousness.
Trust that wherever the yoga nidra takes you is where your mind,
Body and spirit need to be.
Listen to my voice and hold a relaxed awareness on the instructions.
Settle your body in Shavasana.
Lying comfortably on the back,
Palms facing up,
Ready to receive.
Fingers gently curled and feet falling open to the sides.
Close your eyes now.
Feel your eyeballs sinking back into their sockets.
Feel the soft line of contact between the upper and lower eyelids.
Let the jaws be relaxed.
The lips gently closed.
Feel the soft line of contact between the upper and lower lip.
Allow the tongue to rest at the base of the mouth.
Feel grounded here,
Balanced and at ease.
Allow your body to release into the posture.
Feel the weight of the body on the earth.
Feel the volume of your body and the space occupied by it.
Notice the areas of contact between your body and the earth.
The back of the head,
The shoulder blades,
The upper arms,
Back of the hands,
Buttocks,
Thighs,
Calves and heels.
Notice the cool sensation of air in the nostrils as you breathe in and the warm air in the nostrils as you breathe out.
Begin to deepen the breath,
Imagining that the air is entering in through the toes and flowing all the way to the top of the head.
The breath flows back down from the top of the head to the tip of the toes.
The whole body is breathing.
Every atom of every cell of every organ and tissue breathing in and breathing out.
Now shift your attention to the sounds around you.
Spontaneously take in the sounds without labeling them or judging whether they appeal to you or not.
Perceive the most distant sounds,
Those outside this immediate space.
Now hear the sounds closer to you within the room.
Notice how the sounds arise,
Remain for a while and then fade out.
Shift now to the sounds within your body.
Hear and feel the heartbeat,
The blood flow and pulse and the sound of your breath.
Let go of the breath and bring your life as it is today to mind.
There may be habits,
Behaviors or limiting beliefs that have been restricting you.
This might relate to eating habits,
How much time and attention you give to your body's needs such as exercise,
Perhaps long-held grudges and grievances that are burdening you or a feeling of not having enough time to spend on what is important to you.
Recognize any such old thought or behavioral patterns that do not serve you.
They are not needed.
Let them go.
Shed them.
Allow them to fall away like a heavy cloak dropping off your shoulders.
Translate this instead into an intention,
Your Sankalpa.
Express this in words in the present tense.
For example,
I eat in a healthy and environmentally ethical and kind way.
Or I treat my body with respect and kindness,
Giving it rest,
Good nourishment and enjoyable exercise.
Or I forgive and release all grudges for the sake of my peace of mind.
Or I allow myself plenty of time to spend quality time with those I love.
Find words for your intention,
Your Sankalpa.
Now plant the positive seed of the Sankalpa by repeating it three times with absolute faith that it will blossom into being.
Let the Sankalpa be imprinted deep in your heart and mind.
Feel unburdened,
Feel light,
Feel free,
Feel renewed and feel open to new and beautiful possibilities.
Move the attention to your body.
As each body part is named,
Rest your awareness there.
Visualize and relax it.
Right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Small finger,
Palm,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Right side of the waist,
Hip,
Top of the thigh,
Kneecap,
Shin,
Ankle,
Sole,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Shift to the left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Small finger,
Palm,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Left side of the waist,
Hip,
Top of the thigh,
Kneecap,
Shin,
Ankle,
Sole,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Take your awareness to the heels,
Both heels,
Calf muscles,
Back of the thighs,
Buttocks,
Spinal column from bottom to top,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
Top of the head,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Bridge of the nose,
Tip of the nose,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Teeth,
Tongue,
Jaw,
Chin,
Throat,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
Center of the chest,
Navel,
Upper abdomen,
Lower abdomen,
Pelvis and pelvic floor.
Take your attention to the whole right leg,
The whole left leg,
Both legs together,
The whole of the right arm,
The entire left arm,
Both arms together,
The right side of the body,
The left side of the body,
Front of the body,
Back of the body.
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body together.
Begin to watch the natural and easy breath.
Witness the breath moving in and out in an effortless way,
Spontaneously.
Use your creative energy to visualize a beautiful,
Tall,
Strong tree with deep roots.
The tree is growing in a vast field.
The air is cool,
Crisp and clean.
You can hear the birds singing and the insects chirping.
There are many other beautiful trees in the field.
You admire the golden,
Shimmering leaves of the mighty tree as they quiver in the gentle breeze.
As you watch,
You see the leaves deepen in color,
To orange,
To red,
To brown.
The leaves become dry and withered and begin to drift slowly to the earth.
The beautiful tree softly releases its leaves,
Letting them go.
The leaves gather all around the tree,
Warming its exposed roots.
See the root structure underground,
Mirroring the branches above.
Strong,
Grounded,
And vibrant.
You see the silhouette of the tree against a twilight sky,
Just as beautiful as before.
Just like the tree,
You feel a sense of being lighter,
Unburdened.
You know that nature and life is unfolding as it should,
And just like the tree,
You are preparing for a new season of growth.
Bring to mind once again your Sankalpa,
And repeat it inwardly three times.
Resolve to bring your Sankalpa to mind when you awaken each morning,
And on going to sleep each evening.
Bring your awareness back to the body and breath.
Feel the breath moving into the nostrils and out again.
Cooler air moving in,
And warmer air flowing out.
Observe the expansion and contraction of the abdomen and the chest.
Begin to feel the air upon your skin,
The temperature of the air on the skin,
And sense the contact of the clothes on your body.
Feel the contact between your body and the support beneath.
Remember where you are in the room,
The shape of the room,
And the color of the walls.
Hear the external sounds,
And allow them to awaken you gently.
Slowly begin to move your fingers and toes.
Extend the movement to the arms and legs.
Stretch in any way that feels good,
Paying absolute attention to each and every movement.
Become aware of the subtle effects that this practice has on the entire system.
Slowly open your eyes.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is over.
Let us close with this beautiful chant.
May all beings be happy and free,
And may our thoughts,
Words,
And actions contribute to this happiness and freedom.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Namaste and blessings.
