Welcome to this Yoga Nidra Architecture of Being practice.
Take a moment to settle into a comfortable position.
Which could be seated or laying down.
Feel the support of the Earth beneath you.
Maybe noticing the places where your body makes contact with the chair,
The cushion,
The floor.
And can you allow your spine to lengthen naturally?
It's not rigid,
Simply a weight.
As though there is a string or golden light gently pulling the crown of your head to lengthen There's nowhere to get to here.
Nothing to achieve.
Nothing to fix.
For these next few moments,
You're invited to step out of the world of doing.
And into the experience of being.
Just as an architect might pause before building.
To listen deeply to the land.
We begin by listening.
Listening to the body.
Listening to the breath.
Listening to the quiet wisdom already present within.
Notice your ears listening.
Notice sounds arriving and passing.
Notice yourself arriving.
Checking in with the physical body.
Ensuring it's in a position that allows the body to be fully supported.
Welcoming any shifts now.
You may choose to lie on your back.
Or another position that feels safe and sustainable for you right now.
Maybe you place a pillow beneath your knees.
A blanket beneath or over the body.
I'm taking time now.
To tenderly adjust anything that needs adjusting.
It's worth the effort.
You're worth the effort.
Giving yourself permission to be fully comfortable.
And take a slow breath in.
And a long,
Easy breath out.
Again,
Breathing in.
And exhaling.
Allowing the weight of your body to be received by the support beneath you.
Nothing to hold up.
Nothing to carry.
Simply resting.
Notice the places where your body is already letting go.
Notice the place is still holding.
Both are welcome.
You're not trying to relax.
You're simply noticing what's here.
And let's play a little with the metaphor of a house.
Before a house is built,
There's often a vision.
Blueprint.
A sense of direction.
Even a feeling of what wants to emerge.
A knowing of how we might hope to live within that space.
In much the same way.
We begin this practice by connecting with a sankalpa.
In the Yoga Nidra tradition,
A sankalpa is often described as a heartfelt intention.
Not a goal to achieve.
Not a problem to solve.
Rather,
It's a gentle expression of what you're calling into your life.
Or what you are remembering within yourself.
Bring your attention to the space of your heart.
Your heart center.
The inner space connected to meaning,
Wisdom,
And what matters most deeply to you.
Take a few moments here listening.
Sensing.
Perhaps asking yourself,
What quality am I being invited to cultivate?
What truth am I ready to remember?
What is seeking expression through my life at this time.
There's no need to think too hard about it.
Simply notice what arises naturally.
If a Sankalpa emerges or if you're currently working with one.
Encouragement for it to be simple,
Clear.
And stated in positive language.
So rather than,
I want to be less anxious.
It might become.
.
.
I trust myself.
Rather than,
I wish I was more confident.
It might become.
I move through life with confidence and ease.
Allow your Sankalpa to be expressed as though it is already true.
A seed already planted.
A possibility already living within you.
And if nothing arises today,
That's perfectly okay.
You might simply rest with a quality such as self-trust.
Compassion,
Peace,
Or openness.
Whether it's a Sankalpa,
A One Word Essence,
When you've found one that feels supportive and aligned,
Silently repeat it to yourself three times.
Receiving it gently.
Allowing it to settle into the heart.
Trusting that there's nothing more you need to do with it right now.
And now we begin a journey through the body.
Allowing your attention to move lightly and effortlessly.
Like sunlight moving through the rooms of a house.
Nothing to analyze,
Nothing to change,
Simply noticing.
Bring your attention to your right thumb.
Right index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
The palm of the right hand.
The back of the right hand.
Rest.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Right side waist thigh.
Me.
Half.
Ankle.
Heal,
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth tone.
5th toe bringing your attention up to the left thumb.
The left index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Left palm.
Back of the left hand.
Rest.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
And left waste.
Thigh.
Knee.
Half.
Ankle.
Heal.
Sole of the left foot.
Top of the left foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Attention moving now to the back body.
Back of the head.
Both shoulder blades.
The middle back.
Lower back.
Pelvis.
Both heels.
Attention moving now to the front of the body.
Forehead.
Both eyes.
Nose lips.
JAW.
Throat.
Chest.
Upper belly.
Lower belly.
Pelvis.
Whole right leg.
Whole left leg.
Both legs together.
Whole right arm.
Whole left arm.
Both arms together.
Back of the body.
Front of the body.
Entire body together.
The whole body resting.
Breathing.
Aware.
Noticing the natural movement of the breath.
No need to change it.
Simply noticing.
The inhale arriving.
The exhale,
Leaving.
Notice the gentle pause after the inhale.
And the pause after the exhale.
Moments of effortless stillness.
Imagine the breath moving through the body like a soft wave.
Each inhale flowing from the foundation of the body.
Towards the crown of the head.
Each exhale flowing back down the body towards the earth.
The breath moving through every room of your inner house.
Connecting Everything.
Supporting everything.
Allow yourself to rest with your breath.
Noticing now the right side of the body.
The entire right side.
Resting your attention there.
Now the left side of the body.
The entire left side.
Resting your attention there.
Right side.
And then left side.
Both sides together.
Now notice the experience of heaviness.
The body heavy.
Grounded,
Supported.
And now sense lightness.
As though the body were spacious.
Weightless light.
Heaviness,
Lightness.
Both together.
And now noticing effort.
Moments in life of striving.
Doing.
Managing.
Holding.
Effort.
And now sense ease.
Nothing to prove.
Nothing to accomplish.
Ease,
Efforts.
Is.
Both existing within awareness.
Allowing yourself to discover that opposites can coexist.
Without needing to choose.
And without needing to resolve.
Imagine yourself standing now before a beautiful house.
A house that represents your inner world.
Perhaps it resembles a place you know.
Perhaps it's entirely new.
Notice its shape.
Its colors.
Its surroundings.
This house has sheltered you through every season of life.
As you approach.
You notice the front door is open.
Invading you inside.
You step across the threshold.
And you explore.
Moving through various rooms slowly… exploring with curiosity.
Exploring with kindness.
Perhaps you notice places that feel bright and welcoming.
Places filled with memories.
Places of strength.
Places of joy.
Perhaps there are rooms you visit less often.
Rooms holding grief.
Fear.
.
.
Uncertainty.
Longing.
All of these rooms belong.
None need to be removed.
None need to be fixed.
You continue exploring until you discover a room that feels especially supportive.
A place of refuge.
A place of steadiness.
A place where you feel held.
This may be a real room.
Real place.
An imagined place.
A memory.
A feeling.
.
.
Presence.
Allow yourself to spend some time here.
This is your inner resource.
A place you can return to whenever you need support.
A place that exists even when life feels difficult.
Take in the colors.
All the textures.
The sounds.
Sensations.
Allow even the smallest details of this inner resource to become so vivid.
Notice how your body responds as you rest here in the felt sense of your inner resource.
Gently allowing even the image of the house,
The room,
The place to soften.
Nothing to imagine.
Nothing to do.
Nothing to figure out.
Simply resting.
Awareness,
Aware of itself.
Breathing happening.
Sounds arising.
Sensations arising.
Thoughts arising.
And awareness holding it all.
Like the open sky holds the weather.
Resting.
Being.
Aware.
Returning now to your Sankalpa.
Heartfelt longing,
Heartfelt mission.
Purpose.
Your orientation.
Your compass.
Perhaps it's remained unchanged.
Perhaps it's shifted.
Noticing if the essence of it is still present.
And if so,
Silently repeat it to yourself three times.
Receiving it ever so gently.
And if nothing reemerges,
That's okay,
Too.
A seed has already been planted.
There's no need to force growth.
Simply trusting what unfolds.
Beginning to notice the breath once again.
The gentle rise and fall.
The support beneath your body.
The room around you.
The sounds around you.
Noticing that your awareness remains present.
Just as it has throughout the practice.
Begin inviting the smallest of movements into your body.
Maybe starting with the toes.
Gently waking up through the fingers.
Ever so slowly moving your head from side to side.
Rolling wrists and ankles and stretching if that feels good.
Allowing the body to gradually awaken.
When you're ready.
Gently rolling onto one side.
And pausing there.
Taking a nice deep breath.
Recognizing that the house remains within you.
The room,
The place,
The inner refuge,
Inner resource remains within you.
The witnessing presence remains within you.
And in your own time.
Making your way to a comfortable seated position.
Feeling the support beneath and around you.
The steadiness of the earth.
The length of the spine.
Notice what's present now.
Perhaps a word.
A feeling.
An image,
A sensation.
Perhaps nothing in particular.
All are welcome.
If you feel called to,
You may wish to journal for a few moments.
Reflecting on what stood out.
What surprised you?
What you would like to carry forward.
As this practice comes to a close,
Remember.
The purpose of yoga nidra.
Is not to create.
Or curate a particular experience.
It's to remember what remains present beneath all experience.
A place of awareness.
A place of wholeness.
A place that has been here all along.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
