Welcome.
This is your time to rest.
20 minutes where nothing is asked of you.
Come to lie down on your back.
On a mat,
A bed,
Or the floor.
Place a pillow under your knees and another under your head if you like.
Cover yourself with a light blanket or leave it close by if you need it.
If your body runs warm,
Keep the blanket loose and easy to push away.
You can uncover,
Shift,
Or move at any point.
This practice moves with you.
Let your arms rest a little away from your sides,
Palms facing up or resting on your belly,
And let your feet fall open.
Yoganidra means yogic sleep.
You don't need to stay awake and you don't need to do it right.
If you drift off,
Your body still receives the rest.
Simply listen to my voice and let it guide you.
You can close your eyes or let them rest softly on one spot.
Allow your face to soften.
Your forehead.
Your jaw.
The space between your eyebrows.
Notice the surface beneath you,
The places where your body is supported,
And let the ground take a little more of your weight.
Bring one hand to your belly and one to your heart.
Feel the gentle rise and fall beneath your hands.
We'll take a few breaths with a long,
Slow exhale.
A long exhale is a quiet message to your nervous system.
You're safe and you can rest now.
Breathe in through your nose for four.
3,
4.
And breathe out slowly through soft lips for 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Again through the nose,
2,
3,
4.
And a long slow breath out,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
And 1.
One more time at your own pace,
Letting your shoulders melt and your belly soften.
Now let the breath return to its own natural rhythm.
You don't need to control it.
Just notice it.
Cool air as you breathe in.
And the warmer air as you breathe out.
With every exhale,
Feel your body becoming heavier.
Sinking into the support beneath you like warm sand settling after a wave.
Your body has carried you through so much.
Hot days and sleepless nights.
Changes you didn't choose.
For these few minutes,
There is nothing to hold and nothing to fix.
Now we'll plant a Sankalpa,
A short,
Heartfelt intention said in the present tense,
As if it's already true.
You may already have one.
If not,
You're welcome to borrow one of these.
I am safe in my body.
I welcome this new season with ease.
I am calm,
Strong,
And whole.
Choose the one that feels right or let your own words rise up.
Now silently repeat your sankalpa three times,
Slowly,
Feeling it as true.
Let it go now,
Like a seed planted in soft,
Dark soil.
You don't need to think about it again.
It will grow while you rest.
Now we'll travel through the body.
As I name each part,
Let your awareness rest there for a moment,
Then move on.
No need to move or relax anything.
Simply notice.
Bring your awareness to the right hand.
The thumb,
The index finger.
The middle finger.
The ring finger.
The pinky finger.
Palm of the hand.
The back of the hand.
The wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
The armpits,
The right side of the waist.
The right hip,
Thigh.
Me.
Shin.
The calf,
Ankle.
Heal.
The sole of the foot.
The top of the foot.
The big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And your little toe.
Now the left hand.
The thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
A palm,
The back of the hand.
The wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
The upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
The left side of the waist.
The left hip.
Thigh.
Me,
Shin.
The calf.
Ankle.
Heal.
The sole of the foot.
The top of the foot.
The big toe,
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And your little toe.
Now the back of the body.
The right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
The right side of the low back.
The left side of the low back.
The whole spine from the base of the skull to the tailbone.
Feel the whole back resting on the ground.
The top of the head.
Forehead.
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow.
The space between the eyebrows.
The right eye.
The left eye.
Right ear.
Left ear.
The right cheek.
The left cheek.
The nose,
Tip of the nose.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Jaw,
The chin,
The throat.
The right collarbone,
The left collarbone.
The right side of the chest.
The left side of the chest.
The center of the chest.
The heart space.
The upper belly,
The navel.
The lower belly.
Pelvis,
The space deep within the pelvis,
Softening.
Now the whole right leg.
The whole left leg.
Both legs together.
The whole right arm.
The whole left arm.
Both arms together.
The whole back.
The whole front.
The whole head.
The whole body.
The whole body together.
The whole body resting.
The whole body supported.
The whole body at peace.
Bring your awareness back to the breath.
The natural breath.
The belly rising.
And falling.
Now begin to count your breaths backward,
Silently,
From 10 down to 1.
Breathing in 10.
Breathing out 10.
Breathing in 9.
.
.
Breathing out nice.
And if you lose count.
Simply begin at 10 again.
There's no wrong way.
Now let the counting go.
Bring to mind a feeling of heaviness.
Your whole body heavy.
Arms heavy,
Legs heavy,
Sinking deep into the earth like a stone resting on the riverbed.
And now a feeling of lightness.
Your body light,
Weightless,
Floating like a leaf resting on still water.
Now a feeling of warmth.
Imagine sitting in the late afternoon sun.
Warmth on your skin.
Warmth all around you.
And now let that warmth be met by coolness.
A soft cool breeze moving across your skin.
Cool water around your ankles.
A cool cloth resting on your forehead.
Let the back of your neck cool.
Your chest cool,
Your whole body cool and calm.
Stay with the coolness.
Remember this feeling.
Your body knows how to find it again.
Now let images arise in the space behind your closed eyes.
Simply let them come and go as I name them.
A candle flame steady and still.
The full moon over the ocean.
A cup of warm tea held in two hands.
Falling autumn leaves.
A quiet path through tall grass.
Cool rain on a window.
A mother bird in her nest.
A single lotus flower opening.
The first star in the evening sky.
Your own face smiling softly.
Now imagine yourself at the edge of a garden,
At the end of a long,
Warm day.
The heat of the afternoon is fading.
The light is soft and golden.
And the air is beginning to cool.
You step onto a path of smooth stones,
Cool beneath your bare feet.
With every step,
Your body feels a little lighter,
A little more at ease.
All around you are flowers in soft shades of rose and lavender,
The scent of jasmine on the breeze,
The sound of leaves moving gently in the trees.
The path leads you to a still,
Clear pool.
The water is cool and calm,
Like glass,
Reflecting the evening sky.
You sit at the edge and let your feet slip into the water.
Feel the coolness rising around your ankles,
Your calves.
Any heat in your body begins to soften and drain away,
Flowing down your legs and out into the cool water.
The water holds whatever you no longer need to carry.
The tension,
The restless nights.
The worry.
You can let it go.
The water takes it gently away.
As the sky deepens to violet,
You notice someone sitting quietly beside you.
It's a woman a little older than you are now.
Calm.
Strong and at ease in herself.
You realize she is you,
The woman you are becoming.
She looks at you with deep kindness.
She has already walked through this season and she knows you will too.
She leans in close and offers you a few words.
Words you need to hear right now.
Simply listen.
Thank her in whatever way feels right.
Know that you can return to this garden and to her anytime you need to.
Now rest here by the water.
Under the first evening stars.
Cool,
Calm,
Safe,
Completely at home in your body.
Let the garden fade gently like the last light of evening.
Now from this deep place of rest,
Bring back your Sankalpa,
The same words you chose at the beginning.
Silently repeat it three times,
Slowly,
With your whole heart,
Knowing it is already true.
Now let go of everything,
The words,
The images,
Even listening.
Simply rest in the stillness.
Aware,
And at peace.
You are resting deeply,
Your body calm,
Your mind quiet.
Slowly begin to bring your awareness back.
Back to the breath.
A little deeper now.
Feeling the belly rise and fall.
Notice the surface beneath you.
The sounds around you.
The temperature of the air on your skin.
Begin to make small movements.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Gently roll your wrists and ankles.
Take a slow,
Easy stretch in any direction that feels good.
When you're ready,
Roll onto your right side and rest there for a few breaths.
There's no hurry.
Carry this calm with you into your evening,
Into your sleep.
Into the moments when a wave of heat or worry rises.
The cool garden is always there.
One long,
Slow exhale can bring you back.
When you feel ready,
Slowly press yourself up to sitting or simply stay here and drift into sleep.
Thank you for giving yourself this time.
Namaste.
