Hello my dear friend welcome to healing rest my name is Kalyani and tonight I invite you to take some time for you the day is over there's nothing more you need to do you have done enough for today please allow it to be enough if you haven't already please find a comfortable position for your body make sure you are in a space where you feel protected and at ease no interruptions covering your body and feel gravity wrapping around you like a comforting blanket welcome yourself into a space of recharging healing and deep sleep once your body is completely supported and at ease allow stillness to spread from the top of your head all the way down to your feet letting go of the busyness of your day begin to breathe out your to-do list let go of deadlines and stress creating a comfortable nest of ease and tranquility bring your awareness now to the space between your body and your bed invite your body to soften and rest notice as you begin to surrender into relaxation the spaces between your body and your bed becoming smaller and smaller your body at ease mind at rest allowing your breath to just naturally slow down your body at ease resting on your bed not forcing a change in the breath simply give it permission to slow down tonight we will explore somatic awareness in somatic awareness practices we tune into our body becoming aware of our inner landscape without judgment no need to label what we discover as good or bad simple awareness noticing sensations like an interior researcher there is nothing to fix or change you are not broken or damaged simply noticing sensations by becoming aware of the sensations within we allow our analyzing mind to rest while we stay fully present in our physical experience our brain cannot worry and feel at the same time so by noticing sensations we get our mind to quiet this bottom-up approach gives our nervous system time to stand down as we fully connect back to our emotions this level of awareness will assist us in reducing chronic stress and tension it will help us to improve our emotional regulation and help us to process trauma by releasing stored tension in our body improving our decision-making and enhance our resilience in yoga nidra we start by setting our intention our sankalpa take some time now to formulate the words of your positive I am statement if one doesn't come to mind that's okay I encourage you to use the sankalpa I am the witness please repeat your chosen sankalpa three times with feeling let's begin by shifting our breath now focusing on the sensations in our body so we can get out of our mind begin to breathe slow and steady through your nose with each inhalation feel all the muscles that assist you in drawing the breath in with every exhalation feel the muscles squeezing out every last drop of air creating even more space for your next inhalation total awareness on all of the movement happening within the stillness I'll give you a few moments to explore the feeling of your breath moving in and your breath moving out and then you will hear my voice again allow your body to be at rest and your mind to be alert as we trust the body to maintain this steady easy rhythm of breath breath moving in and out of your nose with ease now together let's take a journey of sensation throughout the body we will remain in comfortable stillness as we simply shift our attention to different parts of the body maintain curiosity without judgment we simply notice sensations in the part of the body mentioned without attaching emotions to it remember there is nothing to change or fix here simple awareness then ask that body part to be at ease as we move on to the next place within that needs our attention where attention goes energy flows so allow this to be a journey of self-love you deserve your total awareness for this little sliver of time no longer judging or criticizing this body we will give each part our undivided attention and be open to any messages it may have for us before we begin this journey please remember that your mind is designed to think make no attempt to stop the flow of thoughts it is totally normal to go in and out of conscious hearing each time you notice that you have drifted off into thinking that's okay please allow my voice to be that of a trusted friend and guide lovingly bringing you back to the present moment over and over again and back to the journey of exploring sensations in your body the fact that you noticed you were thinking means that you are doing this right be easy with yourself notice sensations on your right hand feel your right hand thumb pointer finger middle finger a ring finger pinky finger sensations in the palm of your right hand allow the back of your right hand to grow heavy melting into the support beneath it notice sensations on the tips of your right fingers the whole right hand alive with vibration invite that sensation of tingling into your right wrist forearm elbow upper arm alive with sensation feel the entire right shoulder growing heavy pulsating letting go allow the entire right arm to surrender into the bed feeling held and supported no need to stay tight and ready just ease and relaxation in the entire right arm flow your awareness to the right collarbone softening hollow of your throat right chest right armpit the right ribs gently opening like the gills of a fish with your inhale and knitting back together with your exhale feel all of the spaces between the right ribs sensations in the right waist low belly and low back right hip alive with vibration feel the upper leg right knee lower leg ankle heel top of the right foot sole right big toe second toe third toe fourth toe and fifth toe rest your awareness in the sensations you discover on the tips of your toes the whole right leg at ease still but alive with sensation notice sensations on your left hand feel your left hand thumb pointer finger middle finger ring finger pinky finger sensations in the palm of your left hand allow the back of your left hand to grow heavy melting into the support beneath it notice sensations on the tips of your left fingers the whole left hand alive with vibration invite the sensation of tingling into your left wrist forearm elbow upper arm alive with sensation feel the entire left shoulder growing heavy pulsating letting go allow the entire left arm to surrender into the bed feeling held and supported no need to stay tight and ready just ease and relaxation in the entire left arm flow your awareness to the left collarbone softening hollow of your throat left chest left armpit left ribs gently opening like the gills of a fish with your inhale and knitting back together with your exhale feel all of the spaces between the left ribs sensations in the left waist low belly low back left hip alive with vibration feel the upper leg left knee lower leg ankle heel top of the left foot sole left big toe second toe third toe fourth toe and fifth toe arrest your awareness in the sensations you discover on the tips of your left toes and the whole left leg at ease still but alive with sensation observe a feeling of openness at the top of your head feel the entire scalp notice your right ear hearing left ear hearing feel both ears receiving the vibration of sound follow the sound deep into your ears attempt to find the space between your ears and rest there for a moment feel your forehead right eyebrow left eyebrow the space between your eyebrows alive with sensation feel your right eye as radiant vibration feel your left eye alive with sensation notice both eyes together invite your eyes to grow even heavier as your closed eyes gaze up toward the space between your eyebrows what sensations do you discover on your nose feel the right nostril feel the left nostril feel both nostrils together tip of the nose inside the nose air moving from the outside in through the nose and spreading throughout the entire body cool air moving in warm air moving out feel the right cheek feel the left cheek feel the right cheek left cheek left cheek left cheek left cheek left cheek hinge of the jaw softening feel the upper lip feel the lower lip rest for a moment in the space between the lips feel the upper teeth and gums lower teeth and gums is there any space between the upper and lower teeth become curious are there any tastes lingering on your tongue the entire tongue allowed to rest remember no judgment simple awareness of what is present right now observe your neck and throat breathing out any stubbornness you discover there no longer holding in angry words feeling free to speak your truth what you have to say matters then feel your heart center softening allow yourself to feel safe enough to be open and begin to break down the wall of protection around your heart feel sensation at your solar plexus feel sensation at your solar plexus softening your determination there is no goal here just awareness and openness as you ask all internal organs to be relaxed and at ease sensations just below your belly button pelvic floor softening base of the spine alive with sensation now let's begin to ride the wave of our breath from the base of our spine up to the top of our head becoming a clear channel for the breath to flow to move through you may feel this breath moving through the center of your body as sensation or see it as healing white light traveling from the base of your spine up to the top of your head however you experience your breath is fine simply ride the wave of your breath up and down your spine the cosmic tide of prana stay with your breath as it flows up your spine golden vibrant radiant and down your spine warming brilliant vital so imagine a full moon on a crisp winter night a blazing sun on a hot summer's day a newborn baby a wise old man a vast turbulent ocean an unmovable steady mountain a soaring eagle a slithering snake a lotus flower rising out of the muck a radiant sparkling diamond envision yourself in a calm peaceful place in nature perhaps a warm sunny meadow in the afternoon feel your bare feet walking effortlessly through the springy green grass standing in the open air in the open meadow surrounded by a lush green forest tip your face up as you welcome the warmth of the sun to wash over you this meadow is a symphony of senses as you breathe in you discover notes of wildflower honey the fresh air tinged with the scent of warm sun-baked earth blending with the wild herbs and hints of sweet ripe berries and the gentle breeze caresses your skin wrapping around you like a peaceful invisible shawl whispering through the tall green grass like a contented sigh to the peaceful day a sense of calm as the buzzing bees hum and the birds sing their happy little tune a nearby creek gurgling over stones its trickling water softly adding to the soothing soundscape gentle sounds of life all around up ahead in the distance you see a path through the trees the enchanted forest beckoning you into its pulsing heartbeat its ancient song calling out to your soul completely enchanted you decide to explore the towering trees guardians of the deep wild welcome you into their magical realm everything shifts as you leave the hum of the meadow the air becomes instantly cooler now tasting of moss and pine each footstep is muffled by a blanket of soft decaying leaves and the sunbeams soften as they filter down through the canopy of emerald leaves waltzing on the forest floor and casting a tranquil spell that hushes the outside world the beauty and peacefulness drawing you deeper and deeper within the wind dancing playfully through the leaves inviting the ancient sentinels to whisper their stories sharing their centuries of wisdom with you the spongy pillows of moss soften each step protecting and guiding your way the path winds effortlessly up the side of the mountain climbing steadily up until you notice a small opening in the side of the mountain it appears to be a cave you feel drawn to explore and as you get closer you discover there's a golden flickering light emanating from the cave a single candle its small flame a beacon of warmth symbolizing hope a chance to remember your inner light its warm glow a tiny ember in the throat of the cave casting out the darkness its light sending lively shadows to dance across the cold wet walls a sacred temple hidden away from the world a sanctuary of profound stillness and ancient wisdom the silence only broken by the soft rhythmic sound of your breath you sit down in front of the candle and breathe in the whispers of incense blended with ancient stone you feel a wave of serenity wash over you allow mother earth to cradle you gently feel the sensation of earth supporting you fully within this sacred place let go of all effort allowing your mind to rest in comfortable stillness and ease as you gaze at the dancing flame you drop into deep meditation in the middle of the flame you see a golden lotus unfolding a thousand petals unfurling like a long-kept secret a sigh of sweet fragrance kissing your nostrils as if waking up from a long slumber you see the lotus stretch its limbs and at the center is your Sankalpa your intention for practicing see the words rising up with the smoke and then gaze into the flame once more and see that the lotus is no longer in the flame feel it continuing to unfold within your heart unlocking the insights a goldmine of experiences repeat your Sankalpa three times with feeling your intention tucks safely within your heart access always available at any point in your day by simply deepening your breath this cave of serenity always within you feel the softness of your body experience the ease in your mind then think back to the beginning of the practice when we welcome stillness from the top of our head all the way down to our toes observe the sensations you discover within now are they different from when we started this journey?
Feel your body once more resting completely supported by your bed become aware of your slow and steady breath compare the temperature of your inhalation to the temperature of your exhalation cool inhale,
Warm exhale begin to sense the space around your body once more keeping the eyes closed,
Simply imagine the roof above you protecting the walls around you,
Their strength seeping into your soul your bed holding and cradling you in safety,
Ease,
And love now roll gently to the right side,
Hugging your knees into your heart,
Giving yourself a hug the symbol of new beginnings we have wiped the slate clean of the past feeling as if you have a whole new perspective on life invite your breath to expand into the back of your body creating a feeling of lightness and openness within allowing us to drift into deep healing rest with ease sleep well my friends
