This is Catherine.
I'll be your guide through this Yoga Nidra body scan for relaxation.
This meditation is intended to calm your body and your mind before bed.
Unlike a traditional Yoga Nidra,
I will not guide you back to a waking state and you may drift gently into sleep.
Get comfortable in your bed.
Adjust your pillows and blankets,
Creating a warm,
Safe cocoon where you can rest deeply.
Take a few moments to find a comfortable position and settle into stillness.
At any point during the guidance,
You are free to shift positions and move your body to make yourself even more comfortable.
We'll begin with progressive relaxation for the body,
First with the feet and continuing until the whole body is involved.
To do this exercise,
You will tense and contract your muscles as you inhale,
Hold the tension and hold your breath briefly,
Then relax the muscles as you exhale.
It becomes a pattern of tense,
Hold and release.
Please go at your own pace and using the amount of tension that is tolerable for you.
With your next inhale,
Curl your toes and contract the muscles of the foot as though you are gripping a tennis ball with the arch of your foot.
Tense,
Hold and release,
Continuing and this time,
Tensing the foot and adding the muscles of the lower leg.
All the muscles in the leg bringing tension,
Hold and release.
And with your next inhale,
Pull your fingers into a fist,
Tense,
Hold and release the fingers,
Stretch them out,
Continuing with your hands and all the muscles of the arm,
The elbow and shoulder,
Tense,
Hold and release.
Moving to the face,
Scrunching your eyes and nose and mouth,
Bringing tension to the face,
Hold and release,
Repeating again at your own pace.
And finally,
Contracting all of the muscles in your body,
Bringing tension through your whole body,
Tense,
Hold and release.
Last one at your own pace.
Resting here,
Notice the sensations of your body.
How do you feel?
And what could you do to get even 1% more comfortable?
Make any adjustments to your pillows and blankets,
Any adjustments to the position of your body and come to rest in stillness.
In your mind,
Trace the outline of your body,
The edges of your body like a shoreline.
Could you imagine yourself as still water,
Perhaps a peaceful lake or a deep,
Tranquil pool,
A clear body of water,
Perfectly calm and still.
And visualize a single drop of rain,
It falls gently,
Landing in the center of your forehead,
Soft ripples moving across your head and scalp.
And as the ripples fade,
A second drop of rain lands in the same place.
As the ripples flow across the forehead,
The muscle of the mind begins to release.
A third raindrop washes away any lingering thoughts.
A fourth drop,
Watching the ripples see any worries drifting away.
A fifth drop of rain washes away the tension from your forehead and from your scalp.
Now allow your attention to drift around your body,
And as I name each body part,
Notice the sensations present.
It is natural for attention to wander,
But if it helps connect with your body,
You may imagine a drop of water landing on that part,
Spreading ripples of relaxation from that point.
There is no right or wrong way to experience this body scan,
And no action is required.
Trust that whatever you do or do not experience is just right for you in this moment.
Attention flows to the right shoulder,
The elbow,
Wrist,
The tip of the right thumb,
The second finger,
The third finger,
The fourth finger,
The fifth finger,
Awareness pooling in the palm of the right hand,
Ripples of relaxation moving through the whole right arm,
The right shoulder blade,
The right side of the chest,
Awareness flowing down the right side of the spine,
To the tip of the tailbone,
The right hip,
The knee,
The ankle,
The tip of the big toe,
The second toe,
The third toe,
The fourth toe,
The fifth toe,
The center of the sole of the right foot,
The ripples of relaxation moving through the whole right leg,
Attention flows to the left shoulder,
The elbow,
The wrist,
The tip of the thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Awareness pooling in the palm of the left hand,
Ripples of relaxation moving through the whole left arm,
The left shoulder blade,
And the left side of the chest,
Awareness flowing down the left side of the spine,
To the tip of the tailbone,
The left hip,
The knee,
The ankle,
The tip of the big toe,
The second toe,
The third toe,
The fourth toe,
The fifth toe,
The center of the sole of the left foot,
Ripples of relaxation moving through the whole left leg,
The navel,
The heart,
The base of the throat,
The tip of the tongue,
The roof of the mouth,
Teeth and gums,
The jaw,
The ears,
The back of the head and the scalp,
The top of the head,
Welcoming awareness throughout the whole body,
From the top of the head to the tips of the fingers and the tips of the toes,
The whole body brimming with awareness,
The whole body full of breath,
Notice the body breathing itself,
Breath flowing in and out,
Without any instruction or effort,
Witness the rhythm of your breath,
And becoming aware of the transitions,
The space between inhale and exhale,
The space between exhale and inhale,
Resting an observation of the natural breath,
Returning to the image of still water,
Visualize a mirror-like lake,
A starry sky,
A starry sky reflected in still water,
The full moon,
The full moon covered by pillowy clouds,
The wings of a white owl,
A feather falling toward the earth,
A soft feather pillow,
A cozy bed,
The light of the moon through your window,
The light of the moon through your window,
A full moon covered by pillowy clouds,
A starry sky reflected in still water,
A starry sky,
As you drift deep into sleep,
Welcome these heartfelt wishes,
May you be peaceful,
May you be at ease,
May you sleep deeply,
May you rest well,
May you dream sweetly,
May you be peaceful,
May you be at ease,
May you sleep deeply,
May you rest well,
May you dream sweetly,
Goodnight,
May you be peaceful,
May you be at ease,
May you sleep deeply,
May you rest well,
May you dream sweetly,
Goodnight.
