Welcome to this yoga nidra practice for gratitude.
Let's start by getting as comfortable as possible.
You can lie down with a bolster or a pillow under your knees and perhaps something under your head for extra support.
A blanket always feels nice to keep you warm as the body can cool down when you enter into a state of deep relaxation.
There will be short periods of silence for you to have your own experience and let go into the practice.
Yoga nidra,
Which means yogic sleep,
Is a guided relaxation that might put you on the border between being awake and being asleep.
A place where you can rest deeply and get all kinds of benefits like creativity and stress relief.
Although it's called yogic sleep,
We're not planning to actually go to sleep.
We are hoping to surf the interface between waking and sleeping.
But if you do fall asleep,
That's fine.
It's part of the process and maybe it's what you really need more than anything else right now.
If you become uncomfortable and really have to move,
Then go ahead and move.
Sometimes the urge to move might just be resistance to going deeper.
So try observing the urge to make sure you really do have to move.
If anything in the nidra makes you feel uncomfortable and you want it to stop,
All you have to do is move your fingers and toes and open your eyes and you will come out of the nidra state.
So let us begin by taking a few long,
Deep and slow breaths.
Try focusing your awareness on the exhalation rather than the inhalation and notice how that changes your awareness of your breath.
Just begin to check in with your body and notice whether you are tensing any particular areas.
Perhaps you are holding your brows together,
Holding tension in your shoulders,
Legs,
Ankles.
And as you breathe,
Start to notice your surroundings.
What does the surface that you are lying or sitting on feel like?
Is it soft?
Hard?
Cushioned?
What is its texture like?
A rubbery yoga mat?
Soft bed sheets?
A soft wool blanket?
If you have drawn a cover over you,
How does that feel?
What is its texture like?
Notice the temperature of the air on your skin,
On your face.
Is it warm in the space you are in?
If you are outside,
Is there a gentle breeze?
Just begin to connect to the sensations of the space around you.
As you breathe in,
Imagine the air to be cool and cleansing on the in-breath.
Maybe you would like to give it a colour,
Something pure and soft.
Maybe white or turquoise.
And allow your inhalations to fill you up with clarity,
Like a cleansing tonic for the soul.
We are so busy in our day-to-day lives that we often forget to notice the small moments in our day that brings us joy.
For me,
It's the smell of my freshly poured cup of coffee,
Or the sweet tang of fresh berries for breakfast.
Perhaps there is a moment today where something made you smile,
Made you appreciate the day and where you are.
The sun shining on your face,
Seeing a beautiful bird of spring flowers,
Receiving a lovely message from a friend.
Take a few breaths to locate that moment and acknowledge it.
Give it thanks and hold gratitude for that moment,
How it brought light,
Even just to a flicker of your day.
Now we come to a phase of rotating our awareness around the body.
When I name a part of the body,
I invite you to feel or visualise a golden light shining there.
This golden light can radiate from within the body,
Or you can imagine it as a golden thread descending from the universe and illuminating each part.
The right thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Fingers and thumb together.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Armpit.
Side of the waist.
Hip.
Front right thigh.
Back of the thigh.
Knee.
Back of the knee.
Shin.
Calf.
Ankle.
Heel.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
All toes together.
The whole right side.
Golden light in the left thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Fingers and thumb together.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Side of the waist.
Hip.
Front left thigh.
Back of thigh.
Knee.
Back of knee.
Shin.
Calf.
Ankle.
Heel.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
All toes together.
The whole left side.
Golden light in the whole right arm.
The whole left arm.
Both arms together.
The whole right leg.
The whole left leg.
Both legs together.
And your whole body.
Expand awareness into the whole body.
The golden light and your whole body.
Your whole body resting.
Now we come to a phase of awareness of the breath.
Start by just noticing,
And watching the natural rhythm of the breath,
And the way the body gently moves with your breath.
And now,
We come to a phase of awareness of the breath.
Start counting to four on the inhalation,
And four on the exhalation.
If you drift off,
Then that's a good thing.
It will deepen your practice of yoga nidra.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale two,
Three,
Four.
We'll continue like this for another two minutes.
And I'll let you know when we come to the end of that time.
We'll continue like this for another two minutes.
Inhale for four.
Exhale for four.
Exhale for four.
And now come back to your natural rhythm of breath,
Letting the work go.
Take a moment to come back to the image of that little something that brought you joy in your day to day.
I invite you to let the scene wash over your mind,
And fill you with that same feeling it gave you,
Whatever time it was earlier in the day.
For me,
I'm remembering feeling the warmth of the sunlight on my face,
And drinking it all in.
Hold a space for gratitude for that moment,
And thank it for bringing you a time of joy in your day.
Then let it go.
Now beginning your slow and gentle return.
Slowly start to make your way back,
Feeling your body,
Listening to the sounds around you.
Slowly begin to move your hands and feet,
And take some deep inhalations.
Maybe you stretch your arms up over your head,
And draw your knees to your chest.
Rock from side to side,
Then roll over onto one side.
And in your own time,
Come up to sitting,
Keeping your eyes closed.
And here,
We close our practice.
