Let's start by lying down comfortably.
You might lie on your back,
Or maybe you prefer another position.
You could try being cross-legged with your back against a wall,
Bolstered with cushions and pillows,
Perhaps something under the knees for support.
Or sitting up against the wall with the legs straight,
Something under the knees.
Whatever makes you feel comfortable,
And just choose what works for you right now.
You can close your eyes if you want.
And tuning into any sensations you feel in your mouth,
Lips,
Your eyebrows,
Between your eyebrows,
Your whole face.
Simply allow any sensations to just be.
Begin to travel your sense of feeling down into your shoulders and your arms.
Travelling down to the ribs,
Feeling them as they expand and contract with every breath.
And allowing any sensations in the abdomen,
The hips,
Legs,
All the way down through the knees,
The shins,
The ankles,
To the feet.
As the leaves begin to leave their trees,
Let us take note of this as nature's reminder that it's okay to let go.
Letting go allows space for newness,
Opportunity.
Whether this space is to create,
Or to just be,
With ourselves or with others.
And so I invite you to let your sankalpa,
Or intention,
For this practice be,
It's okay to let go.
You can repeat this three times in your own time.
Now we come to a phase of rotation of awareness around the body.
As I name a body part,
Simply welcome all the sensations you feel there.
Now there's nothing to change,
Nothing to adjust,
Fix,
Or alter.
Just allow yourself to feel your awareness in that place,
In that moment.
We'll begin at the point between the eyebrows,
Feeling any sensations between your eyebrows.
Feel a little hollow at the base of the throat,
The right shoulder,
Right elbow,
Wrist,
Right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Fourth finger,
Little finger,
Wrist,
Elbow,
Shoulder,
Base of the throat,
Left shoulder,
Elbow,
Wrist,
Left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Fourth finger,
Little finger,
Wrist,
Elbow,
Shoulder,
Heart centre,
Right side of chest,
Middle finger,
Left side of chest,
Solar plexus,
Pelvic floor,
Right hip,
Right knee,
Ankle,
Right hip,
Right knee,
Ankle,
Tip of big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Sixth toe,
Ankle,
Knee,
Hip,
Centre of pelvic floor,
Left hip,
Left knee,
Ankle,
Right knee,
Ankle,
Tip of big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Ankle,
Knee,
Hip,
Centre of pelvic floor,
Solar plexus,
Heart centre,
Throat,
Eyebrow centre,
Left shoulder,
Left elbow,
Right elbow,
Left hand,
Right hand,
Left elbow,
Right hand,
Left elbow,
Right elbow,
Right hand,
Left elbow,
Right arm,
Left arm,
Left arm,
Right arm,
Left arm,
Left arm,
Left arm.
Watch the natural rhythm of the breath.
Inhaling fresh energy,
And exhaling what you no longer need.
Inhaling cool,
Fresh,
And crisp air up the front body.
Allow the breath to pause overhead.
Then exhaling the warmth of your breath down the back body,
All the way to the soles of the feet.
Inhaling cool,
Fresh air up the front body.
Pause overhead,
And exhale the warmth of the breath down the back body,
All the way to the soles of the feet,
Before allowing the next inhale to come.
And continue to feel the breath looping its way up the front body,
Overhead,
Down the back body,
Under the soles of the feet,
Before inhaling again.
I'm going to leave you with a few moments and I'm going to leave you with your breath for about a minute,
But know that I'm still here.
Now letting go and returning to your natural rhythm of breath.
Now find yourself submerged in the image of your favorite place in nature.
Now this is somewhere that you feel calm,
Relaxed,
And close to yourself.
It might be in the mountains,
By a river,
On a beach somewhere,
Or wherever you feel calm,
Relaxed in nature.
You take a breath and breathe in the freshness of the air around you,
Noticing its coolness,
The fresh air around you,
Noticing its crispness as it travels up through your nose.
The smell of autumn washes through your senses.
You find yourself in a beautiful wooded forest.
The smell of leaf mulch,
Of moss,
And dew on the grass.
Streams running fully with fresh water.
Notice what you feel underfoot.
Are you walking barefoot?
Or are your feet cocooned in thick socks and hiking boots?
What colors can you see?
Oranges,
Bronzes,
Greens,
Yellows,
Greens,
Greens,
Yellows,
Greens,
Greens,
Golds.
A gentle breeze picks up.
All around you the leaves begin to fall from the trees,
Letting go to continue their work in the world.
They dance past you,
Seeds swell to the ground,
Carrying new life ready to begin.
You pause for a moment and close your eyes.
That low autumn sunlight illuminates behind your eyelids so that you are bathed in a warm glow,
Drinking in the light around you.
Allow all of these sensations,
Fresh,
Cool air to bring energy into your lungs,
Rejuvenating your senses with every breath.
And then letting go of any stagnant energy and feelings within the body,
Feeling yourself becoming lighter and clearer with every set of breath.
Inhaling fresh energy and exhaling what you no longer need.
Coming back for just a moment to your intention or sankalpa for this nidra.
That it's okay to let go.
Letting go allows space for newness,
Opportunity,
Space to create and to be.
It's okay to let go.
It's okay to let go.
It's okay to let go.
And now beginning your slow and gentle return.
Feeling your body and the surface underneath you.
Listen to the sounds around you.
Gently begin to move your hands and feet and take some deep inhalations.
Bringing yourself back to the room.
Maybe stretch your arms up over your head.
Take a lovely morning stretch.
Draw your knees up to your chest.
You might like to rock from side to side.
Then roll over to one side.
And in your own time,
Come up to sitting.
