We'll begin by quieting the mind and soothing the nervous system with a few rounds of a relaxation breath.
We'll begin by exhaling all of the air out of our lungs,
Then inhaling for a count of four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Pause,
And exhale for seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Pause,
And inhale for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Pause,
And exhale for seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Continue with this.
Inhale for four,
Pause for a moment,
Exhale for seven.
And really let yourself take time on that exhale,
Letting all of the breath out.
Allow the inhale to be nourishing,
But the exhale to really help you begin to unwind and soften the body and quiet the mind.
We'll do one more round of this breath,
And after that final long breath out,
Just settle into your natural rhythm of breath.
Now tell yourself three times,
Here begins the practice of Yoga Nidra.
I will receive whatever I need today.
And now tell yourself three times,
I am nourished,
Rested,
And calm.
And now bring your awareness to the space between the eyebrows.
Become aware of the base of the front of the neck,
The right shoulder,
Right elbow,
Right wrist,
And right thumb.
Become aware of the right index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
And little finger.
Become aware of the right wrist,
Elbow,
And shoulder.
Become aware of the base of the front of the neck,
The left shoulder,
Left elbow,
Left wrist,
And thumb.
Become aware of the left index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
And little finger.
Become aware of the left wrist,
Elbow,
And shoulder.
Become aware of the base of the front of the neck,
The center of the chest,
The right side of the chest,
And the center of the chest.
Become aware of the left side of the chest,
The center of the chest.
Become aware of the navel,
Pelvis,
And right hip.
Become aware of the right knee,
Ankle,
And big toe.
Become aware of the right second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And fifth toe.
Become aware of the right ankle,
Knee,
Hip,
And pelvis.
Become aware of the left hip,
Knee,
Ankle,
And left big toe.
Become aware of the left second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And little toe.
Become aware of the left ankle,
Knee,
And pelvis.
Become aware of the navel,
The center of the chest,
The base of the front of the neck,
And the center of the forehead.
Bring your awareness now to the belly.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of the belly with every inhale and each exhale.
On the inhale,
Feel the rise of the belly,
And exhale,
Feel the belly fall.
Just focus on the natural rise and fall of the belly with every inhale and each exhale.
Inhaling,
The belly rises,
And exhale,
The belly falls.
Allow yourself to be immersed in the sensation of breath.
Feeling the natural rise and fall of the belly with every inhale and each exhale.
Now,
Feel your body become warm,
Like you're wrapped up in a blanket.
Now,
Feel your body become cool,
Like you stepped out on a chilly night.
Now,
Experience happiness.
Experience sadness.
Now,
Feel your body become tense,
And feel your body become relaxed.
Now,
Feel your body become heavy,
And feel your body become light.
Now,
Experience stress,
And experience peace.
Complete and all-encompassing peace.
Now,
In your mind's eye,
Imagine a dark screen comes down behind your eyes.
On this screen,
A series of images come up as you watch one flash into the next and the next.
It begins by the image of a single dew drop on a leaf.
And that's replaced by the image of a cozy cabin in the woods.
Images continue to flash.
A golden key.
A ripple spreading across water.
A flickering candle flame.
A sunlit meadow.
A monarch butterfly.
A cloud floating in the sky.
A crackling campfire.
A white lotus flower.
A hummingbird in flight.
A fresh loaf of bread.
A starlit desert under a vast sky.
A calm lake at dawn.
A single snowflake.
A glowing lantern.
A field of wildflowers.
A hammock swinging between two trees.
A mirror reflecting light.
A forest in the summertime.
An owl in the sky.
A silver piece of thread.
A winding river.
A cave with glowing crystals.
An old leather-bound book.
A compass pointing north.
A sleeping kitten curled up.
A single star in the night sky.
A steaming cup of tea.
A handwritten letter.
A deer grazing in a meadow.
A cozy nook by a fireplace.
A starry night sky.
And a field of lavender.
And as this last image fades,
You instead focus on the darkness behind your eyes.
And you tell yourself three times,
I am nourished,
Rested and calm.
And now this is where I will leave you with my guidance.
If you need to continue on with your day,
You can do so now.
Otherwise,
I hope you are sleeping peacefully.
Thanks for joining me.
