Hello and welcome to this deeply nourishing and restorative yoga nidra practice.
My name is Laura and I'll be guiding you today.
If you haven't already,
Find your way into a comfortable position lying down on your back.
Let your arms rest a little away from your body with the palms facing up.
And have the legs relaxed and slightly apart.
Although you're lying down,
The aim is to stay awake so that you receive all the benefits of this healing,
Relaxing yoga nidra practice.
Once you're there,
Allow your eyes to gently close.
Take a moment to adjust anything you need.
A blanket,
A pillow under the knees.
So that you can be as still as possible throughout the practice.
And start to arrive here.
Letting go of anything from the day thus far.
Or anything from the day ahead.
This is your time,
And there is truly nothing to do and nowhere to be.
Take a moment to notice how you arrived today.
Maybe your mind is busy.
Or your body carries some tension.
Maybe you feel tired or a little emotionally full.
Whatever is here is welcome.
You don't need to be any different than you are.
Just let yourself land.
Let's take three deep breaths together to help you settle in.
Empty any air out.
And big inhale through the nose,
Filling the belly and chest completely.
And then through the mouth,
Slowly exhale.
Again,
Long deep inhale,
Drawing in everything you need.
And slowly exhale letting go of anything you don't.
One more,
Deep breath in.
And maybe with a sigh letting it out.
Releasing any last bit of tension.
Beautiful.
Let your breath return to its own natural rhythm and simply rest here.
Held by the earth and ground below you.
Now bring to mind your sankalpa,
Your heartfelt intention.
This is a short positive statement spoken in the present tense.
As if it's already true.
Something like,
I am worthy of rest.
Or I trust myself.
Or I am at peace.
If you already have a Tsongkhapa you return to each time you practice,
Let it rise up now.
If this is new to you,
Take a moment and let one arrive.
There's no right or wrong answer.
Just notice what feels true and alive for you right now.
Once you have it,
Feel into it for a moment before you say it.
Where does this intention live in your body?
Maybe there's a warmth in the chest.
Or softening around the heart.
Let yourself feel the truth of it before you even say the words.
Now repeat it silently to yourself three times,
With feeling,
As if it's already so.
Beautiful.
Let it settle into you now,
Like a seed planted deep in fertile soil.
We'll return to it again before we close.
And now we'll move your awareness through the body.
There's nothing to do but notice each part as I name it.
No need to move anything.
Just let your attention rest there for a moment,
Like a gentle spotlight moving slowly through you.
As we move through the body,
You may notice sensations,
Tingling,
Warmth,
Heaviness,
Or perhaps nothing at all.
All of that is welcome.
There is no right or wrong experience here.
We're just noticing.
Bring your awareness to your right hand.
The thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
You the palm of the hand.
The back of the hand.
The wrist.
The right former.
The elbow.
The upper arm.
The shoulder.
All the way up to the right side of the neck.
Now bring your awareness to your left hand.
The thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger,
Ring finger.
And the pinky.
The rest.
The left forearm.
Elbow.
The upper arm.
The shoulder.
All the way up the left side of the neck.
Now bring your attention to the crown or top of the head.
The forehead.
The right eyebrow.
The left eyebrow.
The space between the eyebrows.
The right eye.
The left eye.
The right ear.
The left ear.
The nose.
Right cheek.
The left cheek.
The lips,
The chin.
And the jaw.
And bringing your attention to the throat.
And down to the chest.
The right side of the chest.
The left side.
The entire chest.
The belly.
Letting it soften completely and a low belly.
And then taking awareness to the right hip.
The right thigh.
The knee.
And sham.
The right ankle.
The heel.
The sole of the right foot.
The top of the right foot.
And all five toes of the right foot.
And now the left hip.
The thigh.
The knee.
And sham.
The ankle.
The heel.
The sole of the left foot.
The top of the foot.
And all five toes of the left foot.
You And now the whole back of the body,
Starting with the back of the head.
Back of the neck.
The right shoulder blade.
The left shoulder blade.
The full length of the spine.
The lower back.
The right side of your seat.
The left side of your seat.
Back of the right thigh.
Back of the left thigh.
Back of the right knee.
Left knee.
The right calf.
Back of the left calf.
The right heel,
And the left heel.
Now feel the whole body at once,
Every part you've visited resting together.
Heavy and at ease.
Feel the full outline of the body.
From the crown of the head to the soles of the feet.
Front and back.
Inside and out.
Feel the body as a whole,
Breathing.
Hell.
Complete.
Let your attention settle now on the natural rhythm of the breath.
There's nothing to change here.
Just notice the breath as it is.
Flowing in and flowing out,
All on its own.
Notice some breath moving in through the nostrils.
And owl.
Maybe you feel a slight coolness on the inhale.
And warmth on the exhale.
Maybe you feel the gentle rise and fall of the belly or the chest.
Now silently count your breaths backward from 27.
One count for every exhale.
So 27 26.
Continue on your own.
And if your mind wanders,
That's perfectly natural.
Just come back to 27 and begin again.
With no judgment at all.
Beautiful.
You can let go of the counting.
And now for a few breaths,
Simply notice the space at the top of the inhale.
That small still pause before the breath turns.
And then notice the space at the bottom of the exhale.
Before it begins again.
Allow your awareness to rest there in those quiet gaps between breaths.
And let go of the breath now.
And simply rest in the easy rhythm of your own body.
Like the gentle rise and fall of the tide.
Good.
Now invite in some opposite feelings and sensations.
Allowing the body and mind to hold both and to find the spaciousness in between.
First bring to mind the sensation of heaviness.
Let your whole body feel heavy.
Sinking down into the earth beneath you.
As if you couldn't lift a finger even if you wanted to.
Every muscle releasing.
Every joint softening Your whole body melting down,
Down,
Down.
And now the opposite.
Bring to mind the sensation of lightness.
Imagine your body is light as air.
Weightless,
Almost floating.
As if you could rise up off the ground.
So light and so free.
Now let that go and bring to mind warmth.
Maybe feeling sunlight on your skin.
Or a cozy blanket or warm water.
Feel that warmth spreading gently through the body.
Relaxing every cell.
And now coolness,
A gentle breeze moving across your skin.
Or cool water flowing through you,
Refreshing and clean.
Now bring to mind a feeling of tension somewhere in the body Maybe something you've been holding lately.
Something unresolved or heavy.
Let yourself feel the full weight of it.
Without pushing it away or trying to fix it.
Knowing you're safe.
Just hold it with an open hand.
And now its opposite,
Ease.
Let a wave of ease move through you.
Like warm water dissolving whatever you just held.
Feel relief,
Feel softness.
Feel relaxed.
And now allow yourself to open to the feeling of love.
Maybe calling up a memory where you received love.
Or when you gave love.
Allow it to fill your heart and chest Let it be almost too much.
And then allow the feeling of its opposite,
The absence of love,
Maybe a feeling of loneliness or longing that we sometimes carry.
Hold that too,
Just for a moment,
Without any story,
Just noticing what that feels like.
And then let that go and rest in the calm,
Neutral space that's left behind.
The still point between opposites.
Where you are simply,
Peacefully here.
Beautiful.
Now let your mind's eye open to a visualization.
I'll offer you a series of images.
Let each one appear and dissolve in its own time.
Without holding on.
Light clouds moving across the sky of your awareness.
So first picture a golden sunrise over still water And now a child laughing in an open field.
Now the flame of a single candle in a dark room.
Now see a door opening to reveal soft,
Warm light.
Now picture a tree with roots going deep into the earth.
And branches reaching wide into the sky.
Now see a person standing at the edge of the ocean,
Arms open,
Face turned toward the sun.
And now bring to mind a place that feels completely your own someplace that feels safe,
Spacious.
Peaceful.
It could be a beach,
A forest,
A place from your past.
Or somewhere that exists only in your imagination.
Let it form around you now in as much detail as possible.
Use all of your senses to really feel yourself there Noticing what all you can see the colors,
The quality of the light.
What all can you hear?
Are there any scents in the air?
Feel the temperature against your skin and the ground or surface beneath you.
Let yourself wander through this place.
Or simply sit within it.
This is a space you can return to anytime you would like rest or refuge.
Let yourself really receive the nourishment of this place right now.
Beautiful.
You can let that image begin to soften,
Fade,
Knowing it will always be there for you if you want to return to it.
Bring your Tsongkhapa back to mind now.
The same intention you planted at the beginning of the practice.
Notice how much more open and receptive you are to receiving it now.
The mind is quiet.
The body is at rest.
The heart space is soft.
Feel into the truth of your sankalpa.
Not as something you're reaching for,
But as something you already are.
Let it be true in your bones and your cells in the deepest part of you.
And then while tapping into the feeling of your sankalpa,
Silently repeat it to yourself three more times.
Letting it root even more deeply now.
Trust that this intention is already taking root.
Growing in its own time.
In its own way.
And know that you are worthy of it.
Slowly start to broaden your awareness back out.
Back into the room or space you're in.
Begin to notice the surface beneath you again,
Supporting your full weight.
Notice any sounds in the room or outside of it.
Without needing to identify or respond to them.
Feel the temperature of the air on your skin.
Take a moment now to acknowledge yourself.
For showing up.
For allowing yourself to receive.
In today's world that is not a small thing.
So I invite you to say any words of love and encouragement that you would like to hear.
Beautiful.
Start to deepen your breath a little.
And gently invite movement back into the body.
Maybe wiggling the fingers and toes.
Rolling the wrists and ankles Maybe bringing your hands to rest on the belly or your heart.
Take your time here,
There's no rush and nothing to get back to quite yet.
Savor this time and transition.
And then whenever you feel ready,
Take a full stretch through the body in whatever way feels good.
And then taking as much time as you'd like.
Slowly and gently open your eyes.
Letting them slowly adjust to the space.
Thank you for showing up for yourself and giving yourself this time to truly rest.
I honor you for it,
And I hope you carry this restfulness and peace with you as you move forward.
Take good care.
