Welcome.
Take a moment to settle into a position where your body can feel fully supported,
Perhaps lying down with a blanket beneath you or above you,
A pillow under the head or knees,
Anything else that allows you to fully soften without effort,
Allowing yourself to arrive exactly as you are.
There is no pressure to do this perfectly,
Only an invitation to rest and gently pay attention.
For the next 30 minutes,
You are invited into a space of deep rest and quiet awareness,
A space where your body can soften,
Your breath can move naturally,
And your mind can loosen its grip on the day.
Yoganidra is translated as yogic sleep,
But this is not about falling asleep.
It is a practice of resting while remaining gently aware,
A returning and a remembering as well as a quiet unfolding beneath the noise of constant doing.
As you settle here,
Allow yourself to feel held like the earth itself is carrying some of your weight,
Like you do not need to hold yourself up quite so tightly right now.
Take a slow breath in and a slow breath out,
Again,
Breathing in,
Softening out,
Feel your body arriving,
Your nervous system beginning to settle and the subtle exhale that comes when your body begins to sense it is safe enough to soften and rest.
Now we begin with a sankalpa,
Heartfelt intention,
A quiet seed planted gently into the softer layers of your awareness,
Not a goal,
Not something forced,
Just a simple truth you wish to nourish.
Moment to silently repeat your sankalpa to yourself three more times,
Slowly,
Gently,
As if placing it into the soil.
Begin to notice the simple experience of being here in this body.
Feel the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you,
Heels,
The backs of the legs,
The hips,
The spine,
The shoulders,
The back of the head,
But simply noticing.
Allow your jaw to soften,
Your tongue relaxing from the roof of your mouth,
The skin around your eyes smoothing out,
Imagine the muscles of the face just melting,
Your shoulders becoming heavier,
Your abdomen less guarded,
Your hands unclenching from everything they have been carrying.
You don't need to brace right now,
Allow your body to rest and settle.
We will now move awareness through different parts of the body,
There's nothing to visualize and nothing to do.
Simply bring awareness to each point as it is named,
Allowing your mind to move gently and steadily.
Begin with your right hand,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Pinky finger,
Palm of your hand,
Back of your hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Hip,
Underarm,
Right waist,
Right hip,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Right big toe.
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Pinky toe.
Now the left hand,
Left thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Pinky finger,
Palm of your hand,
Back of your hand,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Underarm,
Left waist,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the left foot,
Left big toe.
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Pinky toe,
Back of your head,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Mid back,
Right glute,
Back of your right leg,
Back of your left leg,
Eyebrows,
Space between the brows,
Cheeks,
Chin,
Throat,
Right collar bone.
Left collar bone,
Center of your chest,
Upper abdomen,
Feel the whole right side of your body,
The whole left side of your body,
Whole back of your body,
The whole front of your body.
Your entire body together,
Resting,
Breathing,
Held,
Gentle awareness,
Entire body together,
Resting.
And bring your awareness to the natural rhythm of your breath,
Just simply observing.
Notice where your breath moves most easily today,
Perhaps your belly,
Your chest,
Your ribs.
Observe the subtle widening and softening with each cycle.
Feel your inhale creating space,
Feel your exhale releasing.
Like waves arriving at the shore and slowly retreating again and again effortlessly.
Just notice your body breathing naturally on its own,
The ancient intelligence within you continuing quietly,
Without force,
Without striving.
As you breathe in,
Imagine a calm,
Steady energy gently spreading through your body,
Not sharp or overstimulating,
But clear and balanced and alive.
As you breathe out,
Imagine tension draining downward into the earth,
Any heaviness,
Mental clutter,
Exhaustion,
Softening with each exhale.
Breathing in steadiness,
Breathing out effort.
Begin silently counting your breath backward from 11 to 1.
11,
Breathing in.
11,
Breathing out.
Continue just like that.
If your mind wanders,
Gently return.
No judgment,
Just beginning again.
Now begin to notice the experience of opposites within your body,
Not forcing emotion,
But simply sensing.
Feel the sensation of heaviness,
Your body sinking toward the earth,
Dense,
Weighted,
Supported.
Now invite the opposite sensation,
Lightness,
Spaciousness,
As though the body could float,
Soft and open,
Heaviness,
Lightness.
Now feeling the sensation of warmth,
Like sunlight across your skin,
Like resting near a fire after a long day.
Fresh air,
Morning breeze,
Quiet shade.
Notice how your awareness can hold both without resisting.
Imagine now that you are walking slowly through a quiet spring landscape.
The air is cool and gentle against your skin.
The earth feels soft beneath you.
Around you,
Trees are beginning to bloom,
Waking up.
Wildflowers scattered beside the path that you walk.
You hear bird songs drifting lightly through the air.
You notice the feeling of spring all around you.
Quiet renewal.
The world slowly waking back up.
Ahead of you,
There's a peaceful body of water reflecting the pale morning sky.
Soft sunlight dances across the surface,
The water calm and steady.
You move closer and settle beside it,
Breathing in the scent of fresh air and earth after rain.
Feeling held in the quiet simplicity of this moment.
And as you rest here,
You begin to sense that same gentle renewal within yourself.
Thoughts slowing and settling.
Breath softening,
Stretching out.
Your inner world becoming quieter.
You sense there is nothing missing in this moment.
Nothing you need to solve right now.
In this moment,
Only you,
Your breath,
And this quiet presence.
Feeling the simple rhythm of being.
Allow yourself to remain and rest here for a few moments in silence.
Now letting go of these visuals.
Just resting in simple awareness.
Notice the spaciousness beneath your thoughts.
Like the stillness beneath the surface of the ocean.
Resting gently in this awareness.
Softening.
Simply being here.
Begin now to deepen your breath slightly.
Feel your body resting here once again.
The surface beneath you.
Without losing the awareness and the softness you have created.
Repeat it silently three times.
Slowly and with sincerity.
Notice how it feels now.
Perhaps more rooted.
More spacious.
Just begin to invite small movements back into your body.
Your thumbs,
Rub them across your other fingers.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and your toes.
Perhaps a rock of your head,
Side to side.
A little roll of the shoulders.
Gently bringing movement.
Or preparing to slowly transition back into your day.
May you carry this steadiness with you.
May you remember that rest is not something you must earn.
And may you return to this space whenever you need.
Thank you for meditating with me.
