Hi,
My name's Leigh from Ignite Your Being and today I'm going to guide you through a yoga nidra practice.
So begin by finding a space where you can fully relax without being disturbed and then create yourself a cosy rest nest with cushions,
Blankets or anything else to support your body.
Ideally laying on your back but any position is fine provided that you can relax.
So prepare you and your surroundings for your yoga nidra practice.
A practice where we aim to find that sweet spot between waking and sleeping,
That state of deep relaxation.
Preparing to do nothing.
Nothing you need to do.
Nothing you need to be.
Nothing you need to feel.
No one you need to please.
There is only you.
No expectation.
No goal.
No agenda.
No way that you can get this wrong.
There's nothing you need to think about.
Just becoming comfortable for this practice of non-doing.
Adjusting your body or props in any way you need so you can sink into the comfort.
Now just check in with how you feel.
Your setup should make you feel at ease but not sleepy.
The aim of yoga nidra is to stay awake and aware yet at the same time in peaceful ease.
That said yoga nidra is not a practice in concentration.
So do not worry if you drift asleep.
On a subconscious level you will still benefit from the practice.
So check that your feet and ankles feel relaxed.
Your calves,
Knees and thighs released.
Your hips heavy.
Your lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back relaxed.
The whole back melting into your support.
The hands and arms relaxed.
The shoulders and neck relaxed.
The jaw,
Tongue and cheeks relaxed.
Eyes,
Forehead and scalp relaxed.
Whole body completely relaxed.
Nothing to do.
Body at ease.
Awareness continues on.
Your yoga nidra has now begun.
Now is the time to plant your seed of intention.
Your sankalpa.
Is there something you would like more of in your life?
Or something you would like less of?
Allow a positive I am statement that fits with this desire to arise within you.
Such as I am free or I am calm.
Don't overthink.
Just allow your sankalpa to arise within your awareness and allow the feeling of your sankalpa to arise.
Picture the sankalpa as if it is so and then repeat your sankalpa mentally three times with absolute certainty and feeling.
Feel with certainty that your sankalpa has been planted.
Know that it has already begun to spring to life.
Now move your awareness toward the physical body.
Several locations will be mentioned.
They are energetic pathways and allow your attention to move freely from one to the next.
No need to concentrate,
Just moving awareness.
If sensations or experiences arise,
Simply take notice and move on.
Begin with effortless awareness at the point between the eyebrows,
The hollow of the throat,
Shifting freely,
Unattached to the right shoulder joint,
The elbow joint,
The wrist joint,
The right thumb,
The tip of the index finger,
The tip of the middle finger,
The tip of the ring finger and the tip of the little finger.
The right wrist joint once more.
The right elbow.
Shoulder joint.
Hollow of the throat.
Over to the left shoulder joint.
The left elbow joint.
The wrist joint.
The left thumb.
Tip of the index finger.
Tip of the middle finger.
Tip of the ring finger.
Tip of the little finger.
Back up to the wrist joint.
Elbow joint.
Shoulder joint.
Hollow of the throat.
The heart centre.
The right side of the chest.
The heart centre.
The left side of the chest.
The heart centre.
The navel centre.
Tip of the tailbone.
The right hip joint.
Right knee joint.
Ankle joint.
The right big toe.
The tip of the second toe.
The tip of the third toe.
The tip of the fourth toe.
Tip of the little toe.
Back up to the right ankle joint.
Knee joint.
Hip joint.
Tip of the tailbone.
Sweeping awareness to the left hip joint.
Left knee joint.
Ankle joint.
The left big toe.
The tip of the second toe.
Tip of the third toe.
Tip of the fourth toe.
Tip of the little toe.
Back up to the left ankle joint.
Knee joint.
Hip joint.
Tip of the tailbone.
The navel centre.
The heart centre.
And pause with your awareness at heart centre.
Effortlessly,
Without thinking,
Just feeling.
And just feel into the warmth of your heart centre.
And as you pause at this area,
Think of something that you're grateful for in this moment.
Something little or something big.
And as you think of that thing,
Really feel into the sense of gratitude.
Try and feel that gratitude in your heart centre.
That warm,
Radiating sensation through your body.
And then begin to notice your natural breath flowing into your body.
First your belly filling with air,
Then your chest rising.
And then as you let the breath go,
Chest relaxing,
Belly softening.
Your body filling with oxygen to vitalise all of your body's cells.
And also energetically,
You're pulling in vital life force known as prana.
And this is the key to your vitality.
With each deep breath in,
Your body's fed the energy it needs.
And silently sighs with relief.
Take a deep breath in and hold until your body naturally wants to let go.
Then exhale.
No need to force.
Just find an easy,
Relaxed rhythm that feels just right for you.
Inhale,
Filling with oxygen,
With energy.
Holding as the energy is received and dispersed.
And exhale in a silent sigh of relief.
Continue breathing this way.
Deep but relaxed inhale,
Soft holding,
And long,
Effortless exhale.
Inhaling energy,
Retaining gently,
And letting go of any effort as you exhale.
Once more,
Inhale,
Softly hold,
Effortless exhale.
And now allow your breath to flow naturally,
Soft and subtle,
Becoming more and more subtle,
Until the breath is almost imperceptible.
Almost all doing has halted.
Only listening remains.
And prepare to leave even the listening behind.
To experience what lies beyond.
When all doing ends,
What remains is pure awareness.
Ever free.
Ever present.
Present through doing and non-doing.
Constant.
Eternal.
Awareness is what remains when all doing ends.
Pure awareness.
This is your essence.
This is who you are.
You,
You,
The awareness,
Are present through all of your waking life,
Your dreaming life,
Deep sleep.
And once again when you wake,
You are the thread.
You are the awareness.
Aware through the pleasant and unpleasant.
Success and failure.
Yet ever free and unaffected by any.
Free and unaffected.
You are the pure awareness.
There beneath all the thinking and doing.
You are at peace.
You are peace.
You are the peace you've been looking for all along.
You yourself.
There is nothing to seek.
Nothing to gain.
No distance between what you seek and what you already are.
You are it.
So now allow the brain to rest.
There is nothing left to do.
Release the mind.
Let it go.
Drop into the stillness and the silence that remains.
Drop into stillness and silence.
And rest in the peace of your own self.
Now in this relaxed,
Calm state,
Return your awareness to your sankalpa.
Your intention that you set at the start.
Once again,
Repeat this sankalpa three times and let yourself bathe in the feeling of your sankalpa.
Allow it to sink in deeply,
Permeating every part of your being.
And then bring awareness back to your breath.
Notice the breath in the nostrils.
Cool on the in-breath.
Warm on the out-breath.
And notice the subtle movement in the body as you breathe.
If you're doing this practice before sleep,
Then allow yourself to gently drift off.
If you need to return,
Then make these movements larger now by taking a deeper breath.
Feeling movement,
Breaking up the stillness.
And begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Stretching your body from head to toe when you're ready.
And if you're lying down,
Roll yourself slowly to the right side.
Take a few breaths here.
And press yourself up to sitting when you feel ready.
Eyes still closed.
Once seated,
Sit tall and just rub your palms together to generate some heat.
And then place your cupped hands over your eyes and allow your eyes to open behind the protection of your hands.
And then slowly start to open your fingers,
Allowing a little light to filter in.
And see if you can take the calmness of your yoga nidra into the rest of your day.
