Today's Yoga Nidra practice is on the theme of Santosa,
The art of being enough.
So welcome.
You are here to rest.
You're here to rest not just the body but that striving mind and this practice is dedicated to Santosa which is the yogic principle of contentment.
The ability to rest in the now,
To feel whole even when life remains incomplete.
Make yourself completely comfortable.
Lie on your back preferably in Shavasana also known as the corpse pose or the dead man's pose.
Let the feet fall open.
Let the arms rest a little away from the body and can keep your palms facing upward.
If you're doing the practice sitting down,
Make sure your back is upright and your hands are on your knees with your palms facing upward.
Feel yourself being supported.
There's nowhere to go.
There's nothing to do.
Let go into the surface beneath you.
Let this time be enough.
And now bring your awareness to your Sankalpa.
Your Sankalpa could be a goal or it could be a quiet truth.
Repeat your Sankalpa mentally three times with full feeling and complete awareness.
You are planting it into the stillness of your being.
Let it ripple gently like a mantra.
We now begin the rotation of consciousness,
The rotation of awareness throughout the body.
Follow the journey without effort.
No need to move.
Simply be aware.
When I name the part of the body,
Become mentally aware of that part and you can repeat the name of the part in your mind.
We start with the right side.
Right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
The palm of the hand,
The back of the hand,
The wrist,
The forearm,
The elbow,
The upper arm,
Shoulder,
Right armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
The top of the foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Now the left side.
Left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
The palm of the hand,
The back of the hand,
The wrist,
The forearm,
The elbow,
The upper arm,
Shoulder,
The left armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of the foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Now go to the back side of the body.
The back of the head,
The back of the shoulder blades,
The spine,
The lower back,
The buttocks,
The back of the thighs,
The calves,
The heels.
Now the front side of the body.
The crown of the head,
The forehead,
Eyelids,
Eyes,
Cheeks,
Lips,
Chin,
Throat,
Chest,
Ribcage,
The heart,
The belly.
Now the major parts of the body.
The whole right arm,
The whole left arm,
Both arms together,
The whole right leg,
The whole left leg,
Both legs together,
The whole back,
The whole front,
The whole head,
The whole body together.
Now feel the entire body as a single field of energy,
Held,
Supported,
Whole.
There's nothing to change.
There's nothing to fix.
Simply rest in this awareness.
And now bring this awareness to the breath.
Feel the gentle movement of the breath in the nostrils.
Cool air in,
Warm air out,
No control,
Just presence.
And now shift your attention,
Shift your awareness to the breath.
Shift your awareness to your abdomen,
Rising and falling,
Rising and falling,
Rising and falling.
Let this rhythm anchor you in the now.
Visualize the breath as a soft wave,
Washing through you.
Peace flows in,
Contentment spreads out.
With each breath,
Let go of striving,
Let go of effort.
There's nowhere else to be.
And now we explore sensations,
Contrasting sensations.
Heaviness.
Feel the body growing heavy,
Dense.
Grounded.
Create that feeling of heaviness in your body.
Now lightness.
Feel your body becoming light.
Create that sense of floating.
Like mist.
You are weightless.
Now invite warmth.
Invite sunlight on your skin.
Feel that warmth on your skin.
And now coolness.
A cool breeze across your face.
Imagine a cool breeze across your face.
And notice the dance of opposites.
Santosa,
Contentment,
Means welcoming both without resistance.
Let the body rest between opposites.
In equanimity.
In balance.
And now imagine yourself standing at the edge of a washed open landscape.
You are standing on a mountain high above the sea.
It's early morning,
Just before dawn.
The horizon is soft,
The light is tender.
Pale blue and gold.
The ocean stretches endlessly before you.
Calm.
Wide.
Rhythmic.
Waves roll in and out in long steady pulses.
Like breath.
You feel the wind brushing your skin.
Cool and clean.
You smell salt in the air.
You are completely alone here.
And yet you are not lonely.
There is peace in the space around you.
Nothing is missing.
You walk slowly along a smooth stone path.
That curves along the edge of the cliff.
Each step feels grounded.
Effortless.
The path ends at a low stone platform.
Nestled safely into the cliff side.
You sit there.
Legs crossed.
Overlooking the sea.
There is no noise but the waves.
There is no rush.
There is no need.
The world is waking but here Everything is already perfect.
You feel the early sunlight begin to touch your face.
It's soft.
Like warm silk.
You close your eyes and bask in it.
Let it soak into your skin.
Into your bones.
Into your breath.
This warmth is Santosa.
A quiet,
Full body.
Knowing I need nothing else.
Let the sun rise higher.
Let it flood your chest.
Your heart begins to glow with warmth.
Like a flame.
Steady and gentle.
With every inhale the glow expands.
With every exhale tension melts away.
Now notice something beautiful.
You begin to hear a melody.
Soft.
Wordless.
Carried on the wind.
It's as if the earth itself is humming a lullaby of contentment.
You listen deeply.
It says.
You are safe.
You are whole.
There is nothing to chase.
You are allowed to rest.
Allow this truth to land in every cell of your being.
Let yourself feel completely okay.
Not because life is perfect.
But because this moment is enough.
Now visualize a gentle white feather.
Floating down from the sky.
It lands softly at your feet.
You pick it up.
It is the symbol of Santosha.
A reminder that the lightest things carry the most wisdom.
You press the feather to your heart and whisper.
I release the need to improve this moment.
I rest in what is.
I am complete as I am.
Take a deep breath in.
And as you inhale,
Inhale peace.
As you exhale,
Exhale striving.
Let this experience become part of you.
Let this cliff,
This light,
This calm ocean live in your memory.
You can return here anytime you wish.
And now gently allow the image to dissolve.
The sea fades.
The wind quiets.
The light remains in your chest.
Santosha lives there now.
And now the turn to your Sankalpa,
Your intention,
Your dissolve,
The one you made at the beginning of the practice.
Let it rise once more in your heart.
Repeat it mentally three times.
Repeat it with full trust.
Let it echo within your awareness.
And bring your awareness back to your breath.
Feel the rise and fall of the chest.
Feel the softness of your body.
Feel the support beneath you.
Move your fingers,
Move your toes.
Take a deeper breath.
Let it feel like new life entering.
If you are in the sleeping position in Shavasana,
Roll onto your side.
Slightly curl your body.
Pause here for the moment.
Rest.
Carry this felt sense of enoughness into your waking state.
Your waking life.
And when you are ready,
If you are in Shavasana,
You can come to the seated position.
And you can open your eyes.
And notice that contentment is still here.
It lives inside of you.
It always has.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now completed.
Hari Om Tat Sat
