Start by taking a few deep breaths,
Maybe some stretches,
Maybe even a few deep yawns as you bring yourself into a comfortable position.
You can let the body tell you when it's time to stop stretching and stop yawning,
Finding that place of completion.
It's time to rest and it's time to be kind to yourself,
Making sure that you're lying down in a comfortable position and that you feel supported and warm.
Let your body soften into the ground and let it be held gently by the earth,
Allowing the eyes to close,
Noticing the natural rhythm of your breath.
If you're using a touchstone today,
You can place your touchstone either on or off the body,
Choosing what is right for you.
Take time to feel the body connected to the ground,
Feeling the heaviness of the body,
The solidity of the body,
Feeling completely supported,
Feeling your clothes on the skin,
Noticing the temperature of the air around you,
Feeling the breath as you come into stillness,
Noticing the vibration in your body.
Notice what's here with a gentle curiosity and now allow the words of this poem to enter your awareness.
Sometimes when I fear the small light I bring isn't big enough or bright enough,
I think of that night on the beach years ago when every step I took in the cool wet sand turned a glowing iridescent blue and the waves themselves were a flashing greenish hue.
Imagine what we could do,
What 7.
9 billion one-celled plankton can do,
Can shine when it's dark,
Can shine when agitated,
Can shine with our own inner light and trust when we all bring the tiny light we have it's enough to illuminate the long stretch of the night.
Now it's time to set your intention.
You can imagine that intention as if it's happening right now and if you don't have an intention you might use the intention I shine my light and when you're ready just repeat your intention to yourself three times planting the seed into your heart and as we move into yoga nidra remember that you always have the choice to not follow my instructions but to rather follow your breath or to feel your touchstone.
You can say to yourself it's time for me to rest feeling each breath as precious and when you're ready we will start to traverse through the body with awareness shining the light of your attention into each and every body part starting with the mouth,
Mouth,
Teeth,
Gums,
Wall of the mouth,
Floor of the mouth,
Ceiling of the mouth,
Tongue,
All the sensations inside the mouth,
Taste or no taste,
Left ear,
Right ear,
Both ears,
Aware of the cheeks,
Left cheek,
Right cheek,
Both cheeks,
The nostrils,
Left nostril,
Right nostril,
Left eye,
Right eye,
Both eyes,
Sense the forehead,
Scalp,
Crown of the head,
Back of the head,
Neck,
Inside of the throat,
Aware of the left shoulder,
Upper arm,
Left elbow,
Forearm,
Left wrist,
Left hand and now the entirety of the left hand and the arm right the way back to the right shoulder,
Right upper arm,
Right elbow,
Forearm,
Right wrist,
Right hand,
Now the entire right hand and arm all the way up to the right shoulder,
Now aware of both arms and hands,
Attention now to the throat,
Upper chest,
Upper back,
Middle of the torso front and back,
Lower torso front,
Aware now of the pelvic region,
Sacrum,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Left knee,
Left shin,
Left calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Foot,
Left toes,
Now the whole of the left leg,
The whole of the left leg,
Attention now to the right hip,
Right upper thigh,
Right knee,
Shin,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Foot,
Right toes,
Aware now of the whole of the right leg,
Aware now of both legs,
From the hips right down to the tips of the toes and now feel the whole body,
Feel the sensations in the whole body,
Noticing the whole body and start to breathe now slowly,
We'll begin to count backwards from 11 to 1 like this,
Inhaling 11,
Exhale 11,
Inhale 10,
Exhale 10,
Inhale 9,
Exhale 9 and keep breathing this way,
Counting all the way down to 1 if you lose count at any point,
Just begin again from 11 and now release the counting and bring your attention to the breath moving in your belly with each in-breath imagine a soft glow building within you,
With each out-breath imagine that light gently radiating outwards,
Inhaling,
Gathering light,
Exhaling,
Letting that light shine outwards and now let go of the breath and just bring your attention to the space between the eyebrows,
Now imagine you're walking barefoot along the shore at night the whole body feels light and at ease as you walk,
The whole body light from the tips of your toes to the top of your head,
The whole body light as a feather,
Whole body light and now as you're walking down the path,
The whole body is heavy,
Feeling the impact of gravity as you walk on the path,
Whole body heavy and now feel both heavy and light together as you walk along the shore,
Heavy and light and as you walk along the shore you notice the sky,
Velvet dark and the stars glimmering above you,
With each step that you take you notice the glow beneath your feet and with each step you take you notice the light of the moon on the waves and as you take in the sea and the sky you feel a ball of light and energy standing now tall and strong by the shore you start to feel this light and energy move through you,
You feel it shine brighter and brighter,
Feeling your life force brighter and brighter feeling this radiance not as something you have to strive for but as something that already lives within you,
A light that shines in the dark,
A light that shines simply because it is you feel this and now bring your attention back to that brow point and let go into nothingness,
Rest here a while inviting your intentions,
Sending them back into your heart as you repeat your intentions to yourself three times or simply using the intention I am light see this intention happening,
Unfolding like a dream and now you begin to feel the presence of your healing wise circle,
Those who support your entire being,
Feeling the presence of all the wise beings here seeing them surrounding you with light and love,
Presence and warmth,
Feeling them all around you now you might like to take some time just to thank yourself for taking this time in sacred rest,
Feeling the body resting here,
Noticing the texture of your clothing,
Feeling the air on the skin tuning into your body and just noticing if you need to rest some more,
Or noticing if there is an impulse to begin to move or stretch in whichever way the body calls you allowing some gentle waking movements,
Taking in the sounds around you,
Feeling the space around you and when you are ready allowing the eyes to slowly open,
Bringing with you the sense of your own quiet inner glow this yoga nidra is now complete
