Welcome to this practice of deep rest,
Inviting presence and self-care to yourself.
So please bring yourself onto the back,
Making sure that you're comfortable and that you have any additional support that you might need.
Pillow,
Blanket,
Perhaps a cushion under the knees.
Allow the arms and hands to rest by the sides of the body and if you need to you can also place the hands anywhere you feel comfortable.
As I guide try and stay present to my voice and if you fall asleep then just pick up on whenever you hear my voice again.
You will still benefit deeply from this practice.
So take in the sights of the room that you're in and then when you are ready allow the eyes to come to rest.
Notice the sounds around you.
Listen without trying hard,
Not seeking for the sounds,
Just listening.
What can you hear?
Letting yourself know that it is safe to rest now.
It is safe to allow yourself this time of deep nourishment and care.
It is safe to just be here,
Feeling the body and the breath gently.
I'm going to be reading a poem now by the poet Julia Verenbacher.
Just allow the words to enter your awareness.
The poem is called Message from a Moment.
Return whispers the moment I am right here,
Here in the rise and fall of breath,
Here in the river of light and dark,
Dark and light that runs through me,
Through you,
Through sky and tree and early morning birdsong.
Bow in gratitude whispers closed door,
Discomfort,
Disaster,
Disappointment.
Let it all burn to the ground so that you can see,
So finally you can see the moon.
The moon that lights your true,
Your truest way.
Let it be easy whispers words on the page.
The wonder,
The beauty,
The wildfire blossoms are here and here and here.
Return whispers the moment.
Stop the struggle,
The hiding,
The staring,
The seeking and be still.
Be still until moon light is your true,
Your truest blue,
Your wondrously you way.
Be still until moon lights your true,
Your truest bluest wondrously you way.
Taking a long deep breath in through the nose and letting it out with a sigh.
And if you like you can follow that up with another deep breath or two.
And now settle your awareness into the space of the heart.
Take time to listen to the heart and find an intention for this practice.
A blessing for yourself perhaps.
And when you find it,
Repeat it to yourself three times in silence.
Allow yourself to move now into stillness.
Becoming aware of your whole body.
As you breathe out softly allow tension to release,
Surrendering it to the earth.
Surrendering to gravity.
Listening to the sound of your breath.
Feel each breath like a breeze of fresh air in and out of the body.
We're going to go on a journey now into the body touching on each parts.
When the body part is named see if you can be as present as you can to that body part.
Welcoming all the sensations just as they are.
Imagine that you can send awareness like sending moonlight into each part.
Beginning with the space between the eyebrows,
Middle of the throat,
Right shoulder,
Right elbow,
Right wrist,
Right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Baby finger,
Right wrist,
Right elbow,
Right shoulder,
Middle of the throat,
Left shoulder,
Left elbow,
Left wrist,
Left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Left wrist,
Left elbow,
Left shoulder,
Middle of the throat,
Middle of the chest,
Right side of the chest,
Middle of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
Middle of the chest,
Navel point,
Middle of the pubic bone,
Right hip,
Right knee,
Right ankle,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Right ankle,
Right knee,
Right hip,
Middle of the pubic bone,
Left hip,
Left knee,
Left ankle,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Left big toe,
Left ankle,
Left knee,
Left hip,
Middle of the pubic bone,
Navel point,
Middle of the chest,
Middle of the throat,
Back to the eyebrow center,
Rest here at the eyebrow center,
Now start to feel the breath breathing through the right side of the body,
Feel the breath moving in and out through the right side of the body,
Breath flowing through the right side of the body,
Now allow yourself to breathe through the left side of the body,
In and out through the left side of the body,
Breath flowing through the left side,
Now feel the breath flowing through the back of the body,
Breathing through the back of the body,
Now feeling the breath moving through the front of the body,
Breathing through the front of the body,
And now feel the breath through the whole body,
Breathing naturally and watching the breath,
Resting here in stillness,
Now bring your attention to the space between the eyebrows,
Bring your awareness to darkness,
Notice any sense of darkness behind the eyes,
Just receiving the darkness,
Notice the shadows moving across the screen of the eyelids,
Now bring your attention to light,
Notice any sense of light received through the eyelids,
Receiving a knowing light,
Sensing the light behind the eyes,
And now just letting your attention rest at the space between the eyebrows,
As I invite some images into the space,
Candle flame flickering,
Indigo blue skies,
Fields of lavender,
Moon shining bright,
Early morning birdsong,
Waves breaking at the shore,
Stars in the night sky,
A single red rose,
Wildfire blossoms,
Rest here,
Now inviting your awareness back into the space of the heart,
Giving yourself the gift of just listening to the heart,
As you bring your awareness to the heart,
Coming back to your intention for this practice,
Your blessing for yourself,
And repeating it to yourself three times,
Now notice your body lying here,
Relaxed,
Peaceful,
Still,
Bringing your attention back to your breath,
Aware of each and every breath,
Notice the expansion that comes with the in-breath and the release as the breath leaves the body,
Feeling the natural dance of the breath,
You can allow yourself to rest more if you feel that you need to,
Or you can allow the body to begin to awaken,
Feeling the contact between the body and the floor,
Or whatever you are lying on,
Feeling the touch of your clothing,
Noticing the whole body in this room,
Feeling the whole room around you,
You can thank yourself for taking this precious time with yourself,
This completes this Yoga Nidra practice,
May you be rested and at ease.
