This gentle yoga nidra practice is inspired by the poem called Finding the Islands by James Cruz.
It's an invitation to explore refuge,
Rest and returning to what is precious in the moment.
So let's begin by settling into a comfortable lying down position or a sitting position if that is better for you.
Let the body be fully supported.
If you're lying down you might need a blanket or pillow under the head or under the knees or over the body.
Allowing the legs just to be comfortable.
Arms resting slightly away from the sides of the body.
Perhaps turning the palms of the hands upwards in a gesture of receiving.
Inviting the eyes to gently close if that's right for you.
Taking a slow breath in through the nose to start and a soft easy exhalation out through the mouth.
And again breathing in through the nose.
Exhaling through the mouth letting the body arrive more fully.
Feeling the weight of the body being held.
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to go.
Just arriving.
So inviting now your awareness and your body and your heart to take in the words of this poem.
Finding the Islands Looking for the islands of brief relief.
Open spaces in an otherwise crowded day.
Where you can come ashore for a while.
Find safe harbour.
Hear again the warble of hidden birds and isolate each interwoven strand of song even if you can't name the small bodies that sing them.
Click the airplane icon on your phone which means no messages will fly to you with their bad news landing in the branches of your mind.
Let your thoughts climb to the sky like the vines of morning glory and see the glint of a red pebble in the yard still stifled with dew.
The first wild strawberry of the season which you pluck and eat right there in near high weeds.
Tiny feast of an instant before the rest of the day's worries try to haul you back out to stormy seas.
So let yourself just arrive in this quiet inner shore.
This place of brief relief.
This safe harbour in the midst of life.
No effort needed.
Feeling the ground beneath you.
Stable,
Steady,
Supportive.
You are allowed to rest here.
And now from this place of ease gently inviting a simple intention.
A quiet inner knowing.
Listening to the intention allowing it to come from the heart and from the body.
Letting it arise softly and repeating it inwards to yourself without strain.
Perhaps something like I allow myself to rest or I return to myself.
Or any other intention that arises from this place of deep knowing.
Repeating it to yourself three times.
And now we'll bring awareness to the body.
Moving our attention through the body like a tide gently washing the shore of the beach.
Starting with the right hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Right wrist.
Right elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Right side of the chest.
Right waist.
Right lower leg.
Top of the right foot.
Sole of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Little toe.
Bringing attention now to the left hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the left hand.
Back.
Left wrist.
Left chest.
Left thigh.
Lower leg.
Left ankle.
Top of the left foot.
Sole of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Feeling now the back of the body.
Shoulder blades.
Lower back.
Pelvis.
Backs of the legs.
And feeling now the front of the body.
The chest.
Belly.
Front of the legs.
Moving attention now to the face.
Jaw.
Forehead.
Bringing awareness now to the whole body.
The whole body resting.
Whole body.
Like an island in still water.
Resting.
Bringing your attention now to the natural rhythm of the breath.
Now I need to change the breath just starting to notice the gentle rise and fall of each breath.
Like the waves arriving on the shore.
Each in-breath are coming in.
Each out-breath are letting go.
Taking time now just to ride the waves of each breath.
Inviting or slowing down with each breath as you notice.
Taking time now just to breathe through the left side of the body.
Breathing through the left side of the body.
Waves moving through the left side of the body.
Now feeling the waves of the breath moving through the right side of the body.
Wave lapping through the right side of the body.
And now breathing through the whole of the body.
Rest here as you breathe through the whole of the body.
And now bring your attention to the space between the eyebrows.
Aware of the space between the eyebrows.
Seeing yourself now in a quiet,
Open space.
A space of refuge.
A space of relief.
A place where you can hear the birds.
Each song layered and intricate.
Just listening to the different tones of each bird allowing the sound to be as it is.
Feeling the gift of this island of refuge.
Noticing the beauty of the greenery around you.
The blue of the sky above you.
And this place of no demand.
Feeling the stillness in the mind.
The sense of spaciousness.
Thoughts might still arise but you just let them move like vines reaching towards the sky.
No need to follow.
No need to hold.
And now as you sit here in this beautiful space of refuge,
You look across the field and see something small and vivid.
You move towards it and see a tiny wild strawberry.
The fresh dew still around it.
You reach down and gently take it in.
Noticing its colour and shape.
And a simple,
Joyful nourishment.
This tiny feast of presence.
This opportunity to taste the moment fully.
And now just resting here in this refuge.
With nothing missing,
Nothing to add.
Just feeling this moment is enough.
You are here,
Anchored,
Safe,
At rest.
And now gently bring your attention back to the brow point.
And gently sense into the space of the heart as you return to your intention.
Finding that intention that you set at the beginning of this practice and taking time to repeat it inwardly to yourself three times.
As if you are planting it into this quiet ground of your own inner refuge.
Trusting that whatever you plant in this space of deep rest can surely grow.
And now gently allow yourself to deepen the breath.
Noticing the body lying here,
The room around you,
The sounds around you,
The space around you.
And as you tune into the body noticing any need for small movements,
Maybe a movement through the fingers or the toes.
Perhaps a stretch or two if that feels right.
So really listening to what the body needs.
And if you're ready to,
If you're lying on your back you can gently move to one side to rest here.
You can take your time to slowly open the eyes.
Carrying with you the knowing that this place of rest and refuge is available even in the midst of the most busy day.
This yoga nidra is now complete.
Thank you.
