So,
Getting yourself lovely and cosy,
Drawing just wonderful cosy blankets over you,
Making sure that you've got a cushion where it's needed or maybe two,
And just settling yourself down for some wonderful deep relaxation,
Inviting the whole body to soften and settle and surrender.
Just inviting the wonderful ebb and flow of the breath to soothe the body.
The exhale,
Imagining that the breath is flowing all the way down the body,
Out through the toes,
Like somebody giving you a back rub or something really nourishing and lovely.
With every breath out,
We can relax a little bit more.
And in autumn time,
We focus on what is of real and true value.
As the days shorten and our energy naturally wanes,
It's really hard to keep juggling.
And actually,
When we tune into what's happening in nature,
Nature ain't doing that.
So on our wonderful autumn walks at the moment,
You can see how the leaves are falling from the trees and it's just a wonderful experience when you're walking.
And it's as if the ground is carpeted in bright autumn colours under the Japanese maples.
It's just a beautiful puddle of reds,
These exquisitely pointed leaves.
And under the lime flower trees,
The leaves are an acid yellow,
They're carpeting the ground in a big sweeping arc under the branches.
So all around,
Nature is quietly getting on with it,
On with the seasonal cycle.
And it's all about letting go,
Retreating inwards,
Gathering energy in on the breath,
Tuning in to what's of real and lasting value.
So the juggling is something to be left behind wherever possible.
And so I'd like to invite you to imagine something truly beautiful and precious to you.
Something simple.
It may be one of the striking leaves of autumn,
Or something entirely different.
And then let's invite that to map the body.
So bringing the awareness to the eyebrow centre.
Just anointing the body there with that wonderful,
Imaginary,
Precious thing.
And then coming down in between the collarbones,
The soft space there.
And then out to each of the shoulders in turn,
The left shoulder and the right shoulder.
Down the arms,
Elbows,
The left elbow and the right.
The left wrist and the right wrist.
The palm of each of the hands.
The thumbs,
The index fingers,
The middle fingers.
The ring fingers and the little fingers.
Mapped and marked with this wonderful,
Precious symbol.
And coming back to the wrists,
The elbows and the shoulders.
Mapped to the soft space in between the collarbones and down the body into the heart.
The tip of the left breast,
The tip of the right breast.
Coming back to the centre of the chest.
Taking awareness down the body again to the navel.
Down to the centre of the pelvis behind the pubic bone.
To the left hip and to the right hip.
Down each of the legs in turn,
Left knee and right knee.
Left ankle and right.
And then the sole of the left foot and the right foot.
The big toes,
The second toes,
The third toes,
The fourth and the fifth toes.
The whole of the body mapped with preciousness.
What is that like?
To feel garlanded.
Just taking a moment to breathe into all of those points.
And you might like to welcome in a sense of feeling welcome.
A feeling worth it.
Welcoming in our unique preciousness.
Almost as if with the ebb and flow of the breath.
It's like an energy gently pulsing or radiating.
Like when you blow onto the glowing embers of a fire.
And they brighten.
Some days it's hard to connect with our preciousness.
Some days it's as if we're stuck wading through.
And yet,
If it feels supportive and helpful.
You may love and like even to offer yourself an acknowledgement,
A message of support.
Something that in the coming days can help you navigate the choppy waters.
And so bringing the awareness from the toes to the ankles,
The knees and the hips,
The pelvis and the navel,
The heart,
Soft space in between the collarbones and back to the crown of the head.
And then alighting back at the eyebrow centre.
Just noticing how you feel.
Noticing where in the body feels cosy and warm.
Noticing now where in the body feels cool or perhaps even chilly.
Could be the eyelids,
Could be the skin open to the air.
Focusing on both at the same time.
Letting go of that,
Just connecting with the experience of lying as you are.
Touch the patterns of pressure,
Heaviness of the body.
Connecting with the softness of the breath.
As we start to deepen and lengthen the breath and navigate our way towards the end of this simple yoga nidra inspired by autumn.
May wish to bring little movements into fingers and into toes.
Maybe turn the head slowly from side to side,
Just bringing yourself to a more alert and awake state.
This practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
This practice is now over.
Thank you very much for listening.
