It is time for yoga nidra.
Please have a pillow or blanket close by should you need them.
Make sure you are warm enough so that you can stay in yoga nidra for the duration of the practice.
Come to a comfortable position lying on the floor on a mat,
Legs stretched out long,
Allowing your hands to rest on their backs,
Fingers gently open.
Allow your body to settle against the support of the earth beneath you.
Take your time.
Allow yourself to squirm before settling into a position that is most comfortable for your body.
If it feels safe to do so,
Close your eyes.
Otherwise,
Allow your gaze to soften downward towards your nose.
The practice of yoga nidra is the practice of yogic sleep,
A state between full sleep and full wakefulness.
Do your best to follow the sound of my voice,
But allow yourself to accept whatever state of relaxation you get to during the practice.
At the end of the practice,
I will guide you back to wakefulness.
So there is nothing you need to do here.
If your mind wanders,
That is perfectly okay.
That's just what the mind does.
Gently guide your attention back to the sound of my voice whenever it happens.
With your next exhale,
Allow your bones to sink more heavily into the earth.
With your next inhale,
Allow fresh oxygen to circulate fresh energy into your body,
Helping you find the balance between consciousness and deep relaxation.
I invite you now to deepen your level of relaxation.
I'm going to count backwards from five to one.
With each down count,
If it feels safe to do so,
Allow yourself to settle ever more deeply into peace.
Five.
Feel your body become heavy,
Letting go of your muscles gripping your bones,
Skin relaxing and releasing.
Four.
Follow the flow of your breathing,
Flowing naturally in and out.
Your breathing is easy and effortless.
Three.
Follow the flow of your thoughts,
Flowing naturally there and gone.
Your mind is still and peaceful.
Two.
Follow the flow of your consciousness to the center of your being,
The inner observer.
Your inner observer is focused and attentive.
One.
Follow the flow of your feelings,
Flowing naturally from one to the other.
Your feelings are serene and interested,
Blissful and calm.
Feel your feet light and comfortable.
Feel your legs heavy and relaxed.
Feel your tummy free and soft.
Feel your chest,
Your shoulders,
Your facial muscles release any holding.
Feel your arms and fingers letting go.
Feel yourself melting deeper into the support holding your body,
Allowing the earth to do the work of cradling you,
Freeing your mind.
Say to yourself,
I am practicing yoga nidra.
I am awake and relaxed.
At this moment,
I invite you to visit the deepest chambers of your heart where your truest,
Most authentic self resides.
What is your deepest heart's wish for yourself and others?
How do you hope to grow in the next few months of your life?
Let these questions guide you to your sankalpa,
Your intention.
A sankalpa is a short,
Affirmative,
Simple statement that connects you to your resolve.
It may be something like,
I work each day to unlearn my biases.
I encourage myself.
I am capable of changing my life.
I take actions to take care of Mother Earth.
Your sankalpa is your true north orienting your choices.
Your sankalpa is your area of most needed healing and transformation.
Your sankalpa is your seed thought planted in the garden of your heart.
Repeat your sankalpa and your mind to yourself now three times.
You will now be engaging your awareness to notice various bodily sensations and images.
I will be asking you to guide your awareness to different parts of your physical body.
As I speak aloud the part of the body,
Rather than moving the part of the body being named,
Allow yourself to visualize it briefly.
Become aware of your right hand.
Now draw your awareness to your right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Right side of the body.
Waist.
Hip.
Right thigh.
Knee.
The lower leg.
Ankle.
Heel.
Soul of the right foot.
Top of the right foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Become aware of your left hand.
Left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm.
Back of the hand.
Left wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Left side of the body.
Waist.
Hip.
Left thigh.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Heel.
Soul of the right foot.
Top of the left foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Moving on to the back of your body.
Become aware of the right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Right glutes.
Left glutes.
The whole of your back together.
Moving to the front of your body.
Draw your awareness to the top of your head.
Then move to your right temple.
Your left temple.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Eyebrow center point.
Right eye and eyelid.
Left eye and eyelid.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Chin.
Throat.
Right side of the chest.
Left side of the chest.
Middle of the chest.
Navel.
Tummy.
Pelvis.
Pelvic floor.
The whole right leg.
The whole of the left leg.
Both legs together.
The whole right arm.
The whole left arm.
Both arms together.
The whole back of the body.
The whole front of the body.
Feel the whole body together on the floor.
Remaining interested.
Feel your whole physical body resting deeply.
Visualize your whole body vibrantly alive,
Yet relaxed and resting.
I will now name a number of different images and scenes.
I invite you to allow your imagination to travel along with me to each image,
Visiting briefly before following along to the next.
A kiss on the forehead from a loved one.
A snow-covered mountain.
An evergreen tree.
A red-orange sunset over an ocean.
Gentle waves lapping against the shore.
Your toes digging into warm sand.
A child giggling with delight.
A warm,
Cuddly blanket.
The loving gaze of a mother figure.
An empty park bench under a flowing tree.
A corner store with spring flowers out front.
A front porch with a rocking chair.
Your body lying on the floor.
And the sound of my voice.
Now it is time to reconnect to your intention.
Your Sancarpa.
Please repeat the same statement made earlier three times in your mind.
Slowly now,
Turn your attention to your breath.
Notice your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.
Watch the breath filling you,
Allowing your belly to expand like a balloon.
Then contract the breath leaving you.
Making space for new breath.
Begin to notice your body.
The level of relaxation your body is experiencing.
Notice the points of connection between your body and the earth beneath you.
Slowly begin to rotate your ankles.
Slowly begin to rotate your wrists.
Visualize the room around you.
Slowly at your own pace,
Let your eyelids flutter open a few times if they've been closed.
Allowing some light to begin to enter your visual field.
Blinking as needed.
Stretch your body long,
Taking a full breath in and full breath out.
And when you have the sense that you are awake enough to move,
Gently roll over to your right side.
Stay there a moment.
Curl into a fetal position,
Legs and arms pulling in close.
Now like a slow shoe open spring blossoms,
Press yourself up with your arms so that your head is the last part of your body to come up.
Stay there a moment.
Breathe.
Come to sitting,
Legs bent and wrap your arms around your legs a moment,
Resting your head on your knees.
Giving yourself a hug.
Awake now.
Wide awake.
Awake.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
