Welcome,
Good morning or good evening.
So glad you're here for this yoga nidra practice.
This practice is a space to rest deeply,
To breathe more gently and to let the body feel supported.
Just make yourself as comfortable as possible.
We will begin with a few very gentle movements and nourishing breath awareness to help the body release some of the tensions of the day or the night and then we will settle into stillness for yoga nidra.
You are welcome to lie down already or begin seated if that feels more natural for you.
If you are practicing in the morning let this be a soft and quiet beginning of your day and if you are practicing in the evening or night let this be a gentle way to release and arrive in rest.
You can simply listen,
Feel and allow the practice to meet you exactly where you are.
Take a slow breath in and a long soft breath out.
Again breathing in gently and breathing out letting the shoulders soften.
One more time,
A nourishing breath in and a slow breath out.
Beautiful.
Before we settle into stillness we will take a few gentle moments to help the body unwind and transition more naturally into deep rest.
These movements are slow,
Soft and simple and there is no right way to do them.
Just move in the way your body feels right today.
You may already be lying down or perhaps seated comfortably.
You can keep your eyes open or gently let them close.
Begin by noticing the places in the body that feel as though they have been carrying a little too much.
Perhaps the jaw,
The shoulders,
The belly,
The hips,
The eyes.
Without needing to change anything immediately simply notice how it feels.
Now gently begin to invite small movements into the body.
Moving your neck,
Perhaps rolling the shoulders slowly,
Gently circling the wrists or the ankles.
Very small movements are enough.
If it feels good,
Stretch the arms overhead for a moment,
Lengthening gently through the whole body and then slowly soften again.
If it feels supportive for you,
Gently begin to move the arms with the breath.
As you inhale,
Slowly let the arms rise perhaps overhead and as you exhale slowly let them soften back down again.
Moving slowly without effort,
Inhaling slowly let the arms rise and as you exhale slowly let them soften back down again.
Moving slowly without effort,
Letting the breath guide the movement.
Beautiful.
Again nourishing breath in,
Arms softly lifting overhead and a long easy breath out,
Arms returning in the rhythm of your breath.
Beautiful.
One more time breathing in,
Creating a little space through the whole body.
And breathing out,
Softening.
One more time if you like.
Then allow the arms to rest again.
Notice the breath,
Simply allowing a little more space for it to move without force.
Forcing it deeper.
Breathing in and breathing out slowly.
Again a nourishing breath in and a softening breath out.
Beautiful.
If you are lying down,
Perhaps gently sway the knees from side to side or rock the pelvis a little,
Massaging the lower back softly into the ground.
If you are seated,
Perhaps gently circling the spine or leaning slightly from side to side.
Gentle movements.
If you're making circles,
You may want to change the direction.
Beautiful.
Just connecting to your body and make all the movements that feel good for you right now.
Allow the movements to become smaller now.
Simply notice what the body feels like.
Notice the support beneath you,
The ground,
The mat,
The surface beneath your body gently supporting you.
Allow the body to settle naturally and feel the effects of the movement.
The breath moving a little more freely.
The body perhaps a little softer.
The mind perhaps a little quieter.
And from here,
We will slowly prepare to settle more fully into rest.
Slowly begin to make your way into a comfortable resting position for yoga nidra.
Take your time as you settle.
You may wish to place a cushion or a bolster beneath the knees.
Cover yourself with a blanket or use anything else that helps the body feel warm,
Supported and at ease.
Take your time.
Allow the feet to fall open naturally.
Let the arms rest slightly away from the sides of the body.
Palms turned upward if that feels comfortable for you.
Take any final movements or adjustments you need now so the body can gradually become still.
And as the body settles,
Begin to notice the simple feeling of being supported by the ground beneath you.
Allowing the body to arrive here gradually,
Softly in its own time.
Take a slow breath in and exhale gently through the mouth.
Again,
A nourishing breath in.
And a long,
Soft breath out.
Allow the whole weight of the body to settle a little more fully.
The back of the body softening downward.
The muscles of the face softening.
The jaw unclenching.
The eyes relaxing deeply in their sockets.
And if it feels supportive for you today,
Allow the awareness to rest with a simple inner intention.
A sankalpa for this practice.
Nothing complicated.
Perhaps simply,
I allow myself to rest.
Or I am nourishing my body.
Gently repeat your intention for yourself.
Now,
Begin to notice the natural rhythm of the breath.
There is nothing you need to change.
Simply observing the body breathing.
Notice the gentle movement of the breath in the belly.
The soft rising.
And the soft falling.
Perhaps noticing how each exhale invites a little more settling.
And each inhale creates a quiet sense of nourishment in the body.
Just allow it.
Allow the breath to move in its natural rhythm.
No effort.
Simply allowing the breath to nourish your body.
Now,
Begin to notice the points where the body meets the ground beneath you.
The heels.
The back of the legs.
The hips.
The back.
The arms.
The shoulders.
The back of the head.
Feel the quiet support beneath you.
Allowing the body to rest here.
Gently.
Effortlessly.
As though the whole back of the body could soften downward.
Notice the breath moving through the body like gentle waves.
The inhale arriving.
The exhale releasing.
Again and again.
Slowly.
Naturally.
If thoughts arise,
That's completely okay.
There is nothing you need to push away.
Simply noticing.
And gently returning to the experience of resting here.
Allowing yourself to be nourished.
Nourished by the breath.
Beautiful.
And now,
As the body and the mind become quieter.
We will slowly begin to move awareness through different parts of the body.
You're not imagining or analyzing the body.
You're simply feeling it.
Naming each part in your mind as awareness rests there.
And now,
As the body and the mind become quieter.
Simply listening to my voice.
And noticing whatever is present.
As awareness moves through the body,
You may begin to settle more deeply into rest.
Bring your awareness to your left foot.
The sole of the foot.
The heel.
The top of the foot.
The ankle.
Lower leg.
The whole left leg.
Bring awareness to the right foot.
The sole of the foot.
The top of the foot.
The heel.
The ankle.
Lower leg.
The whole right leg.
Now,
Bring your awareness to the center of your forehead.
Softening the space between the eyebrows.
Simply relaxing.
Now,
Bring your awareness to the left hand.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Your fingers.
Thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Left armpit.
The whole left arm.
Now,
Bring your awareness to the right hand.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Fingers.
Thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Forearm.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Right armpit.
The whole right arm.
Now,
Bring your awareness to the center of the forehead.
Softening the space between the eyebrows.
Simply relaxing.
Now,
Bring your awareness to the back of the body.
The heels.
The backs of the legs.
The hips.
Lower back.
Middle back.
Upper back.
Shoulder blades.
Back of the arms.
Back of the neck.
Back of the head.
Now,
Bring awareness to the front of the body.
The forehead.
The eyes.
The cheeks.
The jaw.
The throat.
The chest.
The belly.
The pelvis.
The front of the legs.
And the tops of the feet.
Feel the whole back.
Feel the whole back of the body.
Feel the whole front of the body.
And now,
Feel back and front of the body together.
Back and front of the body.
Together.
Now,
Feel the whole left leg.
Feel the whole right leg.
Feel both legs together.
Feel the whole left arm.
The whole right arm.
Feel both arms together.
Feel the whole left side of the body.
Feel the whole right side of the body.
And feel the left and the right side together.
The left and the right side together.
Now,
Bring your awareness to the center of the forehead.
The quiet space between the eyebrows.
Gently softening this space.
Expanding.
Feel the whole body resting here.
The whole body breathing.
The whole body softening.
Nourished by the breath.
Now,
We begin to explore gentle opposites within the body.
There is nothing you need to force or create.
Simply noticing whatever naturally arises.
Begin by sensing lightness in the body.
As though the body could feel spacious.
Light.
Almost floating.
Now,
Gradually invite a sense of heaviness.
The pleasant weight of the body resting down into the ground.
Heavy.
Saddled.
Supported.
Notice a subtle coolness within the body.
Clear.
Allow it to spread through your whole body.
Now,
Invite a gentle warmth.
Spreading softly through the body.
The hands.
The chest.
The belly.
Nourishing warmth.
Now,
Simply allow all sensations to settle naturally.
No need to choose one over the other.
Bring your awareness back to the breath.
The natural rhythm of breathing.
The inhale simply arriving.
The exhale releasing.
Perhaps you notice the coolness of the inhale at the nostrils.
And the gentle warmth of the exhale.
Allow the breath to nourish the whole body.
As though each inhale creates a little more space.
And each exhale invites a little more rest.
If you wish,
You may begin to count the breaths silently.
Counting backward from 21 to 1.
Each breath one number.
Slowly and effortlessly.
Exhaling 21.
Inhaling 21.
Exhaling 20.
Inhaling 20.
Exhaling 19.
Inhaling 20.
Inhaling 22.
Exhaling 23.
Inhaling 24.
Exhaling 25.
Now,
Allow the counting to fade into the background.
No need to continue counting now.
Simply resting.
Imagine yourself resting in a quiet,
Peaceful space.
A space that feels calm.
Safe.
And deeply nourishing for you.
Perhaps it is a soft darkness.
A quiet room.
A peaceful place in nature.
Or simply a feeling.
There is no need to create anything clearly.
Simply allowing the feeling of rest.
Notice the quality of stillness in this space.
Just quiet presence.
Feel how the body is being breathed.
Supported by the rhythm of life moving through you.
Just resting here.
Perhaps noticing the natural quietness.
A quiet that begins to deepen.
Like a calm space beneath the surface of water.
Still.
Open.
Peaceful.
Allow yourself to rest here for a few moments.
Nourished by stillness.
Nourished by the breath.
Nourished by rest.
Just resting here.
Quietly.
Beautiful.
Slowly begin to return awareness to the physical body.
Notice the natural rhythm of the breath.
The feeling of the body.
Resting beneath you.
The contact with the ground.
Perhaps noticing what feels present within you now.
A little more softness.
A little more quiet.
A little more space within.
Or simply the feeling of being here.
Allowing the effects of Yoganidra to settle quietly in their own way.
No need to analyze the experience.
No need to hold on to anything.
Just noticing.
Begin to deepen the breath gently.
Inviting a little more movement back to the fingers.
The toes.
Perhaps slowly moving the wrists or ankles.
If it feels good,
Stretch the arms overhead again.
Creating a little space through the whole body.
And slowly soften again.
And when you're ready,
Bend the knees gently and slowly roll onto your right side.
Rest here for a few quiet breaths.
Feeling the body resting on the right side.
If you are moving into sleep after this practice,
You are welcome to remain here and simply continue resting.
If you will continue with your day,
Slowly roll onto your left side when you feel ready.
Take your time.
No need to rush.
Turn onto your left side.
Simply noticing where your body touches the mat.
Feel how each breath gently moves your body.
When you're ready,
Gently press the hands into the ground and slowly come up to a comfortable seated position,
Keeping the eyes soft or closed if possible.
Take a moment to notice how you feel now.
Quiet.
Renewed.
Present.
Slowly bring your palms together or place your hands over your heart space.
May you carry this softness with you into your day.
Or into your evening and night ahead.
Thank you so much for sharing this practice with me.
Take gentle care of yourself.
See you again soon.
