So welcome to this practice of yoga nidra.
We'll begin by noticing the breath in the body.
Breath in the body as the air comes in and as the air goes out.
Noticing the sensation in the body but also the movement in the body as you inhale and as you exhale.
Perhaps noticing the spaciousness and the little spaces that open up as you bring the breath in and the emptying or the sensation of releasing as you breathe out,
Exhale.
And perhaps beginning to notice the full cycle of the breath when you follow the inhale all the way to the very top.
You might notice the little pause before the exhale naturally releases and then when you follow the exhale all the way to the very bottom of the exhale.
There's another little space before the inhale naturally arises.
And in those little pauses,
That little moment in between where you're neither inhaling or exhaling,
You're simply being in the breath.
You can access expansiveness and spaciousness almost like a timeless sensation.
And feel into that.
Allow it to grow,
To deepen,
Whilst continuing to breathe in easily and comfortably.
And know that in that full cycle of the breath,
The four parts,
The inhale,
The pause,
The exhale and the other pause,
There's a restoration of your cycles,
Your natural cycles,
Your rhythmic cycles and a connection to the rhythmic cycles of nature.
As if when the plants and the trees exhale and give us oxygen,
We can bring that oxygen into the body.
And as we oxygenate and release with the exhale,
We give that energy back to the trees for them,
The plants for them to breathe in and give air back to us.
Our rhythmic cycle of the breath is breathing with the natural world around us.
Restoring our rhythmic cycles.
So as you follow the breath,
Welcome all senses and sensations.
Perhaps noticing the parts of the body that are in contact with the surface beneath and feeling into the parts of the body that might feel more pressured or tense,
Heavy.
And then also feel into the parts of the body that might feel a little looser,
More spacious and free.
And as you notice the weight of the body on the surface beneath,
Know that all of you is welcome here.
You're fully held and supported.
The earth can hold all of you.
All that you are is welcome here on this earth.
So welcome any sounds,
Those that are above,
Below,
To your right and to your left.
Sounds of people talking,
People working,
Traffic,
Rain.
And notice sounds that are nearby within this room.
Closer into you,
The sound of the chime,
My voice.
And more intimate sounds as well.
Perhaps the sound of your own breath.
Maybe the sound of your digestive juices as you lie horizontally,
Inviting the digestive system to begin to do its job,
Rest and digest.
You welcome all sounds,
Whether that's your digestive juices or whether that's your digestive juices or anything within you that might be slowly releasing and changing state.
Feeling into all the parts of you that are liquid,
Water,
Fluid,
Your lymphatic fluids,
Every drop of blood in your body.
And noticing the moisture inside your mouth,
Around your teeth,
Gums,
Under the tongue.
And the sensations of moisture behind your closed eyelids as you allow your eyes to settle and rest.
And inviting all that you can see behind your closed eyelids.
Shades and shapes and shadows.
And welcoming the temperature in the body,
The parts of the body that are covered and uncovered.
The difference from the front body and the back body.
Or perhaps even bringing your awareness to the tip of the nose and feeling the air that comes in and the air that comes out.
Feeling the air that goes out.
Bringing your awareness to the air that comes in being a bit cooler to the air that goes out.
Feeling the warmer air that leaves the body.
Feel the air around the body.
The air touching the skin,
The scalp,
The ears.
The tips of the fingers and toes.
As you bring your awareness to the touch of the air on the skin.
Come back to the breath.
The breath that comes in and leaves the body.
The full cycle of your breath.
Knowing that at the very height of the inhale you can welcome lightness and at the very bottom of the exhale you can get into the depths of your darkness and creation.
Making space for both.
Restoring your full cycle.
Your rhythmic cycle.
Bringing balance.
Aligning with today's equinox.
Balancing the light and the darkness within.
And back into a rotation of awareness around the body.
Starting from the right hand side and feeling into the parts of the body as I mention them.
Or visualizing a little drop of light as I name the different body parts.
The right hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger and little finger.
Spaces in between each finger and all five fingers together.
The wrist.
Forearm.
Deep into the right armpit.
Down the right cage and into the space between each rib.
Right waist.
Hip.
Right leg.
Chin and calf and down onto the circle.
Into the right foot.
Sole of the foot.
Front of the foot.
And all five toes.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe and little toe.
The space between each toe and all five toes together.
From the right side of the body to the left side of the body.
Tip of the left hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger and little finger.
Middle finger.
Feeling into the palm of the left hand.
Deep into the left armpit and down.
Feeling into the spaces in between each rib on the left side.
Down through the left waist and onto the left hip.
Down the left leg.
Back of thigh.
Knee.
Back of knee.
Chin.
Calf.
Left ankle.
And onto the left.
Sole of the left foot and the front of the left foot.
Each toe.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe and little toe.
Into the spaces between each toe and all five toes together.
The whole left foot.
The whole left side of the body all the way through.
Left side and right side.
Right and left.
Meeting at the center of the pelvis.
Feeling onto the left side of the pelvis and the right side of the pelvis.
The front and the back.
Top and the bottom.
The pelvic organs.
Lying in the pelvic bowl.
The space between each organ.
And from the inside of the pelvic bowl to the outside.
From the tip of the pubic bone to the back tip of the tailbone.
And up through the spine.
Into every vertebra and the space between each vertebra.
Inside.
Middle back,
Right side and left.
Left.
The space between the shoulder blades.
Up through the back of the neck.
To the back of the head.
Right ear and inner ear and the left ear.
Left cheek and right.
Space between the lips.
Chin.
Throat.
Left collarbone and right collarbone and the space between the collarbones.
Right breast and left.
The breastbone in the center.
Feeling into the back at the center of the breastbone.
Into the heart space.
Feeling deep into the heart.
Feeling the expansion and contraction with every heartbeat.
Feeling the beat at the center of the heart space spreading through the whole body.
And inhaling deeply to bring lightness into the body.
And exhaling to sink heavier onto the surface beneath.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
As you draw the air in all the way to the top.
Illuminating every cell in the body.
Illuminating every cell in the body.
And as you exhale releasing all the air.
Allowing darkness to settle in.
Inhale to brighten up,
Lighten the whole body.
Exhale to fill the body.
Dark,
Dark,
Dark.
And with the full cycle of the breath,
Welcome lightness and darkness at the same time.
From that place.
Imagine you're sitting at the top of a hill.
The temperature is just as you like it and it's your favorite time of day.
As you look into the horizon,
Far away to the very end of the horizon,
Far away.
You notice the rising sun.
Shining through.
Illuminating.
Brightening.
Awakening.
And as you notice towards the other side of the horizon at your back,
You can observe the moon rising.
Bringing full darkness and stillness.
And as you sit back you can see both brightness and the darkness.
Receiving light and dark.
And know that both darkness and lightness can exist within you at the same time.
Restoring the rhythmic cycles in the body.
Knowing that simply being here is enough.
Welcoming your breath like the bridge that brings you back to this place,
To this moment.
Feeling the full cycle of the breath.
Inhaling to the top and exhaling to the bottom and noticing your body lying here.
The surface underneath and the points of contact of your body and the surface beneath.
Reawakening the sensations in the body.
Welcoming all sounds and all notes.
Those that are further away outside this room and those that are nearby inside this room.
Those that are more intimate to you like the sound of your own breath.
Bring your awareness to the moisture and water fluids in the body,
Behind the closed eyelids and inside the mouth,
Around the teeth and the gums.
Welcome anything you can taste and smell,
Tastes and smells that you can name and not name.
And the temperature in the body,
Parts of the body that are covered and uncovered.
Noticing the difference in the temperature that you breathe in and that you breathe out.
Feeling the cooler air that comes in and the warmer air that leaves the body.
Noticing all the sensations around the skin,
The air touching the skin.
As you slowly reawaken the sensations,
Welcoming all of your senses,
You slowly begin to come back,
Come back,
Come back.
And this practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Thank you for listening.
