Hello and welcome to this yoga nidra sanctuary.
This is a space for you to soothe and rejuvenate the nervous system,
To release stress and to open up to the vast space within.
Take your time to find a comfortable position,
Either lying down or seated.
Make any adjustments you need and let your body settle into support.
Acknowledge that the body and mind may take time to fully arrive.
There is nothing you need to do,
Simply observe the process with curiosity and equanimity.
The way in is through the breath,
Inhale gently through the nose,
Exhale softly through the mouth with a sigh.
Begin to notice the natural rhythm of your breath,
Just as it is right now.
Notice how your shoulders,
Hips,
Abdomen and chest feel.
Notice the tiny muscles around the eyes,
They may vibrate slightly as tension fades away.
Invite in all sensations,
All feelings,
All thoughts,
Everything is shifting,
Let it move without needing to control it.
There is no need to fix or change,
The body knows how to find ease.
Take a slow gentle breath in,
Exhale a little longer than the inhale,
Inhale through the nose,
Exhale through the mouth,
Let your awareness follow the soft path of the out-breath.
If you like,
Choose a number to begin counting down from,
Count down the exhale part of the 20,
19,
Exhale 18,
Continue slowly like this at your own pace,
Allowing your awareness to gently descend.
If at any point you lose count,
Come back to the number you started from.
If the mind drifts as part of the process,
A sign it may be surrendering into the Nidra state.
Take your time,
It doesn't matter whether you finish or not,
You are helping the mind find its way back to ease.
Before we move awareness through the body,
Take a moment to gently welcome an intention for your practice.
Let it arise softly,
Without effort,
Without pressure.
It may be a simple word or phrase,
A quality,
A wish for yourself or your life.
Let this intention settle in the background,
Not something to hold tightly,
But something to plant gently in the soil of the awareness.
We'll now begin to move awareness gently through the body.
As this happens,
Imagine each area of the body bathed in a warm light,
Or invite in any other sensation that might help you feel present and connected.
There is no right or wrong way to feel,
Just notice and begin with the right hand,
Right thumb,
Second finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Right side of the chest,
Right waist,
Top of the foot,
Sole of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Now bring awareness to the left hand,
Second finger,
Third,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Left side of the chest,
Left waist,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Sole of the left foot,
Big toe,
Second,
Now bring attention to the center of the body,
And lower back,
Aware of the navel,
Solar plexus,
The chest,
The upper back,
Sense the back of the neck,
And throat,
The back of the head,
The whole face,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Space between the eyebrows,
Nose,
Feel the entire face,
Often,
Now bring awareness to the whole body,
Held in stillness,
Resting,
Supported,
Gradually let your attention return to the breath,
On your next inhalation,
Imagine the energy of the breath moving into the body through the crown of your head,
And out of the body,
Again through the crown of your head,
Continue like this for a few breaths,
Sensing the energy of the space around the top of the head,
Now bring your awareness to the middle of the forehead,
Let the breath enter here,
And leave through this same point,
Perhaps you can sense the breath entering and exiting simultaneously through your third eye,
Hold your awareness here for a few breaths,
Now gently shift attention to the nostrils,
Feel the breath here,
Notice the temperature of the air as it flows in,
Let the simplicity of this moment guide your attention,
Now,
Sense the breath around your throat and neck,
Feel the energy of the breath circling in this space,
Permeating the body,
Stay open to whatever arises,
Let each breath guide you a little deeper,
Now descend into the heart space,
Notice the breath as it expands outward from the heart center,
And is drawn inward again,
Like an energetic tide,
You may sense this movement extending beyond the body,
In all directions,
Continue to rest with this awareness for a few more breaths,
Bring your attention now to the solar plexus,
Feel the breath moving in and out of this space,
A gentle expansion,
And soft return,
Now lower your awareness into the sacral center,
And just below the navel,
In the deep ball of the pelvis,
Feel into this space the rise and fall of breath energy,
Now allow awareness to descend to the base of the spine,
The root center,
Sense the breath moving into this space and grounding you,
Each exhale anchoring you more fully,
Each inhale drawing in stability,
Safety,
Connection,
Remain here for a few breaths,
Resting in this foundational awareness,
And now gently bring to your mind's eye the image of a landscape,
Any landscape,
It might be familiar or entirely new,
And invite your senses into the experience,
What do you see,
What can you hear,
What do you feel through the skin,
Is it the air,
The temperature,
Other textures,
What does this place smell like,
And is there a taste coming into your awareness,
Who are you with in this place,
Or are you completely alone,
Allow the experience to unfold,
And let your imagination be guided,
Allow the subconscious mind to project onto this scene,
A bit like a dream,
You don't need to control it,
You just witness it and let it live in you,
And now let go of this image,
And rest in the quiet that remains,
No image,
No need to imagine,
Just aware of your presence in the body,
And in the space around you,
Return again to the breath,
The natural rise and fall,
The movement in the body,
Aware again of the support beneath you,
The ground or any surface holding you,
Sense the weight of your body,
Its shape,
Its contact with the earth,
And notice again the space around the heart,
Notice how the whole body feels,
If an intention was set at the beginning,
Let it come back now,
Let it ripple gently through you,
Without needing to grasp it,
Just letting it be,
And when you feel ready,
See whether movement feels welcome anywhere in the body,
It may be easier through fingers or toes,
Perhaps a roll of the head,
Take a stretch if the body asks for it,
And in your own time,
Bring yourself to a seated position,
Keeping your eyes soft or closed,
And notice again how you feel,
And let the residue of this practice stay with you as you come back to your day,
Or continue into your sleep,
And know that the sanctuary within you is always here,
Always available.
