So gather together what you need for today's practice of yoga nidra,
Making yourself as comfortable as possible and as warm as possible and take all the time you need to meet your practice and allow this preparation to become part of your practice.
And then settle into shavasana,
Resting on your back if comfortable,
Legs hip-width apart,
Arms just resting by your sides with your palms turned upward.
Whatever props you take,
Just allow your body to feel completely supported.
And allow your awareness to settle fully into this moment,
Arriving in the here and now,
In this moment.
And you can let everything else go.
Here,
There is nothing required of you.
Nothing you need do,
Nothing to think about,
No one else to take care of.
This time is completely for you.
And remember taking this time is a profound act of kindness,
Not just to yourself but to everyone you meet and connect with,
Everyone you share your life with,
As when your own cup is full and your energy replenished,
You have so much more to offer everybody else.
So allow yourself this time,
Knowing the benefits will ripple outward as you emerge from practice restored,
Renewed and rested.
Now ease into stillness,
Feel your body releasing and surrendering to the support beneath you.
Let go and soften onto the ground beneath.
Inhaling and exhaling softly,
Notice a sense of reciprocity as you let go to the ground and the ground receives and holds you with its unwavering support.
Here,
You really can let go.
Can you become the observer here,
A witness to yourself?
Step outside your mind to watch your body lying here,
Giving way to the stillness,
The softness,
To rest.
Just observe,
Be the witness.
And you now might like to take a deep breath in through your nose and then a soft exhale through your mouth.
Sigh out.
Inhaling again,
Deeply through your nose,
Deep into your belly and then gently sigh your breath out,
Allowing your body to also exhale.
Exhale and let go.
One last time,
Inhaling deeply through your nose,
Filling your whole body with air and then sighing out through your mouth,
Exhaling fully,
Surrendering fully.
Release and let go.
Let go of any tension.
Let go of any tightness.
Let go of everything.
And now return to a soft,
Gentle breath,
Breathing in and out of your nose if possible.
And begin to notice any sounds around you,
Near or far.
Be aware of all the sounds outside your body as though they are waves washing over you.
Just be aware of them.
Notice them without any engagement.
And then let them go,
Like waves dissipating into the ocean.
Let them go and turn your attention within.
And go behind your closed eyes now.
Be aware of any remaining shapes,
Colors or lights that might be echoing from the external world.
Just behind your closed eyes.
And then let these all go.
Sink inwards and bathe in the darkness inside.
A welcoming darkness,
Like a vast,
Never-ending cosmos within.
Slowly move your awareness now to the edges of your being.
To the sensation of air that touches your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
The edges of your world.
And then contrast to the sensation of clothes or covers over you.
Their textures.
Their weight.
Their warmth.
Observe these differences.
Notice these differences.
Notice everything.
And then,
Once again,
Let them all go and sink deeper.
Release further.
Allowing yourself to melt into the stillness and the silence.
The silence and the stillness of your universe within.
Today's practice invites you to turn inward and explore this vast,
Infinite universe inside.
It's a profound scientific truth that nearly every atom in your body was born in the heart of a star.
As Carl Sagan said,
We are made of star stuff.
We are,
Quite literally,
The universe brought to life.
The carbon in your DNA,
The iron in your blood,
The calcium in your bones,
All were forged in the stars.
The quantum particles you are composed of are the same building blocks found across all cosmic scale.
From the smallest atom to the most distant galaxy.
All of this is alive in you in this moment.
And consider this another scientific fact.
That energy cannot be created or destroyed.
It can only be transformed.
The energy that sustains your body and consciousness has existed since the universe's very beginning.
You are the universe experiencing itself in human form.
A microcosm reflecting the macrocosm.
And this realization that we are part of the universe,
Inseparable from it,
Reveals a deeper truth.
That everything we need must already be within.
All the potential of the cosmos,
The boundless creativity of existence,
Exists within.
And if everything is within,
Then we cannot be lacking or incomplete.
There is nothing missing.
Nothing we need to learn or earn or achieve.
As by our very nature,
We are whole and complete.
And creating a Sankalpa reminds us of this truth.
Here we shift our focus from any perceived lack to the boundless,
Universal possibility that's already within.
Take a moment to reflect.
Reflect on what you feel is missing in your life.
That one thing which,
If present,
Would create a profound shift.
What longing arises from within you?
What deepest desire or intention feels most aligned with your truth?
Your Sankalpa.
And when you get a sense of this,
Create a short,
Positive statement in the present tense that embodies this desire.
This intention.
And begin that sentence with the words,
I am.
And then silently repeat it to yourself three times.
Anchoring it inside your heart.
Resting here,
Imagine a radiant star begin to appear in your heart center.
A brilliant,
Bright star shining in the cosmos inside.
In the universe within.
And invite this star to travel now around your body.
Through your cosmos.
Illuminating each body part you hear named with a shimmering trail of stardust.
Imagine shining the light of your star onto your right hand and your right hand thumb.
See its light land softly on the tip of your right thumb.
Its luminous stardust gently settling here.
Feel the sparkles softly touch your first finger as the starlight moves.
Illuminating the very tip of your first finger.
Your second finger.
Third finger.
And little finger.
Watch as the starlight flows into the palm of your right hand.
Warmly glowing.
Watch more sparkling stardust gently settle on the back of your hand.
Your right wrist.
Your lower arm.
To your elbow.
Upper arm.
And shoulder.
And allow the starlight to expand across the right side of your chest.
Sprinkling stardust as it moves.
To your right hip.
The top of your thigh.
Your kneecap.
Your shin.
And your ankle.
And as the starlight reaches your right foot,
Feel it softly caress the sole of your foot.
Spreading its twinkling stardust before landing on the tip of your big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe and little toe.
See the stardust sparkling gently before dissolving into stillness.
Now bring your attention to your left hand and watch the starlight land onto your left hand thumb.
Its warm glow softly illuminating the tip of your left hand thumb.
See a trail of stardust fall gently onto your first finger.
Second finger.
Third finger and little finger.
The light flows softly into the palm of your left hand.
And then landing delicately on the back of your hand.
Your left wrist.
Your lower arm.
To your elbow.
And then move to your upper arm.
Your shoulder.
And let the starlight expand again across the left side of your chest.
Traveling gently to your left hip.
And the top of your thigh.
Before landing on your kneecap.
Feel the stardust cascade down your shin.
Onto your ankle.
And softly touch the sole of your left foot.
The starlight now lands onto the very tip of your big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe and little toe.
Where it sparkles again gently before dissolving into stillness.
From here,
Watch in your mind's eye as the starlight lights up both your heels.
Right and left.
Feel it travel softly up your calves.
Shimmering in the spaces behind your knees.
To the backs of your thighs.
And then your glutes.
Now see the starlight and its glistening stardust illuminating the whole of your back.
Lower.
Middle.
Upper.
Feel both shoulder blades glowing with the light.
Right and left.
Watch as the starlight flows to the nape of your neck.
Then moves gently to hold the whole of your head.
The whole of your head.
So let your head feel heavy and soft as you rest in this light.
And bring your awareness now to the crown of your head.
Imagining the light of your star radiating outward a gentle pulse of cosmic energy.
The light flows to your forehead.
To your eyebrows right and left.
Landing softly in the space between your eyebrows.
Pause here.
Breathing your radiant light into this space.
Feel the light illuminate your right eye and your left eye.
Reaching all the little muscles around and behind your eyes.
Softening.
Releasing.
The starlight flows to your right temple and your left.
Your right ear and left ear.
And let the light gently touch your cheekbones right and left.
Moving gently to your nose along the bridge of your nose and down to the tip.
Feel the light softly touch your top lip.
Then your bottom lip.
Both lips together.
The light moves inwards to your mouth.
Your whole mouth.
Touching your teeth and gums.
Upper and lower.
The inside of your right cheek.
And the inside of your left cheek.
Feel the light settle on your tongue.
And let your tongue rest.
Weighted and soft.
At the base of your mouth.
The light flows to your jaw.
Heavy and loose.
As everything softens.
More starlight and stardust dances gently along your throat.
As your light of awareness moves down to your right collarbone.
And your left collarbone.
And then landing softly in the space between.
Feel the light spread all along the right side of your chest.
And the left side.
Filling your whole chest.
Flowing to your belly.
Letting it soften and loosen.
Travelling to your abdomen.
And softly settling in your pelvis.
Now feel the starlight illuminate the whole of your right leg.
And the whole of your left leg.
The whole of your right arm.
And the whole of your left arm.
The whole of the right side of your body.
And the whole of the left side.
Your legs.
Your arms.
Your chest.
And your head.
Everything softening.
Your whole body.
Glowing with light.
From the top to the bottom.
The inside out.
From the right to the left.
And the left to the right.
Your whole body.
Your whole body.
Your whole body.
In your universe.
Within.
Stay resting.
In this infinite space inside.
This.
The boundless universe.
Within you.
The endless expanse of all there is.
And notice the soft,
Effortless rhythm of your breath.
Witness as gently,
Lightly,
Your breath moves in and out requiring no effort.
No endeavour.
Your body breathing itself.
With your next inhale,
Imagine drawing in nourishing,
Revitalising energy from the never-ending universe within.
And as you exhale,
Envisage your own brilliant light of your star in your heart space to spread outward beyond your body.
A microcosm connecting to a macrocosm.
Continue inhaling and exhaling following the natural flow of your breath.
Your rhythm.
Your energy.
Your light.
Continuing to rest here feeling illuminated with your golden light and move to welcome a sense of darkness inside your body.
A welcoming darkness.
The creative darkness.
The darkness that is the mystery.
And now gently shift your awareness to welcome back the radiance of light from the star in your heart space.
Once again illuminating your whole body.
Your whole body.
And notice how alive,
How spacious and how free you feel.
Expansive and luminous in this light.
And what might it feel like if you bring your breath in here gently moving between these two states.
On your inhale feel the light,
The expanse,
The spaciousness,
The luminosity rise up in your being.
And on your exhale allow yourself to be wrapped in the warmth of the welcoming creative darkness.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
All at your own pace.
With your own flow.
With your own breath.
Now bring your awareness back to your body.
Your physical form lying here.
Feel the contours of your form from inside your mind.
The gentle boundaries where your being meets the world.
And then allow your awareness to gently melt into and expand beyond the boundaries of your body.
Your edges softening and blending.
Dissolving into the space around you.
No longer confined by form.
Now merging with the stars,
The galaxies,
The infinite cosmos,
The universe itself.
Inside and out.
Again begin to flow gently between these two states and your breath.
On your inhale draw your awareness inward.
Returning to the center of your being.
Fully present within your body.
And on your exhale let your awareness expand outward.
Merging with the infinite possibilities of the whole universe around you.
Inhaling connect to the sensations within your body.
The rhythm of your heartbeat.
The gentle movement of your breath.
The aliveness in each and every cell.
And exhaling release these boundaries allowing your full awareness to flow outward infinite and free.
Breathing in and out.
Connecting to the whole.
And then let go.
Go beyond the light and the dark.
Beyond the boundaries.
Allowing the limitless potential of the entire cosmos to flow in you and with you.
Go beyond and let everything simply be.
Gently bring your awareness and your attention back to your physical form once again.
Resting here in stillness.
Focus on the points of contact between your body and the ground.
The places where your body meets the ground.
Connecting.
Resting.
Now turn your awareness inward once again and journey deep into your body.
Into your muscles.
Your bones.
Your tissues.
Your fascia.
Dive deeper still.
Sensing the interplay of vibrant vital energy within each and every cell.
Feel the energy pulsing through your cells and atoms.
Each one a reflection of the infinite universe.
Remembering you are made of the same.
Recognize the boundless potential and the limitless possibility that's within you in this moment.
In your body.
In your universe within.
Now invite your attention to land in the space between your eyebrows and direct all the energy of potential and possibility here to this space.
And breathe here.
And then call to mind the following images.
Allow them to unfold in your mind.
Trusting whatever appears.
Trust the process.
Trust the practice.
Imagine the infinite stillness of space.
The sound of gentle rain.
A crescent moon.
The still lake of your mind.
A gathering storm.
The murmuration of starlings.
A supernova exploding in brilliant light and energy.
The sense of surrender.
A comet streaking across the night sky.
Your secret garden within.
A fallow field.
The night sky lit up with a thousand stars.
A single candle flame.
The gentle air and flow of a tide.
Pine cones on a moss floor in a forest.
A velvet cloak wrapped around you.
Wild flowers in a meadow.
An open book.
The golden sun.
The universe within.
The universe within.
The universe within.
Release everything now.
Surrender and let go.
Let go to go beyond.
Go beyond the darkness.
Beyond Maya.
Let go and enter the one true reality of all there is.
Pure awareness.
The nothingness where you find everything.
The universe within.
When you realize your oneness with the infinite,
You see that the same power that moves through the stars and pulses through the oceans moves through you.
Remember the same energy that created the stars,
The universe,
The entire cosmos.
That same energy flows through you.
So release yourself from any limiting stories you've told yourself,
From any fears you've created to protect yourself and step into the daring,
Undeniable truth that you are a limitless being.
Tap into this truth.
Recall your sankalpa,
Your heartfelt intention,
And welcome it fully into your being.
Feel it resonate in every cell,
Drawing from the infinite universe to align with your life.
Call it.
Will it into being with your mind,
Your body,
And your soul.
And silently repeat it to yourself three times.
Mind,
Body,
And soul.
Breathe a little deeper once again,
Inviting your breath to land gently in your belly with each inhale.
And as you exhale,
Send the feelings of this practice,
The calm,
The peace,
And the nourishment through your entire body,
Beyond the boundaries of your body and into the world.
Feel a lingering sense of ease,
Of being refreshed,
Restored,
And deeply rested.
Ready for your day or evening ahead.
And bring your attention back to your mind's eye and see your body resting here in this space.
Begin to become aware of the sounds around you,
Near and far.
Sense any aroma in the air.
Feel the temperature of your surroundings,
The air on your skin.
The texture of your clothes or the coverings over your body.
Awaken everything as you land back into this space.
And take a moment now to give gratitude to yourself for making this time for practice,
For creating the space to rest deeply,
For connecting with the potent power that is Yoga Nidra,
And for reconnecting with yourself.
You are,
As Rumi reminds us,
The universe in a static motion.
This is no metaphor.
You truly are the universe experiencing itself.
So dream boldly,
Create freely,
And explore endlessly.
And remember every small act of courage expands the boundaries of what you believe is possible.
So live fully and love without end.
Continue to breathe deeper now.
Begin to bring gentle movement back into your body,
Perhaps pressing the pads of your fingers one by one onto your thumbs.
Or maybe wriggle your fingers and toes.
It might feel nice to give yourself a full body stretch.
Or simply turn to one side and rest here a little longer if that's what you would like to do today.
And if you're returning now,
You might like to bring your hands over your eyes and slowly,
Ever so slowly widen your fingers,
Allowing gentle shafts of light to meet you,
To greet you as you return to your world.
And as you meet the light of the world around you,
Remember to keep shining your own unique light,
Brightly and courageously into all that you do,
With everyone you meet and to every corner of your world.
And may the peace which passes all understanding keep your heart and mind in the knowledge and presence of love.
This practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Thank you for taking the time to practice with me today.
Remember,
Practice and all is coming.
Yoga Nidra is your secret superpower.
It really is my pleasure to have had the opportunity to guide you through your practice today.
Thank you.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
The unseen and the seen are both one.
