Nidra Works - Yoga Nidra | Water

A Yoga Nidra practice using water as imagery to help guide you into deep rest and relaxation, journeying to a little slice of bliss, courtesy of the magic that is Yoga Nidra! I hope you enjoy it. In gratitude.

Transcript

Welcome to this practice of yoga nidra.

Take some time to settle and get really comfortable.

Take a position of shavasana and with some blankets and pillows build yourself a nidra nest.

Really becoming comfortable,

Settling in,

Maybe with a blanket on top tuck it around your body to get a real sense of containment.

Hands can be by your sides or on your belly and just really start to arrive on the floor or on your bed.

Arrive in your body,

Just really start to let go.

Let go of the day,

Let go of everything that's been,

Everything that you still have to do.

Just really become present.

And whilst I'll be guiding you through this practice with my voice,

Know that at any time you can let my voice go.

Likewise for any suggestions or invitations I may give for visualisation.

If anything doesn't sit right,

Just trust yourself and what you're feeling.

Remember you can't let nidra wrong.

There's nothing for you to achieve in this practice.

Whatever you experience is just as it should be.

And know that you can show up here just as you are.

Every bit of you is welcome,

Just as you are.

This is your practice.

Take whatever resonates with you and let everything else go.

Trust yourself fully.

There is an invitation to stay awake during the practice but if at any time your body wants to take you to sleep,

Let it happen.

Do what is right for you today.

Your body knows best.

So now just let your eyes close and invite stillness.

As much stillness as your body can give today.

If you are uncomfortable in any way during the practice,

Please feel free to move mindfully and gently to regain as much comfort as you can possibly have.

There's nothing for you to do.

Nowhere to go,

Nowhere to be.

Just to be here is enough.

Just the way you are.

All the doing is invited to stop.

Quieten your mind and let go of all thought.

Simply welcome what is present.

Feel everything soften.

Your face,

Your eyes,

Your temples.

Let go of all tension.

Your mouth,

Your jaw,

Your teeth and your tongue.

Everything softening.

Your shoulders melting into the floor.

Releasing unburdening.

Your chest and your pelvis sinking deeper into the ground beneath you.

The earth that's rising to meet you,

To support you.

Feel both legs release effortlessly into the ground.

As you let go,

Sink deeper still into comfort.

Deeper still into rest.

Welcoming your body into rest.

Welcoming your body home.

Now bring your attention to your navel.

Watch it rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale through your nose.

And just bear witness to this,

This most natural process.

Your breath,

Your life force,

Your prana.

Entering and leaving your body,

Feeding and nourishing your body.

As well as taking away all the things you no longer need.

All on its own.

The body breathing itself.

There is nothing to do but bear witness.

No control is needed.

No judgement is required.

Just allow yourself to be.

Become aware of the sensation of air in your nostrils as it moves with ease in and out of your body.

Maybe notice the sensation of breath inside the body.

Perhaps a feeling of warmth inside the body.

And notice all the points where the body meets the floor.

Where your body is supported by the floor.

Your heels,

Your calves,

Buttocks,

The parts of your back that connect to the floor.

Your arms if they're by your side.

Your shoulder blades,

The back of your head.

Notice the weight of your body as it sinks ever deeper into the floor and the earth that rises up to meet it.

Now notice the parts of the body which are not connected with the floor.

The soles of your feet,

The back of your knees,

The small of your lower back,

Your neck.

Become increasingly aware of your body as a whole,

Lying on the ground,

Taking up this space.

Your rightful space to rest.

Now notice any sounds around you,

From your own breath to the sound of my voice.

Perhaps other sounds you can hear.

And again,

Just bear witness to them,

Without engagement,

Just be aware.

Observe.

Feel the sensation of your clothes and blankets on your skin as they wrap around you giving you warmth and comfort.

And acknowledge just how good it feels to give yourself this time,

This rest.

Feel a real sense of contentment as you sink deeper still into the ground supporting you as it rises up to meet you.

Feel your whole body in comfort and at rest.

Breathe into your body,

Your wonderful whole body,

Your whole body.

Now take a moment to sense where your centre of your being is,

Your inner resource.

It might be your heart centre,

Your belly or between your eyebrows at the third eye.

Take some time to sense where this is for you.

And on the next inhale,

Really breathe into this place and feel it,

Knowing this is your inner resource,

The centre of your wellbeing.

A place of comfort,

Your home within yourself.

Exhale and let everything go.

And know that during this practice,

That if you ever want to return to this place,

Your centre of inner resource,

That it is always there for you.

A steady place of comfort and of rest.

I invite you now to make your sankalpa,

Your intention,

Your heartfelt desire.

And let this be something you wish to have more of in your life,

Something you wish to be more of in your life.

And whatever your sankalpa,

Create a short positive statement in the present tense and repeat it silently to yourself,

Three times.

Really feel that attribute,

Embody it.

And if nothing comes immediately,

Just stay with your place of inner resource,

Knowing it is enough.

You are enough,

Just the way you are.

Centring your attention on your inner resource,

Wherever you feel that to be and holding space there,

Bring awareness to the key elements that give us life.

Earth,

Air,

Fire and water.

Feel your connection to the earth beneath you,

The ground supporting you.

And to the air flowing in and out through your breath,

Inhaling and exhaling,

Giving you everything you need to simply be.

And imagine your spirit as fire,

A beautiful flame of life.

And now to water,

Cleansing and revitalising.

Imagine a beautiful drop of warm,

Soothing water.

Notice how the light passes through the water,

A mixture of crystal blue and white.

And see this beautiful light within one single drop.

Taking your attention now to your right hand thumb and the very tip of your thumb.

Imagine this beautiful light landing ever so gently on your thumb,

Nourishing and revitalising.

And then on your first finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger.

Your thumb and fingers together.

And now a drop of this light lands ever so softly in the palm of your hand,

On the back of your hand,

On your right wrist,

Your forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

The right side of your torso,

Your waist,

Your right hip,

The front of the thigh and the back of the thigh,

Your knee and the space at the back of the knee,

Your shin and your calf,

Your right ankle,

Heel,

The sole of the foot,

The top of the foot,

The very tip of your right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and little toe.

All your toes together,

The whole of your right side of your body.

Now bring your attention to your left hand and see a perfect singular drop of this beautiful light land on the very tip of your left hand thumb.

Your first finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger and little finger.

All these exquisite droplets of light illuminating the tips of your thumb and fingers together.

Notice another in the palm of your hand,

On the back of your hand,

Your left wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

The left side of your torso,

Your waist,

Your left hip,

The front of your thigh,

The back of your thigh,

The knee and the space at the back of the knee,

Your shin and calf,

Your left ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

The very tip of your left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and little toe.

All your toes together,

The whole of your left side of your body,

The whole of your left side of your body.

Now take your attention to the crown of your head and feel a drop of this brilliant light softly tip the crown of your head.

Your forehead becoming soft and spacious as the light gently falls from the crown of your head,

A beautiful soothing sensation.

Notice how smaller drops of light land now on your right eyebrow,

Your left eyebrow,

All around your right eye,

Your left eye,

All along your right ear and your left ear,

Your right cheek,

Your left cheek,

Your nose and the very tip of your nose,

Around your upper lip,

Your lower lip and both your lips together,

Your jaw,

Your teeth and your tongue,

Your chin and your throat,

All droplets of light illuminating your right collarbone,

Your left collarbone,

The right side of your chest and the left side of your chest,

Your right groin,

Your left groin,

The pelvic floor.

And now see droplets of beautiful healing light softly land on the whole of your right leg,

The whole of your left leg,

Both legs at the same time,

Both legs together.

And now these lights are lighting up all of your right arm,

All of your left arm,

Both arms at the same time,

Both arms together.

The whole of your back now,

Droplets of the most beautiful light landing ever so softly along your spine,

Your shoulder blades and your neck,

The whole of your front illuminated with droplets of light,

Your chest,

Your abdomen and your belly,

The whole of your front and your back lit up with a magnificent light,

The whole body together shining and translucent,

Radiant and renewed from the inside out.

Inside and outside,

To the left and the right,

The back and the front,

Every cell,

Every muscle and bone,

Your whole body be nourished and cleansed by this light.

Rest in this beautiful restorative light.

And be reminded of the words of Rumi,

You are not a drop in the ocean,

You are the entire ocean in one drop.

Bring your awareness back to your breath and follow the gentle tide of your inhale and exhale without altering it,

No judgement,

Just awareness.

Be the observer.

And then visit your breath now as a single ray of light flowing up and down your spine.

With your inhale the light flows from the tailbone to the crown of your head and with the exhale it flows from the crown of your head all the way back down,

A cyclical tide of light.

And stay with your breath as your light flows up and down your spine,

Vibrant and radiant.

And notice how it feels to melt the boundaries of being,

Merging into an interconnected whole,

That you are now the observer of all that is unfolding within you,

That you are pure awareness,

Everywhere and nowhere at the same time,

Resting in the freedom of simply being.

Return now to the centre of your being,

Your inner resource,

And feel the breath moving gently in and out of the body as the body breathes itself.

The body knows exactly what to do.

Become aware of a sense of lightness in the body.

Feel your body become light,

As light as a feather,

Completely weightless,

Light and weightless.

And now feel your body become heavy.

Sense the heaviness of your head on the floor,

Your bones on the ground.

Be aware of a feeling of sinking deep into the earth.

Feel the opposites now,

A sense of lightness and then a sense of heaviness,

Of heaviness and lightness.

And maybe these sensations come and go with your inhale and exhale.

As you inhale you have this sense of lightness and weightlessness,

And as you exhale you have this feeling of sinking,

Of being heavy and sinking into the ground.

Move between these sensations of lightness and heaviness in your own time with your own breath.

Now hold them together in your mind's eye.

Heaviness and heaviness together.

Heaviness and lightness together.

Imagine you are walking alongside a stream.

You are in a beautiful,

Peaceful place,

A forest maybe or in the mountains.

It's a sunny day,

The air is pure and still,

The temperature is warm and soothing,

Not too hot,

Not too cold,

A perfect temperature,

A perfect warmth.

And know that as you walk here you are protected by the nature and space of this place,

Only a sense of peace.

Hear the sound of a bubbling stream as you walk,

The water so clear,

The crystal blue and white light of the water dancing and weaving into a joyous natural flow.

And notice the shapes forged in the earth of the banks creating a way for the water to flow effortlessly.

The foliage of the green plants by the side of the bank as they lean into the water,

Themselves being refreshed and nourished.

And hear the sounds of the forest,

The birdsong,

Perhaps other sounds from the nature around you,

Knowing you are only welcome by them here on your journey.

And as you walk,

See the sunlight glimmering through the trees and leaves,

A magnificent translucent green.

See the sunlight light up the water in the stream,

Dropping jewels of sunlight into the water as it winds its way along the bank effortlessly.

The sky above is a bright clear blue with maybe one or two clouds just gently floating by.

Feel the earth beneath your bare feet and just how good it feels to connect with the earth on the soft moss or grass that welcomes you as you walk.

You notice a petal from a beautiful flower fall into the stream and you start to follow as this delicate petal winds itself down and down along the water.

Down and down the stream it flows.

And you keep walking along the banks of this stream,

Following this exquisite petal as it flows with the water until you notice a glade in the forest,

An opening which leads to a grassy meadow.

And you see there is an abundance of wild flowers growing here,

The radiance of the flowers,

The sensations of colour and smell,

Utter beauty and abundance of nature and peace.

It's like you've discovered somewhere for the very first time,

Somewhere untouched,

A little piece of heaven on earth.

And as you move through the glade,

Maybe allow your hands to flow through the wild flowers and tall grasses.

You notice the sound of a waterfall and moving towards this waterfall you see beautiful water cascading down from the mountains to a clear still pool below.

Its waters are wonderfully warm from the sun's golden rays.

You step into the pool and slip underneath the waterfall into a soothing warm shower of light,

Feeling the healing water envelop you like a beautiful velvet cloak,

Cleansing,

Healing,

Revitalising your whole body,

Your whole body,

Your wonderful whole body.

And notice now a feeling of complete renewal in your body,

A letting go of everything you no longer need,

Gently washed away by the cleansing nature of this water,

Giving you the perfect opportunity in the here and now to be pure with nature,

Exactly as you want to be,

Exactly who you are.

And take a moment to really feel grateful in being alive.

Be grateful for your body in this existence,

For having the experience of living this life in this body.

And now as you rest in this state of grace,

Perfectly aligned with nature,

Feel a moment of complete surrender.

May today there be peace within.

May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.

May you use the gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content with yourself just the way you are.

Returning to your sankalpa,

Your heartfelt desire,

Your deepest intention.

Repeat it silently and wholeheartedly to yourself three times.

Embody your intention,

Your heartfelt desire and recognise what a wonderful feeling it is to feel this quality,

A full embodiment of this quality.

And remember you can always return to this feeling whenever you want,

Through your awareness to breath.

Drawing your attention back to your breath now,

Notice it flowing through your body with ease.

Softly,

Rhythmically,

Naturally.

Feel you are floating back to everyday awareness.

Take another long inhale through your nose,

Filling your whole body with beautiful fresh air and exhaling side out and let it go.

Allow an awareness of your whole body as you come back into this space.

Feel your clothes and the blankets that cover you.

Notice the sensation of your body on the floor at ease and at complete rest.

Keeping your eyes closed,

Start to imagine the external space around you and slowly with no rush,

Drift back into this space.

Inviting the effects of this practice to stay with you as you return back into your body,

Into this space.

Maybe gently start to give movement in your fingers and your toes,

Waking up your body as you return to this space.

And when you feel fully awake,

Gently blink open your eyes,

Roll to the right and just stay on your side for a few moments.

There's no rush,

Take all the time you need.

Use your left hand to slowly push the floor away from you to come to a seated position.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

Reviews

Lovely! Practicing yoga nidra right away in the morning helps me feel like I got more rest. Thank you so much. ☮️ 💖🙏🖖🪷🕉

I love how you weave themes into each of these. I am slowly working my way through all your recordings! Thank you so much for your offerings, Kate.