Welcome to today's yoga nidra practice,
A practice created for non-attachment.
Before settling in to practice today,
Take a moment to notice the room that you're in.
Notice the space around you,
The room,
The light,
And a sense of where you are.
And remember if at any point during the practice you feel uncomfortable in any way,
You are always free to open your eyes,
Move your body mindfully and gently,
Return attention to the sounds around you,
Your breath.
Nothing here is mandatory,
Your agency really matters.
This practice isn't about leaving yourself in any way.
It is about staying gently with yourself.
And take a moment to sense this in your body.
Know that in this moment you are safe.
In this moment you are enough and you are welcomed to this practice exactly as you are.
And then slowly,
Gently come to a position of shavasana.
Lie down on your back with your legs stretched out in front of you.
Your feet can fall naturally to the sides,
Arms a little away from your body.
And your neck aligned with a straight back,
Your head perhaps resting on a low pillow.
Any way that you can make yourself as comfortable as possible.
You might like to be sure you have a weighted blanket or duvets,
Anything that can give you an added sense of containment for this practice.
And then allow the eyes to soften,
Perhaps close completely.
Allow the jaw to loosen,
The tongue to rest,
The face softening completely.
There is nothing you need to prepare,
Nothing you need to achieve.
For this time,
You are invited to let things be.
Notice the breath as it is.
Notice the breathing already happening.
Just notice it as it is.
And bring your awareness to sound around you,
Near or far.
Simply notice sound.
You don't need to follow sound,
Nor push it away.
You can let it arise and pass.
All within a very light,
Gentle awareness.
You might notice sensations in the body,
Perhaps warmth or coolness.
Pressure or the slightest of movement.
You are not asked to change any sensation here.
Just let sensation be exactly as it is.
Allow sight to rest.
Sound to rest.
Touch to rest.
Awareness does not move outward through the senses.
Instead,
The senses gently rest inside awareness.
Introduce your sankalpa,
Not as a demand,
But as a quiet orientation,
An intention.
If you are working with your own sankalpa,
Prepare to repeat it to yourself.
Or you may like to use one of the following.
I am allowing things to be exactly as they are.
I am at ease with what comes and goes.
I am accepting everything as it is.
Whatever your sankalpa,
Prepare to repeat it silently,
Wholeheartedly to yourself three times.
Let it sink beneath thought.
Awareness moves now lightly like a breeze around your body.
Bring your attention to your right hand and to your right hand thumb.
First finger.
Second finger.
Third finger.
And little finger.
The palm of your right hand.
The back of your hand.
Your right wrist.
Elbow.
Shoulder.
The right side of your waist.
Thigh.
Knee.
Calf.
Ankle.
Your right heel.
The sole of your right foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And little toe.
The whole of the right side of your body.
Now move your attention to your left hand and to your left hand thumb.
First finger.
Second finger.
Third finger and little finger.
The palm of your hand.
The back of your hand.
Your wrist.
Elbow.
Shoulder.
The left side of your waist.
Thigh.
Knee.
Calf.
Ankle.
Heel.
The sole of your left foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe and little toe.
The whole of the left side of your body.
Now bring your attention to the crown of your head and to your forehead.
Your right eyebrow and your left eyebrow.
Your right eye and your left eye.
Your right ear and left ear.
Your nose and the very tip of your nose.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Your mouth.
Your whole mouth.
Your teeth and your tongue.
Your jaw.
Your whole head.
Moving your awareness on to your throat and to the right side of your chest.
Left side of your chest.
Your whole right leg and your whole left leg.
Your whole right arm and your whole left arm.
From the top to the bottom.
The inside out.
Your whole body at once.
Bring your awareness to where the body meets the ground.
The back of the head.
Your shoulders.
Your arms and your hands.
Your ribs resting.
Your pelvis.
Your pelvis and your legs.
Your heels and your feet.
Notice how the floor supports you effortlessly.
You are being held.
And then notice the spaces.
The curve of your neck.
The hollow of your lower back.
The spaces behind your knees.
Contact and space.
Both belong.
Let gravity take what it can.
Bring your full awareness to your body lying here.
In this space.
Allow your body to be heavy.
Settled.
Rooted.
Now light.
Spacious.
Buoyant.
Notice warmth spreading gently.
And then coolness.
Open and clear.
A sense of holding.
And then a sense of ease.
Of release.
Each state arrives.
Each state leaves.
None is permanent.
None are the essence of who you are.
Now notice something subtle.
Sensations are present.
Breath is present.
Thoughts may be present.
And yet something is noticing.
That which notices does not tense.
Does not grasp.
Does not interfere or try to control.
It simply acknowledges.
This is being experienced.
Experience is allowed to move freely.
You do not need to step away from it.
You are simply no longer inside it.
Rest as the witness.
The observer.
Rest in awareness.
Bring your awareness to the middle of your eyebrows.
Rest your awareness here.
Images now arise briefly.
Let them come and go.
A wide open sky.
A single cloud drifting.
An open gate.
A quiet path.
Hands opening.
Nothing inside.
A river moving without pause.
A candle flame.
The flame disappearing.
Awareness itself.
Now release everything.
Allow experience to continue.
Awareness to remain still.
Thoughts may pass.
Sensations may shift.
Emotions may arise.
But notice something else.
Untouched.
Rest here.
Allowing everything to simply be as it is.
Trusting everything as it is.
Everything as it is.
Now gently return to your sankalpa.
Repeating your sankalpa three times.
I am allowing things to be exactly as they are.
I am at ease with what comes and goes.
I am accepting everything as it is.
Inviting it to be embodied.
For you to feel it in every cell of your being.
Repeat it in the space that follows.
Silently.
Wholeheartedly.
Now.
Begin to notice your body again.
The floor beneath you.
The room around you.
Slowly make the smallest of movements in your fingers and your toes.
As you gently land back into this space.
Allow sounds to come back in.
Feel the sensation of the clothes that you are in.
Or the covers over you.
Returning all sensation back into your body.
As you return to your world.
Feeling nourished.
Feeling centered.
Feeling grounded by the practice of yoga nidra.
When you are ready.
You might like to roll to one side.
And carry this knowing with you.
Any experience can arise and pass.
Without it becoming who you are.
And remember the pause.
As Viktor Frankl said.
Between stimulus and response.
There is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth.
And our freedom.
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 your time.
To practice with me today.
Have a wonderful rest of your day.
Or evening ahead.
Shine bright,
Shine bold,
Shine in love.
