Taste a yoga nidra practice,
Make yourself comfortable,
You can do this taste a practice sitting in a chair,
Lying on the floor,
Lying on the bed,
Get yourself into a position where you can feel supported,
Where you can stay awake and aware,
Present to what's there right now,
Without having to do anything to change it,
Fix it or get rid of it.
If you want to lie down,
A good position is having something under the back of the knees to support you like a bolster or a cushion,
To help support you.
The head is slightly lifted,
Use a book,
A cushion,
A pillow,
A blanket under the head.
You can do it sitting in a comfortable chair,
Where you can rest easily,
So the body is supported,
It can settle.
Adjust the body so it feels supported.
Go into this practice of yoga nidra and meditation,
Practice where we learn to welcome and embrace things,
Even the discomfort,
Practice where there is nothing to change,
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to make any better,
Practice where we are learning to accept ourselves,
How we feel in this moment,
Just as we are.
Senses opening,
Smells coming and going,
Tastes,
Touch,
Images,
Sounds,
Just the body so it feels supported,
Comfortable,
Just being curious.
If at any time it is too uncomfortable,
You can get up and move,
Do whatever you need to do to keep yourself safe.
Let's see if you can sit with these sensations for a second at a time,
Learning to respond healthily to these messages coming in as sensations,
Rather than react from a hurt place of survival,
Just being curious about what comes up,
Is this something that wants your attention,
Setting an intention,
Framing it in a positive way,
Like I am sitting with what wants and needs my attention right now,
Maybe the intention of trying out this practice of yoga nidra,
Of iris,
So you can confirm it to yourself in a positive way,
As though it is happening,
Notice if there is any negative chatter of the mind,
Acknowledge it,
You can take that into a practice sometime when you are ready,
See what it is all about and understand it.
If it is too uncomfortable at times,
Develop the feeling of inner comfort and safety,
A sense of comfort,
Ease and well-being in the body,
To relax and calm the nervous system,
An internal resource to help soothe,
Neutralise,
Any feelings of discomfort,
Calling things that are nurturing,
Supportive for you,
Use the senses,
Images of places you can imagine or remember,
Where you felt safe and at ease,
Let the images go and recall some smells that are nurturing,
Comforting,
Tastes that help to feel nourished,
Healthy,
Safe touches that support you,
Sounds that feel good,
Calming and supportive,
Things that can deepen your connection to a feeling in the body of safety,
Comfort,
Ease and well-being.
When you have got this sense of inner comfort and safety,
You can use it anytime to connect with a feeling of well-being and ease in the body.
You can use it in this practice or in your life,
Anytime it supports you,
If you feel okay,
If you are struggling with anything physical,
Mental or emotional,
What's in your heart?
What's your deepest wish for your life?
Curious about the words that come up?
Things you'd like to do?
What's the feeling that you'd like to connect with from it?
This isn't a goal to get anywhere,
This deepest wish is there within your heart,
It's a feeling you can nurture,
Know it's there,
Become it.
Notice if there is any negative chatter of the mind,
Which tells you why you can't have it,
Become the best version of you,
You can make something of your life,
Being clean,
Sober,
Happy,
Peaceful,
Content with yourself,
Acknowledge that over the weeks,
Acknowledge it each time you practice,
Start to explore that negative chatter,
Stopping you from being it,
Deepen your connection to feel,
Become what's in your heart,
It can help to give you meaning and purpose with what you have been through.
Connecting to it may take a day,
A week,
A month,
A year,
A lifetime.
Know it will reveal itself when it is ready,
So you become it.
Now we are going to scan the body,
Feel the body as sensation,
The weight of the body drops onto the surface as it is resting on.
Just feel the sensation of the mouth,
The lips,
The tongue,
The eyes,
The whole head is a ball of sensation,
The weight of the body dropping,
Nothing to change,
Nothing to fix,
Pay attention to the left shoulder,
Feel the left arm and hand as sensation,
Pay attention to the right shoulder,
Feel the right arm and hand as sensation,
The trunk of the body,
Feeling the sensation of the pelvis,
The left leg and foot as sensation,
The right leg and foot as sensation,
Pulsing,
Both legs,
Both arms,
Feel the whole body's pulsing sensation,
Pay attention to the breath,
The sensation of breath coming in and going out of the nostrils,
The lungs filling and emptying,
The belly and the chest,
Rising and falling,
Feel and imagine the energy and sensation of breath,
Just being curious about how the body is being breathed,
The body's sensation,
The breath is sensation,
Curious of any feelings or emotions that are coming and going,
Curious of any thoughts,
Sense how all these movements,
Thoughts,
Feelings or sensations seem to appear from somewhere,
Come from space,
Fall back into a space,
Show you the space of unchanging awareness,
Become that space,
View yourself as the stillness of the watcher,
Sense how you are this awareness,
Perfect,
Whole and complete,
Just being,
Feel back into the body,
As you feel back into the body recall something you are grateful for,
Thankful for,
However small or simple that is,
Sense of being thankful opens the door to a happiness and joy without an opposite,
Connect you to a sense of what you have,
What you can do,
However limiting that is,
Rather than what you can't do,
Take a moment to reflect on this practice,
Connecting with the watcher,
Noticing thoughts,
Feelings and emotions,
Feeling the breath,
Scanning the body,
Feeling the body being breathed,
Recall the feeling of inner comfort and safety,
Things that nurture a feeling in the body of comfort and ease,
And in a safe feeling whenever you need it,
What is in your heart,
This deep wish for life,
A positive phrase or just a sense of something that is calling you,
Become it,
What was the intention you had for this taster practice,
Is there a future intention for something that supports you in your life,
Maybe to go through the eight sessions or the courses,
Or intention for some other practice that's important to you within your life,
Doing other things that support your mental,
Emotional,
Physical,
Spiritual well-being,
So this taster practice is complete,
Coming back to your waking state,
Moving the toes,
The fingers,
Open and close the eyes,
Stretching the body out,
When you're ready,
Continue with your day.
