Hello.
Welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.
My name is Penny and I will be guiding you on this journey and your mind today.
Find yourself a comfortable position.
Sitting or sleeping,
Be as comfortable as you possibly can.
If this is the end of your day and you would like to drift off to sleep,
Please be sure that you have what you need to ensure your comfort for a restful sleep.
Please note that you may drift in and out of sleep during this meditation and that is perfectly normal.
This cannot be done wrong.
The process of Yoga Nidra is helpful in balancing the parasympathetic and sympathetic portions of your mind.
Now let's settle in.
Notice if you can be 5 or 10% more comfortable.
Make any adjustments that you need to make.
Take a deep breath in and release through your mouth completely.
Two more times.
Deep breath in and releasing through your mouth in an exhale.
Last time again.
And exhale completely.
Be aware of your surroundings.
Notice if you hear any outside sounds.
Just let them go.
Notice the air temperature on the uncovered parts of your body versus the covered parts of your body.
Just be aware.
Notice any scents,
Any smells that might be coming through your nose.
Just be aware.
Notice in your mouth any taste that may be lingering from something you ate or drank before arriving here today or this evening.
Perhaps swallow once or twice.
And bring your awareness to your breath and just notice how it flows in and out effortlessly.
Notice where your air flows,
Your chest or perhaps your belly.
Be aware of the expansion as you breathe in.
Be aware of the contraction as you breathe out.
Just let it happen naturally.
In every Yoga Nidra practice we practice what is called a sankalpa.
A sankalpa is a positive intention set in the future like it has already occurred.
For example,
I am happy and healthy or I am pain free.
Take a moment to come up with your sankalpa.
Once you have established what you would like your sankalpa to be,
Repeat it to yourself in the present tense form three times.
And simply let it go.
Bring your awareness to your breath once more.
And just breathe.
Next we are going to create our inner resource.
Our inner resource is a place that we find comfort and peace.
This may be some place that you have already visited.
It may be from your childhood or it may be completely imaginary.
Think now what offers comfort and peace in all realms,
Body,
Mind and spirit.
Can you create in your mind how you feel when you are there?
What do you hear?
What do you see?
What do you feel?
Fill in as many details as you possibly can in your inner resource.
This space will be used for any time you feel you need to defer back to it during this meditation,
If at all.
Bring your awareness to your right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Your right lower arm,
Your elbow,
Your upper arm,
Right shoulder and armpit,
Right side of the chest.
Bring your awareness to your right abdomen and hip,
Your right upper thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg.
Notice your right heel resting,
The sole of your foot,
The top of your foot,
Your right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Right pinky toe,
Your entire right side,
Your entire right side.
Bring your awareness to your left hand thumb,
Pointer finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger,
Your left hand palm,
Back of the hand,
Lower arm,
Your left elbow,
Left upper arm and shoulder,
Your left chest,
Your left abdomen and hip,
Left upper thigh,
Left knee,
Lower left leg,
Your left heel resting,
Sole of your foot,
The top of your foot,
Your left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Left pinky toe,
Your entire left side of your body,
Your whole left side resting.
Bring your awareness to the back of your head,
The top of your head,
The front of your face and your forehead,
Your right eye,
Your left eye.
Notice the bridge of your nose,
Your right nostril,
Your left nostril,
Your right cheek and ear,
Your left cheek and ear.
Bring your awareness to your right jaw,
Your left jaw.
Notice your tongue,
Your entire mouth on the inside,
Inner cheeks,
Roof of the mouth,
Base of the tongue,
Your entire head and neck.
Notice your entire body resting,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Next,
We're going to count backwards on each exhale.
Should you lose track,
Just start at ten again.
It goes like this.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Nine and so on.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Nine and so on.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Nine and so on.
Now simply let the breath and the counting go.
Bring your mind's eye to a bright sunny day.
Notice where you sense a bright sunny day in your body.
Where do you feel a bright sunny day?
Now bring your awareness to a cool drizzling rainy day and notice where you sense a cool drizzly day in your body.
Where do you feel a cool drizzly day?
Now take yourself back to a sunny bright warm day and that feeling and then back to a cool drizzly day and that feeling.
Can you go back to the sunny day and back to the cool drizzly day?
Back and forth.
Noticing the subtle differences.
Perhaps you meet in the middle and overlap.
Imagine you are a duck floating in a pond.
The duck just effortlessly floats along the gentle movement of the water.
Effortlessly.
Notice your small duck self amongst the water around you.
You are safe.
You are floating.
All is well.
Allow yourself to float along.
No thoughts.
Just floating.
You are safe.
Now bring your awareness back to your breath.
Notice the inhale through your nose.
Notice the exhale out your nose.
Just paying attention to your breath.
Welcome to the room.
This deep relaxation.
And thank yourself for taking this time for you.
You may simply drift off to sleep now.
Should you choose to rise,
Please do so slowly.
It's been my honor to guide you in this practice of yoga nidra.
Namaste.
