So just inviting the whole of you into your mat,
Inviting the whole of you to get really comfy and cozy.
Just noticing if there's any adjustment that you can make that will really enhance that comfiness or that coziness.
So in the practice of Yoganidra there's an intention for stillness in the body.
Sometimes the urge to move can come up and it's useful to observe it.
It may pass.
But if the urge persists it's probably because you do need to move the body.
So moving into a more comfortable position with the intention to return to stillness.
And as we settle down and invite stillness into the body,
Let's make sure that we feel thoroughly welcome from the top of the head to the tips of the toes,
From the tips of the toes to the fingertips,
From the fingertips to the heart,
The whole of you,
Just as you are right now.
Very very welcome.
And it's the theme of a heart-led practice that will inspire the Yoganidra today.
Bringing the mind,
The awareness into the heart.
Just bringing something to heart that fills you with joy,
With love,
A sense of connection.
And so what would it be like if we could invite that wonderous,
Wonderful feeling around the body?
How healing would that be?
So taking the awareness to the eyebrow centre and placing some loving care right there.
Moving down to in between the two collar bones,
The soft space,
And placing loving care there.
And then out to the shoulders,
The left shoulder and the right.
Love,
Joy,
Connection in the shoulders.
Taking the awareness to flow down into the arms,
To the elbows.
Placing loving care now at the wrists and at the tip of the thumbs,
Both of the index fingers and the middle fingers and the ring fingers and the little fingers.
Becoming aware of loving care in the whole of the arms.
As if the very sensation of pulsation and being alive is that quality of love itself.
And then bringing the attention back to the wrists,
The elbows and the shoulders,
The soft space in between the collar bones and bringing the attention to the heart.
Just recognising that lovely warmth and welcome in the heart.
As if a dear friend is inviting us in,
Inviting us home.
Just allowing some of that warmth and loving care to flow easily into the left side and the right side of the chest.
The whole of the chest is filled.
Taking the awareness down the body into the navel and then into the centre of the pelvis.
And out to each of the hips,
The left hip and the right hip.
Loving care and acceptance flowing down now into the legs,
The left knee and the right knee.
Into the ankles,
The left ankle and right ankle.
Into the toes,
Both of the big toes,
The second toes,
The third toes,
Fourth toes and fifth toes.
The whole of the body,
The whole of the body filled with loving care.
Just being curious about the sensations in the body.
The sensation of the body itself,
The sensation of loving care through the whole body.
As if the very act of being alive is that and the same as being filled with loving care.
And then inviting the awareness to travel back up through the ankles and the knees and the hips into the centre of the pelvis.
Going up into the body now,
Through the navel,
Up into the chest and the heart.
The soft space in between the collar bones and all the way up into the eyebrow centre.
And then to the crown of the head,
That lovely light space,
The crown of the head.
And inviting in,
Almost in a playful way,
Different imaginings of how you could be so blessed and loved.
You might like to imagine loving care like the comfiest,
Cosiest blanket that can just keep wrapping round and round and round.
Or the dearest hug.
So inviting that into your experience.
And then taking the awareness down to the eyebrow centre,
To the space in between the collar bones and down into the heart.
Sometimes we need to bring back to heart that which fuels it,
That makes it filled with joy and love.
So bringing back into mind,
Picturing that person or thing or activity that fills your heart.
And then being playful again.
What would it be like if all of your future words and thoughts stemmed from this rich feeling?
What would that be like?
If going back home tonight,
If first thing tomorrow morning,
If eating lunch tomorrow,
All of the usual things that you are going to find yourself doing are inspired and filled with love.
Can you imagine that?
Or even perhaps try to experience it.
You might like to picture some usual situations,
You know what you are going to be doing tomorrow.
What and how and why?
All of those different aspects of acting from love.
Will it change anything?
How will you feel?
And then bringing the awareness back in,
Into the centre of the chest,
Into the heart centre,
Into this very moment.
Connecting with feeling connected.
In the practice of Yoga Nidra,
We are invited again and again to come home.
The practice of Yoga Nidra,
We are invited to come into the space of the heart.
Is that space that is always there.
The space that is always calm,
That knows the right thing to do,
In any situation.
That offers refuge and safety.
That offers acceptance and love.
And so as we start to draw ourselves towards the end of this Nidra of the heart,
You might like to bring something back or offer yourself something.
It may be given the demands on your time and energy,
Given your roles and responsibilities,
That something supportive could be very helpful.
People often use affirmations,
Something like that,
To shore them up in the coming days.
So here is a space for that.
You may prefer to imagine something like talisman,
Something that easily fits into a palm,
That can be easily slipped into a pocket.
Something magical,
Something precious.
Or you may prefer simply to tune in,
Touch base with yourself.
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to be but here.
And then inviting the breath to become a little louder,
A little deeper,
A little longer.
So that as you breathe in you can start to feel the diaphragm moving once again.
And as the breath fills the belly,
Welcoming in that wonderful energy of shared practice here in the room.
And as you breathe out and the navel drops back,
It's like we're offering each and every one of ourselves into that energy,
Into the room.
So deepening the breath and starting to bring yourself back,
Back into this very moment here,
Practicing yoga nidra.
Becoming aware of your body on the floor,
The whole of your body,
And giving it a really good stretch all the way into the toes,
Into the fingers,
If it feels like a delicious way to bring yourself back.
You might like to run the tongue around the teeth and slowly move the fingers and toes,
Eventually hugging the knees and rocking from side to side and just bring yourself over to rest on a comfy side.
This practice of yoga nidra is nearly complete.
Just welcoming yourself back to the shore of this very moment here together with joy and loving care.
This practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
Thank you very much for listening.
