This practice focuses on helping you relax.
This will be a friend to your rest and relaxation rhythms.
Yoga nidra offers us tools to induce relaxation,
Following the natural workings of your own mind.
This practice has an energetic component.
Can I stay aware?
Can I stay awake?
Even in that very deep,
Relaxed place where I'm not doing anything at all.
And this is the key to yoga nidra.
If you do fall asleep,
That's okay.
But there is an energy here.
When you are relaxed,
Do you immediately just become unconscious?
Do you immediately check out?
And this is a practice to help straddle the line between very present,
Very relaxed,
But very aware.
So let's get started.
You're going to come down onto your back in any way that is comfortable for you.
If it feels good,
You can place something under your knees,
Perhaps a pillow or a bolster.
You're going to be in this position for about 10 minutes or so,
And I will guide you out of it.
Notice if you can be even five or 10% more cozy in this position,
And just take a moment to adjust.
If you would like to put on extra clothing,
If your body starts to let go,
Sometimes we get chilly,
And you want to make sure that anything you have is not distracting for you.
You can take a blanket if that feels better.
You want to be as comfortable as you can.
Your heels are separated.
Take them hip distance apart.
You can adjust the flesh of your buttocks,
So it feels fairly symmetrical back there,
And as if it's supporting the back half of your pelvis.
The arms can be by your sides with your palms facing up.
We have a lot of sensory nerves in our fingers and our palms,
And so we want to limit the amount of sensory information that's coming into the body so that we can begin to quiet the mind.
You can adjust the shoulder blades underneath you like two teacup saucers resting underneath your lungs,
And have a nice gentle curve of the neck,
As if you could nod your head yes and no,
As if it was like a little bobblehead doll,
So that you find a really sweet balance where you have a little breeze under your neck.
The forehead can be soft.
Soften the jaw.
The lips might even part as the tongue falls into the floor of the mouth,
And together let's close our eyes.
Just take one minute to scan your body and become aware of the physical sensations in your form.
There's no need to fix them or judge them.
Just become aware.
You might sense the warmth of your skin tingling in the palms of your fingers.
Begin to feel the body yield to gravity,
Yield to the earth,
Feeling the earth rise up to meet you,
As if it's cradling or holding you.
Completely relax the breath,
So you no longer have to stretch it or shape it in any kind of yoga or breathing technique.
And become aware of that very subtle movement of the breath at the belly,
Barely perceptible,
Tiny little rise and fall of the belly as you breathe.
Then silently begin to count back from 10 every time you exhale.
So the next breath as it comes,
Just silently,
10.
Next time,
The belly naturally falls,
9.
Breathing back,
Relaxing deeper.
And if you get lost in the counting,
Just start again.
Where if you finish early,
Just start again.
So you're counting.
Each time,
Letting a little bit more go,
Relaxing a bit deeper.
You're counting.
No matter what number you've gotten to,
We're just going to move the awareness through our body.
So place your awareness,
Your attention into your right hand.
There's no need to move it or feel anything in particular.
Just feel the density of your presence,
Your awareness in your right hand.
Feel your right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger.
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Right forearm,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder.
Underarm,
Right ribs,
Right waist,
Right hip,
Right groin,
Right thigh.
Right knee,
Right shin,
Right ankle,
Top of the right foot,
Sole of the right foot.
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Left hand,
Left thumb,
Second finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger,
Left arm,
Pinky finger.
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Left forearm,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder.
Underarm,
Left ribs,
Left waist,
Left hip,
Left groin,
Left thigh.
Left knee,
Left shin,
Left ankle,
Top of the left foot,
Sole of the left foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Back of your head,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Right heel,
Left heel,
Bowl of the pelvis,
Spine.
Lower belly,
Upper belly,
Right chest,
Left chest,
Center of the chest.
Right knee,
Right hip,
Left hip,
Throat,
Chin,
Bottom lip,
Top lip,
Space between the lips,
Tongue,
Waters of the mouth.
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Right ear,
Left ear,
The nose bridge,
Right eye,
Left eye.
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Space between the eyebrows,
Forehead,
Crown of the head.
Feel the entire back of your body.
Feel the entire front of your body.
Feel the whole body resting here.
I need you to feel you.
Remaining still,
Become aware of your body.
And then begin to deepen the breath,
Feeling a sense of renewal.
Allow the breath to grow so slow and large that it begins to move down through the arms and legs,
Animating the feet,
Toes and fingertips.
It might feel good to roll the head gently side to side.
Taking your time for when you feel ready,
You can bend one leg at a time,
Placing your feet on the floor.
When you're ready,
You can roll over to your right side and just rest in fetal position.
Perhaps create a little pillow for your head with your right arm.
Just stay here,
Honoring your practice,
Honoring the time that you've dedicated to your practice and the experience that's born out of this engagement.
And when it feels right,
You can press your left hand into the earth and slowly peel yourself back into a comfortable seated position with your legs crossed.
Let's take the palms together and gently rub the palms,
Creating a bit of heat between your hands.
Cup the hands over your closed eyes.
Slightly dip your chin towards your chest and allow your eyes to flutter open beneath the hands.
Let that heat wash back into your eyes,
Your brain,
Your face,
Your body.
And we'll close by bringing the palms together in front of the heart.
Namaste.
