Welcome to this practice of Yoga Nidra.
I invite you to lie down and find a comfortable position where the body can naturally come to stillness.
Making sure that you are warm and comfortable in preparing for this Yoga Nidra practice.
In this practice,
We will neither be asleep nor trying to focus.
Just simply listen to the sound of my voice and allow me to guide you.
Welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.
Allowing yourself to arrive here and into your body.
On the next exhale,
Just allowing the body to soften and feel how you are being held by the earth.
Know that there is nowhere to go.
There is nothing to be done.
There is nothing to achieve or strive for and there is nobody to please.
You have arrived.
You are here.
Welcome home to yourself and welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.
Feel how the breath moves easily and freely through the body.
Effortlessly,
As if the breath is breathing the body.
Observing as the breath is coming in and the breath is going out.
With each exhale,
Feeling how the effort of carrying the body around can be given up to the earth beneath.
And that the body can be carried by the earth.
As the body settles into a deepening sense of stillness,
The breath can flow more freely and leisurely through the body.
With this leisurely breath comes a deepening stillness into the body.
Invite now for the mind to take the form of awareness.
I am practicing Yoga Nidra.
I am practicing Yoga Nidra.
This awareness holds us safely in the practice of Yoga Nidra like a warm blanket.
Yoga Nidra is the form of awareness and now we are going to bring that awareness around the body.
Allowing the light of awareness to shine on each part of the body in turn.
Like a bright warm sunshine moving around the body.
Let us begin by bringing the warm light of awareness to the right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Right arm,
Left arm,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Left arm,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right arm,
Middle finger,
Right armpit,
Right ribcage,
Right waist,
Right hip,
Right buttock,
Right thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Calf,
Ankle,
Top of the right foot,
Heel,
Arch,
Ball of the right foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the left hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Left armpit,
Left ribcage,
Left waist,
Left hip,
Left buttock,
Thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Calf,
Ankle,
Top of the left foot,
Heel,
Arch,
Ball of the left foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
The buttocks,
Pelvis,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of the neck,
Lower belly,
Solar plexus,
Right ribcage,
Left ribcage,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
Front of the neck,
Chin,
Right jaw,
Left jaw,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Lower lip,
Upper lip,
Both lips together,
Nose,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right forehead,
Left forehead,
The whole face,
The whole face,
Become aware of the whole face,
Top of the head,
Back of the head,
The whole head,
Right arm,
Left arm,
Both arms together,
Chest,
Belly,
Upper back,
Lower back,
The whole upper body,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Right leg and foot,
Left leg and foot,
The whole lower body,
The whole lower body,
The whole body,
Become aware of the whole body,
Now releasing the awareness from the body and know that I am practicing yoga nidra,
I am practicing yoga nidra,
Yoga nidra is the form of awareness and now the light of awareness settles into the points that are shining brightly,
With the inhale feeling that the whole of the body is expanding and shining with the warm healing glow of this light,
With the exhale that warm healing glow gathers back in to a single point at the centre of the heart,
With every inhalation it's as if that radiant bright light is expanding and filling the whole body,
With every exhale it's as if that light is gathering back in to the centre of the heart,
Be with these two different sensations,
The expanded inhale and the single focus point of bright light at the centre of the heart and alternate between the two,
If the radiance wants to expand beyond the boundaries of the body then let that happen,
Whatever feels naturally arising for you,
Now letting go of the two opposite experiences of the expanded awareness and the single point and the single point of focus and now inviting both at the same time as if they could co-exist together,
As if the expanded awareness and the single point of focus could exist together in the witness consciousness,
How would that be to have the single point of focus and at the same time allow the radiant light to fill the body with a kind of inside sunshine,
How would that be the single point and the radiant inside sunshine expanding and now letting go of that exploration of opposites and be aware I am practicing yoga nidra,
I am practicing yoga nidra,
Yoga nidra is the form of awareness and allowing that awareness now to come to your breath,
Noticing as the belly rises and falls,
Rising,
Falling,
Begin to count backwards from 10 like this,
Rising 10,
Falling 10,
Rising 9,
Falling and continue like this to your own breath and your own count and if at any point you get lost just begin again at 10,
Whatever number you are at cease counting now and draw your attention to your eyebrow center and be aware I am practicing yoga nidra,
Imagine now that you are lying on the grass of a beautiful field lit with the rays of the sunshine,
The warmth bathes you and is the perfect temperature,
The light sound of the wind through the trees puts you at ease,
You can hear birds singing in the trees and feel a sense of calm and peace wash through your body,
You feel the warm light of the sun and the supportive sense of the earth underneath you and you know that you are held and supported,
Resting now in this experience of your true nature,
Warm,
Supportive,
Peaceful and now releasing this image,
Being aware that we have been practicing yoga nidra,
We have been practicing yoga nidra,
Yoga nidra has been the form of awareness and now we invite for the benefits of yoga nidra to carry forward into the rest of our day,
Feeling safe and held and nourished by the practice of yoga nidra as we move into a more everyday state of awareness,
Allowing the breath to be a little bit louder and bringing your attention to the points of contact on the floor beneath you,
Notice the sounds in the distance,
The sounds closer to you and once again becoming aware of your breathing and beginning to wiggle the fingers and toes and take any movement into the body here as you start to gently wake the body up and you can bring yourself to a seated position as you feel ready,
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete,
Hari om tat sat,
Hari om tat sat,
Hari om tat sat
