Welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.
In this guided meditation,
We will create a container for conscious rest.
You will want to remain awake and as still and motionless as possible.
Turn off any potential distractions.
Make sure you are in comfortable clothing.
Remove all jewelry,
Ensuring you have created a comfortable space for yourself.
Dim the lights.
Close the blinds.
And if preferred,
Use an eye pillow or something to cover your eyes.
Lay down on your back,
On a mat or on the floor.
Placing a blanket on yourself to keep warm as body temperature often drops during Yoga Nidra.
Feet should fall gently to the side,
Arms to the sides,
With palms facing up.
Begin with a deep breath,
Allowing your chest to expand slowly and softly.
Exhaling,
Noticing the points of contact on the heels of your feet with the floor.
The backside of your hands and your back.
Allowing yourself to sink deep into the floor.
Notice any tension or spots where you may be constricting.
Breathe in ease and comfort into that space.
Give yourself permission to relax,
To do nothing,
To respond to nothing.
Only to be aware of how your body feels.
Observing,
Not trying to change anything.
Only giving yourself a space to restore in this moment.
A self-care replenishing break from any pressures,
Demands,
To-do lists,
Any stress.
Allow all expectations to disappear in this moment.
Allow your body and mind to rest.
Begin to notice the sounds in your body.
See if you focus your senses on your heartbeat,
If you can feel your heart beating strong and powerful.
Listen to your breath,
Enter your nose and mouth.
Expand your hearing outward,
Noticing sounds in the room around you.
See if you can focus in on one sound for a moment,
Just observing.
Bring your attention now to your breath.
Breathing in and out.
Imagining your breath resembling the waves of the ocean as they approach the shore and roll back into the sea effortlessly.
Breathe in naturally and easily.
Noticing the temperature of the air as it hits your skin.
Visualize or imagine if the air had a color,
What it might look like.
As you take this time out for yourself,
Begin to notice that you are connected to the earth,
To everything in nature around you.
You are connected to the trees,
Flowers,
Sand and rocks,
To the rivers,
Lakes and oceans,
To the sky,
The clouds,
The sun and the moon.
You have the ability at any time to connect with these things and replenish yourself.
Restore,
Revive,
Release,
Align,
Energize,
Soften and listen.
Imagine a purple and black crystal clear night sky with thousands of sparkling stars emitting light and a bright full moon shining down upon you.
You gaze at the moon,
Noticing the variations in color,
Noticing the perfectly round edges,
The illuminating light brightening up the sky.
One of the things the moon does for us is pull the tides in and out of the ocean with its gravitational pull and release,
Back and forth.
Allow the moon to do this for you today,
To cleanse you,
Wash over you with this light,
Purify your mind,
Body and spirit.
Allow anything you want in your mind,
Body or energy to be transformed.
Feel the waves of energy run through you and away.
As each pass over you,
You feel lighter,
More at ease,
More comforted,
More connected and aware that you can do this at any time.
Visualize your own mini moon inside your heart center,
Inside of you,
Glowing,
Bright and strong,
Allowing the flow in and out,
Transforming energy constantly.
Return here to your heart space whenever needed.
Give thanks to the moon and its powerful support.
Have gratitude and love for yourself,
Allowing this time and space to restore.
Bringing your attention back to your breath,
Noticing if it's more effortless and deeper than before.
Listening again to the sounds around you,
Wiggling your toes and fingers,
Turning to your side,
Slowly and easily getting ready to end this practice.
Whenever you're ready,
You may open your eyes.
