Finding ultimately the most comfortable position for yoga nidra.
And so take a moment to check in physically with your body.
And if there's anything that you could do to bring about more comfort,
Make the adjustment now.
Bringing awareness into the back of your body.
Notice all of the points of contact of the back of your body to the ground,
Or the couch,
The chair.
And can you allow each point of contact to the back of the body to rest more firmly down into the ground?
And at the same time,
Can you sense into the support of the earth rising up to meet you,
To hold you,
To nourish you through the practice?
Allow your awareness to open out to your surroundings.
Notice any sounds that are coming from near and far.
Notice the temperature of the air on your skin.
And can there be a sense of just an open awareness to your surroundings,
Welcoming?
Now shift your awareness to your breath.
Without shaping your breath,
Notice your breath.
The way it enters more coolly through the nostril as you breathe in.
The way it exits with a little more warmth through the nostril as you breathe out.
Notice the way it feels through the chest and the belly as you breathe in and out.
So as we enter the yoga nidra practice,
The intention is to not fall asleep.
And if you do fall asleep,
It's okay,
But it can be helpful to name that intention by just silently saying,
I will not fall asleep.
My awareness will remain awake.
Now just very gently begin to shape your breath.
So just enough slowing down of the breath that there's a bit of intention,
A bit of purpose.
This is on both the inhale and the exhale.
And now begin to count backwards from the number 12 on your breath.
The next exhale is 12.
The one after that is 11.
You continue to count back each breath more effortless than the one before it.
Each breath releasing layers of tension and holding in the body and the mind.
There's no rush,
But once you do reach a count of zero,
You'll let the counting and the shaping of the breath go,
Allowing yourself to now be breathed.
You are no longer doing the breath.
You are being breathed.
Now bring awareness to the crown of your head.
So as we move through visually these different parts of the body,
Or it might be more of a feeling,
You're not moving anything.
There's just a sense of your mind following along.
So awareness to the top of your head.
Relax.
Down the sides and back of the skull.
Relax.
The space across the forehead softens.
Relax your eyeballs into their sockets.
Cheeks,
Nose,
Both ears at the same time.
Relax.
Relax your jaw and your tongue and your lips.
Soften the upper and lower palate of your mouth.
Relax your throat and your neck.
Both shoulders at the same time.
Relax.
Relax the upper arms,
Elbows,
Forearms,
Wrists,
Hands.
All 10 of your fingers.
Relax.
Soften the space around your heart.
Relax your belly.
Soften the upper back,
Middle back,
Lower back.
Soften around the pelvis,
The inner walls of the pelvis,
The muscles around the pelvis.
Relax your hips,
Both hips at the same time.
Your upper legs,
Knees,
Lower legs,
Ankles,
Feet.
All 10 of your toes.
Relax.
Your whole body.
Relax your whole body.
Your whole body is relaxed.
Body is relaxed.
Mind is relaxed.
Your awareness is awake.
Allow your awareness to begin to nestle into that still,
Quiet space at the bottom of the exhale.
So you're not changing your breath.
You're just becoming increasingly aware of that still,
Quiet space at the end of the out-breath.
Out of that space arises the field of a golden egg.
This might be something you sense,
Or feel,
Or see,
Or simply trust in its presence.
And this field of a golden egg surrounds your physical form about an arm's reach away in every direction.
Your body is the center of this golden egg.
The field of this golden egg is warm,
Nurturing,
Supporting.
Your body is relaxed.
Your mind is relaxed.
Your awareness is awake.
In the warmth and the glow of this golden egg,
You are free of your patterns and your pathologies,
Even your past and your future.
In the warmth and glow of this golden egg,
You rest in the here and the now,
The expansiveness,
The infinite possibility of the here and the now.
And in this space,
You invite in your sankalpa.
Again,
This is your vow,
Your intention,
Your resolve.
Said in the present tense as though it is already true,
From the feeling of your heart,
Repeat your sankalpa three times.
Say thank you and let it go.
Your body is relaxed.
Your mind is relaxed.
Your awareness is awake and attuned to the truths of your vow.
Allow yourself to relax and rest in the truth of your vow.
Become aware of your body breathing.
Notice sounds around you from near and far.
Presence yourself in the room that you're in.
Slowly begin to deepen your breath.
Make some movement to come back.
This yoga nidra practice is complete.
