This yoga nidra is designed to prepare the body for sleep.
Begin to prepare the body to come into a state of relaxation.
Making sure you've got any props you need,
Perhaps a pillow under the head.
Making sure you're nice and warm.
With any obstructions that might prevent you from coming into complete stillness.
Taking this opportunity to prepare the body for rest.
Scanning through the body,
I like to squeeze and relax each body part.
Releasing any last energy or stored tension in the body.
Standing at the crown of the head and scrunching up the face for relaxing it.
Perhaps moving the jaw side to side or open and closed.
And shrugging the shoulders up towards the ears for allowing them to relax away.
Intensing the muscles in the arm for softening them.
Making fists with the hands for relaxing the fingers.
Engaging through the muscles in the abdomen for softening them.
And clenching the buttocks and relaxing.
Engaging the muscles in the legs,
Engaging the thighs and hamstrings and calves.
Before relaxing through the legs.
And curling the toes before allowing them to soften.
Just making any last movements you need before committing to stillness.
Come into a state of zero desire for movement.
If the desire to move does arise during the practice,
Simply observe the desire and the feeling should pass.
Become aware of the feeling of the breath as it moves in and out of the body.
Feeling the belly rise on the inhale and fall on the exhale.
Feeling the air as it moves through the nasal passage.
Become aware of the smell inside the room around you.
Become aware of the taste in the mouth.
Become aware of any sounds in the room around you.
From the quietest sound to the loudest sound.
Now taking that awareness outside of the room,
Identifying the furthest away sound.
Bring the awareness back into the room around you.
Pay attention to the quietest sound.
Become aware of the sound of the natural breath.
The breath as it moves in and out of the body.
Begin to form a sankalpa in the mind.
A sankalpa is a statement of affirmation.
Make your sankalpa something you would like to change in your life.
Begin the statement with the words such as I am or I will.
Repeat the statement to yourself three times with commitment and belief.
Take go of the sankalpa.
Parts of the body will now be called out.
Take your awareness to that part of the body,
Feeling into it before moving on to the next.
There is no need to move.
Right thumb,
Right index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Right wrist,
Lower arm,
Right elbow,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Right side body,
Right hip,
Buttocks,
Thigh,
Hamstring,
Right knee,
Shin,
Calf,
Right ankle,
Top of the foot,
Bottom of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Taking the awareness to the left side of the body,
Left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger,
Left wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Left side of the waist,
Left hip,
Buttocks,
Thigh,
Hamstring,
Left knee,
Left shin,
Calf,
Ankle,
Top of the foot,
Bottom of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And fifth toe.
Taking the awareness to the back body,
Small of the back,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
Back of the neck,
Back of the skull,
Crown of the head,
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right nostril,
Bridge of the nose,
Tip of the nose,
Top lip,
Bottom lip,
Chin,
Front of the neck,
Chest,
Belly,
Pelvis.
Come aware of the whole right arm,
Whole right leg,
Whole right side of the body.
Come aware of the whole left arm,
The whole left leg,
The whole left side of the body.
Come aware of the entire front body.
Take your awareness to the entire back body.
Come aware of the front body and the back body simultaneously.
Become aware of the whole body.
Aware of the whole body as it rests on the floor.
Returning to the sensations of the natural breath,
Being aware of the breath as it moves in and out of the lungs,
Filling from pelvis to throat.
Breathing an expansion on the inhale and a relaxation on the exhale.
Begin to introduce a counting to the breath.
Breathing in for 27 and out for 27.
Counting all the way down to 1.
If you lose count,
Simply start again at 27.
There is no need to reach the number 1.
Breathing in 27 and out 27.
In 26 and out 26.
In 25 and out 25.
There go of any counting of the breath and allow it to return to its natural rhythm.
Returning the awareness to the body resting on the floor.
Begin to feel heavy through the body.
Feel the body so heavy that it might sink down into the support beneath you.
Feeling light through the body.
Feel the body so light that it might float up and away.
Feeling the body hot.
Feel heat through the body.
Feeling the body cold.
Feel coldness through the body.
Tasting the bitterness of chocolate.
Taste the bitterness in the mouth.
Feeling the sweetness of chocolate.
Notice how sweet it is in the mouth.
Notice how chocolate is both bitter and sweet.
Begin to smell the scent of lavender.
Smell the comforting scent of lavender.
Hear the sound of waves.
Sound of waves as they crash upon the shore.
Continue now to scan through the body.
As you scan through the body become aware of any sensations present that might be tying you to the days events.
Seeing these as an energetic cord tying you to a certain place or to certain people.
As you visualize these energetic cords notice where they might attach to the body and what they might look like and feel like.
Once you've identified any cords attaching you to a days events or people take this opportunity to resolve any issues or things left unsaid or any incomplete moments.
Now visualize yourself cutting these cords with golden scissors.
Gently taking each cord and cutting its ties.
Allow the body to completely let go of the day that it has been had.
Now with the body free from any cords begin to fill the body with a white light starting at the crown of the head and filling the head,
The neck,
The shoulders,
The chest.
Filling the arms from the armpit all the way down to the tips of the fingers.
Filling the chest and the belly,
The pelvis and groin and the buttocks,
The top of the legs,
The bottom of the legs,
The feet and all 10 toes.
Feel a state of deep peace and completeness.
Let go of this visualization.
Recall the Sankalpa or the Statement of Affirmation made at the beginning of the practice.
Repeat the Sankalpa again to yourself three times.
Allow the Sankalpa to be embedded deep within the mind.
Returning again to the sensations of the breath,
Feeling the expansion on the inhale and the relaxation on the exhale.
Breathing in feeling expansive.
And exhale letting go,
Letting go,
Letting go.
Allow the body to drop into a state of sleep.
Feeling the mind become as still as the body and the breath.
The body is heavy.
The mind is relaxed.
Practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
