Come into your yoga nidra nest as you prepare for a deep grounding practice.
Make sure your body is comfortable and supported by any pillows,
Blankets,
Or other props you
may need.
If you feel comfortable closing your eyes,
Do so.
If not,
Leave them gently open,
Gazing softly.
Take three deep breaths,
Inhaling and filling your lungs,
Exhaling and emptying your lungs
with a deep sigh out.
Be aware of your breath each time you exhale.
Feel that wave of relaxation sweep through your body as you release and let go,
Allowing
yourself to go through eight more rounds of breath.
Invite stillness into your body.
Be aware of the space your body is occupying.
Imagine that you're drawing a circle of protection around your body,
And this circle can be made
up of anything you wish,
Divine light,
Your favorite stones,
Fire,
Limbs of a tree,
Your
favorite flowers,
Whatever calls to you.
Establish the circle of protection around yourself.
See and feel yourself inside the circle.
As you become more still,
Begin to feel the breath as it enters your nostrils.
Feel it travel into your lungs where it dissolves,
Then follow its path all the way to somewhere
outside the body where it dissolves again.
You are not controlling the breath.
You're merely watching it move in and out of your body.
Feel your navel rise and fall as you breathe in and out.
Feel yourself lying on the earth.
Slowly scan through your body and become aware of how you're holding it.
You may recall the body parts that felt constricted during your earlier body awareness exercise.
Feel free to let your body adjust for one more layer of comfort,
Allowing yourself to
get comfortable.
Let your awareness move towards the sound,
Noticing all the sounds around you without judgment.
Allow your awareness to move from sound to sound to sound.
Let all the sounds be there.
You are inside of the circle.
The sounds are on its circumference.
Remember your sankalpa.
I honor and acknowledge my body as a sacred vessel that houses my inner light.
I invite deep rest into every cell of my being.
I trust that I deserve to be supported,
Nurtured,
And held unconditionally.
I know the earth can hold me.
Notice the parts of your body that are touching the floor.
Begin at your feet and scan upward.
Feel your heels touching the floor and silently repeat the mantra,
LAM.
Feel the next point where your body contacts the floor and repeat LAM.
Continue all the way until you get to the top of your head,
Calves and the floor,
Backs
of your thighs and the floor,
Buttocks and the floor,
Parts of your spine touching the
floor,
Shoulder blades and the floor,
Back of your head and the floor.
Feel all of these body parts becoming heavier as you repeat the mantra,
LAM.
Notice your body breathing as it receives an inhalation.
Sense the earth rising up to hold and cradle you.
It's as though the involuntary act of inhaling is calling the earth towards you.
As your body exhales,
Ask it to surrender into the earth.
Every in-breath invites the earth to support you even more.
Every out-breath is a trusting acceptance that you deserve to be held.
Begin with the number 27 and begin to count backward.
Inhale,
27.
Exhale,
27.
Inhale,
26.
Exhale,
26.
Exhale,
26 and so on.
Each time you exhale,
A layer of constriction and tension is released from your body and mind.
By the time you get to zero,
The body and mind are completely free.
If you lose your place when counting,
Just start again from 27.
Once you get to zero,
Feel the earth holding you unconditionally.
Feeling your body and the earth breathing as one.
Now,
Beginning to transition out of the practice very slowly,
Inviting your senses back on board,
Noticing everything during this transition.
Really taking your time.
Perhaps beginning to call back all parts of you to this very moment.
Call back all parts of you to this very moment.
Noticing your body,
The energy around you,
Your breath.
Noticing the earth beneath you.
Slowly welcoming yourself back.
Beginning to deepen your breath.
Really taking your time.
Breathing deeper.
Conscious of each inhale and exhale.
Noticing what it's like to
let go.
And exhale.
Noticing what it's like to be aware of the breath filling your body.
And when you feel ready,
If you haven't started to move your fingers and toes,
Maybe just gently rocked the back of your skull against the floor,
Left and right.
Really inviting movement back into the body.
And slowly rolling
to either side of your body.
Whichever feels right for you in this moment.
Gently making your way
to a seated position.
Or allowing yourself to just gently drift off.
If that's what is needed.
Whether you find yourself in a seated position
or continuing to lie quietly.
Taking a moment to honor
your sacred vessel,
Your body.
The time that you set aside for yourself.
And the deep nourishment and support
that the earth element provides.
And may you feel deeply grounded.
With a rooted heart.
