We'll begin the yoga nidra by lying down in shavasana.
Get as comfortable as possible.
I'll give you a moment to grab a pillow,
Maybe a blanket,
Light some candles,
If you have some lavender essential oil,
And maybe even an eye mask.
Make sure that you're as comfortable as possible.
You may drift off to sleep during this,
And that's okay.
You can move if you want to,
But if you do need to move,
Try to do it slowly and gently.
I'll be guiding you through the practice,
But you don't have to listen to everything I say.
Towards the end of this nidra,
The invitation is to visualize or feel an imaginary place in nature.
I'll guide you through a walk in nature,
But if any other images or sensations come up,
Feel free to ignore my suggestions and have your own experience.
So now,
Bring your awareness to your breath.
Inhale through the nose and allow the belly to expand.
Exhale through the mouth with a sigh and relax the whole body.
Again,
Inhale through the nose,
Exhale through the mouth.
Create space and exhale and soften.
Two more times at your own pace.
We will begin the body scan.
When I mention a body part,
Bring your awareness there,
And if you like,
Imagine filling each part of the body with a golden,
Warm,
Nurturing light.
Starting with the top of the head,
The forehead,
The right eye,
The left eye,
Both eyes together,
The nose,
The mouth,
The right cheek,
The left cheek,
Both cheeks together,
The right ear,
The left ear,
Both ears together,
The back of the head,
The neck,
The throat.
And now focusing on the right side of the body,
A golden light gently touching the right shoulder,
Upper arm,
Forearm,
And hand.
The whole right arm.
The right armpit and the outside of the ribs and the waist.
The right side of the chest,
The right side of the belly,
The right hip,
Thigh,
Lower leg,
And foot.
The whole right leg.
The right side of the pelvis,
Lower back,
Upper back,
The whole right side of the body.
And notice,
Is there a difference between the sensations in the right and left side of the body?
Now bring your awareness to the left side of your body.
A golden light gently touching the left shoulder,
Upper arm,
Forearm,
And hand.
The whole left arm.
The left armpit,
The outside of the ribs and waist.
The left side of the chest,
The heart,
The left side of the belly,
The left hip,
Thigh,
Lower leg,
And foot.
The whole left leg.
The left side of the pelvis,
Lower back,
And upper back.
The whole left side of the body.
The whole body.
The whole body is relaxed.
Now let your awareness rest at the soles of the feet for a moment,
And just observe how it feels.
If there's no sensation at all,
That's also just an observation.
If you want,
When you breathe in,
Imagine drawing energy up through the soles of the feet,
Along your legs,
Hips,
Upper body,
All the way to your shoulders.
As you exhale,
Energy moves in the opposite direction,
From the shoulders all the way down and out through the soles of your feet.
Inhale from the soles of your feet to your shoulders,
And exhale from the shoulders to the soles of the feet at your own pace.
Inhale from the soles of your feet to your shoulders.
Your breath is like a soft wave that gives you energy,
And then washes away anything that's not serving you.
Now I'll invite you to see or feel an imaginary place in nature,
A place where you feel calm and grounded.
So imagine walking in a beautiful meadow in summer time.
What flowers do you see?
What colors are they?
What does it smell like?
You decide to explore,
And you can choose to continue walking along the meadow,
Or maybe you take a shortcut through a small forest.
If you choose the forest,
What do the trees look like?
Shafts of sunlight shining through the top of the trees.
It feels so peaceful there,
And you hear a bird song.
You hear rippling water,
And you start walking towards that direction.
What does the path look like?
How does it feel and feel like?
What do you feel underneath your feet?
Maybe some soft moss,
Maybe soft grass.
You reach the water.
Maybe it's a stream or a river,
A small waterfall.
Is it the ocean?
You sit down and enjoy the tranquility,
And you feel a soft and comfortable breeze against your skin.
You can sit here for a while if you want,
Or maybe you choose to dive into the water and swim for a while.
The water feels soft,
And the temperature is perfect.
You feel refreshed in the warmth of the sun on your skin.
You get up and continue walking,
And after a while you reach a secret garden.
There is a small gate,
Almost hidden by bushes and trees.
You step in,
And it's so peaceful.
There are beautiful flowers and berries,
Butterflies,
Fruit.
You see a couple chairs in the distance.
You choose and sit down in one,
Feeling relaxed and free and in awe of the garden.
Feel the breeze upon your skin.
The warmth of the sun.
You take a moment of gratitude.
It's time to leave this place in nature,
But know that you can come back here anytime.
Listening to the sounds around you.
Coming back into awareness,
Feeling your body.
Feeling your breath.
Gently move your hands and feet.
Take a deep inhale in through the nose.
Sigh out the mouth.
Maybe you want to stretch your arms over your head.
Do what feels good to you.
Roll over onto the side,
And in your own time,
Come up to sitting.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
