A yoga nidra practice to support you in experiencing rest and relaxation.
Find a comfortable position,
Either lying down or seated.
Make any final adjustments so that you can be comfortable and still for the duration of the practice.
During this yoga nidra practice,
You'll be guided to notice and feel physical and energetic sensation and to experiencing yourself as the witness of all things coming and going,
Exactly as they are.
Whatever you experience is perfect,
Just as it is.
Now simply rest and follow my guidance without trying too hard.
Do not worry if you fall asleep.
The deepest part of your consciousness,
Your core self,
Is always listening.
As you welcome whatever is arising,
Your body and mind are learning to remain at ease,
While you discover the place within that is always at ease and peaceful,
Experiencing yourself to be unchanging,
Simply consciousness.
Now begin to scan through your body,
Starting at your feet.
Feel the feet heavy on the surface beneath you.
Then up to your knees,
To your hips,
To your pelvic bowl.
Now feel the entirety of your legs heavy and relaxed.
Paying attention to your torso,
The belly rising and falling as you breathe,
The chest gently expanding on the breath in,
And descending and softening on the breath out.
Now feel your shoulders dropping back toward the earth,
The weight of your arms,
Your hands.
Feel the entirety of your arms as heavy.
Bring attention to the throat,
Air passing up and down the lungs.
Lungs and throat softening.
Bring attention to the face,
The jaw unclenched,
The eyes resting deep in their sockets,
The forehead softening,
The whole head heavy and resting.
Now feel the whole body as one unit,
Heavy and resting,
Breath coming in and breath going out.
Bring attention to your senses.
Notice the taste in your mouth,
The sounds around you.
The smells,
Images or colors behind the eyelids,
The touch of air on your skin.
Your senses open and alive.
Call to mind your Sankalpa,
Your heart's deepest desire.
Can you desire more than anything else in life?
This may be a desire for yourself,
For another,
Or for the world around you.
Whatever it is,
Allow it to rise naturally as your deepest heartfelt longing.
Whatever it is,
Welcome and affirm your heartfelt desire in the present tense with your entire body as if it's true right now.
Then set your desire aside,
Allowing it to drift back into the recesses of your mind.
Now allow the sound of my voice to guide and support you in experiencing sensation throughout your body.
As I name each area,
You may feel sensations that are present,
Or nothing at all,
But whatever you experience is just as it is.
The mouth.
Bring attention to sensations inside the mouth.
The roof of the mouth.
Floor of the mouth.
The cheeks.
Left and the right.
Back of the throat.
Tongue.
The entire mouth a field of sensation.
The ears.
Left ear.
Right ear.
Sensing both ears at the same time.
Welcoming the breath as pure sensation in the nose.
Left nostril.
Right nostril.
Both nostrils at the same time.
The eyes.
Left eye.
Right eye.
Bring both eyes together as a field of radiant sensation.
Sensing forehead,
Scalp,
Back of the head and neck,
Pit of the throat,
Left shoulder,
Left upper arm,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Left palm,
Fingers,
The entire left arm,
Right shoulder,
Right upper arm,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Right palm,
Fingers,
The entire right arm.
Bring both arms together as one field of sensation.
Upper chest,
Upper back,
Middle chest,
Middle back,
Abdomen,
Lower back,
The entire torso as a field of sensation.
Left buttock,
Left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Left foreleg,
Foot,
And toes,
The entire left leg.
Right buttock,
Right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Right foreleg,
Foot,
And toes,
The entire right leg.
Sensing both legs at the same time.
Sensing the entire front of the body,
Back of the body,
Left side,
Right side.
Sensing the entire body,
Inside and outside.
Become aware of all that is present in your awareness.
Feeling yourself as the one who is aware of everything that's present.
First sensing what's present,
Then experiencing yourself as the field of awareness in which everything is coming and going.
Become aware of the body breathing,
The flow of the breath,
The sensation in the nostrils,
The abdomen gently rising as breath flows in,
And releasing as breath flows out.
Body breathing naturally and rhythmically.
In breath,
Abdomen rising.
Out breath,
Abdomen releasing.
The body breathing itself.
Dissolving into being pure awareness itself,
Open and spacious.
Being awareness in which everything is coming and going.
Awareness in which everything is welcome just as it is.
Noticing your breathing easy and rhythmic,
Forehead at ease and cool,
Belly,
Hands,
And feet at ease.
Now recall your sankalpa,
Your heartfelt desire.
Recall it as a resonance of sensation in your body.
Experience in it as an accomplished fact in this moment.
Very gently bring your awareness back to your body,
Back to your breath,
Back to the room.
Begin to take some deeper breaths,
Slowly wiggling the fingers and the toes,
And perhaps stretching the arms back and behind you.
When you feel ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Take some time to adjust before continuing on with your day,
Or perhaps it is time to go to bed.
Whatever the next steps look like for you,
May they bring you peace,
Ease,
And contentment.
I'd like to thank you so much for practicing with me.
Namaste.
