Welcome to this yoga nidra practice.
Begin by finding a place where you can lay down comfortably.
Lay on the back and use whatever props you need,
Pillows,
Bolsters,
Blankets,
To get into a comfortable position.
Take a few moments to just reposition yourself,
Adjusting to get totally comfortable.
Now that you're in position,
Take another moment to just wriggle around and make any adjustments to the placement of the body to get even more comfortable.
Know that if at any time during the meditation you feel the need to move the body due to discomfort,
Feel free to make any adjustments to then be able to fall back into the practice in total comfort and ease.
Inhale deeply through the nose,
Filling up the abdomen and then open the mouth to exhale fully.
Inhale deeply through the nose,
Filling up the lungs and then open the mouth to exhale fully.
Inhale deeply through the nose,
Filling up the abdomen and the lungs and hold the breath for a count of three.
One,
Two,
Three.
And then open the mouth to exhale fully and completely.
From here allow the body to begin breathing itself,
The inhalation and exhalation passing through the nose in their own natural rhythm.
Nothing to manipulate,
Nothing to alter.
Invite an intention for this practice,
An intention that echoes a desire that you have for your lifetime.
What do you want more of in your life?
Something that would make your experience of life more of all the things you want.
Is it peace?
Is it relief from pain?
Is it connection?
Invite this intention in and when it becomes clearer to you,
State that intention as a statement of fact in the present moment.
For example,
Instead of silently saying to yourself,
I want to be happier,
Silently state,
I am happier in this very second.
And notice the sensations that arise when you do so.
If no intentions manifest,
Notice if something arises during the practice and make a mental note to remember it at the end of the session.
Direct your attention now to your personal anchor.
Your personal anchor is a word,
A phrase,
An emotion,
A sensation,
Or an image that when brought to mind helps put the mind and body at ease,
Leaving you calm,
Grounded,
And feeling safe.
If your personal anchor is an image,
It can be the image of someone.
When you think of that person,
It helps you to feel relaxed and at ease.
It can also be an image of somewhere you've been,
A place that when you bring it to mind helps you feel the same way.
You can also think of something like a spiritual or religious symbol,
The image of your pet,
Or a dramatically beautiful scene out of nature that when conjured up also brings you to a place of feeling grounded and full of well-being.
Take a moment to allow your personal anchor to solidify in your mind and know that this is a tool that you can invite in throughout and after the practice into your daily life to help bring you back to focus,
Clarity,
And ease when you get pulled away from them.
I will begin to guide you through the body.
As I name specific areas of the body,
You may notice sensations arise in that area.
You also may not notice any sensation.
Regardless,
Whatever happens throughout the practice is perfect.
Just welcome this experience exactly as it is and stay connected to my voice.
Bring your attention to the inside of the mouth and experience the area as a vast cavernous of sensation.
Notice sensations in the roof of the mouth.
Notice sensations in the floor of the mouth underneath the tongue.
Notice sensations manifesting in the inner left cheek.
And notice the sensations manifesting in the inner right cheek.
Sense the tongue.
And sense the lips,
Upper and lower.
Feel the sensations in the back of the throat.
Notice the sensations in the upper gums.
And notice the sensation in the lower gums.
Sense the upper row of teeth.
And sense the lower row of teeth.
Once again,
Sense the entire inside of the mouth as one vast cavernous of sensation.
Now bring your attention to the left ear and sense the left ear inside and out.
Let your awareness now notice the right ear and sense the right ear inside and out.
Redirect your attention to the left nostril and notice sensations there as the air passes in and out with each inhalation and exhalation.
Let your awareness now focus on the right nostril and sense the right nostril with each inhalation and exhalation.
Sense the muscles of the left cheek and now sense the muscles of the right cheek.
Let your awareness now sense the muscles around the left eye.
Feel the sensations in the left eye.
Sense the muscles around the right eye and feel the sensation of the right eye.
Let your awareness now sense the muscles of the eyebrows left and right.
Bring your attention to the forehead and begin to sense the muscles there.
Sense the top of the head and sense the back of the head.
Bring your attention to the back of the neck and begin to observe sensations there.
Feel the sensations on the left side of the neck and notice the sensations as you move around to the front of the neck.
And now feel the sensations on the right side of the neck.
Sense the inner walls of the throat and let your awareness now sense everything from the neck up as one unified area of sensation.
Bring your attention to the left shoulder and observe the sensations there.
Follow the sensations as it moves down the left upper arm.
Feel the sensations as it moves over the left elbow and as it works down the left forearm.
Continue following the sensations as it moves over the left wrist.
Feel the sensations as it fills up the left hand right up to the fingertips.
Feel the entire left arm.
Now bring your attention to the right shoulder and observe the sensations there.
Follow the sensations as it moves down the right upper arm.
Notice the sensation as it moves over the right elbow.
And follow the sensations as it moves down the right forearm.
Notice the sensation as it moves over the right wrist.
And follow the sensation as it fills up the right hand up to the fingertips.
Sense the entire right arm.
Now bring your attention to the left side of the torso.
Sense the upper left side of your chest.
Feel the sensations in the left side of your ribs.
And notice the sensations in the left side of your lungs.
Feel the sensations in your heart.
And follow those sensations into the organs on the left side of the body,
The spleen,
The pancreas,
And the kidney.
Follow the sensation as it moves down through the descending colon.
Feel the sensation on the entire left side of the torso.
Bring your attention now to the right side of your torso.
Sense the upper right side of your chest.
Feel the sensations in the right side of your ribs.
And notice the sensations in the right side of your lungs.
Feel the sensation as it moves through the right side of the body and through the organs,
The gallbladder,
And the kidney.
Follow the sensation as it moves down through the ascending colon.
Feel the sensations on the right side of the torso.
Bring your attention to the middle of your chest.
Notice the sensations in the sternum.
Feel the sensations in the organs in the middle of the body,
The stomach,
The liver,
And transverse colon.
Feel the sensations in the entire front torso.
Now bring your attention to the sensations along the back of the torso.
Feel the sensations in the back of the ribs.
Notice the sensations in the spine.
Now feel the entire back torso.
Bring your attention now to the left hip and observe the sensations there.
Follow that sensation as it moves down the left thigh.
Follow that sensation as it moves over the left knee.
Continue to follow that sensation as it moves down the left calf and shin.
Notice the sensation as it moves over the left ankle and feel the sensation as it fills up the left foot up to the tips of the toes.
Sense the entire left leg.
Bring your attention now to the right hip and observe the sensations there.
Follow the sensation as it moves down the right thigh.
And notice the sensation as it moves over the right knee.
Feel the sensation as it moves down the right calf and shin.
And notice the feelings and the sensation as it moves over the right ankle.
Follow the sensation as it fills up the right foot up to the tips of the toes.
Sense the entire right leg.
Now let your awareness notice the sensations on the left side of the body.
Now feel the sensations on the right side of the body.
Feel the sensations in the front of the body and feel the sensations in the back of the body.
Sense the entire body right now as one unified area of sensation.
Redirect your attention now to the nostrils and once again tune in to the sensation of the inhalation and exhalation as they pass through the nostrils.
Nothing else to do,
Nothing to fix.
Simply maintaining attention as the breath passes in and out of the nostrils.
Notice the sensation of the inhalation compared to the exhalation.
How do they differ?
Is one more intensified than the other?
Is the temperature of the air on the inhalation different from the exhalation?
Just notice,
Observe,
Awake,
Alert,
And aware that you are practicing yoga nidra.
As you stay connected to the breathing,
Begin to visualize that there is a mass of air a meter in front of your face and as you inhale you draw some of the air into the body and direct it all the way down into the tips of the toes.
Now as you exhale,
Visualize that the air recedes from the toes and works its way back up the body to be expelled through the nostrils,
Ending up where it was.
On the inhalation,
The air gets drawn in and directed down to the toes.
On the exhalation,
It gets brought back up and expelled through the nostrils.
Continue breathing this full body breath.
If your mind wanders away from the exercise,
Acknowledge that the mind has simply done what it normally does,
Which is to wander and then redirect it back to the inhalation and exhalation,
The filling up and emptying of the body with air.
Now forget about the exercise,
Forget about the full body breath,
And begin to tune into the sensations which are arising in the body.
Notice right now if there's anything that feels different.
Notice if anything feels new compared to the sensations you are used to feeling and noticing within the body.
Begin to tune into one sensation in particular that is more apparent or obvious than the others that co-exists along with it.
Welcome one sensation and observe not only what the sensation is,
But where in the body it manifests.
Intellectually name the sensation.
Give it a name,
An adjective,
A descriptor,
But welcome this feeling into the body right now exactly as it is,
With no need to alter or suppress it.
Spend a moment or two with it,
Purely observational.
Witness how it works on the part of the body it manifests in and how it feels.
Now identify what the opposite of this feeling would be.
Find a name,
An adjective,
A descriptor to identify the opposite of the initial feeling and then scan the body to locate where this opposite feeling manifests.
Take your time as you scan the body.
Awake and alert,
Locating the opposite feeling in the body right now.
If no opposite feeling can be located,
Pay attention to what comes up in its absence and identify where in the body it arises.
But if an opposite feeling has been located,
Welcome it into your awareness fully and simply observe it.
Purely observational.
Witness how it works on the part of the body it manifests in and how it feels.
Now welcome both those sensations and feelings,
Aware of both those parts of the body simultaneously.
From here,
Begin to welcome one emotion into your experience and into the body and observe not only what the emotion is,
But where in the body it manifests.
Intellectually name the emotion that manifests.
It might be an emotion that has accompanied you through the past few days or weeks or it might be an emotion that seemingly comes out of nowhere.
Regardless,
Welcome this emotion.
Give it a name,
An adjective,
Or a descriptor.
But welcome this emotion into the body right now exactly as it is,
With no need to alter or suppress it.
Spend a moment or two with it.
Purely observational.
Witness how it works on the part of the body it manifests in,
How it feels,
What the sensations are associated to it that arise.
Take your time and if you need to invite your personal anchor at any time,
Feel free to do so.
Now identify what the opposite of this emotion would be.
Find a name,
An adjective,
Or descriptor to identify the opposite of the initial emotion and then scan the body to locate where this opposite emotion manifests.
Take your time as you scan the body.
Awake and alert.
Locating the opposite emotion in the body right now.
If no opposite emotion can be located,
Pay attention to what comes up in its absence and identify where in the body it arises.
But if an opposite emotion has been located,
Welcome it into your awareness fully and simply observe it.
Witness how it works on the part of the body it manifests in and how it feels.
Now welcome both these feelings.
Aware of both parts of the body simultaneously.
Bring your attention now to a thought that is present in your mind.
One that is more obvious and apparent than the other ones that could be focused on.
You can also invite a thought that has been present for you in your day-to-day life over the past few weeks or months or even one that has been accompanying you for years.
Home in on one thought and notice where sensations associated to this thought manifest in the body.
Observe objectively in an unattached way,
Witnessing how this one thought works on the body in a specific area with specific sensations.
Now using the reasoning mind intellectually identify the opposite if the initial thought that arose silently state the opposite to the initial thought and notice how the thought lands.
Notice where sensations arise and notice the quality of the sensations.
Welcome this sensation as one more stage in the process of pure witnessing without personalizing or judging.
Just this right now.
From here welcome both those areas of the body with the sensations found there into your awareness at the same time.
Sense both simultaneously.
Bring your attention now to the center of the chest and begin to notice a relaxed warmth there.
The sensations of ease,
Happiness,
Safety,
Peace,
And joy make up this warmth.
Spend a moment simply being with this warmth of ease,
Happiness,
Safety,
Peace,
And joy.
Begin to invite that warmth of ease,
Happiness,
Peace,
Joy,
And safety into the rest of the body.
Feel it unpack,
Open up like a flower opening its petals.
Feel that warmth moving up over the chest,
Through the neck,
Filling up the head and the face.
Observe that warmth moving up over the chest and outwards over the arms,
Filling up the arms,
Hands,
And fingers.
Notice that warmth moving down over the abdomen through the pelvis,
Filling up the legs,
Feet,
And toes.
The entire body awake and alive with the warmth of ease,
Happiness,
Safety,
Peace,
And joy.
The body filled with joy.
You yourself as the living embodiment of joy.
Know yourself to be the living embodiment of this joy.
It is your birthright.
It is what you are made of.
It is your natural state,
A state that we yearn to come back to as life's challenges and obstacles pull us away from it.
Stay with it right now.
Know yourself to be a being of ease,
Of happiness,
Of peace,
And of joy.
Rest in it all right now.
Visualize yourself going about your day-to-day life,
Not changing any of it,
But rather witness it with clear intention,
With your personal anchor available through the eyes of equanimity,
Not attached to any one outcome,
But rather present to simply be with what is.
Observe what occurs around you.
Observe how what occurs around you lands in the body as sensation or in the mind as a thought or a belief,
Which then potentially leads in the body as sensation.
Visualize yourself present to any negative experiences,
Ready to respond to them by identifying their opposites and not being bound by one or the other.
All is welcome.
All is perfectly part of the experience.
Nothing to fix.
Just this very moment.
We will slowly bring ourselves back to a wide awake state.
And so begin by inhaling a little bit deeper and then letting it go.
Keep the eyes closed for a moment and begin to bring tiny movements back to the fingers and the toes.
A little more movement in the hands and in the feet.
Feel free to bring opening and closing of the eyes to let the light slowly filter back in.
As you're ready,
Bring your knees to your chest.
Wrap your arms around your legs and slowly walk a bit side to side.
Gradually roll to the right side,
Pausing for a breath or two.
Then slowly extending your left leg,
Press into the hands and find yourself once again in a seated position.
Take a few moments to notice your experience.
Still aware of the sensations within the body,
Aware of the emotions,
Aware of the thoughts,
Aware of this very moment.
You may want to take a moment or two to write down your experience or perhaps some insight that you've received as a result of this yoga nidra practice.
May you be filled with peace.
May you be filled with love and kindness.
May you be filled with joy.
May you be filled with joy.
May you be filled with joy.
