Hello,
I'm going to guide you through a deep relaxation practice known as yoga nidra.
So find a quiet place where you can lie down and not be disturbed for around 20 minutes.
Make sure you're going to stay warm as the body temperature does tend to drop as you start to relax.
And if you have a lower back sensitivity or just want to really release into the practice,
Grab a couple of cushions and pop them under the knees.
So make your way down lying on the back in the position known as shavasana.
Take the time to align the body,
Have the legs roughly hip width apart.
Check that the weight is even through the buttocks left to right,
That the spine,
Neck and heads aligned,
The weight is even through the shoulder blades and have the arms down beside the body,
Not touching the body,
With the palms facing up or slightly in.
And feel the whole back of body in contact with floor,
Whole back of body in contact with floor.
Feel the weight through the heels,
Calves,
Buttocks,
Shoulder blades,
Back of head,
The weight down the right arm,
Left arm,
Both arms,
Both legs,
Along the back of body,
Whole back of body,
Whole back of body.
Feel the touch of clothing on skin,
The slight difference in temperature between exposed and covered skin,
Gentle touch of eyelids,
The line where the lips meet.
And now shift the awareness to sounds without naming or analyzing sounds.
Move from sound to sound as a radar beam would.
Touch on a sound,
Move on to another,
Then another,
Then another.
Start to seek out the more subtle sounds.
Listen to the sounds emanating from the body.
Can the digestive tract be heard?
Listen for the sound or silence of breath,
The pulsation of heartbeat within eardrums.
And now leave sounds.
Stay with the voice as a journey of the body is taken.
Mentally name each body part as stated.
Bring awareness to right hand thumb.
Mentally repeat right hand thumb,
First finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm and creases,
Back of hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Armpit,
Right side of chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Kneecap,
Right lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Bring awareness over to left hand thumb.
Mentally repeat left hand thumb,
First finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm,
Back of hand,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Armpit,
Left side of chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Left lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Bring awareness to the back of the body,
Heels,
Back of legs,
Right buttocks,
Left buttocks,
Lower back,
Mid back,
Upper back,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of neck,
Back of head.
Come to crown of head,
The forehead,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Eyebrow center,
Eyebrow center,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right eyelids,
Left eyelids,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Bridge and tip of nose,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Teeth,
Gums,
Tongue,
Jaw,
Chin,
Throat pit,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right side of chest,
Left side of chest,
Center of chest,
Upper abdomen,
Navel,
Lower abdomen,
Pelvic floor.
Come to whole body parts,
Whole right leg and foot,
Whole left leg and foot,
Both legs and feet together,
Whole right arm and hand,
Whole left arm and hand,
Both arms and hands together,
Front of trunk,
Back of trunk,
Whole trunk,
Neck and head,
Whole body,
Whole body,
Whole body.
Leave body rotation.
Now come to the natural flow of breath,
Observing the natural ebb and flow within the abdomen.
Feel the gentle rising with inhalation,
Gentle lowering of abdomen with exhalation,
Gentle movement of abdomen with the breath.
And here introduce a mental count to the breath from nine back to zero,
Abdomen breathe in nine,
Abdomen breathe out nine,
That's one breath,
Abdomen breathe in eight,
Abdomen breathe out eight.
Continue the mental count backwards.
If zero is reached or count is lost,
Begin again at nine,
Drop the count and direct the awareness to the rib cage and observe the natural breath within the chest without changing the breath.
Simply observe any subtle movement of the chest with the breath.
Notice that slight rising up and out on inhalation and the drawing in and down on exhalation of the chest.
And here introduce a mental count from nine back to zero,
Chest breathe in nine,
Chest breathe out nine,
Chest breathe in eight,
Chest breathe out eight.
One breath per count and continue the mental count back towards zero.
If zero is reached or count is lost,
Begin again at nine,
Drop the count and relax the awareness on breath and begin to feel the whole body breathing.
Notice the movement of breath when it enters into the abdomen and when it raises up into the chest.
Feel the movement of your body with your breath.
Notice when the cool air touches the throat pit and travels in your nostrils.
Feel how your back expands across the floor as you breathe in and start to feel down through the weight of your body through your shoulder blades,
Buttocks and heels.
Feel the pressure at the back of head against the floor and start to extend your awareness out now to the sounds and this time invite all the sounds in,
Name them and identify with them.
See the objects making those sounds,
Visualize them and begin to visualize the space in which you're lying,
The furnishings,
The colors,
The shape and then see yourself,
See the color of your clothing,
Any coverings and see clearly the expression on your face as the practice of yoga nidra has come to an end.
So begin to deepen your breath so you're expanding your abdomen up to chest and a long exhalation out and start to take your awareness out into your toes and into your fingers and begin to wiggle toes,
Wiggle your fingers,
Rotate your ankles,
Start to rotate your wrists and then roll your head from side to side.
As the practice of yoga nidra has come to an end,
So feel free to move your body in any way you might like to stretch or hug the knees into the chest and roll out the back and in your own time you can make your way onto your side,
Just have a couple of breaths here before you decide to move back into your day.
You
