Hello,
I'm Chetana from Yoga for the Soul Retreats.
I'm going to guide you through a restorative practice known as Yoga Nidra.
It's a deep relaxation practice which is wonderful to restore energy,
To create a peaceful mind and to give you a little pick-me-up any time of the day.
In this practice,
It's done lying on the back in the position known as Shavasana.
So make your way down.
You may like to place a couple of cushions under the knees to bring ease into the lower back.
And cover the body as the temperature does tend to drop if you're in a cool environment.
And just scanning the body,
Making sure you've placed it evenly,
That the heels are roughly hip-width apart,
The weight through the buttock is evenly placed left to right,
The shoulder blades are aligned and the weight of the back of the head is centered.
Allow the arms to be down beside the body,
Yet not touching body,
With the palms facing up or slightly in.
And feel the weight of the whole body,
Whole body.
Feel that contact between heels and floor,
Buttocks and floor,
Shoulder blades and floor,
Elbows and floor,
Base of neck,
Back of head.
Feel the contact points between the whole back of body and floor,
Whole back of body,
Whole back of body.
Feel into the touch of clothing on skin.
Feel the difference between exposed to covered skin.
Feel the fine line where eyelids meet,
Lips touch.
Now direct the awareness out to sounds without naming or analyzing.
Keep moving from sound to sound as a radar beam would.
And begin to listen for the subtle sounds of the body.
Can the digestive tract be heard?
Sound or silence of one's own breath,
Pulsation of heartbeat within eardrums,
And allowing the awareness of sounds to fade.
Now staying with the voice as a journey of the body's taken.
Mentally name each body part as stated.
Awareness to right hand thumb,
Forefinger,
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,
Right knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Awareness over to left hand thumb.
Mentally repeat left hand thumb,
Forefinger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm and creases,
Back of hand,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Armpit,
Side of chest,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Left knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Awareness to the back of the body.
Heels,
Back of knees,
Buttocks,
Lower back,
Mid back,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Base of neck,
Back of neck,
Back of head,
Come into the whole spine,
Tip to tailbone,
Tailbone up to tip,
Tip to tailbone,
Tailbone to tip,
Whole spine,
Whole spine,
Come to crown of head,
Forehead,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Eyebrow centre,
Eyebrow centre,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Bridge and tip of nose,
Whole nose,
Lips,
Teeth,
Gums,
Tongue,
Jaw,
Chin,
Throat pit,
Collar bones,
Chest,
Abdomen,
Pelvic region,
Come to whole body parts,
Whole right leg and foot,
Whole left leg and foot,
Whole right arm and hand,
Whole left arm and hand,
Whole trunk,
Whole neck and head,
Whole body,
Whole body,
Whole body.
Turn the awareness to the natural flow of breath,
Natural movement of breath within the abdomen and here introduce a mental count to the breath from nine back to zero,
Abdomen breathes in nine,
Abdomen breathes out nine,
That's one breath,
Abdomen breathes in eight,
Out eight,
Continue the mental count backwards,
If zero is reached or count is lost,
Begin again at nine,
Cease the count,
Become aware of the subtle movement of the breath within the chest,
Feel that natural rising up and expanding out with the inhalation and how it draws in and down on the exhalation,
The subtle movement of the chest with the breath and here introduce that mental count from nine back towards zero,
Chest breathes in nine,
Chest breathes out nine,
That's one breath,
Chest breathes in eight,
Out eight,
Continue the mental count backwards,
If zero is reached or count is lost,
Begin again at nine,
Cease the count,
Become present to your body breathing,
Whole body breathing,
Notice when the breath and coolness of breath is traveling in your nostrils and your throat,
Start to feel that movement of your body with your breath against the floor,
Feel how the upper back and shoulder blades expand,
Start to listen for the sound of your breath and move beyond your breath to the sounds which are surrounding you within the environment and start to name these sounds,
Invite them in,
Identify with them,
Begin to visualize the objects making these sounds,
Their shape,
Their colours and then come into the space in which you lie,
Visualize the colours and furnishings of that space,
The shape,
Anyone else that may be with you and then see yourself clearly,
See the colour of your clothing,
Any coverings and 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 up into the abdomen through the chest,
Feeling your whole body awaken and with the exhalation direct it down to your feet and begin to wiggle your toes,
Wiggle your fingers,
Rotate your ankles,
Rotate your wrists and then allow your head to roll from side to side and then with the next inhalation having a big stretch,
You may like to draw the knees into the chest and roll the back out and when ready come onto your right side,
Left side if pregnant and feel free to rest here for a few more breaths before you move back into your day.
