Welcome to this yoga nidra practice to help you find more deep relaxation,
Perhaps repair you for sleep,
Help you find a little more softness through your mind,
Your body,
Your senses.
So take a moment to make yourself as comfortable as you want.
This practice can be done seated,
Lying down on the floor or sofa or your bed,
Maybe taking a blanket underneath your knees or pillow underneath your knees,
Something to give you a little support for the lower back,
A pillow or some prop underneath your head,
Maybe a soft blanket to cover you to keep you warm.
Gently tuck yourself in.
Notice here if you can bring yourself to be 5 or 10% more comfortable.
Is there anything you can do to be just 5 or 10% more comfortable?
And whenever you feel settled,
Softly closing your eyes.
Begin first here by noticing your breath.
Notice your breath as it moves through the body rise and fall.
Inhale exhale.
Notice where you feel this breath.
It's a belly,
Chest,
Upper chest.
Notice if your breath is fast or slow,
Deep or shallow,
Smooth or not so smooth.
Letting go of any judgment here,
Just noting how your breath is to begin this practice.
Just begin to count your breath backwards from the number 10.
With each exhale,
Fill yourself sinking just a little bit more deeply,
Relaxing just a little bit more.
The softening of the body.
Don't worry if you get distracted or lost in the count.
Just start back wherever you think you might be.
Letting go of the count of the breath.
Maybe you're taking a nice deep inhale through your nose and softly exhaling through your mouth.
Maybe taking one more of those inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
Take a moment here to check in with your body,
Starting at the top of your head.
Taking any spaces or places that may need more care or kindness or breath.
Without judgment,
Just softly moving down through the body all the way through the torso,
The hips,
The legs,
The feet.
Becoming aware of your body wherever it may be touching the ground underneath or the floor or a seat.
Sensing the weight of the body softening into the surface beneath and that surface beneath rising up to support your body.
Softly bring your awareness to your senses.
Notice anything that is brushing against your skin,
Your clothing as it touches your skin or the brush of air as it flows across the body.
Becoming aware of any aroma or scent as it drifts into each nostril.
Becoming aware of any flavor that lingers on your lips or on your tongue.
Becoming aware of any sounds,
Those close and those farther away.
Still and not so subtle.
Becoming aware of your sight,
Letting go of your external vision and turning your eyes inward to your internal vision.
Now we're going to do a gentle body scan,
Just rotating our consciousness throughout the entire body.
Gently follow my voice,
Just letting your awareness rest softly in the spaces.
Bring your awareness to the tip of your right thumb.
Your right pointer finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger and little finger.
Become aware of the spaces in between the fingers.
The palm of your right hand,
The back of your right hand,
Your right wrist.
Side of your lower arm,
And outside of your lower arm.
Your right elbow.
Right outer upper arm.
Right inner upper arm.
Your right shoulder.
Become aware of your entire right arm from your shoulder to your fingertips.
Become aware of your right armpit.
Your right chest.
Your right side of your belly.
The top of your upper right leg.
The back of your upper right leg.
Your right knee.
The shin of your lower right leg.
The calf of your lower right leg.
Your right ankle.
Right heel.
Top of the right foot.
Arch of the right foot.
Tip of the right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And little pinky.
Become aware of your entire right side of your body.
Your right armpit all the way down through your right toes.
Become aware of the tip of your left thumb.
Left pointer finger.
Left middle finger.
Left ring finger.
Left pinky finger.
Become aware of the space in between each finger.
Your left palm.
The back of your left hand.
Your left wrist.
The inside of your lower left arm.
The outside of your lower left arm.
Your left elbow.
The outside of your upper left arm.
Inside of your upper left arm.
Your left shoulder.
Become aware of your entire left arm from the shoulder all the way down through the fingertips.
Become aware of your left armpit.
The left side of your chest.
The left side of your belly.
Left hip.
Top of the left leg.
Back of the upper left leg.
Your left knee.
The shin of your lower left leg.
The calf of your lower left leg.
Your left ankle.
Your left heel.
The arch of your left foot.
The top of your left foot.
The tip of your left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And little pinky.
Becoming aware of the entire left side of your body from your left armpit down through your left toes.
Become aware of your neck.
Front and back.
Your chin.
Your left jaw.
Your right jaw.
Your tongue.
Your teeth.
Your lips.
Your left cheekbone.
Your right cheekbone.
The tip of your nose.
Left nostril.
And right nostril.
Become aware of your left ear.
Your right ear.
Your left eye.
Your right eye.
Your left eyelid.
Your right eyelid.
Your forehead.
The top of your head.
The back of your head.
Become aware of your entire neck and head and face.
All the way around.
Front and back.
Left and right.
Become aware of your entire body from the top of your head all the way to the tips of your toes and fingertips.
Softly bring your awareness back to your breath.
The rise and fall of the breath.
Inhale and exhale.
Thank you for sharing this practice with me today.
Peace.
