Welcome to the space of relaxation,
Awareness and rest.
I'm Catherine and I will be your Yoga Nidra guide today.
In this practice,
We will explore the subtle experience of being quietly awake and quietly aware.
The mind may wander,
Thoughts may arise and sensations may shift.
All of that is welcome.
There is no need to control anything.
Just observe and let go.
We will start today by laying down in a comfortable way.
This can be on your bed or yoga mat.
Let your legs extend naturally with your feet falling open.
Let your arms rest slightly away from the body,
Palms facing upward,
In a gesture of openness.
If needed,
Adjust your body by placing a pillow under the head,
A blanket over your body,
Or support beneath your knees.
And take your time to feel and find stillness.
Once you're settled,
Allow your eyes to gently close.
Feel the weight of your body supported by the ground beneath you.
Allow your body to surrender into the earth,
Feeling its support like unseen hands.
Now,
Take a slow,
Gentle breath in through the nose.
And exhale softly through the mouth.
Again,
Inhale.
Exhale,
Letting the body soften,
Releasing all tension.
Let the breath return to its natural rhythm now.
Now,
Begin to notice the subtle movement of your breath and body,
Rising and falling without effort.
Now,
Bringing to mind your intention,
Your sankalpa.
This is a short positive intention,
Stated in the present tense.
Bring an intention that is simple and meaningful to you.
This could be I am peace.
I am whole.
I am steady and calm.
Or I rest in awareness.
Choose or create your own sankalpa,
And silently repeat it to yourself,
Three times,
With clarity and gentle conviction.
Let it settle into the deeper layers of your being.
Now we begin a slow journey of awareness through the body.
Simply bring your attention to each part as it is named.
No movement is needed,
Just awareness.
Bring the light of your awareness to your right hand,
Your right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Fourth,
Little finger,
Palm of your hand,
Back of your hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Pinky,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Right side of your waist,
Your hip,
Lower leg.
The sole of your foot,
Top of your foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
And your little toe.
Now shift your awareness to your left hand,
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Little finger,
Palm of your hand,
Back of your hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Into the armpit,
Left side of your waist,
Hip,
Lower leg.
Ankle,
Heel,
Top of your foot.
Now your left big toe,
Second,
Fourth,
Little toe.
Bring awareness to the back body,
Back of the head,
Neck,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Spine,
Middle back,
Lower back,
Right buttock,
Left buttock.
Now the front of the body,
Moving to the top of your head,
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right ear,
Nose,
Tip of the nose,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin.
Moving down to the right side of your chest,
Left side,
Center of the chest,
Upper abdomen,
Chin,
Navel,
Lower abdomen.
Feel the whole body together,
The whole body together,
The whole body together.
The entire body resting,
Quietly awake,
Quietly aware.
Now bring your awareness to the natural breath.
Feel it flowing in and out through the nostrils,
Cool air entering and warm air leaving.
Notice the gentle rise and fall of the abdomen.
With each inhale the belly expands,
With each exhale it softens back.
There is no need to control the breath,
Let it breathe itself.
You are simply observing,
Quietly awake,
Quietly aware.
There is no judgment,
No effort,
Just returning back to the breath if the mind wanders.
Now begin to notice the sensations without trying to change them.
Bring awareness to the feeling of heaviness in the body,
As if the body is sinking into the earth,
Deep and heavy.
Now shifting to lightness,
As if the body is floating weightless,
Effortless,
Like a feather in the wind.
Heaviness,
Lightness,
Allow both experiences without holding on to either.
Now notice effort,
The subtle sense of trying,
Striving.
See if you can sense where effort lives in your body or mind.
And now gently let go of effort,
Release striving,
Nothing to achieve and nothing to become.
Rest in this non-doing,
Like the idea of I,
Let it soften,
The ego that tries to control,
Define and grasp,
And just let it soften and loosen.
You are not required to hold on to any identity here.
Now allow your awareness to expand,
No longer focusing on any single point.
Just open awareness.
Thoughts may arise,
Let them pass.
Sensations may shift,
Let them be.
You are the witness resting in awareness itself,
There is no striving,
No resistance and no attachment.
Just being in open awareness,
Quietly awake,
Quietly aware.
Now begin to bring your awareness back to the physical body.
Feel the contact between your body and the support beneath you.
Repeat your sankalpa to yourself again 3 times.
Repeat it with clarity and intention as before.
Let it resonate deeply within.
Again,
Noticing your natural breath and gently invite small movement,
Perhaps wiggling fingers and toes,
And stretching the body slowly if it feels good.
Taking your time,
And when you are ready,
Roll onto your side,
Resting there briefly.
And when it feels right,
Slowly come up to a seated position,
Keeping your eyes soft or closed.
Pause for a moment and notice how you feel.
Carry this sense of quiet awareness with you,
Quietly awake,
Quietly aware.
And thank you so much for practicing with me today,
Wishing you a wonderful rest of your day or evening,
And I'll see you again soon.
