Hello,
I'm Nancy and welcome to your practice of Yoga Nidra to help support your sleep.
This meditation is suitable for everyone and can be practiced typically lying down but you may be seated if that's what you prefer.
Yoga Nidra is a practice to soothe your nervous system and support moving in the direction of relaxation and rest.
The practice of yoga nidra will cycle your awareness around your body.
If yoga nidra meditation is a new practice for you or if you feel comfortable physically or otherwise during your practice,
Know that this is absolutely normal and there is no wrong experience.
If at any time during your practice you begin to feel tired or even doze off and fall asleep,
Trust that this moment may be what your body needs or has been craving.
You're welcome to pause or stop the practice at any time and for any reason.
As we begin the practice you might like to start by moving in the direction of comfort or ease in your body.
Grabbing anything that you might need and setting up your space for your practice.
Is there any way that you can just be a little bit more comfortable where you are?
Feel free to take your time getting anything else that you might need for your practice.
You're really welcome to have your eyes open or closed.
Perhaps trying both to see what's more supportive for you in this moment.
From here the invitation is maybe to set an intention for your practice.
Perhaps there's a reason for you to practice yoga nidra today.
It may be a way that you're feeling or just to support yourself.
Taking the time to set your intention if that's what you would like to do today.
If you are working with an intention you might want to repeat it to yourself for one last time and then allow it to fade into the background of your awareness.
From here you're invited to be aware of your senses.
Perhaps start to notice the sensation of light.
If your eyes are open taking in those colours around you and if your eyes are closed just focusing on the light against your eyes.
Allowing your body to become sensory.
Sending your attention to sounds both inside and outside.
Listening to what you can hear.
These sounds becoming increasingly more distant as you move inwards.
Can you notice aromas,
Different fragrances in the air and any tastes,
Any other feelings or even the texture or touch of air on your skin.
Noticing the feeling of your body in contact with the surface beneath you.
Leaning into the weight of your body,
The heaviness of your being,
The softening of your muscles.
Perhaps you might like to lean into the weight of your body being supported by the surface beneath you and taking this time to welcome in an acknowledgement to the country and pay your respects to the traditional custodians of the lands,
Their ancestors,
Elders past,
Present and emerging.
As you breathe expanding and contracting.
With each exhale can you move towards a sense of ease.
You welcoming and noticing the feeling of breath in your body.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Observing any areas you may be holding more tension than others that are more relaxed.
Making room for multiplicities,
Many sensations,
Many realities.
Getting yourself permission to not think but just to breathe and oscillate with the ebbs and flows of your breath.
I'm now going to guide you through what is known as rotation consciousness.
If you lose concentration on your way during the sequence just try to stay attentive to my voice.
It will guide you through different parts of your body to just place your attention.
It might be helpful to visualise a ball or point of light,
Any colour,
Any size if that helps you focus.
So please bring your attention to the top of your face towards the place in between your eyebrows.
As you exhale can you release any tension that you may be holding here.
Exhaling each exhale breath to nurture relaxation,
Softening as your breath leads your body.
Radiating your focus or your point of light to your right eye,
To your left eye.
Noticing them to rest back into their sockets.
Noticing your ears,
Feeling deep into your ears.
Inviting sensation in your nose,
Perhaps feeling the air moving in and moving out.
Inviting feelings in your mouth,
Perhaps by starting at the roof of your mouth and the walls of your mouth,
Moving this attention to the floor of your mouth and radiating this out to your entire mouth as the fear of sensation.
Shifting your attention to your jaw,
Noticing feelings in your jaw.
Can you use your exhale breath to release any tension that you may be holding here.
Slide your attention to the back of your skull,
The back of your neck.
Slide your attention to your right shoulder,
Your right upper arm,
Your right elbow,
Right lower arm,
Right wrist,
Right thumb,
Index finger,
Through the fingers of your right hand towards your little finger in your right hand.
Your point of light or attention moves through your right wrist,
Your right lower arm,
Your right elbow,
Your right upper arm,
Your entire right arm,
Sensation and sensing.
Guiding your attention or your ball of light towards your left shoulder,
Your left upper arm,
Your left elbow,
Your left lower arm,
Your left wrist,
Your left thumb,
From your left index finger to all your fingers and to your left pinky finger.
Ball of light,
Your attention spans to your left wrist,
Your left lower arm,
Your left elbow,
Your left upper arm,
Your entire left arm.
Feeling into the senses,
Sensations in your shoulders.
Can you peel away layer after layer of any contraction or any tension in your shoulders?
Shifting your attention to your chest,
Feeling into your chest as a radiant field of sensation.
Sliding your attention,
Your point of light,
Through your upper body,
Perhaps feeling into the front of your torso,
The front of your torso,
The back of your body,
The back of your body,
Your right hip,
Your right leg,
Right knee,
Right lower leg,
Right ankle,
Right foot,
Right toes.
From your toes towards your right foot,
Your right ankle,
Right lower leg,
Right knee,
Right upper leg,
Right hip,
Entire leg from hip to toes,
A field of sensation.
Moving your attention or your ball of light towards your left hip,
Left upper leg,
Left knee,
Left lower leg,
Left ankle,
Left foot,
Your toes,
And then shifting that awareness up from your toes through your left foot,
Your left ankle,
Your left leg,
Left knee,
Left upper leg,
Your left hip,
And then your entire left leg,
Hip,
Foot all the way down to your toes,
A field of sensation.
Allow yourself to not think,
Just feel into the radiant sensation of your entire body,
Becoming aware of spaciousness in the front of your body,
Space in the front of your body,
Spaciousness underneath your body,
Space underneath your body,
Spaciousness to the left side of your body,
Space to the left side of your body,
Spaciousness to the right of your body,
Space to the right of your body,
Spaciousness to the crown of your head,
Space to the crown of your head,
Spaciousness at your feet,
Spaciousness at your feet,
No thinking,
Just feeling.
Guiding your focus back towards your breath and feeling of your breath moving in and moving out of your body.
Know that in this moment your breath as it flows is at its perfect rhythm.
There's no need to change or to shape yourself or your breath in any way.
Noticing the sensations of inhale and the sensations of exhale,
Your entire body breathing itself without any effort,
Breathing in to feel into your body,
Into sense any ease.
With each inhale breath starting at your feet,
Your breath flows from the soles of your feet up your legs,
Body,
Through the crown of your head.
And as you breathe out,
Your breath moves from the crown of your head through your chest,
Navel centre,
Legs all the way down to the soles of your feet,
Continuing just like this 10 more times.
So as you breathe in,
Flow from the feet to the crown of your head and as you breathe out,
Your breath flows from the crown of your head towards your feet.
Effortlessly,
No gripping,
Just permitting your body to move towards rest and restoration.
You are awake and practising yoga nidra,
Even as your body rests,
Your consciousness is awake.
The next time you breathe in,
Your breath flows from the base of your spine to the crown of your head and as you breathe out,
From the crown of your head to the base of your spine.
10 more,
Just like that.
The next time you inhale,
The flow moves from your navel centre to the crown of your head and as you exhale,
The flow moves from the crown of your head to your navel centre.
The next time you breathe in,
The flow moves from your heart to the crown of your head,
From the crown of your head back down to your heart as you exhale.
The next time you breathe in,
The flow moves from your throat centre to the crown of your head and as you breathe out,
Crown of the head to the throat centre.
The next time you breathe in,
The flow moves from the space in between your eyebrows towards the crown of your head and as you breathe out,
From the crown of your head towards the space between your eyebrows.
Your body sleeps,
Your mind is asleep,
But your awareness remains conscious.
This time,
Breathe from the tip of your nose to the crown of your head.
And now,
Relaxing the attention on your breath and allow it to softly fade into the background.
Just noticing the spaciousness of your body,
Allowing your breath to be pure awareness.
You might even notice whether any thoughts,
Feelings or emotions arise here and if they arise,
Just welcoming them,
Embracing them here as you are in this space.
Maybe taking a moment for anything that is arising to be fully held and experienced here.
Feeling familiar with these thoughts,
Feelings or emotions as they arise.
No judgement,
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to change.
Just embracing and being with what is.
And as you're ready,
Releasing these sensations,
Feelings,
Thoughts or emotions and permit them to fade into the background.
Once again,
Shifting your attention to the feeling of your body breathing itself without any gripping and just finding its natural rhythm.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Ebbing and flowing,
No thinking,
Just breathing.
Finally,
You're invited to begin opening up your senses to become aware of where you are in time and space.
Noticing any sounds that you might be hearing,
Noticing any fragrances,
Aromas.
Just begin to welcome the feeling of being supported by the space beneath you.
And as you gently awaken your senses,
Remember that there's nothing to fix,
Nothing to change.
Just arrive as you are,
Resting in your wholeness just as you are.
When you're ready,
Feel free to make any small movements to welcome yourself back out of your practice of yoga nidra and opening the eyes when you're ready.
Your practice with me is now complete.
