Welcome.
My name is Amanda and I'm so delighted that you're joining me today.
In this Yoga Nidra practice,
You'll have the opportunity to enter a deep state of relaxation through an extended body scan,
Thereby helping to restore your mind and body,
Relieve stress,
Reduce anxiety,
Improve concentration and focus,
And so much more.
Throughout the practice,
As your mind wanders,
Which it naturally will,
Simply use my voice as an anchor to gently bring your awareness back.
Yoga Nidra is traditionally practiced in Savasana,
Laying on your back,
Spine in alignment,
Shoulders relaxed,
Arms by your side with palms facing up,
Legs and feet resting hip distance apart.
However,
If this pose doesn't work for you,
Feel free to adjust as you need,
So that you are in complete comfort.
Give yourself as much time as you require to become comfortable and cozy in your Yoga Nidra nest.
Remember that you are right now setting the tone for your practice and giving your nervous system the cue that it's time for deep relaxation.
Is there anything that you require for extra warmth and comfort,
Such as a blanket,
Bolsters,
Pillows or an eye mask?
Is the temperature of the room suitable?
Have you turned off the notifications on your phone so as not to be interrupted?
Ensure that the volume of my voice is just right.
Pay attention to every part of your body.
Is there any part that isn't 100% comfortable?
And feel free to pause this recording until you've completely settled in.
When you feel ready,
Welcome darkness with the closing of your eyes,
And allow a deep breath in through your nose,
And a long exaggerated exhale out through your mouth.
Your Yoga Nidra practice begins now.
Let awareness fall to your breath.
Feel your body breathing in and breathing out.
Know that each breath is helping to signal safety and calm to your body and to your mind.
Each breath helps to release tension and tightness.
Each breath helps you to let go of the stressors from the day and bring you into the present moment.
To further signal safety and calm to your nervous system,
Audibly release the sound VU on each exhale.
Gently allow the sound VUUU,
V-O-O,
Like this,
VUUU,
Inhale deeply,
And VUUU,
Again a deep inhalation followed by VUUU.
Continue on your own for a few more breaths.
Return to your natural breathing now,
And consider your sankalpa for this practice.
Your sankalpa is an I am,
Heartfelt intention,
Or your deepest desire.
If you don't have a sankalpa that you are currently working with,
Or if you'd like to add a secondary sankalpa,
You might use something like,
I am moving through life with calm and ease,
Or I am at peace,
Or simply,
I am here now.
Gently repeat this declaration to yourself three times,
Each followed by a deep breath.
Visualize now a favorite place that brings you feelings of peace and safety,
A place where you feel calm,
Secure,
Grounded.
This could be a place in nature,
A place in your home,
Or even a made up place.
Allow every part of yourself to be in this calming space,
And note how at ease you feel.
Let these feelings of peace,
Calm,
Ease,
And safety envelop every part of you.
You may release the image now,
However,
Let the feelings remain.
The feelings of peace,
Calm,
Ease,
And safety stay as you are gently guided on a rotation of consciousness,
Your awareness moving from one body part to the next,
Beginning with the right big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
And little toe,
And the tips of all five toes,
And the space in between each toe,
Top of the right foot,
Ankle,
Shin,
Top of the knee and thigh,
Right hip,
Right side of the pelvis,
Up to the right waist,
Chest,
The right collarbone,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Bicep,
Inner elbow,
Down the lower arm,
To the inside of your right wrist,
Palm of the hand,
Thumb,
First finger,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Sixth,
Seventh,
Eighth,
Ninth,
Tenth,
Eleventh,
Twelveth,
Thirteenth,
Fourteenth,
Fifteenth,
Sixteenth,
First toe,
Third,
Fourth,
And little toe,
And the tips of all five toes,
And the space in between each toe,
Top of the left foot,
Ankle,
Shin,
Top of the knee and thigh,
Left hip,
Left side of the pelvis,
Up to the left waist and chest,
Left collarbone,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Bicep,
Inner elbow,
Down the lower arm,
To the inside of your left wrist,
Palm of the hand,
Thumb,
First finger,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
And the tips of all five fingers,
And the space in between each finger,
Up to throat center,
Up the front of your neck to the tip of your chin,
Along the right side of your jaw,
All the way over to the right ear,
Inside the ear canal,
The space in between the ears,
Inside the left ear canal,
Out to the left ear,
And down the left side of the jaw,
Back to the tip of the chin,
Lower lip,
Lower teeth and gum,
Right side of the tongue,
Inside the right cheek,
Inside the left cheek,
Left side of the tongue,
Upper teeth and gums,
Upper lip,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right cheek,
Temple,
The right eye and all the little muscles surrounding the eye,
Eyelid and eyelashes,
Bridge of your nose,
Left cheek,
Temple,
The left eye and all the little muscles surrounding the eye,
Eyelid and eyelashes,
Both eyebrows together,
And the space in between the eyebrows,
All of your forehead,
Moving up to the crown,
All of the scalp and hair,
Down to the back of your head,
And down to the base of your neck,
Right shoulder blade,
Tricep,
The point of your right elbow,
Forearm down to the wrist,
Back of the right hand,
And all five fingers,
Left shoulder blade,
Tricep,
The point of your left elbow,
Forearm down to the wrist,
Back of your left hand,
And all five fingers,
Over to the top of your spine,
Following it down slowly,
Vertebrae by vertebrae,
From the upper back to the middle back,
All the way down to the lower back,
Right glute,
Back of the right thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Heel and sole of your right foot,
And all five toes,
Over to the left glute,
Back of the left thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Heel and sole of your left foot,
And all five toes,
All of your body now from the top of your crown,
Moving down,
Down,
Down,
Down to the tips of each toe,
Feel the weight of your body,
Resting,
Still,
Heavy,
Relaxed,
And follow your breath breathing your body in and out,
In and out,
In and out,
Your breath,
Life force energy,
Nourishing your mind,
Your body,
And all of your organs,
Notice how good it feels to breathe in and breathe out,
Without changing your breath in any way,
Simply breathing in what you need and letting go of what you don't,
Falling into the rhythm of your natural breathing pattern,
Nothing to do except breathe and be,
Breathe and be,
Breathe and be,
Breathe and be,
Bringing back your sankalpa now,
You may have used one of the following,
I am moving through life with calm and ease,
Or I am at peace,
Or I am here now,
Silently repeat your sankalpa to yourself for the next few moments,
And now allow a deep breath,
Perhaps the deepest breath you've allowed all day,
And on your next inhale,
Bring in two sips of air through your nose,
Followed by an exhale through an open mouth,
Like this,
Again two sips of air in through your nose,
And exhale out your mouth,
And one more,
Two sips in,
Exhale and let it go,
It's now time to begin waking the body,
However if you'd prefer to linger in stillness a little while longer,
Feel free to pause this recording or remove your headphones,
When you're ready,
Begin to sense the room that you're in,
Sensing the walls,
The ceiling,
The floor,
And where you are in that room,
Can you hear sounds around you other than the sound of my voice?
Can you feel the air touching your skin?
Can you feel your body resting on the surface beneath you?
When you're ready,
Begin to make small movements,
Such as lightly wiggling your fingers and toes,
Perhaps rotating your wrists and ankles,
You might allow a big stretch,
Or perhaps a yawn,
Let your movements be intuitive and gentle,
There's no need to rush,
You might also roll over to one side if you've been on your back,
And let your body lay in a new position for a few moments,
As you're slowly bringing your body back to a wakeful state,
It's a good time to give thanks to yourself,
For you have just given your mind,
Body and spirit,
The gift of deep relaxation and restoration,
And let yourself feel grateful for all that you've given to yourself from this practice.
This has been Amanda,
And it's been an honor to be your guide today,
And I appreciate you giving your precious time to practicing with me,
And I love hearing from you,
Where you're from and what you enjoyed most about the practice,
And so please,
If you have a moment,
Leave a little comment to let me know.
Thank you so much,
And may you move through your day with grace and ease.
Namaste.
