Hello,
And welcome to this Yoga Nidra practice.
My name is Zia Nix,
And I will be your guide as we explore your inner sanctuary.
Take a moment now to get comfortable,
Either sitting up or lying down on the couch,
Bed,
Or the floor.
Your comfort is everything here,
So set yourself up with any cushions or props so your body can be relaxed and supported,
And your mind can be free to travel without distractions.
And when you're ready,
Go ahead and close your eyes.
Let's take a full breath in,
And hold at the top.
Then let it out with a sigh.
Let's do this a few more times,
Starting to release any excess tension.
Deep breath in,
Hold at the top,
And then sigh it out.
One more time.
Deep breath in,
Hold.
Now just begin to breathe normally,
Taking nice,
Deep,
Nourishing breaths in through the nose,
Filling up on the inhale,
And release,
Exhaling slowly all the air out through the nose.
Nice slow,
Steady breaths down into the belly.
Belly rises on the inhale,
Belly falls on the exhale.
Settling in,
Slowing down.
During this practice,
Your job is simply to observe what comes up for you.
And if your mind starts to wander,
Just bring your attention back to your breath.
As you begin to relax,
Notice what you are aware of in this moment.
There's nothing to do here,
Nothing is good,
Nothing is bad,
It's all just information.
Notice what's coming up,
And observe it with a kind of curiosity.
What are you aware of?
Is it a thought,
An emotion,
A sound,
A feeling,
A sensation?
Invite it in with curiosity.
Recognize it,
And label it for what it is.
A thought,
An emotion,
A sound,
A feeling?
Sort of recognizing means noticing all the ways that this thought,
Emotion,
Sound,
Or feeling has an effect on you.
Just observe all the ways it affects your thoughts,
Your feelings,
Your mood.
There is nothing to do,
No action to be taken,
No judgments to be made,
Just notice what you notice.
Be a witness to how it all plays out in your mind and in your body.
Watch your thoughts like they're scenes in a movie.
No need to get caught up or carried away,
Just watching.
Turn your awareness now to your body.
Feel your entire body resting.
Feel your body being held and supported.
Feel just the left side of your body as sensation.
Now feel just the right side of your body.
Now feel both sides together.
Feel your whole body.
Take your awareness to the space between your eyebrows.
Move now to the hollow of your throat.
Right shoulder.
Right elbow.
Right wrist.
Tip of the right thumb.
Tip of the index finger.
Tip of the middle finger.
Tip of the ring finger.
Tip of the pinky.
Right wrist.
Right elbow.
Right shoulder.
Middle of the throat.
Left shoulder.
Left elbow.
Left wrist.
Tip of the left thumb.
Tip of the index finger.
Tip of the middle finger.
Tip of the ring finger.
Tip of the pinky.
Left wrist.
Left elbow.
Left shoulder.
Middle of the throat.
Heart center.
Right side of the chest.
Heart center.
Left side of the chest.
Heart center.
Area above the navel.
Area below the navel.
Right hip.
Right knee.
Right ankle.
Right big toe.
Tip of the second toe.
Tip of the third toe.
Tip of the fourth toe.
Tip of the pinky toe.
Right ankle.
Right knee.
Right hip.
Below the navel.
Left hip.
Left knee.
Left ankle.
Left big toe.
Tip of the second toe.
Tip of the third toe.
Tip of the fourth toe.
Tip of the pinky toe.
Left ankle.
Left knee.
Left hip.
Area below the navel.
Above the navel.
Heart center.
Middle of the throat.
Area between the eyebrows.
Now feel your entire body as sensation.
Feel your entire body.
Now bring your awareness to the breath.
Nothing to do here,
Just noticing the breath.
Flowing in and out of the body.
Watch the breath as it washes over you like waves in the ocean and recedes back out on the exhale.
Notice the movement of air as it enters through the nostrils.
Watch as it flows into the body,
Down through the chest,
And into the belly.
Watch as the breath travels back up through the body and out through the nostrils.
Notice your impulse to inhale and the fresh breath that flows in through the nostrils and down into your body.
Notice the space before your release and exhale.
Whenever your attention wanders,
Simply return to the rhythm of your breath.
Each fresh breath is an opportunity to begin anew.
Each exhale,
A chance to relax deeper.
Begin with the natural flow of the breath as it travels in on the inhale,
Filling the body with life-giving energy,
And on the exhale,
Releasing any stress,
Tension,
And that which no longer serves you.
Continue to follow the path of breath as it flows in and out of your being.
Notice your whole body breathing,
The whole self breathing.
Inhale the peace of simply being and exhale any pain or physical fatigue.
Inhaling peace,
Exhale,
Releasing any suffering or mental fatigue.
Inhaling peace and exhale,
Releasing negativity.
One last time,
Inhale peace,
Allowing it to fill your entire being with light and love,
And exhale,
Releasing anything that no longer serves you.
Letting go of the visualized breath,
We will journey now to a place in nature.
It can be real or imagined,
A place that makes you feel good,
Happy,
Connected,
And at peace.
You get to decide all the details as you create this place in your mind.
Begin to imagine you are there now.
Are you in a forest,
In the mountains,
Or near the water?
Look around and begin to fill in the details using your senses.
What do you see?
Relax for a moment to absorb your surroundings.
Look down at the ground.
What do you feel beneath your feet?
Look up at the sky.
Is it day or night?
Do you see clouds or stars?
In this place,
You are safe.
You are free to be yourself,
Your true,
Authentic self.
You are safe here.
Take a moment to tune into the sounds.
What do you hear?
Do you notice any sounds,
Maybe close to you or off in the distance?
Take a moment to listen.
What is the temperature?
Can you feel the sun on your skin or maybe there's a cool breeze?
You are completely supported in this place.
This is your inner sanctuary.
What emotion do you feel?
Notice where in your body you feel this emotion.
Take a moment to simply be with this emotion.
Take a deep breath in and allow this feeling to radiate throughout your entire being.
Exhale,
Allowing yourself to be fully present and aware here.
Just be here.
Notice how you feel here inside your sanctuary.
This is how your true self feels all the time,
Happy,
Connected,
And at peace.
This feeling and this place are always available to you.
You can return here at any time you wish to connect with your true self.
Bring your attention back to your breath,
To the feeling of your breath moving in and out of your body,
Just rising and falling with each inhale and exhale.
Now bring your awareness back into your physical body.
Sense the gentle movement of your body at rest,
Breathing.
Feel your body supported.
The sound of the singing bowl will signal the end of your practice.
You will awake feeling refreshed,
Focused,
And relaxed,
And these feelings will carry on into your day with you.
I wish you light and love on your journey.
