This script is intended for a facilitator to guide participants in a Yoga Nidra meditation practice. Yoga Nidra means “yogic sleep” and is a technique used to produce states of healing and rejuvenation. Yoga Nidra is similar to a body scan in that the instructions focus on areas of the body, one by one. However, Yoga Nidra can produce a state of awareness and deep relaxation, altering between the conscious and unconscious. It is recommended that this practice take place in a safe, warm, quiet space.

Begin by getting yourself into a comfortable position. This position can be savasana, or corpse pose, but ensure that you can stay in this position for a period of time. Take this time to make any adjustments you may need: placing a bolster under your knees, putting on socks, or covering yourself with a blanket. Eyes can close or remain slightly open with a soft, downward gaze. Please uncross legs, feet, hands, and arms to remain balanced. Stretch out. Palms can be open up to the sky or facing down on the ground. You may fall asleep, but try set an intention right now and say “I will not fall asleep, I will remain awake throughout this practice.” If you do fall asleep and snore, I will shake your toe (if practicing in person, if on zoom then request participants to mute). Become comfortable. Falling into stillness and relaxation.

(Pause)

Bringing attention to your body as a whole, in the room that you are in, the space you occupy. Notice where your body meets the surface you are on, where you are grounded, and the spaces where you are not touching anything. The heaviness or lightness, weightiness, or softness. The spaces of emptiness. Allow yourself to feel grounded and held. No need to grip onto anything. Nothing to do, nowhere to go but here. Following my voice. Becoming still.

The practice begins now.

Taking three deep breaths. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale. Noticing the temperature of the air as it travels into your nose and back out. Noticing the warmth or coolness on your nose and face. Deeply breathing, bringing in fresh oxygen on your inhale and sinking more deeply on your exhale. Noticing the chest or stomach rise and fall with each breath, your body doing all the work for you. Now breathing normally and naturally. Not needing to control or alter the breath, but allowing it to be as it is. Mindfulness of the breath.

Filling in your lungs, expanding the chest, breathing in softness, breathing out toxins. Awareness of any areas of tightness or tension. Breathing in to those areas, softening. Breathing out of those areas, relaxing and letting go. Bringing sweetness into any spaces of tension. The air as it moves into and out of your body. Always knowing that you can come back to the breath if you get distracted. The breath is your anchor and your home. Attention to the breath.

(Pause)

The inhaling and the exhaling, the movements together. Contraction, expansion. Coming into harmony with both. The expansion sets you up for a blossoming. For some, this may mean finding a heart-centered compassion for yourself that you’ve never had before. Or it could mean a finding or strengthening of your inner voice, the one that guides you to your most authentic self. If you choose to now set an intention for this practice, now is the time to do so.

(Pause)

Inhaling through your nose all the way down to your right big toe and bringing all attention to this toe. Right big toe. Left big toe. Second right toe, second left toe. Third right toe, third left toe. Fourth right toe, fourth left toe. Fifth right toe, fifth left toe. All the toes together. All the toes together. Everything that your toes allow you to do, to balance, flex, and walk.

Awareness of the right foot, the skin and the nails and the veins. Blood pulsing and moving. Breathing in to right foot, breathing out of right foot. Moving now to the left foot. Awareness of the left foot, the sensations there. Breathing in to left foot, breathing out of left foot. Both feet together. Tops of feet, soles of feet. The spaces between the toes. Breathing in to both feet together. Inhaling freshness, exhaling whatever is stuck.

Moving up to the right ankle, the bones and skin. Looking now to the left ankle, the joints and ligaments. Right ankle, left ankle. Both ankles together. Breathing in to the ankles, breathing out of the ankles.

Lower right leg, the shin and the calf muscles there. Lower left leg, the shin and calf muscles there. Awareness of any sensations of both lower legs together. Warmness or coolness. Pressure or lightness.

Breathing into the right knee, breathing out of the right knee. Circling the right knee in your mind. Breathing into the left knee, breathing out of the left knee. Circling the left knee in your mind. Both knees together. The hard knee bones. The soft undersides of the knees. The spaces between your knees and the floor. As we move through body parts, allowing your breath to take you into a deeper state of relaxation. Releasing tension, sinking into stillness.

Moving up the right leg. Attention to the thigh and hamstring. Over to the left leg. Mindfulness of the thigh and hamstring. Both legs together. Being present in the moment. Not judging. Releasing and letting go. Taking a breath in through both legs, and back out. Both legs as a whole filling with energy. Breathing out tiredness.

The place where the thighbone meets the hips, the hip socket and the pelvis. Your seat grounded into the surface. Breathing in to the hipbones, the pelvis, the intestines and bladder. Noticing any sensations there, attention to the sophisticated workings of your internal organs. This work is completed without you having to do anything.

Mindfulness of the stomach. Notice any signs of rumbling, digestion, tension, or ease. The liver and pancreas. Abdominal region rising and falling at each breath. The movement of the skin expanding and contracting. Inhaling oxygen, exhaling and releasing.

Moving up to the chest, the front of the ribs, all the way up to the collarbones. Rib cage expanding and contracting on each breath. Breathing in, expand. Breathing out, contract. New energy flows in, old energy flows out. Awareness of the front of the heart and the front of the lungs, together. Any emotions or sensations that may arise here. Feelings may arise, and see if you can let them be as they are. Now letting go of this part of your body.

Attention now to the small of your back, your lower back, middle back, upper back. The spine holding it all together, nerves branching out from the spine. The back of your rib cage, the rib cage meeting the spine. The back of the heart, the back of the lungs, sustained in your body, all your life. The shoulder blades, the shoulders. The spine meeting the skull. The muscles of your back, the skin of your entire back. Breathing in to your entire back, breathing out of your entire back. Breathing in lightness, breathing out tension. Being solid and grounded. Connected. Allowing yourself to rest deeply, supported, and held.

Drawing your focus to both of your shoulders, to both of your arms, all the way down to both of your hands. Bringing to mind your right thumb. Left thumb. Right index finger, left index finger. Right middle finger, left middle finger. Right ring finger, left ring finger. Right pinky finger, left pinky finger. Feelings of the temperature, the warmness or coolness. Any sensations of dampness or dryness. Breathing into both hands as a whole. Then the knuckles and joints. Right hand and left hand, both hands together. These hands that you have had all of your life.

Moving up the wrists, right wrist and left wrist. Both wrists together. Joints and blood vessels. Circulation of blood. The right lower arms, the left lower arm. The long, parallel bones on both forearms. Both forearms together.

The right elbow, the left elbow. The rough outer skin of the elbows. The soft inside of the elbows. Connecting lower arm to upper arm. Ability to move and bend and flex.

The right upper arm. The left upper arm. The right armpit. The left armpit. Both arms together. Noticing the muscles, bones, tendons of both arms. Inhaling starting from your fingertips all the way up to your shoulders. Exhaling from your shoulders all the way down your fingertips. Inhale. Exhale.

Beginning to notice the right shoulder. Then the left shoulder. The tops of the shoulders and the sides. The backs of the shoulders. Discovering the shoulders. Mindfulness of any areas where strain is held and stored. Seeing if you can release any of that tightness. Breathing in grace. Breathing out anything that is stuck.

Mindfulness of your throat. The ability to speak, eat, swallow. Breathe. The back of your neck and the curve. The ability to hold your head. The muscles here. Noticing the air as you draw in through your throat and back out.

The place where the spine meets the skull. Everything is connected as it should be. The back of your head. The crown of your head, all the little follicles. Moving all the way to your face. The bones and muscles here. Smoothing out the forehead, from right side to left side. From left side to right side.

The right eyebrow, the left eyebrow. Both eyebrows together. The ability to show emotion. Breathing in sweetness, breathing out tension.

The right eye. The left eye. The eyeballs resting in their sockets. The right eyelid and the left eyelid. The right eyelashes and the left eyelashes. Both eyes together. The ability to see. Inhaling and exhaling.

Moving to the bridge of your nose, the nostrils. Breathing in air, breathing it back out. The movement of the air as you inhale and exhale. The sinuses that are behind the nose. The muscles of your cheeks. Sensations of coolness or warmness on the tops of your lip. The mouth and lips together.

The right cheek and the left cheek. Both cheeks together. Lifting your face as you smile and show emotion. The right ear, the left ear. The ability to hear and take in sound.

The jawbone. Noticing the sensations here. Any feelings of tightness or heaviness. Of clenching or releasing. Easing into softness of the jawbone. Allowing the jaw to relax.

Noticing the chin. The tiny muscles. Breathing in to the whole face. Breathing in light, breathing out tightness. Easing into tranquility, being in this present moment. Simply being.

(Pause)

Visualizing that you can breathe into the top of your head. Inhaling in through your crown, filling your entire body – breathing in through the top of the head, neck, torso, arms, legs and then exhaling all the way out to the bottoms of your feet. Inhaling into the soles of your feet, lower legs, upper legs, torso, arms, neck, face, and then exhaling through the crown of your head.

Do this two more times.

(Pause)

The air filling your entire body, breathing into your body as a whole, breathing out of the body as a whole. Becoming aware of the air around you, cool or warm. Becoming aware of the space you occupy in the room. Any sensations or new rhythms. A new feeling of relaxation effortlessly moves through your whole being.

Allowing sweetness and softness to wash through you on the inhale, and releasing what no longer serves you on the exhale.

Your body as a complete whole right now. Connected to all. You are more than enough. You are more than enough.

Again becoming mindful of your breath. Breathing in deeply, exhaling deeply. Wiggling fingers, running your thumb over your fingertips. Bringing your right hand to your chest, right in front of your heart. And bring up the left hand to meet it, so that both hands are over your heart. Keeping your eyes closed, imagine your neck elongating up to the ceiling, and bring some gentle movements to your throat, lifting your chin up and back down or back and forth. No need to strain or pull, and if you feel tightness in your neck, this can be a very small micromovement. Inhaling up, exhaling back down.

Remembering your hands on your heart. Stretching them up as you are ready. Gently opening your eyes, rolling over to your right side in a fetal position.

(Pause)

Using your left arm to prop you back up to a seated position. Coming back into this room with a sense of ease and joy. Thanking yourself for engaging in this Yoga Nidra practice.

Thank you for practicing with me today.

(End)