Earth Nidra –Lindsey Park

Come into the symbolic posture of Savasana.  Feel the support that is beneath you, and trust in that support so fully so that you can give the weight of your body completely into the earth.  Ensure that you are warm and comfortable, close your eyes and simply rest.

With commitment to your own self-care, scan your body and listen for any signals or messages it is trying to send to you in regards to your comfort and support, and make any final adjustments to your posture as needed.  Adjust your clothing, or the props beneath you. Shift your body so that you can find balance and symmetry in your form, while also releasing any discomforts or the need to scratch, fidget or move. Ensure your blanket is secure and offering you a nice pocket of warmth and safety.  Make a commitment now to remain still for the rest of the practice, while also stating to yourself that you will not fall asleep. Remain anchored to my voice, and follow the instructions of the practice to the best of your ability.

Take a soft breath in through your nose and invite it into the lowest portion of your lungs, then effortlessly release the breath.  Take another breath in, but draw it even lower in the body feeling it swirl around the abdomen, then gently release and feel your body release into the support of the earth even more.  Take one more breath in and bring it right down to the floor of your pelvis, deepest breath yet, then release all the air out and feel yourself sync deeper into savasana.

Stay connected to your body and the experience of savasana.  Feel yourself lying on the floor, feel each prop under your body, and the weight of your clothing and blanket.  Remember where your body is in space in relation to the walls of this room, to the ceiling above you, and to the people around you.  Now take some time to connect with your sense of smell. As you inhale through your nostrils notice if there are any distinct smells.  There is no need to try and label what you smell, just notice what you sense. Maintain relaxation in the body as you curiously connect with your sense of smell.  

In this still place with the body relaxed, the nervous system has an opportunity to rest into a parasympathetic response, positioning you in a state of healing and regeneration.  The brain waves begin to slow down, which in turn allows the mind to become incredibly receptive and creative. The conscious and unconscious mind begin to synchronize, opening a doorway to access the deeper layers of the psyche and of the self.  Through the harmonization of the mind, you are able to restructure the neuronal mappings of the brain and choose a new pathway that holds a more positive light to shine upon your life experience.

In this space, you have cultivated a sacred and fertile soil, in which you can plant your heart’s deepest desire.  This intention that holds your greatest truth. Sankalpa. Call forth the words and the feeling of your Sankalpa. See the words of your “I am” statement in your mind, and recognize the potential that this quality of self holds for you.  Allow the feeling of your Sankalpa to rain over your body, your cells and your heart. Now with full faith and belief, repeat your Sankalpa 3 times in your awake and open mind.

We will now move through a rotation of consciousness through the body.  As I call out each body part, take all of your awareness to that part of yourself, feel it, mentally repeat the name of the body part in your mind, and deeply relax that part of yourself.  Stay with my pace, not moving faster than my voice, nor lingering on any particular part of your body. Throughout this practice remain perfectly still, the only movement will be the movement of awareness.   

Take all of your awareness to your right hand, center of the palm, right hand thumb, forefinger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger, back of the right hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, armpit, side ribs on the right side, side waist, outer right hip, thigh, knee cap, shin, ankle, top of the right foot, right big toe, second toe, third toe, fourth toe, fifth toe, all five toes together.

Move to your left hand, center of the palm, left hand thumb, forefinger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger, back of the hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, armpit, side ribs on the left, side waist, outer hip on the left side, thigh, knee cap, shin, ankle, top of the left foot, big toe, second toe, third toe, fourth toe, fifth toe, all five toes together.

Now shift your awareness to the soles of your feet.  Right sole, left sole, both soles together. Right Achilles tendon, left Achilles tendon, right calf, left calf, back of the right knee, back of the left knee, back of the right thigh, back of the left thigh, right buttock, left buttock, lower back, middle back, whole spine from your tailbone to the back of your neck.  Right shoulder blade, left shoulder blade, both shoulder blades together. Base of the skull, back of your head, crown of your head. Forehead, right eyebrow, left eyebrow, space between the eyebrows, right eye lid, left eyelid, right eyeball, left eyeball, bridge of the nose, tip of the nose, right nostril, left nostril, right cheek, left cheek, upper lip, lower lip, tongue, right side of the jaw, left side of the jaw, whole jaw and mouth together.  Whole face, whole face, whole face. Front of the throat, right collarbone, left collarbone, right chest, left chest, whole chest together. Breast bone, upper abdomen, navel, lower abdomen, public bone, genitals, pelvic floor.

Now feel your whole right foot, whole left foot.  Whole right leg, whole left leg. Whole right side of the body, whole left side of the body, whole body together, feel your whole body, whole body.

Let your awareness settle into the floor of your pelvis and feel your pelvis becoming heavy and grounded, resting fully.  Visualize here a brilliant red sphere of light, notice the color of the red, is it bright or muted? Notice its size, and if it is moving or still.  This is connecting center to the earth, which feeds you with vitality and strength while also allowing you to feel grounded, stable and secure.

Now imagine there is a transparent tube about the diameter of a broomstick, spanning from this center at the floor of your pelvis and connecting to the center of your chest.  Begin to guide your breath up this tube on your inhale, pelvic floor to heart, and watch it as it falls back down the tube on the exhale, heart to pelvic floor. Continue to move your breath up the length of this energetic channel from the base of your pelvis all the way to your heart, and then back down from your heart to the base of your pelvis.  Continue to watch the flow of breath as it moves up and down this energetic channel and find a little pause each time you land back into the space of Muladhara at the base of the pelvic floor. With each breath there is creation of coherence through your root center, guiding it into balance and harmony.

Now feel again the weight of your pelvis, and feel it becoming extremely heavy.  Now your legs and feet too are becoming heavy, your spine, your whole back, your shoulders, arms, hands, neck and head.  Your whole body now is incredibly heavy and you feel yourself sinking slowly into the floor beneath you. Becoming heavier and heavier with each passing second, dropping deeper and deeper towards the core of the earth.  So extremely heavy.

Now release the feeling of heaviness and experience lightness in your body.  The weight of your body begins to dissipate and its as if your relationship with gravity starts to fade and you become lighter and lighter.  Feel as if your body could almost float up and away from the floor as you experience extreme lightness in your body.

Fear.  Fear. Fear.  Recall a time in your life where you felt afraid.  Call in the memory and see where you were, who you were with, and what you were doing.  Remember how it felt to be afraid, and experience it as if you are living that moment right now. Remain in deep rest. Where do you feel fear express itself within you?  Fear.

Now release fear, and feel yourself moving into the feeling of safety.  Feel yourself becoming physically grounded, stable and steady. Let the feeling of safety wash over your entire being, and notice your response to feeling safe.  You are safe.

You are completely safe and relaxed in this moment, yet your mind is still awake and alert.  You are practicing yoga nidra. Lying on the floor supported and comfortable and practicing yoga nidra.

Begin to sink your awareness into the space behind your eyes.  As you continue to immerse yourself into this space feel the inner expansion that occurs.  In this calm and aware state, clear your screen of attention and prepare for rapid visualization.  As I call out images, feelings, and experiences allow the creative centers of your mind to project its own interpretation of what I call out.  There is no right or wrong interpretation, and there is no need to judge or analyze what you see.

Your own bare feet

A piece of dark chocolate

Red crocodile

Fresh baked bread X3

The face of your grandmother

Planting a garden

Dead body

A beating drum

Mountain range

A newborn baby

A cup of Steaming coffee

The flashing lights of an ambulance

An ancient tribe in ceremony X3

The Seed of Life

A huge turkey cooking in the oven

Giant redwood

A skeleton X3

Lush green field

Lie down in the lush green field in the position of savasana.  Feel the softness of the earth that is supporting you, so soft that your body easily sinks into its comfort and support.  Roots begin to form out of the back of your body, just like the roots of a tree, and extend into the earth, growing into the ground, through the dirt, through the clay and down into the crystalline core of the earth.  See as the Earth passes its nourishment through these roots and into your body. The Earth is sending you her energy, feeding you with support, steadiness, strength, and calm. Feel the Earths pulse, and notice that with every passing moment your body becomes more and more attuned with the planet, and soon your heart begins to beat in sync with the pulse of the Earth.  With every beat, vitality, health, prosperity and security flow into your being. Allow yourself to be open and receive all of the energy that the Earth is offering to you here.

When you are rooted in Earth energy we are able to tap into the quantum field with clarity and attune to the powerful manifestation qualities within, so stay with this connection to the Earth, and begin to remember the words of your Sankalpa.  See for a moment your life with your Sankalpa in full manifestation, what would your life look like? Hold that possibility so strongly within you and know that it is already true. Repeat your Sankalpa now, with confidence 3 times in your mind.

With gratitude, begin to retract your roots and draw them back up into your body, holding on to all the nourishment the Earth just provided to you.  Feel yourself arrive back into this room, noticing any sounds, or smells, and notice the sensations of the body, offering you guidance to return to present moment awareness.     

The familiar form of your own body comes back into experience and you can once again feel fully your face, hands, feet, legs, head, and breath.  Your retracted senses that retreated inward to help you explore internal dimensions now resume outward. Embrace wholeness as you begin to explore your present physical existence once again, moving as you need to move to support this awakening.    

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete. Hari om tat sat X3