What to say beforehand
This Nidra has a body scan where you’re invited to let the soft summer sun touch your body and infuse you with warmth and softness, the breath section is allowing yourself to flow outwards, expensive and open ….. the opposites invite you to feel the earth element - highlighted in summer and the air element and finally the images are seeing or feeling a place in nature - real or imagined - or the place you’re in right now… it’s summer and warm - you can lie down and fully let go…
Arrival
Let’s start by arriving in the body – tuning in to feel everything that’s there - acknowledging any physical comfort and discomfort that you might feel. Feel free to move if you need to, can you adjust something to get more comfortable?
Pause
And is there somewhere you are you holding tension right now?
Pause
…and then let’s bring awareness to your breath.
Pause
…maybe you can invite a softening of the exhale
Releasing some of the tension…
Pause
As the body starts to soften… maybe can you tune in to a feeling of gratitude for your body? Maybe gratitude for your heart – beating for you all day every day… and your lungs breathing for you. Or anything else that comes to you
Body Scan
and from here lets go for a journey together around the body - as I name a body part see if you can invite the soft summer sun touch your body and infuse you with warmth and softness
Take your attention to the top of your head - welcoming all the sensations you might feel there… Or maybe a sense of soft sunlight bringing warmth and softening in your body
Now taking this softness around to your left ear right ear both ears together left eye feel your left eye softening and gliding towards the back of your head and your right eye softening and gliding towards the back of your head - both eyes together - roof of your mouth - maybe it can soften down - tongue - teeth - lips - nose - forehead - back of head
Your left shoulder - left elbow - left wrist - palm of the hand - back of the hand - (little finger - fourth finger - middle finger - index finger - the thumb) - the whole left hand - the whole left arm.
Then your right shoulder - right elbow - right wrist - palm of the hand – back of the hand - (little finger - fourth finger - middle finger - index finger - the thumb) - the whole right hand - the whole right arm.
The throat - your heart space - the upper abdomen - the navel - the lower abdomen.
The left hip - left knee - left ankle - sole of the foot - top of the foot - the toes - the whole left foot - the whole left leg.
The right hip - right knee - right ankle - sole of the foot - top of the foot - the toes - the whole right foot - the whole right leg.
The base of the spine - moving up to the sacrum - lower spine - mid spine - upper spine - back of the neck - back of the head - the top of the head – the whole head - the whole left arm - the whole right arm - the whole left leg - the whole right leg - feeling the whole body softening - the whole body - the whole body resting...
Just staying for a while with this open awareness - your body - sensations in and around your body - sensations radiating out from your body…..
Breath
Your body breathing - allowing yourself to flow outwards with your exhalation - expanding and flowing with the exhalation…
pause
following the natural rhythm of your breath - letting your awareness expand and flow with the exhale
pause
breathing, flowing, opening, softening…
Now watching the breath maybe watching the palms of your hands - the fingers gently naturally curved - feeling how they pulse with the breath - now maybe the chest or belly - it might be very subtle - can you sense that slight movement - just tune in to see…
Maybe you can feel how the breath nourishes your body - physically bringing oxygen to every single cell and energetically bringing lightness and energy
Opposites
letting the breath continue on the background, being your attention to your arms, feel your arms grounded and connected to the earth
Now feel your arms light and free
Now your legs and the earth element - balanced and grounded
Now your legs and the air element - floating and light
Now feeling your whole body - feeling grounded and connected - and at the same time feeling light and energised - balanced
The earth element of the ground supporting you - the air element of the breath bringing lightness and energy
Images
See yourself in your place in nature - or connect to the space around you right now
Put your blanket on the grass or on the floor
Take off your shoes
Lie back and know you have nothing to do - just lie in the warmth and feel the soft touch of the air
Let any sounds fade into a distant hum
Feel yourself centred and grounded
Feel the earth supporting you - and know you are always supported
Feel the air brining energy and lightness - and know that is always available
Maybe you can see clouds in the sky
Maybe the branches of tree overhead
Maybe birds flying high above
Maybe you can see flowers growing in the grass
And now smell the air - that fresh outdoor smell of late summer - maybe the fragrant smell of flowers - maybe the tangy scent of grass - maybe the earthy smell of the soil
Allow yourself to be supported and held by this summers day - allow the sounds, sights and smell to wash over you - let yourself drift and breathe, let yourself soften and let go - let yourself just be -