Manomaya Kosha

In this yoga nidra practice, we'll be venturing into the field of the mind or the mano maya kusha. So we'll be using the mind to recall memories or sense impressions or visuals and there are some days where this is going to come quite easily to you and other days where it's going to feel very elusive. So I really offer you the opportunity to pause and linger in any of the visuals or move past others and just watch as compassionately as you can. So we'll come down onto our backs and please take what you need to feel comfortable and warm so you're just less distracted by your body. Please use any props that feel supportive, taking the time to cover yourself with a scarf or blanket and you can even drape something light over the eyes to block out some of the ambient light.

Make any final adjustments that you need with your hair or your body, your clothing so you can start to offer yourself a bit of stillness. As you close your eyes, just feel the lids heavy, the eyes as if they're softening towards the back of the head, the scalp relaxed as if the skull plates themselves could loosen their grip, neck easy, maybe a little breeze underneath your neck bones and just allow the whole body to feel soft and heavy. Recall your sankolpa, hearing that whisper from the heart, whether it's your true nature or something that you'd like to see manifest in your life and please now silently repeat your sankolpa three times, stating it in the same way each time. Feel now the sense of gratitude as if it's already taken hold and what would that feel like in your form or in your life? Completely relax the breath so you no longer have to do any kind of technique or stretching of the breath, just let it fall back into its unfussed with version.

Become aware of the very subtle movement of your belly as you breathe, a tiny little rise and fall breath in its perfect rhythm, silently start to count back on each breath, counting back from 27 to one, next time your belly falls just 27, next time you naturally exhale 26, next time 25 and on and on each time just feeling that you can let go a little bit more, you can try a little bit less and if you get lost just start again and if you finish early just start again. One more please. Thank you. Thank you. Relax. You're counting. No matter what number you've gotten to, just let it go.

I'm going to name different parts of your body for you just to drop your attention into. There's no need to move these parts or feel anything in particular. Just become aware of your right hand. Just feeling the density of your presence in your right hand. Feel your right thumb.

Second finger. Third finger. Fourth finger. Fifth finger. Palm of the hand. Back of the hand.

Right forearm. Upper arm. Right shoulder. Underarm. Right ribs.

Right waist. Right hip. Right groin. Right thigh. Right knee.

Right shin. Right ankle. Top of the right foot. Soul of the right foot. Right big toe.

Second toe. Third toe. Fourth toe. Fifth toe. Left hand.

Left thumb. Second finger. Third finger. Fourth finger. Fifth finger.

Palm of the hand. Back of the hand. Left forearm. Upper arm. Left shoulder.

Underarm. Left ribs. Left waist. Left hip. Left groin.

Left thigh. Left knee. Left shin. Left ankle. Top of the left foot.

Soul of the left foot. Left big toe. Second toe. Third toe. Fourth toe.

Fifth toe. Back of the head. Right shoulder blade. Left shoulder blade. Right buttock.

Left buttock. Right heel. Left heel. Base of your spine. Lower back.

Upper back. Neck. Lower belly. Upper belly. Right chest.

Left chest. Center of the chest. Throat. Chin. Bottom lip.

Top lip. Space between the lips. The tongue. Upper palate. Right cheek.

Left cheek. Right ear. Left ear. Tip of the nose. Bridge of the nose.

Right eye. Left eye. Right eyebrow. Left eyebrow. Space between the eyebrows.

Forehead. Crown of the head. Feel the entire back of the body. Feel the entire front of the body. Feel the whole body resting here.

Feel the whole body resting. Become aware of your spine. Feel the movement of the breath in the spine. As if you're watching mercury in a thermometer. The breath just gently moves up on the inhale.

Down the spine on the exhale. Without any effort. Just awareness of the movement of the breath in the spine. Feel the movement of the breath. Now recall a time in your life where you felt safe and secure.

And felt protected and held. What did that feel like in your body? The feeling of security, safety. Feel a sense of security and groundedness. Feel a time in your life that you felt like you were in the flow. All of the creative juices flowing.

What did it look like, feel like? To be creative. A time where you felt proud of an accomplishment, self-confident, completely aligned in your power. What did that look and feel like in your life? A time where you felt loving and compassionate, tender to a loved one or a pet.

What does it feel like to love? A feeling of tenderness. And how about how does it feel like to be loved, to be held, cared for, nurtured? What does that feel like in your body? And call a moment in time where you felt completely connected to your voice, your heart effortlessly expressed into words, your most authentic.

See that moment in time and feel in your body, the sensation of that connectedness. Now recall your sankalpa. Silently repeat your sankalpa three times, stating it in the same way each time. Now feel a sense of gratitude. And what it would actually feel like when it has manifested or taken hold in your life.

Thank you. Thank you. Bring your awareness to the space behind your navel. See or feel an almond-shaped flame resting at the space behind your navel. Feel its light begin to warm and ground the body.

Begin to deepen the breath. Gently waking the body. Take your time. There's no rush. As you're ready, just roll over to one side and curl up in a fetal position, remaining here. Take a moment to honor these practices and your experience within them.

As you're ready, keep the eyes closed, lazily bring yourself back into a comfortable seat. Sliding your hands to the crease line between your hip and thigh and just give a little press down. Lifting the heart, bring your chin into your chest. You can even press your tongue to the roof of your mouth, just allowing yourself the opportunity to come back to ground, to know that you can take any part of the practice that was resonant for you back into your day or into your life. As you're ready, you could float the eyes open.

You can join the palms together in front of the heart. Namaste.