Find a comfortable place where you can relax and completely surrender your body to the pull of gravity.
It is time for Yoga Nidra.
Make sure that you are warm enough and that your position is one that can be comfortable for the duration of the practice.
It is best that you remain still during Yoga Nidra so that both your body and brain have a chance to fully relax.
Allow your eyes to close and keep them closed until the practice has ended.
Let your inner awareness be bright but soft.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is a practice of yogic sleep that will guide you to a state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping.
Try to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice.
Become aware of any sounds you hear in this moment.
Nothing else but what you can hear without strain.
Begin to focus on the most distant sounds that you can hear.
Let your sense of hearing radiate outward.
Searching out those distant sounds and following them for a few moments.
Move your attention from sound to sound without labelling the source.
Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds.
To sounds outside this building.
To sounds inside the building.
To sounds inside the room.
Without opening your eyes,
Visualise the four walls of this room.
The ceiling.
The floor.
Your body lying on the floor.
Visualise your body lying on the floor.
The position of your body.
Your clothes.
Your hair.
Your face.
Become acutely aware of the existence of your physical body lying on the floor.
Become aware of your natural breath.
Become aware of your natural and spontaneous breath that moves in and out of your body without any effort.
The natural breath flows in through both nostrils.
Notice the feeling of the breath as it comes in and out of your nostrils.
There is a sense of coolness as you inhale the breath.
Follow this feeling into your nose.
Your sinuses.
The back of your throat.
Into your lungs.
There is a sense of warmth as you exhale the breath.
Feel this warmth on your upper lip as you breathe out.
The natural breath flows through both nostrils during the inhale and the exhale.
Allow your breath to become longer and slower.
Take a long,
Slow inhalation.
Followed by a longer,
Slower exhalation.
Make your exhale even slower.
Notice a slight pause after the exhale.
Slow inhale.
Even slower exhale.
And pause.
When you need to inhale,
Please do so.
Long,
Slow inhale.
Longer,
Slower exhale.
And then pause where the body is neither breathing in nor out.
Continue breathing in this way.
Now go back to the natural,
Easy breath.
Releasing any control over the inhale or exhale.
The practice of yoga nidra begins now.
At this moment you should make a sankalpa or resolve.
The sankalpa should be a short,
Positive statement in simple language.
Try to discover one naturally.
Please state your sankalpa clearly and with awareness three times.
The sankalpa you make during yoga nidra plants a seed in the fertile soil of your mind.
To bring about transformation and healing.
Also say to yourself,
I am practicing yoga nidra.
I am awake and relaxed.
We will now begin a systematic journey of sensory awareness throughout the body.
You will move your awareness to different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named.
Please say the name of the part to yourself and feel that part of your body.
But do not move any part.
Practice begins on the right side.
Right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Underarm.
Right side waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Underarm.
Left side waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Now take your attention to the back of the body.
Right heel.
Left heel.
Right calf.
Left calf.
Right thigh.
Left thigh.
Right buttock.
Left buttock.
Lower back.
Middle back.
Upper back.
The entire spine.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Back of the neck.
Back of the head.
The whole back of the head.
Top of the head.
Forehead.
Right temple.
Left temple.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Middle of the eyebrows.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Both lips together.
Chin.
Jaw.
Throat.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Right side of chest.
Left side of chest.
Upper abdomen.
Navel.
Lower abdomen.
Right groin.
Left groin.
The pelvic floor.
The whole left leg.
The whole right leg.
The whole left arm.
The whole right arm.
The whole face.
The whole head.
The whole torso.
The whole body.
The whole body.
The whole body.
Now imagine the whole body becoming light.
As though your body could float away from the floor and towards the ceiling.
The head is light and weightless.
The limbs are light and weightless.
The torso is light and weightless.
The whole body is light and weightless.
You are rising higher and higher away from the floor.
Imagine your body becoming heavy.
Feel the heaviness in all parts of the body.
Each part is becoming heavier and heavier and heavier.
The head is heavy.
The limbs are heavy.
The torso is heavy.
The whole body is heavy.
So heavy it is sinking down into the floor.
It is time to repeat your sankalpa.
Please repeat the same statement made at the beginning of the practice three times mentally now.
Come back to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.
Maintain your awareness of breath and at the same time develop your awareness of your physical body.
Your body is relaxed and lying on the floor.
Feel the container of your skin and the clothes and props that are touching you.
Notice the heaviness of your body as it rests on the floor.
And take your awareness to all the points that are touching the floor.
The back of your heels,
Thighs,
Buttocks,
Shoulder blades,
Arms,
Hands and head.
Do not open your eyes yet but visualize the surrounding room.
Imagine where you are in the room and the other objects that are around you.
Lie quietly until you feel ready to move.
Start by slowly moving your hands and feet.
Take your time.
When you are sure that you are fully awake,
Gently open your eyes.
Please roll over to your right side.
Stay on your right side for a few more moments.
Use your hands to press yourself up from the floor and let your head come up last.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
