Hari Om Tat Sat,
Preparing for the practice of Yoga Nidra.
Use this time to ensure that the body is comfortable.
Ensure that the body will remain comfortable.
So if you have any accessories,
Hair bands,
Glasses,
Watches,
Etc.
Etc.
Then you may want to remove these or adjust them so that they will not become a distraction or hindrance throughout the session.
The next step of the practice is to check the physical body.
Scan the body from head to toe and just allowing any sensations to come to the surface,
Acknowledge them.
Breathe into any remaining stiffness or tension that you come across.
And consciously absorb it with your breath.
Check the arms and legs are in line of symmetry to each other using the midline of the body as a point of reference.
The fingers and palms should be naturally curled,
Traditionally facing upwards.
The neck and head in one straight line with the trunk of the body.
A good practice to ensure that this is so is by slightly moving the head from left to right and allow it naturally to come to its center of balance.
Feeling into the balance and symmetry of the body.
And then connecting to the breath within the body.
The natural flow of breath.
Using this time now to expand the breath.
Perhaps even sighing on the exhalation.
Three times.
Releasing mental,
Physical and any emotional tension that may be remaining.
Returning to the natural breath and stay in this flow.
Live sound and music will be used within this yoga nidra practice to keep the mind engaged through the different stages of the practice.
Thus this practice is termed nadh nidra,
The flowing sleep.
Connecting to the sound of your breath.
And then gradually allow the mind to expand its sense of hearing.
Begin to hear sounds within the room.
Scanning the room for sounds without lingering on any particular sound.
Keep the mind rotating from sound to sound.
Bring your awareness back to the sound of your breath.
The breath connecting the mind and body together.
Feel the breath as a bridge between the mind and body.
And deeper still,
Feel,
Hear or imagine the sound of your heart beating within the body.
And in the space of the heart,
Call forth the sankalpa and repeat it up to three times.
For those new to the term and concept of a sankalpa,
It's a short statement,
A resolve,
A purpose or a resolution and dream that you want to fulfill and achieve in your life.
Repeating the sankalpa or dwelling on a possible sankalpa for yourself in this time.
Preparing now for body rotation.
Consciously leaving the sankalpa in the depths of the subconscious mind.
Where as a seed it takes root and even though you're not giving it attention,
It is dormant and at any stage ready to grow.
Bring your awareness to the right hand thumb.
Right hand thumb.
Visualize or repeat the instruction.
Awareness to the right hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
Feel into the five fingers of the right palm together.
Back of the hand.
Palm of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Arm pit.
Right side of the waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Knee cap.
Shin.
Ankle.
Top of right foot.
Soul of right foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Feeling the five toes together of the right side.
Mentally shifting to the right brain hemisphere left hand thumb.
Left hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
The five fingers of the left palm.
Back of the hand.
Palm of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Left shoulder.
Arm pit.
Left side of the waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Knee cap.
Shin.
Ankle.
Top of left foot.
Soul of left foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
The five toes together of the left side.
Shifting awareness to the back of the body.
Back of right heel.
Back of left heel.
Back of right knee cap.
Back of left knee cap.
Back of right buttock.
Left buttock.
Tailbone.
Awareness.
Into the lower back.
Middle back.
Upper back.
Spine from neck running down to the tailbone.
Tailbone running back to the neck.
Awareness into the back of the head.
Top of the head.
The hair.
Forehead.
Right temple.
Left temple.
Awareness into the right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Eyebrow center.
Eyebrow center.
Awareness into the right eye.
Left eye.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
The air moving through both nostrils together.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Mouth.
Tongue.
Saliva.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Chin.
Jaw.
Neck.
Throat.
Upper chest.
Navel.
Abdomen.
Groin.
Bring your awareness now to whole body parts.
The whole right leg.
Feel the whole right leg.
The whole left leg.
Left leg.
Right arm.
Left arm.
Awareness into the right arm and left leg together.
Left arm and right leg together.
Whole right side of the body.
Whole left side of the body.
Front of the body.
Back of the body.
Neck.
Head.
And awareness flooding from the head down to the toes.
Whole body awareness.
Awareness to the whole body.
And now leave your awareness with the natural breath flowing through the body.
Without changing,
Controlling or judging the breath in any way simply observe and remain tied to its natural ebb and flow.
Natural breath awareness.
If the mind wanders from the practice simply bring it back to the natural ebb and flow.
Feel the breath like an ocean.
Ever constant.
Ever moving.
The awareness riding with the waves of the breath.
Moving with the tide of the breath.
And shifting awareness now with the practice of opposite sensations.
Fear or imagine that the body is hot.
Calling forth the experience of heat and having lived through the experience of being hot apply this now to the current body.
The body is hot.
Feel that the body is hot.
And now shifting to the opposite sensation.
The body is cold.
The body is cold.
Shifting once more to the opposite sensation the body is hot.
The body is hot.
Returning to the opposite sensation of cold.
Feel coldness spread throughout the body.
Allow the body to resume its neutral temperature and state bringing the awareness to the eyebrow center.
The space of the mind.
An hourglass.
Sands of time.
Sands of time.
Flowing water.
Flowing water.
Flying birds.
Flying birds.
Dancing shadows.
Dancing shadows.
Ripples.
Ripples.
Desert oasis.
Desert oasis.
An ancient bridge.
Ancient bridge.
Rainbow.
Rainbow.
A great fire.
A great fire.
Shooting stars.
Shooting stars.
The rising sun.
The rising sun.
Keep your awareness on this point.
Feel the energy warmth and light of the rising sun.
In this space,
With this focus,
Recall the sun kalpa made at the beginning of the practice.
Recalling the sun kalpa and repeating it up to three times with faith and conviction that it will come to be.
And allow the sun kalpa now to recede back into the subconscious and unconscious mind.
Placing it in the soil where it has been watered,
Nurtured by your intent and grows ever more close to its fruition.
Returning the awareness to the natural breath.
Awareness to the natural breath connecting mind back to the physical body.
Connecting to the sound and feeling of the breath.
Gradually expanding the breath and bringing your awareness to the sounds within the room and within the environment outside of the room.
Recall that you have been practicing yoga nidra and the practice is coming to an end.
Use the sounds,
Breath and connection to the body in order to mentally prepare for movement in the fingers and toes.
Deepening the breath and flooding consciousness back through the body.
Allowing the movements to expand and become bigger to the arms and legs.
Using whatever stretch feels comfortable and without any need to rush slowly and consciously make your way towards a seated position.
Keeping the awareness intonalized connected to the space that you have created through the body.
The space that you have created through the practice of yoga nidra.
Returning to the breath connecting mind,
Body and spirit.
Preparing to chant the mantra om three times and om chanting.
Please inhale deeply for om chanting.
Om.
Om shanti shanti shanti.
Om.
