Yoga Nidra Chakra Exploration

A Yoga Nidra-inspired practice that moves through the physical and energetic bodies with an invitation to connect to memory, story, or imagination. This 20-minute practice is an ideal length for a mid-day rest, or to support sleep.

Transcript

Welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.

Take a minute to adjust your surroundings and change your position until you feel comfortable and at ease.

You can practice in a seated shape,

Reclined on your back,

Or in any position that supports your comfort.

Become aware of your surroundings and allow that awareness to fall into the background.

If you'd like,

You might close or cover your eyes or soften your gaze at something that is either still or far in the distance or moving naturally like ocean waves or clouds or the branches of a tree swaying back and forth.

Make any additional adjustments to your position,

Arranging your clothing or coverings,

So that you can rest comfortably without needing to move or change position.

If you're working with a sankalpa,

Bring it to mind now.

If you don't have a working sankalpa,

Think of something aspirational,

Possible,

In the present moment,

With which to plant a seed for the future.

Maybe you can notice parts of the body that are physically comfortable,

Parts of the mind that are restful,

Parts of the breath that are rhythmic,

And allow these to seed your intention.

I notice physical comfort.

I'm aware of mental peace.

I experience calm rhythm.

We'll begin with the rotation of consciousness through the body.

For you,

That might feel like a warm white light shining over different parts of you.

You might see or call to mind elements of your physical body or even project and imagine.

Begin with your right hand.

Start by narrowing your focus to your right thumb and then move it swiftly to the index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Pinky finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Your right wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit.

Shift your awareness to your left hand,

Narrowing your focus to your left thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

And pinky finger,

Palm of the hand,

The back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

And armpit.

Shift your awareness to your right foot,

The big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Pinky toe,

The sole of the foot,

The top of the foot,

The ankle and heel,

Lower leg and calf muscle,

The right knee,

The upper leg and hip.

Awareness to your left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Pinky toe,

Sole of the left foot,

Top of the left foot,

Heel and ankle,

Lower leg and calf muscle,

Knee,

Upper leg,

Left hip,

Lower torso,

Middle torso,

Upper torso,

The neck,

The jaw,

The face,

The whole of the head.

We repeat the rotation of consciousness,

Bringing the awareness of the right hand and left hand together,

The right arm and left arm together,

The right and left foot together,

The right and left leg together,

The whole of the torso,

The neck and the head,

All of the body at once.

Allow the awareness of the body to fade into the background of the practice and shift your awareness to the energetic body by focusing on the very low spine and tailbone,

Muladhara Chakra.

Here you might feel or imagine a warm red lobe.

For you it might come visually or via any sense that feels most inviting.

As you allow your awareness to rest here and down through the legs,

Recall the sensation of feeling completely safe and at ease.

Perhaps you can locate a time in your own memory or imagine something that has been portrayed in a story or song and feel or imagine you can feel the sensation of safety and security.

Shift your awareness up to the lower back,

The sacrum,

The space of the second chakra,

Svaristhana Chakra.

Here maybe you see or feel a warm orange light,

A glowing orb.

This is the seat of exchange,

Of legacy.

Call to mind a story or time in which you felt significance.

Maybe that significance is a relational connection or a connection to ancestors or legacy,

Whether in blood or in thinking.

Shift your awareness higher behind the space of the navel,

Manipura Chakra,

Space of personal power and identity.

Maybe for you a yellow glowing orb.

Call to mind a sweet memory or story about your important purpose in this life,

In this moment and if you haven't found one,

Imagine what the sensation of finding one will be.

Shift the awareness higher behind the space of the heart,

Anahata Chakra,

And see or imagine you can see a green glowing orb of light,

A seat of interconnectedness,

Collaboration,

Extending all the way down the arms with which we can make work or prayer.

And call to mind a story or memory of collaboration,

Supportive interconnectedness,

And rest in that for a moment.

Shift your awareness higher into the space of the throat,

Vishuddha Chakra.

Feel or imagine you can see or feel a blue light,

A glowing orb,

In this space.

And call to mind a story or memory of feeling completely heard or completely hearing someone else,

The space of easeful communication.

Recall or imagine what that feels like.

Shift your awareness up between the eyebrows,

The seat of Ajna Chakra,

The space of intuition,

A deep knowing that comes from a space beyond the five senses.

And recall a story or memory of a time when you felt fully in your intuition.

Color of this space is violet,

Purple,

A glowing orb.

Finally,

Move to the space just above the crown of your head,

Sahasrara Chakra,

A glowing white orb,

A seat of full connection,

Where the illusion of isolation and disconnection disappears.

And call to mind a moment when you felt completely at one.

Maybe it was the first time you got to the top of a mountain or held a baby or saw the ocean.

Now take several minutes to rest your awareness in the space that feels most nourishing in this moment.

Maybe it's one of these chakras,

Or perhaps it's simply in the awareness of the breath,

Which you can count up or down.

Allow the individual bodies to fall into the background and shift your awareness into the wisdom body.

Imperative peace that you hold from the generations before you to those that come next.

The collaborative space and role you play in this life among the living.

Feel or visualize yourself as an essential piece of this puzzle.

And then zoom out or zoom in to the space of complete stillness,

Beyond space and time,

Where you can experience perfection as it has always been and will always be.

As we begin to complete the practice,

Return your awareness to this Ankalpa you began with,

Repeated in your mind,

And then begin to expand your awareness into your breath,

Your physical body,

And your surroundings.

Gently wiggle your fingers and toes,

Allow your eyes to open and complete the practice of yoga nidra.

Reviews

Very beautiful and profoundly centwring. . Thank you so much.

Very nice! I feel relaxed and refreshed. Thank you!

Soothing, loving guidance from an experienced teacher. Feeling relaxed and refreshed!

Soothing and beautiful. Helps me get back to sleep at night or rest during the day. Thank you!