Hello,
This is Marla Pelletier with InWord Office.
Today we're going to be doing the practice of yoga nidra.
Yoga nidra is a wakeful sleep,
Where we're deeply at ease,
Resting our body,
But awake in our mind.
And so there's a sense of conscious relaxation.
Today's practice is a little bit different because we're going to go towards the sleep side.
So this meditation will drop off abruptly at the end.
That is to say,
We're hoping that it takes you to a state of deep relaxation where you can fall asleep easily.
Yoga nidra is an ancient practice that was rediscovered in the 1960s by the Bihar School of Yoga in India,
And has since become practiced all over the world.
It's recently,
In the last 20 years,
Been taken up by psychologists who have studied yoga nidra for populations experiencing PTSD and intense forms of stress,
Like homeless populations,
Veteran populations,
Or people who have had sexual trauma.
And so please note that this can help you over the long term release deeply held tension,
Intense stress.
But like anything new,
At first it may be different,
It may be difficult.
So feel free to try this practice more than once,
Different days,
Different times,
And see if it affects you differently.
So let's get settled for our practice.
As I mentioned,
This one is to help with sleep,
So we do recommend getting comfortable laying down.
There isn't any downside to practicing this sitting up if it is not the time of day to fall asleep.
So laying down in what we call shavasana,
Which is legs outstretched,
Palms turned up,
Laying flat on the back.
Notice that the heads to the center,
Notice that the shoulders are away from the ears,
And notice that the arms and legs are heavy against the bed or the support.
Take a few moments here,
Tuning into the felt sensations of the body,
Notice the blanket and the clothes on the body,
Notice any other accessories,
Make any adjustments necessary to get completely comfortable.
And if this is not the position for you,
Especially as you drift off to sleep,
Feel free to make adjustments as appropriate,
Finding a position that allows you support and ease.
Let the eyes close effortlessly.
Scan through the body part by part and check that all areas feel supported.
We will remain still throughout our practice today.
Tell yourself mentally,
I am now practicing yoga nidra.
I will remain aware.
Become aware of the whole body,
The whole space that the body occupies.
And take a conscious inhalation and a conscious exhalation.
Allow the next few exhalations to make the body heavier.
Exhale and letting go,
Even a little more.
And listen now to the sounds around you.
Let your hearing move into the distance and seek out the furthest sound.
Notice if the sound comes and goes or remains constant.
And now shifting attention,
Moving the hearing from sound to sound.
And bring sounds to your awareness that are even closer.
Sounds of the room.
Noticing pitches,
Volume.
And noticing any sounds of the body here.
Sounds of the body may be digestive noises,
The heartbeat or breathing.
Bring the attention to the body as I name the place in the body.
Bring the awareness to that place.
Mentally repeat the name.
And even picture the body part.
The body remains motionless.
Move attention to the right hand thumb.
Mentally repeat right hand thumb.
Bring awareness to the thumb.
And imagine what it looks like.
Right hand pointer finger.
Right hand middle finger.
Right hand ring finger.
Right pinky.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Right forearm.
Right elbow.
Right upper arm.
Right shoulder.
Right underarm.
Right side of the ribs.
Side of the waist.
Right hip.
Right thigh,
The front and the back.
Right knee.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Top of the foot.
Heel of the foot.
Sole of the foot.
Right.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And fifth toe.
Moving attention to the left hand.
Left hand thumb.
Pointer finger.
Ring finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
Palm of the left hand.
Back of the left hand.
Left wrist.
Forearm.
Left elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Left underarm.
Left side of the ribs.
Left side of the waist.
Left hip.
Left thigh,
The front and the back.
Left knee.
Left lower leg,
The front and the back.
Left ankle.
Top of the foot.
Heel of the foot.
Sole of the foot.
Left big toe.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third,
Fourth,
And fifth toes.
Move attention to the crown of the head.
Forehead.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Right eye.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Right cheek.
Upper lip.
Tongue.
Lower lip.
Jaw.
Front of the neck.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Heart center.
Right side of the chest.
Left side of the chest.
Upper belly.
Navel center.
Lower belly.
Groin.
Right side of the chest.
Right buttock.
Left buttock.
Lower back.
Middle of the back.
Upper back.
The whole of the spine.
Back of the neck.
And back of the head.
Bring attention to the whole of the right leg.
The whole of the left leg.
The whole of the right arm.
The whole of the left arm.
The whole of the back.
The whole of the front.
The neck and the head.
Move attention to both of the legs together.
Both of the arms together.
The whole back side of the body.
From the top of the head.
Down to the heels.
The whole of the front of the body.
Top of the head down to the toes.
And now the whole body together.
Expanding attention to the whole body together.
The whole body.
Now moving attention to breathing.
Notice the sensation of breath as it moves into the body.
Noticing the origin of the breath at the tip of the nose.
The breath moving across the nostrils.
The back of the throat and into the lungs.
Watch the natural pace of the breath.
Notice the natural path of the breath.
Imagining the breaths like two distinct breaths.
Right nostril and left nostril.
Merging the breaths together.
As they continue into the body.
And imagine the breath leaving the body.
Exiting through the two breaths out the nostrils.
Keep noticing this unified breath.
As a pathway.
Between the nose,
The throat.
And down to the heart center.
And exhaling heart center.
Throat,
Nose.
Mentally count the breaths from 18 down to zero.
Mentally saying inhale 18.
Exhale 18.
Inhale 17.
Exhale 17.
And continue to zero.
