Yoga Nidra Under The Night Sky

This Yoga Nidra practice is an invitation to soften, release, and rest deeply in a state of effortless awareness. Through guided body awareness, breath, and visualization of a peaceful night sky, you’ll be gently led into a space where the mind can quiet and the body can fully unwind. Come as you are, and allow yourself to simply be held in stillness, breath, and calm.

Transcript

We are going to prepare for the practice of yoga nidra, Which is the practice of being, Not doing. If lying on your back is comfortable for you, Lie on your back with your arms out to your side, Palms up, Your legs stretched out, Feet falling away from one another. If another position is more comfortable, Please find that now. You may choose to lay on your side, Or if you remain seated, Plant your feet firmly on the ground below you. The position does not matter, As long as it allows you to rest your whole body. Adjust your body with any props or blankets needed to allow you to feel supported during this practice. If you are seated, Find the most natural spot for your hands and plant your feet on the ground. If you need to adjust your position during our practice, Please do so softly and gently. Your yoga nidra practice begins now. Yoga nidra is a time for total relaxation and the release of your cares and worries. The only thing that you need to do is focus on the sound of my voice. If at some point you return to consciousness and do not hear my voice, Don't worry, There are times of silence built into this practice. During this yoga nidra, You only need to focus on hearing, Everything else can drift away from you at this time. If you become distracted, Simply return to my voice and your breath. Like many things in life, This is a practice. So each time a distraction comes your way, Practice returning to your breath and watch that thought pass by, Like a train car not meant for you, Or a cloud blowing by on a windy day. Allow your breath to flow freely with no effort. As you arrive in this position and this time, Bring your awareness to the spaces between your body and the ground beneath you. I invite you to soften and rest, Allowing the spaces between your body and the ground to become smaller and smaller as you relax into the ground below you. Be aware of how your clothes or the blanket touch your chest or your abdomen as you breathe in and out. Feel the weight of your pants or the blanket resting on your legs, The temperature of the room on your face, On the skin of your hands. As you're aware of this weight on top of you, Also be aware of how the space beneath you has melted down into the ground. The feel of the ground or your mat under your shoulders, Your back, Your legs. The backs of your hands, Your ankles. Notice how those spaces that existed have become smaller and smaller. Sense how your body relaxes as you settle into your breath. Don't adjust your breath at this time, Simply be aware of it. We will take this time to set a resolve or sankalpa. This is a short, Positive statement that's true to the core of who you are. And your sankalpa might be very simple. You may use things like I am loved. I am safe. I forgive myself. I am going to be successful. If you cannot come up with your own resolve or sankalpa, Use the statement I am. And let's take this time to repeat this sankalpa three times. Feeling it to your core. Believe what you're saying. I am. I am. I am. As we move through this rotation of consciousness, Be aware of the parts of the body I am naming and picture a point of warm light moving from part to part. Don't move that body part, Just follow my voice and be aware of the body part as we go through. Beginning with your right thumb, Right index finger, Right middle finger, Right ring finger, Right pinky finger, The palm of your right hand, Your wrist, Your forearm, The crook of your elbow, Your upper arm, Your shoulder, The right side of the chest, The right side of the torso, The right hip, The thigh, Your knee, Your shin, Your ankle, The sole of your right foot, The top of your foot, Your right big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth toe, Pinky toe, The whole side of the right body, The left hand thumb, Left index finger, Left middle finger, Left ring finger, Left pinky finger, The palm of your left hand, The wrist, The arm, The nook of the elbow, Your upper arm, Shoulder, The left side of the chest, The left side of the torso, Your left hip, Your thigh, Your knee, Your shin, Your left ankle, The sole of your left foot, The top of your foot, Your left big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth toe, Your pinky toe, The whole side of the left body, Back of your head, Back of your neck, Your right shoulder blade, Your left shoulder blade, Your spine, The whole of the back together, The back of your right thigh, Your right calf, The whole back of your right leg, The back of the left thigh, The left calf, The whole back of the left leg, The top of your head, Your right ear, Your left ear, Your forehead, Your right eyebrow, Your left eyebrow, The center of your eyebrows, Your left cheek, Your right cheek, Your nose, Your lips, The right jawline, The left jawline, Your chin, The entire jawline, Your whole face, Your throat, The right collarbone, The left collarbone, The center of your chest, Your whole chest, Your upper abdomen, Your navel, Your lower abdomen, The whole abdomen, The whole of the right leg, The whole of your left leg, Both legs together, The whole of your right arm, The whole of your left arm, Both arms together, The whole of the body, The whole back of the body, The whole front of the body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body. Now bring your awareness to your breath, Following the gentle in and out of your breath without altering it. Just settle in to your natural inhale and exhale. Picture your breath as a golden light flowing up and down your spinal column. With your next inhale, This golden light flows from your tailbone to the crown of your head. And with your next exhale, It flows from your crown back to your tailbone. Stay with this breath and watch as it flows up and down your spinal column. Golden, Soft and radiant. Maintain your awareness and at this time, Let's count our breaths. If you lose count during this time, Start over. We'll be starting at 18. Breathe in, 18. Breathe out, 18. Breathe in, 17. Breathe out, 17. Breathe in, 16. Breathe out, 17. Continue this count on your own and if you lose count or if you reach one, Restart. Continue with your breath. As you return to awareness, Allow yourself to feel the feel of warm sun on your skin. Picture the brightness of the sky on a clear sunny day and allow that heat to soak in right to your bones. You can feel the warmth deep within you. Let that warmth embrace you as you take in the bright, Clear colours of a summer day. Now feel the crisp chill of night air, The sting of cold air on your nose and into your lungs as the chill reaches deep within your body to your bones. Now feel the warmth of the sun deep within you while the chill from the night air starts to touch your skin. Both of those sensations in balance that radiant warmth right to your bones and the chill of the air on your skin and enjoy that contrast. Bring your awareness to the space in the centre of your forehead between your eyebrows as you visualise the images that I list off. Do not get stuck on any one image. Let your mind move from one to another quickly, Just as if there are clouds floating by. A full round sun on a crisp blue sky. A thin crescent moon in an inky black sky. The sparkle of sun glinting off of lake waves. The pinpoints of stars piercing the dark. A beach ball bouncing. A sparkler sparks burning down. The sound of waves lapping at the shore. The sound of a bird call in the dark. The smell of pine needles in the forest. The smell of smoke from a campfire. The bright blue sky. The pure white light of the moon. The bright sun. The crisp moon. As we settle into our visualisation this will look different for each of us. We're all going to start in the same place though. Picturing the setting sun and the night sky as it approaches. And here's where our image will change for each of us. As you sink into your breath imagine yourself in your favourite outdoor setting. This might look like sitting on the steps of your house with a warm beverage. Or maybe you're watching the sun set over your favourite lake. Maybe you're breathing in the crisp mountain air as the sky descends to darkness found only here in the mountains. Maybe you're listening to the campfire crackle as you warm your toes. Or maybe you're listening to the ripples of water run past as the river flows by. Whatever that spot is that makes you lose track of time let go of your to-do list your responsibilities and the expectations that you set on yourself. Take a long, Slow, Deep breath in as you settle and sink into that spot. Then exhale slowly and enjoy a few deep breaths here. Picture the season you're sitting in. Spring in its crisp newness summer in its heat fall in those leaves or the stillness of winter in a fresh snowfall. Imagine the smells that are around you. Is it the earthy smell of fall leaves? The crisp smell of cold? The fresh soil smell of spring? Or that warm smell of summer? Maybe it's the salty smell of ocean water or the cinnamon from your mug. Inhale deeply letting the last flicker of that evening light fill you with calmness. Exhale releasing any lingering stress in your body. As you picture the sun vanish over whatever your horizon looks like and the darkness settles in imagine yourself bathed in a warm light a soft glow that you know will keep you warm and wrapped in a feeling of peace, Safety and serenity as you know that regardless of the space you're sitting in you are safe. Allow the worries, Expectations and stress of your day to settle beyond your sight as it goes down with that sunset. Take in the sky as the crescent moon begins to shine more brightly and crisply and the deep blue of the sky fades to that thick, Inky black. The first stars begin to pierce the blanket of darkness in the sky. Feel the ground beneath your feet the comfort of that spot you're sitting in. Take in the sounds around you are they the sounds of your neighborhood? The ripple of water? The sounds of animals? Maybe it's soft music or simply the silence that is brought as the night wraps around you. Feel that the air has cooled off as it kisses your cheeks and the tip of your nose. Breathe into this darkness as the tension drips away from your body. There are more stars out now and their sparkle lights up the night sky. The moon casts a faint glow into the darkness and relax here. Notice what's changed since you sat down. Are there more stars now? And picture how small the worries you have carried are in comparison to the vastness above you as you sit with this calmness and you watch the changes in the sky. Has the moon changed position? Are there more stars out since you started to pay attention? Have the smells changed as the air cooled down more? Have the sounds died off as night settled further in? Bring this sense of calm from your favourite place back with you as you return to the room that you're in. And let's recall now you're saying Kalpa resolve. Say this inwardly with courage and confidence knowing that you have all you need within you and repeat your resolve again three times I am I am I am Become aware of your breath again. Aware of the room, The space around you, Your whole body. Be aware of the position that you're in and your surroundings as you slowly invite movement back to your body, Wiggling your fingers and toes, Taking your time to stretch and move as needed and slowly at your own pace bringing yourself back to a seated position. Your practice of yoga nidra is now complete but you have the ability to take this relaxed feeling with you as you move forward for your day. Thank you for joining me today and allowing me to share your practice. Here's to strong roots, Steady growth and the small habits that can change everything. Haryom Tat Sat Haryom Tat Sat Haryom Tat Sat