Welcome!
Get ready for the practice of Yoga Nidra,
Deep relaxation.
Lay down on a mat on the ground and make sure you have everything you need to be comfortable and warm.
Use a blanket to cover yourself up,
So that the body doesn't cool down too much.
You may want to place a small pillow underneath the head and a larger pillow or rolled-up blanket underneath the knees,
So that the lower back can relax while laying out flat on the floor.
Spray,
If you like,
Some relaxing essential oil around you in the air.
Place an eye pillow over the gently closed eyes and allow yourself this moment of deep relaxation.
Take a few deep breaths in and out.
There is no need to do anything.
Lengthen the head,
Neck and spine,
Keeping them in a straight line.
The legs and feet are a little bit apart,
The toes falling outward to the sides of the body.
The arms are alongside the body,
Without touching it.
The palms of the hands turning upwards.
The fingers relaxed and curled if they wish to.
Bring the chin slightly in towards the chest,
So that the neck lengthens.
Let your awareness move around the body now.
Feel if there are any areas where you hold tension.
With each exhalation let go of all the tension.
Let it flow away into the ground.
Know that the ground is there to support you.
Feel the body becoming heavier with each exhalation.
Let the body sink into the ground.
Feel the buttocks on the ground free of any tension.
The lower back nestling in towards the ground.
The abdomen is soft and the area of the chest open.
Be aware of the space between the shoulder blades.
Shoulders releasing to the floor.
Arms,
Hands,
Fingers relaxing.
Then move upwards towards the head and face.
The jaws are a little bit apart so that the teeth don't clench.
The tongue is resting loosely inside the mouth.
The muscles around the eyes are softening.
The forehead is smooth,
Free of any tension.
And the scalp is loose.
If you feel you have to make any final adjustments to your position,
Clothing or cover,
Do it now.
So that for the remainder of the time you lie down,
You can keep the body completely still.
Be aware that you are going to practice Yoga Nidra.
Deep relaxation.
In this practice there is no need to do anything,
Only to listen.
Be completely aware of where you are,
More or less the time of day,
And repeat mentally a couple of times I am going to practice Yoga Nidra.
I will remain awake and aware.
Become aware of the whole body.
From the top of the head to the tips of the toes and the tips of the fingers.
Become aware of the whole body.
Become aware of the stillness.
Now feel the contact of the body with the floor.
Feel the different parts of the body touching the floor.
The heels,
Calves,
Back of the thighs,
Buttocks,
Different parts of the back,
Spine,
Shoulder blades,
Shoulders,
Back of the hands,
Arms,
Shoulders again,
And the back of the head.
Feel all those different parts together touching the floor.
Now let the attention go to the sounds you may hear outside the room,
Without being concerned where the sounds are coming from.
Just be aware of them and let them drift by.
Now become aware of the sounds inside the room,
And the sound closest by,
The sound of the natural breath,
Effortlessly entering and leaving the nostrils,
Entering and leaving the body.
Feel how the breath is moving the body.
Feel how the area of the chest and the abdomen are moving up and down.
Now letting go of the awareness of breathing.
We begin with the rotation of awareness around the body.
Becoming aware of each part of the body as you hear it named.
Mentally repeating the name of the part,
Taking the awareness to the part and at the same time visualizing it.
It's only the awareness that travels around the body.
The body itself remains completely still.
We begin on the right side.
Become aware of the right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Armpit,
Side,
Side of the waist,
Right hip,
Thigh,
Kneecap,
Back of the knee,
Shin,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And little toe.
Now move the awareness over to the left side.
Become aware of the left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Armpit,
Side,
Side of the waist,
Left hip,
Thigh,
Kneecap,
Back of the knee,
Shin,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And little toe.
Now bring the awareness to the back of the body.
Be aware of the back of the head,
Back of the neck,
Top of the right shoulder,
Top of the left shoulder,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Space between the shoulder blades,
Middle of the back,
Small of the back,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Base of the spine,
And all the way up,
The length of the spine,
From the base to the top.
Become aware of the top of the head,
The forehead,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Space between the eyebrows,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Nose,
Top of the nose,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Both nostrils together,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Both lips together,
The chin,
The jaws,
The throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
Middle of the chest,
Navel,
Abdomen,
And the pelvic floor.
Now awareness of the whole of the right leg,
The whole of the left leg,
Both legs together,
The whole of the right arm,
And the whole of the left arm,
And both arms together,
The whole of the back,
The whole of the front,
The whole of the back and front together,
The whole head,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body together.
Complete awareness of the whole body laying on the ground,
Practicing Yoga Nidra,
Deep relaxation,
Awake and aware.
Now bring the awareness to the natural breath.
Become aware of the breath,
Effortlessly entering and leaving the nostrils,
Flowing in and out of the body.
Now on each inhalation mentally repeat breathing in,
And on each exhalation mentally repeat breathing out,
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Now begin to start mentally counting down the breaths from number 11 to 1,
Breathing in 11,
Breathing out 11,
Breathing in 10,
Breathing out 10,
And so on down to number 1.
If you lose awareness or reach 1,
Go back to number 11 and begin again.
Leave the counting from wherever you are,
And leave the awareness of breathing.
Now begin to develop the sensation of coldness in the body.
Feel the body becoming cold.
Imagine you're taking an ice-cold shower.
Feel how the coldness is creeping into the body,
And the body is shivering.
Experience the sensation of coldness in the body now.
Leave the sensation of coldness now,
And begin to develop the sensation of heat.
Imagine stepping from the ice-cold shower into the intense heat of a hot sauna.
The air is hot,
And the body is becoming so hot that it's sweating.
Experience the sensation of heat in the body now.
Now leave the feeling of heat.
Come back to the awareness of your breath.
Feel your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils,
Flowing in and out of your body.
Feel your breath.
Feel your body moving around your breath.
Feel the contact between your body and the floor.
Remember where you're lying in the room,
And remember what the room looks like.
The walls and the ceiling,
The windows and the door.
Now let your attention move to the sounds you can hear inside the room.
Let your attention move further out to the sounds outside the room,
And externalize your attention completely.
Begin to make small movements with your toes and fingers,
Your feet and hands.
Let the movements become bigger.
Move your legs and arms.
Move your head smoothly from one side to the other.
And stretch in whichever you feel like.
And leave the stretch with a big sigh.
Lie totally still for a moment.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Carefully roll on to your right side.
Slowly come back up into a sitting position with the help of your hand and elbow.
Rub the palms of your hands together.
Place them over your face.
Open your eyes behind the hands.
And then slowly move the hands away and let the world around you appear again.
