Hello and welcome to the practice of yoga nidra.
My name is Kumari and I will be your guide tonight.
Take some time now to be sure that you're as comfortable as possible using your pillows and blankets to create a sort of yoga nidra nest.
You might consider covering your eyes with a soft scarf or eye pillow.
Taking your time to create comfort is a really important aspect of the practice.
I'll give you a little time now.
So the reason yoga nidra is so beneficial for guiding a person into sleep or back to sleep is because within the practice we are slowing the brain wave states down,
Down to theta and delta,
The slowest.
This in turn helps you fall into a really deep state of rest,
A nourishing state of rest,
Because during the practice of yoga nidra,
You are transported through all the brainwave states,
Just like if you were falling asleep normally.
So with the yoga nidra,
You are cultivating an even deeper receptivity to sleep.
So we'll begin the practice with a breathing practice called the brummary.
Sometimes it's called the bee breath.
So what it is,
Is like a humming of a bee.
It sounds like this.
So my mouth is closed and I'm gently humming.
We can add another layer to the practice by covering the ears.
And in this way,
The breath itself helps us move into a more sensory state that doesn't include anything on the outside.
We're moving into this deep state.
So let's do this and we'll do five rounds and you'll be doing this at your own pace and you can decide if you want to cover your ears or not,
And I'll do it with you.
And once you've finished,
You can just rest until the guidance begins again.
Ready?
And now can you notice the new sensations or feelings in your body and mind?
Another aspect of that breath is lengthening the exhale.
Lengthening the exhale will always guide you into a deeper state of relaxation.
So just feeling the whole back side of your body,
Feeling the weight of your head,
Your arms and your hands,
Your legs and feet,
The whole back,
Hips and buttock,
Resting back effortlessly onto the surface you're upon and into the support.
Becoming aware of your own breath,
Just gently rising and falling within this still and relaxed body.
A sense of transitioning now from your busy day into a deep state of rest.
Your whole body-mind complex receptive to letting go,
Releasing into sleep.
You've moved now from a state of doing to a state of just being and feeling.
Allow my voice to continue to carry you into this deep,
Deep state of rest,
Into the state of Yoga Nidra.
In Yoga Nidra,
We use Sankalpa as a way of intending what we want from the practice.
I'd like to offer you a Sankalpa,
But know if you are currently working with a Sankalpa,
That is perfectly fine to bring it in here instead.
Repeat in your mind three times after I make this statement.
I welcome and allow a deep rest that nourishes my entire being.
One more time.
I welcome and allow a deep rest that nourishes my entire being.
Go ahead and repeat that three times.
Now we'll move into the rotation of consciousness.
This is a journey around the body that will help you relax and release tension on a deeper level.
Simply follow my guidance as we move around the body.
We'll begin at the center of the chest.
Could you imagine a pillar of golden light emanating from the center of your chest?
Golden light.
And now connect this golden light from the center of the chest to the front of the right shoulder.
And now from the right shoulder back to the center of the chest.
Visualizing this golden light from the center of your chest to the front of the left shoulder.
And now back to the center of your chest.
The center of the chest to the base of the neck.
And from the base of the neck returning to the center of the chest.
The center of the chest to the right elbow.
And back to the center of the chest.
Golden light from the center of the chest to the left elbow and back to the center of the chest.
The center of the chest to the right wrist and back to the center of the chest.
Center of chest to the left wrist and back to the center of the chest.
Bring your awareness to your right palm and hand.
See the golden shimmery light radiating from the right hand.
Slowly move your attention to the left hand.
Again feeling and sensing this golden shimmery light emanating from the left hand.
And now could you bring both hands into your mind.
Both hands gleaming this golden light.
Both arms shimmering and golden.
Bring all of your awareness back to the center of the chest.
And now move that golden light down to the navel and back.
And the navel all the way into the right hip and back.
And now the gold and shimmery light from the navel to the left hip and back.
Navel to right knee and return to the navel.
Navel to left knee coming back to the navel.
Golden pillar of light from the navel to the right ankle.
Returning back to the navel.
Golden light all the way to the left ankle and back.
See the sole of your left foot in your mind's eye filled with that shimmering golden light.
Shimmering and golden.
The whole left foot shimmering and golden.
The sole of the left foot filled with light.
And now come to sense both feet in all their glimmering radiance.
That radiance travels to encompass both legs.
Both legs and feet.
And now can you send your awareness to your tailbone.
Imagine your whole spine from the tailbone all the way to the base of the skull.
Visualize this golden light coursing up and down the spine.
Golden light fluidly flowing up and down the spine.
Now draw this golden light all the way to the crown of the crown of the head filled with light.
Let this light fill your whole face.
Even the inside of your mouth.
Your whole face shimmering.
A sense of breathing in and out this golden light through your nostrils.
The golden light flowing now through the rest of your body all the way down to your toes.
Sense your body as a vessel of shimmering golden light.
Your whole being vibrating in this beautiful healing light.
Your whole body.
And now come back to the awareness of your breath.
Feeling your own natural breath effortlessly moving in and out of your body.
Now come back to the sensation of breath at the center of your chest.
Imagine that your whole body expands with every inhale and softens back the center of your chest with every exhale.
Inhaling the whole body expands to its edges.
Exhaling the body returns to the starting point.
Might you imagine that you could breathe in and out of every pore.
Giving and receiving this life force energy of breath.
Letting the breath dissolve now and moving into sensing the body as liquid.
Everything inside the body as liquid.
Even the mind.
Sensing this imagined liquidity coursing through the body.
The whole body filled with this golden liquid like honey.
The body liquidy.
And now come to shift into imagining your body as solid.
As if this liquid was hardening.
Hardening into a golden wax.
Filling into all of the edges of your body.
Making you feel heavy.
Heavy and solid.
A sense of the body firm.
Solid.
And now slowly guide your imagination into returning this solid back to liquid.
Golden liquid coursing through your body.
Your body feels buoyant and light.
Free.
Golden liquid.
And now back to a sense of feeling solid.
Solid.
Your body as one unified piece.
No movement.
And now could you bring back the awareness of the fluidity or liquidiness of your body.
And joining these two opposite sensations.
Liquidy and solid simultaneously.
Sensing your body as liquid and solid.
Just allow it to be whatever it is going to be.
Liquid.
Solid.
Releasing this visualization and just coming back into feeling the body as it is.
Perhaps a sense of being more of the witness to this body.
This body resting.
Resting in a cave.
A cozy,
Warm,
Inviting cave.
Resting on the softest surface.
The whole cave smells sweet like honey.
Sensing and feeling just how deeply you are resting.
Your whole body filled with golden,
Shimmering light.
Swirling.
Deeply resting.
Allowing all that you are.
And basking in this state of connection to your infinite radiance.
You are one with your true nature here.
Welcome and allow any feeling,
Vision,
To surface.
You are safely held and loved.
Deeply resting now.
One with the whole universe.
