Yoga Nidra: Devine Surrender (Niyama 5, Īśvarapraṇidhāna)
by YogiPhoenix
In this deeply restful Yoga Nidra, we explore Īśvarapraṇidhāna — the practice of surrender. Through gentle breath awareness, body relaxation, and guided visualisation, you’ll be invited to release control, soften the grip of striving, and trust in the natural unfolding of life. Allow yourself to rest in the knowing that you are supported and guided, exactly as you are.
Transcript
Hello and welcome to your yoga nidra journey.
Today we're going to explore Ishva Pranidhyana.
This is the fifth of the niyamas in Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga.
And this is perhaps the most important niyama and maybe even the most important aspect from a practical sense in all of the eight limbs.
And basically Ishva Pranidhyana means surrender.
But not in a weak sense of giving up.
Very much more than that,
In a strong sense of surrendering to what is.
Being at peace with the way that you are.
Being at peace with the way that things are.
Allowing the flow and ebb of life to wash through you.
And appreciating both the ups and downs and surrendering to what's happening.
So we start of course a yoga nidra practice by getting comfortable.
So get comfortable in the posture of Shavasana.
And that can be on a bed or it can be on the mat on a floor.
The reason that we normally suggest a floor is with this practice it's best if we can stay awake during the practice.
And bed will often entice sleep because that's what we use it for.
However that's entirely up to you.
And the intention behind a yoga nidra practice is not to fall asleep.
It's to find that place,
A hippogonic place,
Which is somewhere between waking and somewhere between sleeping.
So just allowing ourselves to find that blissful state and surrendering our processes that stop us from going there.
All you have to do is listen to my voice,
Listen to my words.
And I'm going to place a safety blanket underneath you to stop you from falling asleep.
However you may slip through and fall into sleep and perhaps that's maybe what you need.
So we don't necessarily need to try to do anything.
Make yourself as comfortable as you possibly can.
And then we're just going to surrender to this space that you're in.
Allow the thoughts to dissipate.
Just letting them float by the mind.
And giving up the seeing with the eyes and looking inside.
And as I said the first thing we do is set what's called a sankalpa.
And the sankalpa is an affirmation of something that you want to manifest in your life.
Now as we're working with surrender today,
It could be that you surrender to the divine.
Which is the real true meaning of Vishwa Pranidhyana.
However it doesn't necessarily need to mean that.
It could be surrendering to something that you feel is greater than you,
That deserves your surrender,
Perhaps nature.
Perhaps some situation that's occurring in your life,
But generally something that's more than you are.
The divine is always there,
Universal consciousness.
So as you lie in the Shavasana,
Just listen to your heart.
Ask for its guidance as far as the sankalpa is concerned.
And bring it to mind.
Repeat three times in the present tense as if it's already happening and simply let go.
I want you to feel as if you're supported.
There is something supporting you.
Could just be the floor.
Could be Mother Earth.
Something is supporting you right here,
Right now.
It could be God.
It could be divine consciousness.
But something supports you.
Feel if you can sense that presence of support.
Feel the body being supported upon the ground.
And surrender into that.
Feel the sensations that the back makes with the mat.
The sensations that the back makes with the mat.
The back of the heels.
The back of the buttocks.
The base of the spine,
The middle of the spine,
And the whole spine together.
The shoulder blades.
The back of the head.
The top of the head.
The forehead.
The eyes.
Surrender seeing.
Give the eyes a holiday and look internally.
Feel the nose.
Listen to the sounds.
The ears.
The chin and the throat.
The chest.
The stomach and the hips.
The feet.
The shins and the knees.
The thighs.
Both legs together.
The hands.
The lower limbs.
The upper limbs of the arms.
Both arms together.
The torso.
The face.
The whole of the head.
Be aware of your body lying in yoga nidra.
Simply be aware of the body.
Just allow yourself to surrender to the sensations in the present moment.
Letting go of the restrictions.
Letting go of everything that is.
That is holding you back.
Just simply let go into your body.
And next come to the breath.
Come to the breath.
Feel the body breathing.
Feel the cool air coming in through the nostrils and the warm air coming out through the nostrils.
Stay there with that sensation.
Letting go.
Surrendering to the air.
Surrendering to the impulses of the breath.
Nothing to do.
Letting go of control.
You're not controlling anything.
Belly rise and belly fall.
Allowing yourself to get deeper and deeper and deeper with the breath.
Coming down now.
Coming down now.
Very deep now.
Pure.
Pure awareness.
Stay with the breath.
Imagine a situation where you are anxious,
Upset,
Trying to control things,
But they were out of control.
We know this place.
A need to control.
A need to control.
Anxious feeling,
It's out of control.
It's out of control.
And now let go.
Surrender.
A blissful feeling.
A blissful feeling of letting go.
Allowing things to be exactly as they are.
Allow things to be exactly as they are.
Dwell in that.
Take your physical eyes and gently gaze at your third eye.
Notice the patterns and the shapes and allowing the subconscious mind to play out however it wants.
Just allowing it to be exactly as it is.
Accept the way it is.
Accepting it the way it is.
Feel supported by something greater than you.
Something greater than you.
And in that space we're going to take a journey.
A beautiful journey,
One of surrender.
One of presence.
One of acceptance.
A Japanese garden.
A Japanese garden.
You staring at a lily pond.
You staring at a lily pond.
Ripples on the pond.
A hummingbird in a flower.
Blooming lilies.
A small bridge over the pond.
A small bridge over the pond.
A small bridge over the pond.
On the other side there's a cobbled path.
On the other side there's a cobbled path.
Walk across the bridge onto the path.
A beautiful butterfly.
A beautiful butterfly.
A beautiful butterfly on a flower.
A beautiful butterfly on a flower.
Mesmerized by its beauty.
The butterfly flies away to another flower.
The butterfly flies away to another flower.
And you walk down steps to follow.
Down cobbled steps to follow.
Down cobbled steps to follow.
The butterfly flits to yet another flower further down the path.
The butterfly flits to yet another flower further down the path.
The butterfly flits to yet another flower further down the path.
Follow the butterfly down the path.
Beautiful colors.
Beautiful colors.
Reds and oranges and blues on its wings.
As you follow this beautiful creature down the path.
As you follow this beautiful creature down the path.
As you follow this beautiful creature down the path.
As you follow this beautiful creature down the path.
Down the path.
You come to a place where there's nothing but peace.
You come to a place where there's nothing but peace.
Nothing but peace.
Nothing but peace.
Everything is exactly as it should be.
You have been led here.
And you are in a state of bliss.
And you are in a state of bliss.
Surrendering all your worries and cares and understanding that you are supposed to be here.
Surrendering all your worries and cares and understanding that you are supposed to be here.
Surrendering all your worries and cares and understanding that you are supposed to be here.
Surrendering all your worries and cares and understanding that you are supposed to be here.
Surrendering all your worries and cares and understanding that you are supposed to be here.
Dwell in that solitude and surrender.
Dwell in that solitude and surrender.
A feeling of bliss.
A feeling of bliss.
A feeling of bliss.
A feeling of bliss.
A feeling of bliss.
Allow this moment to envelop you.
Allow this moment to envelop you.
And stay with it for a little while.
In that space,
Reintroduce your Sankhapa.
In that space,
Reintroduce your Sankhapa.
Exactly the same as you said at the beginning of the practice.
Repeat it three times and simply let go.
This is the seed you've planted in your subconscious mind.
This is the seed you've planted in your subconscious mind.
The bed is one of gratitude.
The bed is one of gratitude.
And the water to make the seed grow is belief.
And the water to make the seed grow is belief.
You simply need to believe and this will manifest in your life.
You simply need to believe and this will manifest in your life.
Just believe in who you are.
A divine creature experiencing a human moment.
A divine creature experiencing a human moment.
A divine creature experiencing a human moment.
A divine creature experiencing a human moment.
A divine creature experiencing a human moment.
Start to come out a little bit from here.
Start to come out a little bit from here.
Get control of the breath and breathe the body.
Breathing the body.
Breathing the body.
Taking some deeper breaths.
Be aware of your body lying.
And feel the sensations once again.
And feel the sensations once again.
Notice the room that you're in.
Notice the room that you're in.
Feel that.
And gently start to come back now.
And gently start to come back now.
There is no hurry.
Stay in Shavasana as long as you like.
Stay in Shavasana as long as you like.
Come back to this space.
Come back to this space.
Come back to this space.
And when you feel that you'd like,
Slowly start to open the eyes.
Slowly start to open the eyes.
Take your time.
Take your time.
Take your time.
Thank you for practicing with me.
Thank you for practicing with me.
Yogi Phoenix.
Until we meet again.
May we have love in the heart,
May we have love in the heart,
Truth in the speech,
And gratitude in the mind.
Namaste.
4.8 (9)
Recent Reviews
Suzzanne
July 26, 2025
Absolutely loved this. It got me so deep. Thank you 🙏🏼 🧘🏻♂️ 💝
David
June 20, 2025
So good. Soo deep