Yoga Nidra: Majestic Mountain

Yoga Nidra: Majestic Mountain is a practice where you will be guided to a place of deep relaxation.

We work through the panchamaya koshas, or layers of being, that include our physical, emotional, mental (sensory), intuitive and blissful layers. You can also think of it in terms of brain waves where we work through Beta (alertness) to a place where Alpha (connects awareness to unconscious and allows the sympathetic nervous system to reset and the parasympathetic nervous system to activate) meets Theta (twilight zone just before sleep.) You become the observer. From this place, the body can actually heal itself from physical, mental or emotional trauma.

Physically the practice requires that you lie still on the floor and listen to and respond internally to cues.

You will need a yoga mat and a bottle of water. You may want a blanket or two and some pillows for extra comfort.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Addie and I will be your guide for Yoga Nidra.

Today's practice includes progressive relaxation adapted from a style called Deep Relaxation by Neshala Joy DeVee and a mountain meditation adapted from the work of Akosha Red Elk.

It's time for Yoga Nidra.

You are lying on your back in a comfortable position.

Take just a moment here,

Adjust your clothing,

Take a little small movement and then settle into that place where you can remain for the rest of the practice.

Legs are extended,

Feet are splayed open,

Arms rest comfortably near your sides,

Fingers curl gently.

Make sure that you are warm enough,

Covering with a blanket if you wish.

Remain still during Yoga Nidra so both your body and brain have a chance to fully relax.

However,

If you become uncomfortable,

Please feel free to change position.

If you become activated or bothered and no longer wish to continue this practice,

Feel free to sit up slowly,

Open the eyes and focus on the breath.

Remain seated on your mat.

Taking sips of water will help you to ground.

While this does not happen often,

It does happen for some people and now you know what to do.

Allow your eyes to close and keep them closed until the practice has ended.

Yoga Nidra is a practice that will guide you to a state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping.

Remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice.

You will be asked to move your awareness to various bodily sensations and images.

Try not to concentrate too intensely as this may prevent you from relaxing.

During this practice,

Please use and absorb what you need in the moment.

Leave the rest behind.

If the mind becomes overactive with thoughts or worries,

Just come back to the sound of my voice.

Now we will begin the practice of Yoga Nidra.

Eyes are softly closed.

Take a deep breath in through the nose.

Pause at the top,

Enjoying the sweetness of the breath.

And then let it out slowly and with control.

Let the breath wash over the torso,

Encouraging the body to still.

Let go.

Take another deep breath in through the nose and this time open the mouth slightly and let the breath slowly roll off the tongue.

Let go.

Bringing your awareness to the right leg,

Engage all of the muscles on the right leg.

Tense the leg and point and flex the toes.

Take a deep breath in and extend the leg,

Lifting it a few inches off the ground.

And as you exhale,

Relax your leg to the ground,

Feeling the pull of gravity.

Rock your leg side to side and relax.

Feeling the solidity of the earth support your leg.

Bringing your awareness to the left leg,

Engage all of the muscles on the left leg.

Tense the leg and point and flex the toes.

Take a deep breath in and extend the leg,

Lifting it a few inches off the ground.

And as you exhale,

Relax your leg to the ground,

Feeling the pull of gravity.

Rock your leg side to side and relax.

Feeling the solidity of the earth support your leg.

Bringing your awareness to the right arm,

Engage all of the muscles on the right arm.

Tense the arm and open the hand and make it into a fist.

Take a deep breath in and lift the arm a few inches off the ground.

And as you exhale,

Relax your arm to the ground,

Feeling the pull of gravity.

Rock your arm side to side and relax.

Feeling the solidity of the earth supporting your arm.

Bringing your awareness to the left arm,

Engage all of the muscles on the left arm.

Tense the arm and open the hand and make it into a fist.

Take a deep breath in and lift the arm a few inches off the ground.

And as you exhale,

Relax your arm to the ground,

Feeling the pull of gravity.

Rock your arm side to side and relax.

Feeling the solidity of the earth supporting your arm.

Bringing your awareness to the abdomen,

Inhale,

Expand the belly and lungs.

As you exhale,

Release the belly and let the lungs deflate,

Noticing the pull of gravity.

Relax onto the solidity of the earth.

Bringing your awareness to your shoulders,

Inhale,

Lift the shoulders up to your ears.

And on your exhale,

Drop your shoulders,

Noticing the pull of gravity.

Relax your shoulders onto the solidity of the earth.

Bring your awareness to your face,

Inhale and squeeze your face.

Squeeze the eyes and the mouth,

The nose and cheeks.

On your exhale,

Let it go.

Relax the face,

Rock the head from side to side as it is cradled by the solidity of the earth.

Relax.

Take a deep breath in and as you exhale,

Feel your cares and worries float away.

Focus your awareness on the breath.

Feel the coolness of the inhale.

Feel the warmth of the exhale.

Inhale coolness,

Exhale warmth.

Begin to count the breaths backward from 27 like this.

Inhale cool,

27.

Exhale warm,

27.

Inhale cool,

26.

Exhale warm,

26.

Inhale cool,

25.

Exhale warm,

25.

Continue breathing and counting like this.

Now stop counting,

But continue to focus on the breath.

Notice the rise and fall of the belly.

Inhale,

Belly rises.

Exhale,

Belly falls.

Begin to count the breaths backward from 27 like this.

Inhale,

Belly rises,

27.

Exhale,

Belly falls,

27.

Inhale,

Belly rises,

26.

Exhale,

Belly falls,

26.

Inhale,

Belly rises,

25.

Exhale,

Belly falls,

25.

Continue breathing and counting like this.

Now stop counting,

But continue to focus on the breath.

Notice the opening and closing of the ribcage.

Inhale,

Ribs open.

Exhale,

Ribs close.

Begin to count the breaths backward from 27 like this.

Begin to count the breaths backward from 27 like this.

Inhale,

Ribs open,

27.

Exhale,

Ribs close,

27.

Inhale,

Ribs open,

26.

Exhale,

Ribs close,

26.

Inhale,

Ribs open,

25.

Exhale,

Ribs close,

25.

Continue breathing and counting like this.

Now stop counting,

But continue to focus on the breath.

We will move into a pattern of extended exhales with breath retention.

Inhale to a count of four.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Out,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Wait,

Two,

Three,

Four.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Out,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Wait,

Two,

Three,

Four.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Out,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Wait,

Two,

Three,

Four.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Out,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Wait,

Two,

Three,

Four.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Continue breathing like this,

Eventually allowing the exhales to extend further if you wish.

Now,

Say to yourself,

I am practicing yoga nidra.

I am awake and relaxed.

The practice of yoga nidra begins now.

At this moment,

Make your sankalpa or intention.

The sankalpa is a short,

Positive statement in simple language.

Some suggestions are,

I am safe.

I am secure and stable.

I root to rise.

I am connected and beautiful.

Maybe one of these statements resonates with you,

Or you have words coming from the root of your being.

Please state your sankalpa to yourself clearly and with awareness three times.

The sankalpa you make during yoga nidra plants a seed in the fertile soil of your mind to bring about transformation and healing.

We will now begin a systematic journey of sensory awareness throughout the body.

You will move your awareness to different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named,

Imagining your energy as a beautiful thread of golden,

Sparkling light passing through each part.

Feel that part of your body,

But do not move any part.

The practice begins on the right side.

Sole of the right foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

Top of the foot,

Ankle,

Calf,

Knee,

Thigh,

Hip,

Waist,

Armpit,

Inside of the arm,

Right thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Pinky,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Neck,

Right ear,

Top of the head,

Left ear,

Left side of the neck,

Left shoulder,

Upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Pinky,

Ring finger,

Middle finger,

Pointer finger,

Thumb,

Inside of the arm,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

Sole of the left foot,

Left heel,

Right heel,

Left calf,

Right calf,

Left buttock,

Right buttock,

The lower back,

The middle back,

The upper back,

The whole spine,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

The middle of the shoulder blades,

Back of the neck,

Back of the head,

Top of the head,

Forehead,

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Middle of the eyebrows,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Both lips together,

Chin,

Jaw,

Throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Center of the chest,

Upper abdomen,

Navel,

Lower abdomen,

Right groin,

Left groin,

The pelvic floor,

The whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

Whole right arm,

Whole left arm,

The whole face,

The whole head,

The whole torso,

The whole body,

The whole body,

The whole body.

Imagine your body becoming heavy.

Feel the heaviness in all parts of the body.

Each part is becoming heavier and heavier and heavier.

The head is heavy.

The limbs are heavy.

The torso is heavy.

The whole body is heavy.

So heavy that it is sinking down into the earth.

You feel safe as you are surrounded in darkness.

It is so dark you cannot see.

Now imagine lightness.

Your body is becoming so light as though your body could float away from the earth and toward the sky.

The head is light and weightless.

The limbs are light and weightless.

The torso is light and weightless.

The whole body is light and weightless.

You are rising higher and higher away from the floor into the clouds.

You feel the light from the sun.

Your body lands on a soft cloud.

You melt into the soft cloud and it supports you.

You feel safe as you float on the soft cloud,

Enjoying the light of the sun.

Begin to concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyelids.

Imagine before you a screen as though you were at the movie theater.

Become curious about what is happening behind the eyelids.

Concentrate on this mind screen and become aware of any phenomena that manifests within it,

Colors,

Patterns,

And light.

Whatever you see is the manifesting state of your mind.

Continue your awareness of this space but do not become involved.

Practice detached awareness only.

If any subtle images make themselves known,

Simply notice them without directing the images.

If thoughts occur,

Let them come and go but continue watching the dark space with detached awareness.

Imagine the most beautiful mountain.

Hold the image and feeling of the mountain in your mind.

Allow it to gradually come into greater focus.

Observe its shape,

The massive base rooted into the earth,

Its steep sloping sides.

Notice its majesty,

Solid,

Unmoving.

Sit with the mountain.

Eventually drawing the mountain into your body,

You become one with the mountain.

You share the majesty,

The stillness,

The solidity,

The beauty.

In winter,

You are covered with snow.

In spring,

The snow melts into rivers and waterfalls surrounded by colorful blooms.

In summer,

The sunlight dances on your greenery.

In fall,

You wear a coat of color.

The sun shines on you by day.

The stars dance over you in the darkness at night.

Sometimes you are blanketed by clouds and others cannot see you.

None of this matters to the mountain.

It remains its true essence.

Its majesty,

Strength,

And beauty are unchanged by what others see.

Bring your awareness to the sound of my voice.

Now bring your awareness to your body lying on the floor.

It is time to repeat your sankalpa.

Please repeat the same statement made at the beginning of the practice to yourself three times.

Come back to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.

Maintain your awareness of breath.

At the same time,

Develop your awareness of your physical body.

Your body is relaxed and lying on the floor.

Feel the container of your skin and the clothes that are touching you.

Notice the heaviness of your body as it rests on the floor.

Take your awareness to all the points that are touching the floor.

The back of the heels,

Thighs,

Buttocks,

Shoulder blades,

Arms,

Hands,

And head.

Leave the eyes closed.

Visualize the surrounding room.

Imagine where you are in the room and the other objects that are around you.

Lie quietly until you feel ready to move.

Take your time.

There is no hurry.

Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.

Roll the wrists and ankles.

Raise the arms overhead and find a slow,

Gentle stretch.

When you are sure that you are fully awake,

Gently open your eyes.

Roll to your right side.

Use your bicep as a pillow.

Stay on your right side for a few more moments.

Express gratitude to yourself for taking this time just for you.

Use your hands to press yourself up from the floor.

Let your head come up last.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Please remain seated on your mat for at least a few more moments.

Drink some water before leaving your mat.