Yoga Nidra For Moments Of Rest

Yoga Nidra is a super useful tool when we only have a short time to rest, it is a regenerative practice with the opportunity to set an intention called a Sankalpa. I use this for relaxation, power naps and when I can't sleep at night. It comprises of breathing, a body scan and a visualisation.

This is track 13 on my album, Mmmm: Mantras, Meditations and Mindful Moments.

Transcript

The following meditation is sometimes called yogic sleep.

It's very important that you do not do this whilst using machinery or driving.

I use it like a power nap to rest my body except it comes with an intention which is called a sankalpa or a resolve.

So it's putting intention into my power nap and often I wake up or come to because I'm not actually asleep,

Feeling refreshed and ready for the next part of my day.

I recommend this when you have a window of time and you're feeling that rest is important to you.

Even 20 minutes has such power.

Please get ready for yoga nidra.

Lie down on your back on the floor and adopt the pose called shavasana.

In this position the body should be straight from head to toe.

Your legs slightly apart with the feet rolling out,

The arms a little away from the body with the palms turned upwards.

Feel free to adjust everything,

Your body,

Your clothes,

Removing anything that impedes your comfort until you are completely comfortable.

During yoga nidra there should be no physical movement.

You might like a pillow under your head,

Under your knees and a blanket to keep you warm.

Close your eyes and keep them closed until you are told to open them.

Take a deep breath and as you breathe out feel the cares and worries of the day flow out of you.

In the practice which follows you're going to develop the feeling of relaxation in the body.

It's not necessary to make movements or deliberately relax your muscles.

Simply develop the feeling of relaxation.

It's like the feeling you have just before you sleep.

When relaxation becomes deep,

Sleep does not calm and you can try to keep yourself totally awake.

It helps to say I will remain awake throughout the practice.

During yoga nidra you are functioning on the levels of hearing and awareness and the only important thing is to follow the voice of the instructor which is me.

You must not try to intellectualise or analyse the instructions as that will disturb your mental relaxation.

Simply follow my voice with total attention and feeling.

And if thoughts come to disturb you from time to time don't worry just continue the practice.

Allow yourself to become calm and steady.

Become aware of the sounds in the distance.

Listen for the most distant sounds you can hear.

Without becoming attached to each one or naming it,

Just see how many you can hear.

Scan with your ears.

Bring your scan closer.

See if you can hear what's in the room.

See if you can hear your breath.

Can you hear your heart beat?

Now develop your awareness of the room.

Without opening your eyes visualise the four walls.

The ceiling,

The floor,

Your body lying on the floor.

See your body lying on the floor.

Become aware of the existence of your body on the floor.

Visualise the awareness of your body lying in perfect stillness.

Your body is lying on the floor.

Develop your awareness of all the physical meeting points between your body and the floor.

Become aware of the natural breath.

Become aware of the deep,

Natural,

Spontaneous breath.

Do not concentrate for this will interfere with the natural process.

Keep listening to me.

Know that you're breathing.

The practice of yoga nidra begins now.

Say mentally to yourself,

I am going to practice yoga nidra.

Next we will make a resolve or a sankalpa.

This is your desire.

What is your heart's desire?

Take a moment to think about it.

A sankalpa is a positive statement that states your intention in the present moment.

So it could be I am relaxed.

It could be here just to relax.

I am refreshed.

I am confident.

I finish all my assignments with ease.

So take a moment to think of your heart's desire as a positive statement.

Now say it mentally to yourself three times.

Rotate your consciousness through the different centers of the body.

As quickly as possible,

Your awareness jumps from point to point.

Repeat mentally the name of each part after me and simultaneously become aware of that part.

The practice begins with the right hand.

Right hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Lower arm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Right thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole,

Top of the foot,

Big right toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Now move to the left hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Little finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Lower arm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Left thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Now we're going to the back.

Right shoulder,

Left shoulder,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

The spine,

The whole of the back together.

Now the front,

Top of the head,

Forehead,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

The eyebrow center,

Right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Nose,

Tip of the nose,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Chin,

Jaw,

Throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right chest,

Left chest,

Middle of the chest,

Navel,

Abdomen,

Lower abdomen,

The whole of the right leg,

The whole of the left leg,

Both legs together,

The whole of the right arm,

Whole of the left arm,

Both arms together,

Whole of the back,

Whole of the front,

Whole of the head together,

Legs,

Arms,

Back,

Front,

Head together,

The whole of the body together,

The whole of the body together,

The whole of the body together.

Feel the meeting points between the body and the floor,

Intensely,

Evenly.

Bring the attention to the soles of your feet.

Feel the skin on the soles of your feet,

From the heels to the tip of the toes.

Go to the palms of your hands.

Feel the skin on the palms of your hands and fingers.

Feel the skin and also become aware of the lines on your palms and fingers,

Intensely,

With full awareness.

Bring your awareness to the face.

Become aware of the skin on your face.

Develop your awareness.

Develop your awareness of the skin on your forehead,

Cheeks and chin.

Become aware of the lines on your face.

Bring your attention to the eyelids.

Feel the meeting points between the eyelids.

And now the lips.

Feel the meeting points between the lips,

Intensely,

With feeling.

Notice your breathing.

Notice the air through your nose or mouth,

Passing from your throat down into your chest and into your belly.

Notice it on the journey in and the journey out.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count breaths.

If you lose count,

Start again from 27.

So we're going to breathe in 27,

Out,

In 26 and out.

At your own pace,

Counting down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

We're going to count down from 27 to zero.

Our body is so heavy.

Every single part of the body is so heavy.

It's like we're sinking into the floor.

Now we're going to imagine ourselves feeling so light.

We've become buoyant.

Floating.

Feeling so light.

Now,

Can we feel both light and heavy at the same time?

Try and see if you can imagine both feelings.

Now feel really cold,

Like you're in the snow.

Bring a feeling of coldness to your body.

And now heat.

Feel really hot,

Like you're in the sun.

There's no shade.

You feel hot inside and out.

Can you feel both at the same time?

Cold and hot.

Allow yourself to try.

Now imagine the feeling of pain.

Physical,

Emotional.

The feeling it leaves in your body.

How it feels.

Without any memory,

Any memories required.

Just the feeling.

Now imagine the feeling of elation,

Joy,

Pleasure.

Feel that in your body,

In your mind.

Imagine that.

Can you feel both of these at the same time?

Now we will do a journey together.

Imagine or visualize or picture.

It's very early morning.

Still dark.

And you're walking through hills,

Climbing up towards the mountains.

You're alone.

You're walking east,

And if you look back,

You'll see a crescent shaped moon low in the sky.

Soon the sun will rise over the mountains ahead of you.

Far below,

In a valley,

The lights of a small town twinkle through the early morning mist.

The track twists back and forth on the side of a steep slope.

It winds between huge boulders and over bridges suspended across deep chasms.

A gap between two hills gives a glimpse of a huge snow-covered mountain ahead.

The pale sky behind it heralds the dawn.

You climb up through snow.

It makes a crunching sound as you break the surface and sink in.

There are creeks and groans of moving ice as you move across a glacier.

Near the top of the mountain,

It becomes very cold.

Winds howl around your body and snatch at your clothes.

Snow and ice cling to your shoes.

You reach the top and a magnificent scene reveals itself before your eyes.

To the east,

A vast range of snow-covered peaks and dark valleys.

To the west,

Hills leading to rolling plains and the sea.

Intensify your imagination and visualize the scene.

See the sun rise like a golden ball in the east,

Scattering rays of golden light,

Of snow that dazzles your eyes.

Sweep your eyes across the sky.

To the west,

It's still grey,

Above you blue.

In the east,

A delicate pink as it nears the sun.

Watch the sunlight strike the tops of the mountains and move down their sides.

Deep valleys emerge as the shadows retreat.

You sit with legs crossed and contemplate this grand scene,

The dawn of a new day.

Let yourself experience this for some time.

Let your mind flow freely with this experience.

Now remember your resolve,

Your sankalpa.

Repeat the same resolve you had at the beginning of the practice,

In the same words,

With the same attitude,

Three times in your head,

With feeling and emphasis.

Become aware of your breathing.

Become aware of your natural breathing.

Aware of your breathing and aware of relaxation.

Deep awareness of your physical existence.

Become aware of your arms and legs and your body lying stretched out on the floor.

Become aware of the meeting points between your body and the floor.

Develop awareness of the room,

The walls,

The ceiling,

The noises in the room,

The noises outside.

Take your mind out and become completely external.

Lie quietly for a few moments and keep your eyes closed.

Start moving your body,

Wiggle your toes,

Your fingers.

You may stretch a little,

Slowly,

In your own time.

When you are awake,

Sit up slowly and open your eyes.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

Reviews

Works a treat, even if I do say so myself

So very relaxing. Soft gentle voice. Nice rotation. Thank you for sharing ☮️ 💖 🙏 🖖

Amazing guidance of a very enjoyable yoga nidra. Bookmarked! I am sure I will come back to it time and time again 🙏🏻 💕