Long Life-Force Yoga Nidra practice
When you have the time to practice it, this Yoga Nidra will take you through a deep relaxation of all aspects of your being (koshas), increasing your physical vitality and strengthening your emotional and mental resilience in the face of life’s challenges. Yoga Nidra is a powerful tool for clearing away limiting beliefs and emotions, and for living from a more balanced (sattvic) state of mind.
Transcript
Let's prepare for yoga nidra.
Come into shavasana,
Corpse pose,
Lying on your back with your legs a comfortable distance apart,
Your palms face up and your chin slightly tucked.
You may wish to use a cushion or blanket under your knees,
An eye pillow to cover your eyes,
And a light cover for your body as the body temperature will drop as you relax.
A folded blanket under your head will tilt the chin forward slightly,
Supporting the mind to relax.
Once you are comfortable,
Notice if there's anything else you might need or any final adjustments you might make so that you are even more comfortable.
You may pause the CD to make any necessary changes so that you can lie still for the next 40 minutes or so.
As the body begins to settle,
Take a moment to sense the floor,
How the floor supports your body,
The places where the body is in contact with the floor.
Whole body lying on the floor.
The whole body is lying on the floor.
Sense the whole body lying on the floor.
A global awareness of the whole body lying on the floor.
Sense the room in which you are practicing yoga nidra.
Sense the air in the room,
Its coolness or its warmth.
Feel the air on your forehead.
Cool,
Warm on your face.
Sense the air on your face.
Palms.
Feel your palms.
Warm,
Cool palms.
Sense the breath moving,
Flowing.
Is the belly responding to the flow of breath?
Is there movement in the chest?
Join the flow of the breath,
Then set the breath free.
No effort.
Just breath.
The subtle sensation of breath at the tip of the nostrils.
Simply notice.
No effort.
Set the breath free.
The weight of the head free.
The weight of the arms,
The legs,
The feet set free.
Free to sink more fully into the floor.
The whole body is lying on the floor.
Sense the whole body lying on the floor.
Sense into the space around the body lying on the floor.
A global awareness of the whole body lying on the floor and the space around the body.
Nothing that needs to be done.
Nowhere to go.
Within this openness,
This freedom,
This awareness,
Perhaps an intention for this yoga nidra practice begins to reveal itself.
Perhaps it's an intention to remain awake and alert,
Or perhaps another intention for your practice wants to be known.
No need to look or seek.
Nothing to do.
Nothing that needs to be found.
If an intention doesn't arise,
Simply leave the space open for intention to find you.
Joining with the natural rhythm of breath.
Breath free.
Let the breath flow through the heart center.
Expanding,
Softening.
Inhale shining heart.
Exhale softening.
Riding the waves of your breath home to who you are inside.
Beneath the current mood.
Beneath costumes.
Beneath masks.
Home to the ground of your being where you are intimately,
Eternally connected.
That knows no separation.
And from this place of wholeness,
Perhaps a deeper intention wants to be seen.
A heartfelt felt prayer.
A longing arising for something already present in your life that longs to unfold more fully.
If it's there,
Allow it to rise to the surface of your mind's heart.
Your heart's mind.
Nothing to be searched for.
No effort.
Nothing to be found.
If an intention is there,
Let it find you.
If a longing finds you,
You might say it to yourself in the present tense as though it's already blossoming fully.
For example,
Peace breathes through me now.
Or radiant health breathes through me now.
Or I am open and available to give and receive love.
This is your sankalpa.
Breathe four more deep,
Slow breaths,
Breathing your sankalpa through every cell.
The beginning and end of the yoga nidra practice are the most fertile times to nourish the seed of your sankalpa.
It's already there,
Gestating in your life.
If you nurture the sankalpa every day during yoga nidra,
Your intention will blossom more fully in your life.
There is no wrong way to practice yoga nidra.
There is nothing to do.
Only listen without thinking too much about the meaning of the words.
During the practice of yoga nidra,
The mind may subside for moments into sleep or into a spacious awareness without thought.
Allow my voice to be an anchor,
Drawing you back into awareness of the present.
Let my words become your words.
Sense each body part as we move systematically,
Almost mechanically,
Through the whole body,
Beginning with awareness of the whole body lying on the floor.
The whole body is lying on the floor.
A global awareness of sensation radiating through and around the whole body lying on the floor.
Sense into the mouth,
Sensations at the roof of the mouth,
Floor of the mouth,
Tongue.
Feel the hollow space at the center of the tongue.
Let the tongue fall away from the roof of the mouth.
Allow attention to move to the inner left cheek,
Inner right cheek.
Sense radiant sensation in the lips,
Sensation behind the lips,
Whole mouth,
Hollow and empty.
Feel the hollow spaciousness of the mouth as radiant,
Expansive sensation.
All the structures of the mouth,
Hollow and empty.
Trace a line of sensation flowing from inside the mouth through the hollow tubes of the inner ear canals all the way out to the hills and valleys of the outer ears.
Left ear,
Right ear,
Hollow and empty.
Sensation in the nose.
Experience the hollow spaciousness inside each nostril,
Left nostril,
Right nostril,
Hollow and empty.
Sense back into the eyes,
Those orbs of radiant sensation,
Sensation in the eyes flowing all the way back to the sockets,
Eyeballs sinking back.
Left eye,
Right eye,
Still behind their lids.
Feel into the structures surrounding the eyes,
Bridge of the nose,
Cheekbones,
Left and right temples,
Left and right eyebrows,
Left and right upper lid,
Lower lid,
The space between the eyelids,
Space between the lashes.
Letting go of form and function.
Letting go of seeing.
Sense the eyes.
Sense the structures around the eyes softening into the big brow muscle.
Trace a line from the middle of the forehead back through the head,
Through the brain deep into the primitive brain,
The brainstem,
The primordial brain.
Subtle sensation in the right hemisphere,
The left hemisphere,
All the way back to the thinking brain,
The prefrontal cortex.
Right side,
Left side,
No effort,
No thinking,
No visualizing,
Simply sensing,
Feeling,
Whole cranium.
Trace a line around the circumference of the head from ear to ear and back again.
Trace a line from the peak of the hairline over the crown of the head all the way back to the occipital ridge at the back of the neck.
Sense deeply into the neck and the hollow space behind the neck,
The hollow notch at the base of the throat.
Sense deeply into the throat,
Hollow and empty,
The notch at the base of the throat,
Hollow and empty.
Mouth,
Left ear,
Right ear,
Left nostril,
Right nostril.
Eyes left and right,
Radiant,
Alive with sensation.
Entire face,
Feel the radiant sensation shining beyond the limits of the face.
Sense sensation shining out in all directions from the face,
Face,
A glowing orb of sensation.
Breathing now into the left side of the body,
Whole left side of the body lying on the floor.
Follow the sensation in the left shoulder all the way down the arm to the empty spaciousness at the palm of the hand and all the little bones in the fingers,
Left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger.
All of the fingers together,
Whole left hand,
Warm,
Warmth in the left palm of the hand,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Elbow,
And the hollow space of the armpit,
Whole left arm lying on the floor.
Form or the memory of form may be here.
Keep going.
Firsthand experience,
A sensory experience of the whole left arm lying on the floor,
All effort dissolving.
Simply a sensing into left arm,
Radiant with sensation,
Shining in all directions.
Sensing into left ribcage,
Hip,
Thigh,
Thigh,
Kneecap,
The hollow space behind the kneecap,
Shin,
Ankle,
All the way down to the hollow space at the sole of the foot and all the little bones in the toes,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
All of the toes together.
Sensation flowing through the whole left side of the body,
No effort,
Whole left side of the body,
Radiant,
Spacious,
Hollow and empty.
Feel the whole left side of the body lying on the floor,
Radiating in all directions,
Left side of the face,
Neck,
Shoulder,
Left arm,
Left hip,
Left leg,
Whole left side of the body,
Aware of sensation in and around the left side of the body,
Awareness expansive beyond the limits of body,
Whole left side of the body lying on the floor.
Invite the breath in through the sole of the left foot.
Invite the breath to stay,
Holding the breath as you sense deeply into the whole left side of the body.
Exhale and pour the breath and the awareness into the right side of the body.
Inhale the breath up through the sole of the right foot and hold the breath,
Sensing the whole right side of the body.
Exhale and pour the breath into the left side of the body.
Go back and forth two more times on your own.
Breathe your way over to the right side of the body.
Sense the right side of the body lying on the floor,
Waves of breath moving attention to the right shore of the body,
Whole right side of the body lying on the floor,
Sensing deeply into the right side of the face,
Neck,
Sensation in the right shoulder,
All the way down the arm to the hollow spaciousness at the palm and all the little bones in the fingers,
Right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
All of the fingers together,
Back of the hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
And the hollow space of the armpit,
Whole right arm on the floor.
Feel the whole right arm on the floor,
Radiant with sensation,
A flow of sensation pouring through the whole right side of the body,
Right rib cage,
Torso,
Feeling into thigh,
Kneecap,
The hollow space behind the knee,
Shin and calf,
Ankle,
All the way down to the hollow space at the sole of the foot and all the little bones in the toes,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
A momentary touching into form,
All the toes together,
Sensation flowing through the whole right side of the body,
Whole right side of the body sensing itself,
Radiant,
Spacious,
Hollow and empty.
Feel the whole right side of the body lying on the floor,
Radiating in all directions,
Right side of the face,
Neck,
Shoulder,
Right arm,
Right hip,
Right leg,
Whole right side of the body,
Aware of sensation pulsing in and around the right side of the body.
Breathe into both sides of the body simultaneously,
Meet the unfolding of sensation in both sides of the body,
Free of image and form.
If effort arises,
See that effort as another movement in awareness,
Sensing back,
Falling back into awareness,
Whole body lying on the floor,
Whole body lying on the floor,
A global awareness beyond the body,
Radiant and pulsing with sensation,
Whole body lying on the floor,
Infinite space within the body,
Infinite space beyond the body,
No separation,
Back of the body heavy,
Sinking into the earth like a stone in quicksand,
Legs heavy and sinking,
Back of the head,
Spine all the way down to the tailbone,
Heavy and sinking,
Arms,
Shoulders,
Buttocks,
Calves,
Heels,
Heavy and sinking,
Body heavy and sinking,
Whole back of the body heavy and sinking into the earth from the heaviness,
From the density of the earth,
A spacious lightness arising,
Sensing an openness,
Whole body light,
Front of the body light and floating,
Face,
Chest,
Abdomen,
Pelvis,
Hollow and empty,
Radiant light,
The hollow tubes of the legs,
Light and floating,
Front of the body light and floating,
Whole body light,
Floating,
Body light and floating like a cloud,
Invite a movement back and forth,
Body heavy and sinking,
Body light and floating,
Alternating,
No effort,
Thinking dissolves,
Sensing body heavy,
Dense,
Sinking,
Body light,
Oh clear,
Aware of the heaviness in the body and the lightness in the body,
Body heavy and light,
Sensing back into an awareness of both the heaviness and the lightness,
Sensing into an area of warmth in the body,
Body warm,
Awareness of warmth,
Let the warm feeling in the body shine throughout the body,
Body warm,
An area of coolness in the body beginning to reveal itself,
Body cool,
Sensing coolness,
Awareness,
Expanding to both the warmth in the body and the coolness,
Body warm and cool,
Alternating between the warmth in the body and the coolness,
Body warm,
Body cool,
Body heavy,
Body light,
Awareness expanding and spacious,
Vibrating with the warmth and the coolness in the body,
The heaviness and lightness in the body,
Who is aware,
Sensing back into awareness itself,
Aware of the whole body lying on the floor,
The whole body lying on the floor,
A global awareness of the whole body lying on the floor,
Energy around the body,
Body empty,
Open,
Spacious,
Floating,
Whole body radiant,
Entire body breathing in all directions,
Directions themselves dissolving,
Dissolving into stillness,
Out of the stillness,
From this deeper ground of stillness,
Windows of the senses open wide,
The doors of the body thrown wide to feeling,
Emotion flowing through the portal of the heart,
Nothing needs to be named,
Only sensed,
Felt and sensed,
Nothing to be looked for,
Nothing to be found,
Emotion if it's there arising on its own,
The felt sense of the emotion,
Sensing the breath,
Meeting the emotion,
Welcoming the feeling,
The not knowing how it will change or open,
Simply an open willingness to allow it to be seen,
No story,
No label,
No words necessary,
Simply the felt sense of the emotion pulsing,
Maybe in the heart,
An allowing of the emotion to reveal itself in the equanimity of this moment,
Moment by moment,
Awareness,
Falling back into the stillness from which the feeling emerges,
Is there a belief woven into the feeling,
Something you take to be true about yourself,
No effort,
If a belief emerges,
Simply feel into it in your body,
Where does belief live in your body,
Go deeper,
Can you imagine your life if the belief dissolved,
Dive beneath the belief into that which is aware of the belief,
Go deeper,
Breathe into the ground of being from which belief emerges,
Dive beyond thought,
Beyond belief,
Spacious,
Expansive awareness,
No doing,
No doer,
Sense back into awareness itself,
Formless,
Spacious,
Timeless presence,
Moment by moment,
Breath by breath,
Nothing to do,
Empty,
Empty,
Sense back into emptiness from which absolute fullness arises,
No separation,
Hollow,
Empty,
Radiant,
Full,
Is there anything that would make this moment more complete,
Is there anything you need in this moment or is everything here,
Now,
Answers arising,
Dissolving,
Questions arising,
Dissolving,
Abiding here,
Limitless,
Awake and aware,
Sensing beyond the limits of the body lying on the floor,
Out beyond the left side of the body,
Energy shimmering,
Energy shining behind your body,
Energy glowing beyond the right side of your body,
Energy radiant in front of your body,
Energy pulsing beneath your feet,
Energy expanding over your head,
Whole energy field shining and spacious,
Expanding beyond the limits of the room,
Your energy spacious and expanding beyond the limits of this country,
Your energy spacious and expanding beyond the limits of this planet,
No separation between the ocean of healing energy that surrounds you and the rivers of healing energy flowing through you now and from this space of expanded awareness,
Imagine that you're looking down on your body lying on the floor,
Look with compassion at this body that's held you up through all the years of this lifetime,
Despite the times you've ignored it or injured it or abused it,
See your body shining now,
A glow with radiant health and vitality,
If there's a place in your physical body or your mental body that needs a little more comfort,
Courage,
Healing,
Then invite your awakened energy to shine around that area of your life without any judgment,
Knowing that change begins when you can accept yourself just as you are without judgment.
My beloved child,
My true child,
My teacher used to say,
Break your heart no longer.
Each time you judge yourself,
You break your own heart.
What is true is that you are so very dear,
Whole here and now.
Breathe into the wholeness you are,
Breathing into your heart,
Heart expanding on the inhale,
Heart softening on the exhale,
Perhaps a pulse of desire in the heart,
A quiver of prayer arising from the heart.
What is the heartbeat of longing that has brought you here today?
No need to articulate,
No need for words,
Breathing this felt sense of prayer,
Devotion,
Yearning through the heart center.
Maybe words come,
I am peace or love breathes through me now.
Maybe wordless sensation in your heart,
Heart spacious,
Expanding,
Heartfelt prayer deepening your breath.
Sankalpa breathing through you now,
Through every cell already present,
Already unfolding,
Prayer manifesting through your yoga nidra practice,
Blossoming without fear in your life.
Yoga nidra allows us to embrace without resistance and fear all that life presents.
Yoga nidra mentors us back into an understanding of who we truly are.
Practice yoga nidra every day and awaken to the truth of your being,
Not separate from the love and energy of the universe.
Everything you need is flowing through you now,
Whole,
Here,
Now,
No separation.
As you end your yoga nidra practice and return to your daily life,
Resolve to stop throughout your day.
Pause for a moment in the middle of your activity,
In conversation,
At mealtime or at your desk.
Simply pause and sense back into this greater awareness that you are not separate,
Whole.
I look forward to guiding you in yoga nidra tomorrow.
