Shiva Yoga Nidra

Shiva represents the energy we have to surrender our attachment to thoughts, beliefs, or identifications that can lead to suffering. This yoga nidra practices invites you to dissolve into deep rest, utilizing a sankalpa, the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, and Shiva symbolism. If you could surrender your attachment to anything in your life, what would that be? Fear? Anger? Envy? Hatred? Negativity self talk? Unhelpful beliefs? Something else? Allow this nidra to help you release this attachment.

Transcript

Hello,

Thanks for being here to practice with me today.

The focus of this yoga nidra is surrender and detachment to dissolve into deep rest.

The representation of this focus or this energy is Shiva.

Shiva holds many symbols we can learn from,

One of them being the blue coloring of his throat.

The blue color is actually from a poison Shiva drank in order to save the world.

He was able to filter and hold the poison in his throat so it wouldn't attach to him or affect him negatively.

Shiva represents that energy and ability you have within you to surrender your attachments to thoughts,

Beliefs,

People,

Or events that may try to poison you or create suffering in your life.

This practice will utilize the Mahamrityunjaya mantra,

Which invokes the Shiva energy of detachment.

You don't need to know this mantra.

The sound of the Sanskrit holds the vibration of the energy,

So you just simply rest and observe.

So go ahead and lie down,

Get nice and comfortable,

Take as much time as you might need to get all the pillows and blankets that you would want to be as cozy as possible.

Go ahead and lie down as we begin this practice.

Notice your body resting here.

You can check in with the body.

Notice if there's any final moves you might want to make to be a little more comfortable.

Go ahead and do that now.

And then settling in,

Surrendering into a wonderful stillness from the top of the head down to the toes.

There's absolutely nothing you have to do.

So this body has full permission to rest.

Notice the parts of the body that are connecting to the surface beneath.

And what if those parts of the body could release and relax and let go into the surface beneath a little more completely?

This body has full permission to rest,

Settling in more and more with each moment that passes.

The awareness moves to the body breathing,

Noticing the body breathing in and the body breathing out.

There's nothing that needs to be done about the breath,

Just observing it as it is.

Notice how the inhale effortlessly surrenders into the exhale.

These different parts of the breath do not remain attached to themselves.

They fully surrender to the cycle of coming and going.

The inhale surrendering to the exhale,

And the exhale surrendering to the inhale,

Resting deeper with each cycle of breath.

The intention of this practice is to rest.

You have full permission to completely detach from doing.

There's absolutely nothing you need to do.

You can also surrender any attachments from the idea of doing this practice the right way or well or perfectly.

You are here today and that is all that is needed.

It's impossible to do this practice wrong.

You are welcome to rest just as you are.

You can repeat this sankalpa or intention to yourself in your own way.

I detach from any thoughts,

Beliefs,

Or over-identifications that no longer serve me.

I surrender into deep rest.

I detach from any thoughts,

Beliefs,

Or over-identifications that no longer serve me.

I surrender into deep rest.

I detach from any thoughts,

Beliefs,

Or over-identifications that no longer serve me.

I surrender into deep rest.

Know that this sankalpa will continue along with you throughout the remainder of this practice,

Whether you're consciously thinking of it or not.

Simply resting deeper now.

The next stage of the practice,

You'll bring your awareness around to different parts of the body.

I'll say a part of the body and you bring your awareness there.

There's nothing that needs to be done,

Although you may find that that part of the body surrenders into even deeper rest.

Starting with the awareness in the right hand thumb.

Become aware of the right hand thumb.

There may be a physical sensation of that surrendering into deeper rest,

Or perhaps there's a visualization of a blue light filling the right hand thumb,

Or maybe something else.

There's no need to try.

Allow this awareness to travel into the right index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Palm of the right hand,

Back of the hand,

Right wrist,

Lower arm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Underarm,

Right chest,

Waist,

Upper leg,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Arch of the right foot,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third,

Fourth,

And fifth.

Be aware of the right side of the body.

Aware of just the right side of the body.

The right side of the body surrendering even deeper into rest.

This awareness drifts over into the left hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Palm of the left hand,

Back of the hand,

Left wrist,

Lower arm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Underarm,

Left chest,

Waist,

Hip,

Upper leg,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Arch of the left foot,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third,

Fourth,

And fifth.

Aware of the left side of the body.

Be aware of the left side of the body.

The left side of the body surrendering even deeper into rest.

There's no need to try just inviting this awareness to settle into the heels,

The right heel and the left heel,

The right calf,

The right calf,

Left calf,

Back of the right knee,

Back of the left knee,

Back of the right thigh,

Back of the left thigh,

Right glute,

Left glute,

Low back,

Middle back,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Space between the shoulder blades,

Back of the neck,

Back of the head,

Top of the head,

Forehead,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Space between the eyebrows,

Right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

Bridge of the nose,

Tip of the nose,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Jaw,

Chin,

Front of the front of the neck,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Sternum,

Upper abdomen,

Navel,

Lower abdomen,

Pelvis,

Right hip,

Left hip,

Front of the right thigh,

Front of the left thigh,

Right kneecap,

Left kneecap,

Right shin,

Left shin,

Top of the right foot,

Top of the left foot,

Be aware of the entire body,

Be aware of the entire body,

The entire body dissolving into rest.

The awareness can travel to the base of the spine,

The tip of the tailbone.

There's absolutely nothing to do,

Simply resting the awareness here at the base of the spine,

Observing anything that may come or go through the vibration of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra,

Imagining that this mantra could be placed here at the base of the spine.

The awareness moves into the center of the pelvis,

Resting at the center of the pelvis,

Observing,

Place this mantra here.

The awareness moves to the navel,

Resting deeper.

Awareness in the center of the chest.

Awareness at the center of the throat.

In the center of the brain.

In the top of the head.

And aware of the entire body,

The vibration of the sound through the entire body.

The awareness can settle back into the center of the throat.

Imagine there is a blue flower at the center of the throat.

Imagine a blue flower at the center of the throat.

On each inhale,

The petals of the flower close,

And on each exhale,

The petals of the flower surrender open.

Continuing in this way,

On each inhale,

The petals of the flower close,

And on each exhale,

The petals of the flower surrender open.

Continue.

The mind may wander,

And that's fine because there's nothing to do.

It can be allowed to wander,

Or it can always be brought back to the blue flower at the center of the throat.

On each inhale,

The petals close,

And on each exhale,

The petals surrender open.

Continue.

Allow that to release.

Simply rest deeper.

There's absolutely nothing to do.

Just rest.

Dissolving more and more into that rest.

In this state of rest,

Recall the sankalpa.

I detach from any thoughts,

Beliefs,

Or over-identifications that no longer serve me.

I surrender into deep rest.

I detach from any thoughts,

Beliefs,

Or over-identifications that no longer serve me.

I surrender into deep rest.

I detach from any thoughts,

Beliefs,

Or over-identifications that no longer serve me.

I surrender into deep rest.

Know that you will bring all of the benefits and blessings from this practice along with you as you start to bring this practice to a close.

Fully coming back into the body by noticing this body breathing.

Fully aware of the lungs,

The diaphragm,

Inhaling and exhaling.

Fully aware of this oxygen moving in and what's no longer needed moving out.

It might feel right to observe the breath as it is,

Or it may feel right to lengthen or deepen the inhales and exhales.

Whatever the choice may be,

This awareness of the breath brings you fully back into the body,

Coming up toward the surface just a bit.

Next,

Be aware of the sounds happening around you.

Be aware of the sounds happening around you,

The vibration of these sounds filling the space that you are in.

These walls,

This floor,

The ceiling.

Be aware of the sounds happening in the space you're in,

Coming up toward the surface just a bit more.

Be aware of the body.

Be aware of your body resting right here and right now.

Be aware of all of the parts of the body fully connected back into the body.

Maybe starting to invite in some movement like wiggling fingers or wiggling toes.

Maybe starting to make those movements a little bit bigger like circling ankles or wrists or rocking the head side to side or even stretching through the limbs.

This practice is complete.

You may choose to take a moment to roll onto your side if you're not there already and then come up to a seat or perhaps you open your eyes right here and right now.

This practice is complete.

Welcome back.

Reviews

This was very nice, thank you 🙏 still I would wish to know what the mantras mean. I get scared, when I don’t know the language and what is said. So would you please reply with a link to these mantras and their translations? If you like? Or put them in the despription for the benefit of all? This would be so appreciated!
Thanks for the great class ❤️

Amazing..the content and timimg was right on. Perfect time for this particular
Nidra..Thank you.

Thank you for sharing this track with so many. I’ll be revisiting this track again as I found it grounding & calming 🙏💗🙏💗🙏💗

Wonderful! Thank you 🙏

Andrea, I can’t tell you how powerful and calming and peaceful plus this meditation is. All my thanks and appreciation for this gift.

Beautiful yoga nidra, my favorite session!!!
🙏🏻 Namaste 🙏🏻

Great meditation, really enjoyed it and found it meaningful.
Thank you.