Yoga Nidra for Hibernating
This “Hibernation” Yoga Nidra track gently takes you through a body scan and guided visuals intended to evoke a cozy experience. The track gets slower and softer as it goes along. Sound Effects include: rain, thunder and a crackling fire. Instructions & an Introduction are from 0:00-1:30 so you may want to skip the introduction and start at 1:30.
Transcript
Make yourself comfortable because we are going to be practicing yoga nidra.
Choose a comfortable place to lie down.
This could be on the floor on a mat or on a sleeping bag if you prefer or even on a couch or a bed.
However,
A couch or a bed could be a little bit too comfortable and might encourage you to fall asleep.
Collect any props which may include blankets to cover and or support you or an eye pillow or bolster.
Your body temperature will drop during the practice so I do encourage a little cover-up or wearing a little bit more than you typically would during the day.
Once you have set yourself up,
Lie down on your back in the position called shavasana.
Your body should be straight from head to toe and your legs separated a short distance from one another.
Arms resting by your sides with the palms facing towards the sky and your fingertips should not be touching anything.
Adjust your body,
Your clothing and your position now because you will be lying still for the duration of the practice.
Please close your eyes and keep them closed until you hear my voice tell you otherwise.
I'm going to take you through a series of body checks and visuals.
You may find yourself drifting off to sleep and this is completely normal.
However,
Our intention is to stay awake.
So I'm going to ask you to suggest to yourself that you are going to stay awake during the practice.
So in your mind say,
I am practicing yoga nidra.
I am fully awake.
You'll be functioning on the level of hearing and awareness so all you have to do is allow yourself to let go.
Simply lie there and listen.
Next I'm going to ask you to think of a sankalpa which is a resolution or an affirmation.
If you're already working with one then you can go ahead and use that one.
But a sankalpa is a simple sentence stated in the present positive like,
I am relaxed rather than I want to be relaxed.
So just take a minute and find one that comes naturally to you.
Relaxation.
Mentally draw a circle around you the size of the room.
Become aware of the sounds in the circle.
Just move from sound to sound as they come and go.
Let it all go.
No need to identify the source at all.
Now widen your circle to around the building.
Become aware of the sounds in this circle and move from sound to sound as they get louder and softer.
Let it all go.
Widen your circle bigger and hear more distant sounds and let those sounds come and go.
And widen your circle one more time and hear as far into the distance as possible.
Now just hear your natural breath.
See your body lying down breathing that breath.
No need to change your breathing.
Keep breathing naturally.
Become aware of your body lying down.
Your body is lying perfectly still.
Become aware of your body lying down.
Your body is lying perfectly still.
Awareness of your body lying down and the surface beneath it.
Your body is lying down.
The practice of yoga nidra begins now.
Say mentally to yourself,
I am practicing yoga nidra.
I am awake.
In this moment let your sankalpa,
Your resolution,
Your affirmation,
Come back into your mind.
Say it mentally to yourself with strong feeling as if it's right there.
Rotation of consciousness.
We now move from one point in the body to the next.
Follow my voice and mentally say each point in the body as you go there.
Move from point to point and word to word as I say them.
No need to linger on any one.
And we'll start with the right side.
Right side.
Right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Lower arm.
Inner elbow.
Outer elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder cap.
Arm pit.
Side of the torso.
Waist.
Hip.
Right thigh.
Front of the right knee.
Back of the right knee.
Shin.
Calf.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the right foot.
Top of the foot.
Right toes.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Left side.
Left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Lower arm.
Inner elbow.
Outer elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder cap.
Arm pit.
Side of the torso.
Waist.
Hip.
Left thigh.
Front of the left knee.
Back of the left knee.
Shin.
Calf.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the left foot.
Top of the foot.
Left toes.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Back.
Now notice your back side.
Become aware of the back of the head where it touches the surface beneath you.
Neck.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Middle of the back.
Lower back.
Spine.
Right buttock.
Left buttock.
The whole back together.
Front.
Moving to the top of the head.
The forehead.
The nose.
The right eye.
The left eye.
The right cheek.
The left cheek.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
The points where your lips touch.
Chin.
Throat.
Upper chest.
Middle chest.
The navel.
Abdomen.
Groin.
The whole right leg.
The whole left leg.
Both legs together.
Buttocks.
Groin.
Lower torso.
Middle torso.
Upper torso.
Shoulders.
Whole of the right arm.
Whole of the left arm.
Both arms together.
The whole of the head.
Torso.
Legs.
Arms.
Front and back.
Together.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
See your body lying down in the middle of your wide circle.
You are aware of everything.
You feel everything.
You pick and choose what to focus on effortlessly without changing your breathing.
Feel your breath going in and out.
Feel your breath going in and out of your body.
One cycle of breath is a complete inhalation and exhalation.
When you inhale,
Notice where the edges of your breath and the beginning of your body meet.
Now move that awareness from your torso to your legs to your feet to your arms to your hands and then to your head.
Become aware of the area where your breath and body meet,
Where your legs meet your torso.
On an inhalation,
Imagine there is a clean cool water being poured into the deep bowl of your torso and finds a resting place in the bowl of your torso.
Water is resting in the bottom of your torso.
As you inhale,
Water pours in.
As you exhale,
Water moves out.
Continue this sensation as you breathe.
You are safe.
Nothing can harm you.
The water has now been heated by the sun's rays and as the water travels into your mouth,
Down your throat,
And into your torso,
It is warm.
The warm sun rays have now heated the water to a comfortable and warm temperature.
As you inhale,
The water travels to your legs and as you exhale,
The water washes back toward your head.
Continue.
Repeat mentally to yourself,
I am awake.
Continue breathing.
Leave your breathing.
And I'll now take you to a series of images to visualize.
When you mentally see the images,
Simply notice what feelings or sensations come along with them.
An eggshell breaking,
Leaves rustling,
Wind howling,
Windows rattling,
Warm blankets wrapped in warm blankets,
Cold floor,
Barefoot on a cold floor,
Fire crackling,
The gong of a bell tower,
Hot chocolate,
Heavy gray sky,
Warm brown eyes,
Snowflakes falling,
Cool hands,
Frozen tundra,
Frozen corpse,
Children's laughter,
Warm soup,
The tick of a clock,
Hot bath.
Bring forward your intention,
Your resolve,
Your sankalpa,
Your affirmation,
And say it in your mind three times with the same feeling as at the beginning of the practice.
Become aware of your natural breath.
Be aware that your breath is moving in and out of your body,
Your whole body,
Every part of your body.
Feel your shoulders,
Elbows,
Fingertips,
Nose,
Knees,
Ankles,
Tippy toes.
See your body lying down.
See the room with closed eyes,
Ceiling,
Walls,
Floor.
Now open your eyes and see the room around you.
When you are ready you can stretch,
Take your time,
There's no hurry.
When you're ready feel free to come up to a seated position.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
