Yoga Nidra: Light Expanding Into Space

This Yoga Nidra practice is inspired by my training under Jeremy Wolf, who shares 4 different lineages- Bihar, Himalayan, iRest, & Amrit, as well as my training in transfiguration. Although it does not specifically follow the format of any one practice, it honors the potency of expanding beyond form into spacious awareness & being light. The practitioner will move from external awareness to internal awareness to simple awareness, becoming the observer, the witness.

Transcript

As you begin settling in for your yoga nidra practice,

Make sure you grab any props that you might need.

So if you're new to yoga nidra and are beginning to set up,

You might grab a few blankets.

You can place one blanket underneath you,

A blanket over your body as your body temperature might drop.

Then also folding up a blanket and placing it underneath your head or just a pillow works as well.

Anything to keep your neck in line with your spine and have some cushion at the back of your skull.

If you have lower back pain or any lower back problems,

You might also place a pillow,

Rolled up towel or blanket or bolster beneath your knees.

So just underneath your knees.

You can also take the option of knees bent,

Soles of your feet to the floor.

Once you find all of your support,

Take a few movements to make sure you're as comfortable as possible.

Make any adjustments of clothing.

If at any time in the practice you become uncomfortable in this position,

Know that you are free to move,

Readjust and then find yourself back in stillness,

Looking to remain as still as possible for the duration of the practice.

And closing your eyes,

Moving your awareness into your body,

The sensations in your body.

We'll do a round of tension and relaxation.

Begin by making fists with your hands,

Pushing your arms into the ground.

Maybe your shoulder blades squeezed together,

Finding this tension in your upper body.

Take a deep inhale.

Pause at the top.

Squeeze even tighter through your fists,

In your shoulders,

Your arms.

Squeeze as tight as you can.

And then on your exhale,

Releasing this tension,

Letting go.

Feeling tension in your lower body,

Squeezing your glutes,

Pushing your heels into the ground,

Flexing your feet,

Gripping your quads.

Calves engaged.

Feel your whole legs engaged.

Squeeze tighter.

Take a deep inhale and pause.

Squeeze so much,

Maybe your legs even shake and notice this feeling of tension in your body.

Exhale releasing this tension letting it go relaxing and finding it through your whole body tension in your body fists glutes squeeze heels push in draw your belly in tight you might even scrunch your face feel the sensation of this tension this power in your entire body take a deep inhale pause at the top squeeze even tighter feel the shaking as if you can't squeeze any tighter notice this sensation and then on your exhale completely release letting go releasing all effort and observe the change of these sensations as you notice the changing of sensations maybe you notice some tingling traveling through your body you might even notice a pulsing of energy as you allow yourself to let go even more with every natural exhale you allow yourself to feel a little heavier a little more relaxed giving yourself fully to the practice no longer holding on to expectations anticipations releasing any thoughts leading up to this moment letting go of stories of the roles we play every day letting go of doing and allowing yourself to move fully into just being repeat silently to yourself I am practicing yoga nidra I will stay awake and if you fall asleep that's okay it's what you needed if you feel yourself beginning to drift just come back to the sound of my voice as we leave the doer behind only two doors of perception remain open hearing and feeling moving your awareness with my voice effortless non mentally and bring your awareness to the furthest sounds you can hear sounds out on the road maybe in the mountains forests the furthest sounds you can hear without straining just noticing observing awareness moves to the sounds inside of the room or inside of the space you're inhabiting moving from sound to sound bring awareness to the sounds just around your body the sounds inside of your body and imagine seeing yourself from the outside as if you're looking in you see yourself fully and completely relaxed every muscle relaxed every fascia soft tissue relaxed bones joints relax ligaments tendons relaxed organs relaxed your whole body completely relaxed as you allow yourself to relax even more feel the earth supporting you allow yourself to be held letting go of any holding you might be doing holding in your mind body energies letting it go and being held notice your natural breath spontaneous effortless and know as you fall deeper into the practice your breath will naturally continue without your thoughts without your focus and see if you can notice your heartbeat or what you imagine your heartbeat to feel like and dive into the depths of your heart as you dive into your heart finding your sankalpa your intention a short phrase a phrase that you'll tell yourself as if it is already true repeating this sankalpa three times silently to yourself as if it is already true and releasing your sankalpa your intention as we move through a body scan you'll move your awareness with my voice without moving the body part just noticing and maybe noticing any sensations in the body part bring your attention to your right hand thumb index finger middle finger ring finger pinky finger the palm of your right hand any sensations in the palm of your right hand back of your right hand wrist right shoulder right hip knee ankle right big toe second toe third toe fourth toe fifth toe attention moves to your left hand thumb index finger middle finger ring finger pinky finger palm of your left hand sensations in the palm of your left hand back of your left hand left wrist elbow shoulder left hip knee ankle left big toe second toe third toe fourth toe fifth toe and bring awareness to the right side of your body and all the spaces between these points for upper arm right waist upper leg calf right foot bring awareness to the left side of your body and all the spaces between these points left forearm upper arm left waist upper leg lower leg left foot and bring awareness to the back side of your body noticing the connection points to the earth awareness on these connection points and the sensations at these points and bring awareness to the front side of your body the sensations of skin in the air or your clothing and move awareness to all the features on your face letting go even more fully relaxed your whole head heavy awareness of all these parts at the same time right side left side together front back at the same time your face head and your whole body awareness around your whole body as it is your whole body your whole body whole body and bring awareness to your breath notice the natural flow traveling throat to belly and belly to throat without changing your breathing just observing the entire journey of your breath that imagine your breath traveling from the crown of your head as you inhale to the soles of your feet and as you exhale traveling souls of your feet to the crown of your head breathing in head to feet breathing out feet to head and bring your imagination to a gold light and imagine as you breathe in this warm golden light fills your body traveling crown of your head pouring over to the soles of your feet and as you exhale imagine this light expanding brightening radiating as you breathe in filling up with this gold light throughout your body as you breathe out this light radiates beyond your physical form every inhale filling up with even more light and every exhale this light expanding even further imagine it expanding beyond the space you're in beyond the town you're in every exhale it becomes brighter and more expansive imagine yourself as this light inhales,

Filling up even more and exhales expanding this entire planet expanding beyond this planet imagining your light filling the entire universe now imagine your body as this light feeling your body beginning to expand with the light you imagine the edges of your physical form beginning to blur into this light as it expands even bigger your physical body turning into particles of light turning into this expansiveness awareness of your form no longer existing particles no longer existing just this golden shining light and knowing that this expansiveness this light this endless space this peace always exists bring awareness to the space just outside of your eyelids or your third eye and observe any images patterns colors anything that exists in the space without focusing on any one image or pattern or concept just allowing them to change and exist as they are as you observe notice that it always changes notice the impermanence of these forms thoughts sensations always changing the only thing that remains is awareness the witness as the observer,

Allowing these changes to exist as they are and allowing the peace to exist beneath it all a space we can return back to a space where we abandon the distractions of change impermanence of these forms a coming home and coming back to your sankalpa your intention repeating it silently three times as if it is already true with every repetition instilling an even deeper belief letting it soak into every cell muscle bone joint every ounce of your body with the belief of this sankalpa letting it absorb fully awareness comes back to your breath your natural breathing and whenever you're ready you can begin to deepen your breathing begin to notice the sounds around you as they exist keeping awareness inward you can begin to find some movement in your fingers and toes moving as slowly as you need remaining in this space of the witness begin to find some bigger movements in your body stretching your legs arms overhead remaining in this simple awareness whenever you're ready bending both knees and gently rolling to whichever side is most comfortable for you take a moment here to feel this feeling of effortless being soak into your body allow yourself to absorb the knowing that you can always come back you can always access this feeling this space moving as slowly as you need taking your time support yourself up to a comfortable seated position palms together at heart center chin draws gently towards your chest and rubbing your palms together to build heat once you feel the heat between your palms gently placing your palms over your eyes feeling this connection feeling this energy when you're ready gently fluttering your eyes open in your palms and slowly drawing your palms away from your eyes the light in me sees and honors the light in you your body be strong mind open and heart always always full namaste

Reviews

Thank you🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Beautiful practice- namaste 🙏