Yoga Nidra For Deep Relaxation

Yoga Nidra is a guided deep relaxation practice. It can help you to access the subconscious and a state of consciousness between being awake and sleeping. I will walk you through each part of the body in this practice. All you need to do is follow my voice and feel each part of the body as I say it.

This practice can be beneficial when you’re feeling particularly stressed or ungrounded, or when you are feeling tired and haven’t been sleeping well.

To skip the intro, jump to 1:58 in the recording.

Transcript

Yoga Nidra is a deeply relaxing process that is sometimes also referred to as yogic sleep.

And the process of mentally walking through all the various parts of the body and then moving into visualization can help us to access this state in between sleep and wakefulness where we are able to tap into this deeply relaxing place.

And so before we get started,

I invite you to take a moment to decide what you would like your resolve or sankalpa to be.

So this is used often in Yoga Nidra at the beginning and the end of the practice.

And all it is,

Is a simple statement stated in the present tense that is intended to invite something into your life that you would like to experience more of.

So for example,

Your sankalpa might be,

I welcome peace and ease into my life or I am at peace in my daily life.

You might even think about something you're currently struggling with and think about what you might need to help you move through that situation and then create a statement in the present tense.

So I will give you a few moments now just to come up with something.

Okay,

Great.

So you will hear me invite you to repeat this sankalpa at the beginning of our practice and at the end.

So for now,

Just keep it stored away somewhere in your mind.

And now we will prepare for our Yoga Nidra practice.

So lie down in Shavasana,

Lying down on your back,

Maybe in a bed or on the floor.

You want to make sure you're really comfortable.

So maybe you bring a pillow under the head,

Maybe a pillow under your knees.

You might also put a blanket over yourself to help keep you warm as your body temperature drops the more you relax.

And you can keep your feet apart and let them flop a little sideways,

Your arms slightly away from the body with the palms of your hands facing upwards.

And adjust your blanket,

Clothes and position so that you can practice Yoga Nidra without moving and with no physical discomfort.

And now you may close your eyes and keep them closed.

Give yourself some time to become calm and steady,

Taking in a deep inhale and a slow exhale through the nose,

Just beginning to feel calmness spreading throughout the body.

As you breathe out,

You might even say to yourself mentally,

Relax.

Now become aware of sounds in the distance.

Become aware of the most distant sounds that you can hear.

You might let your sense of hearing operate like a radar beam,

Searching out distant sounds and following them for a few seconds.

Move your attention from sound to sound without attempting to identify the source.

And now gradually bring your attention to closer sounds,

To sounds outside this building and then to sounds inside this building.

And now develop your awareness of this room.

So keeping your eyes closed,

Just see if you can visualize the four walls,

The ceiling,

The floor,

Your body lying on the floor.

Just become very aware of the existence of your physical body lying here on the floor.

Total awareness of your body lying in perfect stillness.

Bring your awareness to 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.

Trying not to concentrate,

But just letting your awareness float naturally.

This is the time to make your resolve.

So please state your resolve clearly with feeling and awareness three times.

Now we will move into our rotation of consciousness.

I ask that you repeat mentally the name of each part of the body after me and simultaneously become aware of that part.

The practice always begins with the right hand,

So bringing your awareness into 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 muscle,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

Left 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,

Left thigh,

Knee,

Calf muscle,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

Right shoulder,

Left shoulder,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

The spine,

The whole of the back together,

The whole of the back together,

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,

Whole of the right leg,

Whole of the left leg,

Both legs together,

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.

Develop full awareness of the whole body and become aware of the space that's occupied by the body.

Become aware of the body and this space that is occupied by your body.

Become aware of the whole body and the floor,

The whole body in relation to the floor,

And at the same time become aware of the meeting points of the body and the floor.

These are very subtle physical points between body and floor.

Feel the meeting points between the back of your head and the floor,

Shoulder blades and the floor,

The elbows and the floor,

The back of the hands and the floor,

The buttocks and the floor,

The calves and the floor,

The heels and the floor.

Awareness of all the meeting points between the body and the floor,

The sensation of all points simultaneously and evenly.

Go on feeling these points clearly and distinctly.

Now move your attention to the eyelids.

Feel the narrow line of meeting between the upper and lower eyelids.

Feel the sharp points where they meet.

Intensify your awareness between the eyelids and now the lips.

Center your attention on the line between the lips,

The space between the lips.

From the lips,

We move to the breath.

Draw your attention to the natural ingoing and outgoing breath.

Feel the breath moving along the passage between the navel and the throat.

On inhalation,

It rises from the navel to the throat and on exhalation,

It descends from the throat to the navel.

Be completely aware of the respiration,

Navel to throat,

Throat to navel.

Try not to force the breath,

Just pure awareness.

Maintain your awareness and at the same time start counting your breaths backwards as follows.

I am breathing in 54.

I am breathing out 54.

I am breathing in 53.

I am breathing out 53.

I am breathing in 52.

I am breathing out 52.

And so on from 54 to 1.

Count to yourself mentally as you follow the rise and fall of your breath from navel to throat and back again.

Total awareness of breathing and counting.

Let the breathing be slow and relaxed.

Let your breathing be slow and relaxed.

Please continue counting.

Now you may let the counting fall away and we will now bring our awareness to sensations.

Awaken the feeling of heaviness in the body.

The feeling of heaviness.

Become aware of heaviness in every single part of the body.

Imagine that you are feeling so heavy that you are sinking into the floor.

Awareness of heaviness.

Now awaken the feeling of lightness.

Awaken the feeling of lightness.

A sensation of lightness and weightlessness in all parts of the body.

Imagine that your body feels so light that it seems to be floating away from the floor.

Awareness of lightness.

The experience of cold.

Awaken the experience of bitter cold in the body.

Imagine you are walking on a cold floor in winter.

Your feet feel very cold.

You feel cold all over.

Awareness of coldness.

Awareness of coldness.

Now awaken the sensation of heat.

Awaken the experience of heat.

The whole body is hot.

The whole body is hot.

You feel hot all over.

Recollect the feeling of heat in summer when you are out in the sun with no shade.

Heat all over the body.

Heat all around the body.

Awareness of heat.

The experience of pain.

Concentrate and try to remember the experience of pain.

Any pain you have experienced in your life,

Mental or physical.

Recollect the feeling of pain.

Recollect the feeling of pleasure.

Any kind of pleasure,

Physical or mental.

Recollect this feeling and relive it.

Make it vivid.

Awaken the feeling of pleasure.

Check that you are awake.

Are you drowsy or sleepy?

Make sure that you are not sleeping and say to yourself,

I am awake.

Now concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyes.

Imagine before you a transparent screen through which you can see infinite space.

A space that extends as far as the eyes can see.

Concentrate on this dark space and become aware of any phenomena that manifest within it.

Continue your awareness of this space but do not become involved.

Now imagine yourself in a park in the early morning.

The sun has not risen and the park is deserted except for yourself.

It is a beautiful park,

Calm and peaceful.

Walk across the springy grass.

Listen to the birds whistle and call as they welcome in the new day.

There are gardens of flowers,

Roses,

Yellow,

Pink,

Red,

Purple.

Smell their fragrance and see the early morning dew drops on their petals.

Nearby the rose garden is a fish pond.

Goldfish swim in and out amongst the water lilies.

See their graceful movements.

You walk between trees,

Beautiful trees.

Bare trees and trees with leaves.

Widespreading trees and tall stately trees.

There is a clearing between the trees.

In the clearing is a small temple with an aura of light around it.

Go to the door.

It is cool and dim inside.

Inside on the walls there are pictures of great saints.

You sit down on the floor,

Close your eyes and become still.

A sense of deep peace and harmony envelops you as the sounds outside fade into the distance.

Continue your awareness of meditation inside this temple.

Stay there for some time until peace and harmony pervade.

Bring your awareness back to the dark space you see in front of your closed eyes.

Watch the darkness that you see before you very carefully.

With detachment,

Do not become involved.

Rest your mind in this warm and friendly darkness.

If any subtle phenomena manifest,

For example,

Colors or patterns,

Simply take note of these and continue with your awareness.

If thoughts occur,

Let them come and go,

But continue watching the dark space.

Continue this with detached awareness.

Now remember your resolve,

Your sankalpa.

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

In the same words and with the same attitude.

Repeat your resolve now three times clearly,

With feeling and emphasis.

Become aware of your breathing.

Become aware of your natural breathing.

Awareness of breathing and awareness of relaxation.

Develop 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,

Walls,

Ceiling,

Noises in the room and noises outside.

Now begin moving your body and stretching yourself.

Please take your time.

Do not hurry.

When you are sure that you are wide awake,

Sit up slowly and open your eyes.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Thank you for watching.