Yoga Nidra - Breath

During this extended Yoga Nidra practice, we will focus on the power of our breath to connect our mind, body, and spirit. With each breath, we will harmonize our inner being, letting go of all distractions and negative thoughts.

As you lie down in a comfortable position, take your time to settle in and make sure you are warm and cozy. Then, allow yourself to be fully present in the moment and let your breath guide you towards a state of deep relaxation and inner peace.

Let this practice rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit, leaving you feeling renewed, refreshed, and ready to embrace all the beauty and abundance that life has to offer. Namaste

Photo by Engin Akyurt from Pexels

Transcript

Welcome to your practice of yoga nidra.

Lie stretched out on your back on a comfortable surface.

You will remain motionless throughout the entire practice.

So cover up and pad your head,

Neck,

Lower back and behind your knees if you want support here.

Lie stretched out and let your arms and legs rotate slightly open.

Your spine is straight and your head is either flat or on a small pillow or a pad.

Make yourself comfortable.

You can pause playback if you need more time.

Now close your eyes.

To relax your eyes and eye muscles,

Place a small pillow or cloth or weighted meditation mask over your eyes.

Stay present during the practice,

But just observe and stop doing anything actively.

Become aware of your natural breath,

Of your natural and spontaneous breath moving in and out of your body without effort.

Start by slowing your breath,

Inhaling through your nostrils if possible and exhale through your nose.

Feel yourself looking inward to your senses,

Your sense of touch,

The air or blanket against against your skin,

Your breath flowing gently in and out of your nostrils.

When our breath becomes slow and steady,

Our mind becomes slow and steady.

Notice the feeling of the breath as it goes in and out of your nostrils.

Notice the cool feeling as you breathe in.

Follow that feeling into your nose,

Your sinuses,

Your throat and into your lungs,

Letting your breath get longer,

Deeper and slower.

Take this long,

Slow inhalation followed by a long and slow exhalation.

Notice the slight pause after the exhale.

Keep breathing slowly,

Deeply and evenly.

Now place your Sankalpa,

Your decision or resolution.

With the Sankalpa you will change your personality or the direction of your life in a positive way.

This seed that penetrates from the subconscious into the conscious makes everything in life possible.

Let your resolution form in your mind and repeat your Sankalpa three times full of trust and confidence.

This resolution is like a seed that you plant in well-prepared soil.

What you set out to do in this way will materialize in your life.

We will now begin a journey of sensory awareness through the body.

Shift your awareness to those parts of your body that you hear.

Repeat the name of your body part silently in your head and feel this part of your body.

There's no need to move.

You can also imagine to let your breath flow through this part of your body.

We start on the right.

Right thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Palm,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Right side of the chest,

Waist,

Hip and groin,

Thigh,

Knee,

Knee,

Knee pit,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

The whole right side.

Feel your whole right side.

Then move your awareness to the left.

Left thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

And fifth finger,

Palm,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Side of the chest,

Waist,

Groin,

Thigh,

Knee,

Knee pit,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And fifth toe,

The whole left side.

Feel the entire left side.

Then move your awareness to the back of your body.

Right heel,

Left heel,

Right calf,

Left calf,

Right knee pit,

Left knee pit,

Right thigh,

Left thigh,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back.

Feel the entire spine.

Feel your entire spine.

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Neck,

Back of the head,

Top of the head,

The whole back of your body,

The whole back of your body.

Then move your awareness to the front of your body,

Your forehead,

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

The center point between the eyebrows,

The center point between the eyebrows,

Your right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Nose,

Tip of the nose,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Both lips together,

Chin,

Jaw,

Your neck,

Right clavicle,

Left clavicle,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Upper abdomen,

Navel,

Lower abdomen,

Right groin,

Left groin,

The pelvic floor,

The whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

Both legs legs together,

The whole right arm,

The whole left arm,

Both arms together,

The whole back,

The belly,

The chest,

The whole upper body,

The whole face,

The whole head,

The whole body,

The whole body,

The whole body,

The whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

Both legs together,

The whole right arm,

The whole left arm,

Both arms together,

The whole back,

The belly,

The chest,

The whole upper body,

The whole face,

The whole head,

The whole body,

The whole body,

The whole body,

The whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

Both legs together,

The whole right arm,

The whole left arm,

Both arms together,

The whole back,

The belly,

The chest,

The whole upper body,

The whole face,

The whole head,

The whole body,

The whole body,

The whole body.

Please stay awake and present.

Notice your natural breath.

Watch it flow in and flow out.

Just let your breath flow without interfering.

The breath moves from the navel to the throat with the inhalation and from the throat to the navel with the exhalation.

Follow this path of breathing and become aware of how the breath moves through the whole body.

You can feel your navel rising and falling.

Observe the path of the breath between the navel and the throat.

To deepen your perception you can use a mantra,

Either the mantra OM with each exhalation or the mantra SO HAM.

You can both choose the right one for you for this practice and repeat your mantra silently in your head.

The mantra SO HAM sounds so when inhaling and HAM when exhaling.

As the breath rises from the navel to the throat,

Say SO quietly in your head and as the breath retreats from the throat down to the navel,

Say HAM quietly in your head.

If you use the mantra OM,

Breathe in silently and with the exhale say the mantra OM on the exhale.

Stay awake and keep saying your mantra quietly,

Watching the breath.

Now move your awareness up to your nose.

Let the breath move through the nostrils up to the root of your nose and let it converge in a triangle.

Let the breath flow into both nostrils,

And from there it moves up towards the center of the eyebrows.

Let your breath form a triangle,

And then exhale the warm air back through both nostrils.

Breathing in along the sides of the triangle up to the center and breathing out following the sides of the triangle through both nostrils.

Keep breathing in this way.

Then focus your attention on each nostril separately.

Feel the air flow in through the right nostril and flow out through the right nostril as warm air.

Then consciously let air flow in through the left nostril and again out through the left.

Observe the two streams of air individually.

Feel how the breath flows towards your eyebrow center from both sides.

Feel the temperature of the breath moving your attention from one nostril to the other.

Observe the difference between the inhalation and the exhalation.

In yoga the flow of breath in the right nostril is called pingala,

The sun power and activating energy.

The flow of breath in the left nostril is called ida,

Which represents the lunar power,

The regenerating energy.

Pingala is warmer,

Ida is cooler.

Keep your attention on the breath.

Imagine breathing through both nostrils alternately.

We will start with the left nostril.

Inhale cool air through the left nostril and exhale warm air through the right nostril.

Then breathe in through the right nostril and out through the left.

Still breathing along the sides of the triangle alternating left and right.

Breathe in again through the left and exhale through the right.

Stay awake and mindful.

We will now start counting the breath backwards.

Starting again on the left,

Inhale through the left nostril count 108,

Exhale through the right 108,

Inhale through the right 107 and exhale through the left 107,

Inhale through the left 106,

Exhale through the right 106,

Inhale back through the right 105 and exhale through the left 105.

Continue until you reach one.

Stop counting no matter what number you got to.

Breathe in and out through both nostrils.

Relax your breath,

Relax your mind,

But stay awake and present.

Keep breathing normally and focus on the space in front of your closed eyelids.

Imagine a transparent screen in front of you as if you were at the cinema.

The screen is as tall and as wide as your eyes can see.

Imagine you are walking in a colorful autumn forest.

You are dressed pleasantly warm and the air smells fresh and damp.

Your path is covered with crunching brown,

Red and yellow leaves that spread out in front of you.

The autumn sun warmly illuminates your path and the colorful foliage of the forest spreading out like a soft carpet.

A light,

Mild wind blows around your nose.

The trees gently let go of their leaves which slide to the ground,

Circling and whirling.

The trees withdraw their energy and give a part of themselves back to the earth.

The tree conserves its strength in autumn and winter in order to recreate itself in spring.

When we let go,

We create space and strength for rebirth.

You continue on your colorful autumn path and see the play of colors in the foliage.

Your eyes wander to the forest floor which is now completely covered with leaves.

It smells slightly musty and damp.

Many leaves have almost become earth again.

They will wait during the long nights for something new to emerge from them.

The forest floor becomes heavy and dense while the trees become thinner and lighter.

A gust of wind shakes a tree that shades red and brown leaves.

Autumn is the time to retreat and let go,

Giving away what we do not want or do not want to carry and nourish over the winter.

Enjoy this moment of letting go and shedding weight off of you.

Use your breath to let go.

On the exhale,

Take in a deep breath in,

Light,

Clear air.

And on the exhale,

Exhale everything you don't need any longer.

Inhale cool,

Clear air.

Exhale warm,

Used air.

Everything you want to let go of leaves with the breath,

Leaves on the exhale.

Feel your belly button rise and fall.

Keep letting go on the exhale.

With each exhale,

You might name a thing or two you want to let go of.

Let your breath flow deeper into the lower abdomen and into the pelvic floor.

Feel how the pelvic floor lowers with the inhalation and rises again with the exhalation.

Still feel the letting go on the exhalation.

As you inhale,

Feel the slight pressure against the pelvic floor.

And as you exhale,

Feel the relaxation and emptiness.

Your root chakra is located in the area of the pelvic floor.

The chakras are energy centers or energy vortices in your body.

This is where the psychic energies and aspects of yourself are bundled.

Your root chakra represents rootedness in the here and now.

Feel the pelvic floor area and imagine earth.

You can smell the loamy earth of that forest.

The earth strengthens your basic trust.

Stay with the breath and lift your breath up to the level of the lower abdomen.

The Svadhisthana chakra is located roughly midway between the pubic bone and the navel.

This energy vortex represents your creativity and sexuality.

For us women,

This is the center of our fertility,

The uterus.

Feel the area in front of the lumbar spine and imagine water.

Taste clear,

Fresh water.

Water gives life and vitality.

Bring the awareness of your breath to your belly button.

Here lies the Manipura chakra,

The center of your psychic power and strength.

Western medicine refers to the ring-like plexus of ganglia that is slightly higher up in front of the spine as the solar plexus.

This is where your fire sits.

You see fire burning burning in front of your mind's eye.

Allow your breath to flow higher to your heart.

Here the psychic centers connect above and below your heart in the Anahata chakra.

Here is the seed of your higher self,

Your soul.

Here are your feelings such as love,

Joy and contentment.

The element of air is associated with the heart chakra.

You feel pleasantly warm air on your skin and play around your fingers and feet.

Now take a deep breath.

Feel the air around your larynx.

Relax your throat on the exhale and feel your Vishuddha chakra.

This is where your thoughts materialize and become sound.

Your words become communication.

This is where you get in touch with your community.

Imagine a wide space that can be filled with sounds.

Move your attention,

Move your breath up to the center of your thoughts behind your forehead.

The Ajna chakra is our control center.

It determines our thoughts and intellect.

It also opens up our subtle and spiritual perception.

Here is the third eye,

The ability to recognize that we are all connected and that our thoughts are not our spirit.

Notice your thoughts or the stillness and absence of thoughts.

Here sits the observer and the mantra OM.

Now let your attention wander to the top of your head.

Here or a little above sits your Sahasrara chakra,

The crown chakra.

Connects you to the divine.

It allows you to experience the connection of all things to you.

It helps you overcome your ego and think big.

Through conscious relaxation and meditation,

Your crown chakra is strengthened like you're doing right now.

Allow your breath to sweep up and down your spine a few more times.

Connect to the top of your head with the inhalation and down to the pelvic floor with the exhalation.

Breathe in to the crown,

Breathe out to the bottom of your pelvis.

Feel how the energy circulates through your body.

Breathe in again to the top of your head and breathe out all the way to the bottom of your pelvis.

Now let's begin visualizing certain scenes.

The visualization of certain scenes helps you clean your subconscious from certain elements.

This is called burning of samskaras.

Be aware and open-minded.

The key to visualization is to relax and just let the image arise.

The sun shines over you,

Birdsong,

A flower,

Buzzing bees,

Tall coconut tree,

A dense lush forest,

Cool clear water,

Warm sun on your skin,

A relaxing afternoon,

Animals playing in a cool bubbling brook,

Warm humid air,

Laughing with friends,

A warm hug,

Blooming flowers,

A colorful sunset,

Ripe fruits on a tree,

A warm summer rain,

A cat relaxing in the shade,

A beautiful garden path,

A great field of golden grain,

Your favorite song,

The sound of my voice,

Your body lying on the floor.

Now remember your purpose,

Your sankalpa.

Repeat the resolution of the beginning of the practice three times in your head.

Now listen to your breath.

Breathe in and out loudly through your nose,

Reconnecting with your outside world through your breath.

Feel your body lying relaxed and refreshed on the floor.

Feel into your feet and move your feet gently.

Feel into your pelvis and slightly rock your hips left and right,

Maybe back and forth.

Feel the back of your head resting and move your head gently left and right to the sides and feel your hands,

Arms and shoulders and move them around gently.

Then wake up your whole body.

Take in three deep breaths in and out,

Deep breath in and out.

One more time,

Deep breath in and let go.

Once you're ready,

Open your eyes and lift yourself back up.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

Reviews

Une très bonne pratique à mon réveil. Je me sens détendue et prête pour la journée. Merci 🙏✨

This wa a compelling experience, taking me to a deep level of quiet and calm relaxation. Thank you.

Beautiful! The breathing sequences were very relaxing, particularly, the chakra sequence. I will definitely revisit this meditation. Thank you very much!

𝚂𝚞𝚛𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚣𝚒𝚗𝚐! 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛’𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚠 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎. 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎. ♥︎
𝙸𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚠 -- 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝. 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚢 𝙻𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝙲𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚍 𝚜𝚢𝚖𝚙𝚝𝚘𝚖𝚜. 𝙸 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜.