Yoga Nidra: Summer Visualizations

Yoga Nidra is a practice of deep relaxation. It is a dynamic sleep in which physical, mental and emotional activity comes to rest. In this episode, following the extensive body scan, we visualise summer scenes to cultivate the vibrance and abundance of the summer energy. Visualisations serve our mental relaxation and clean our subconscious mind from hidden content.

Transcript

Welcome to your practice of Yoga Nidra.

Summer is the time where we absorb the energy of the sun.

The planet is nourishing itself and presenting its fruits and its beauty.

Or you see the night chased away by the light.

The cold by the warmth of the sun.

And scarcity is turned into abundance.

This practice is about cultivating the summer energy within ourselves.

A time of expansion and maturation.

Be undisturbed during your practice.

Relax and silence your phone.

Lie comfortably on your back with a neutral spine.

Make sure your head is also in a neutral position.

You might want to keep your knees slightly bent and supported by a cushion or rolled towel.

Make sure that you are staying warm enough throughout the practice.

Rest comfortably now.

Remain still during Yoga Nidra so that both your body and your mind can relax.

If you become uncomfortable,

Please feel free to change your position.

Allow your eyes to close now.

And keep them closed until the end of your practice.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is a practice of yogic sleep.

That will guide you to a state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping.

Try to remain awake and present by listening to the sound of my voice.

You will be asked to move your awareness to various physical sensations,

Emotions and images.

Try not to concentrate too intensely as this may prevent you from relaxing.

During this meditation,

Please use and absorb what you need in this moment and leave the rest behind.

If the mind becomes overactive with thoughts and worries,

Just come back to the sound of my voice.

Now relax and become aware of any sounds you can hear in this moment.

Only what you can hear without strain.

Begin by focusing on the most distant sounds that you can hear.

Let your sense of hearing radiate outward,

Searching out these distant sounds and following them for a few moments.

Move your attention from sound to sound without identifying the source or origin of the sound.

Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds.

To sounds outside this building.

To sounds inside this building.

To sounds inside your room.

Without opening your eyes,

Visualize the four walls of your room.

The ceiling.

The floor.

Your body lying on the floor.

Visualize your body lying on the floor.

The position of your body.

Your clothes.

Your hair.

Your face.

Become aware of the existence of your physical body lying on the floor.

Now become aware of your natural breath.

Become aware of your natural and spontaneous breath that moves in and out of your body without any effort.

The natural breath flows through both nostrils and flows out through the nose.

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

There is a sense of coolness as you inhale the breath.

Follow this feeling into your nose,

Your sinuses,

The back of your throat,

Into your lungs.

There is a sense of warmth as you exhale the breath.

Feel this warmth in your nose and your upper lip as you breathe out.

The natural breath flows through both nostrils during the inhale and the exhale.

Allow your breath to become longer and slower.

Take a long,

Slow inhale.

Followed by a longer,

Slower exhalation.

Make your exhale even slower.

Notice the slight pause after the exhale.

Slow inhale.

Even slower exhale.

Feel the urge to breathe in bubble up inside of you.

When you need to inhale,

Please do so.

Long,

Slow inhale.

Longer,

Slower exhale.

And then pause where the body is neither breathing in nor out.

Please continue breathing in this way.

Now go back to the natural,

Easy breath.

Releasing any control over the inhale or exhale.

Your practice of Yoga Nidra begins now.

At this moment you should make your Sankalpa or resolve.

The Sankalpa is a short,

Positive statement in simple language.

Try to discover one naturally now or use your own Sankalpa.

Please state your Sankalpa clearly and with awareness three times silently in your head.

The Sankalpa you make during Yoga Nidra plants a seed in the fertile soil of your mind.

It will bring transformation and healing.

Also say to yourself,

I am practicing Yoga Nidra.

I am awake and relaxed.

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

You will move your awareness to different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named.

Please say the name of the part of your body to yourself silently in your head.

And feel that part of your body but do not move.

You can imagine letting the breath flow through that part of your body.

The practice begins on the right side.

Right hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Fifth finger.

Palm of the right hand.

The back of the hand.

Right wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Right shoulder.

Your right armpit.

Side of the chest.

Waist.

And right hip.

Thigh.

Right knee.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sole of the right foot.

And top of the foot.

Right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

The fifth toe.

The whole right side.

Now come to the left.

Left hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Palm of the left hand.

Back of your hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Left shoulder.

Side of the chest.

Left waist.

Hip.

Thigh.

Knee.

Left ankle.

Heel.

Sole of the foot.

Top of the left foot.

Left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

And the whole left side.

Feel the whole left side.

Now go to the back of your body.

Right heel.

Left heel.

Right calf.

Left calf.

Right thigh.

Left thigh.

Right buttocks.

Left buttocks.

Lower back.

Middle of the back.

Upper back.

The entire spine.

Right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Right.

Back of the neck.

Back of the head.

And crown of the head.

Your forehead.

Right temple.

Left temple.

Right ear.

Left ear.

Right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

The center point between the eyebrows.

Your center point between your eyebrows.

Right eye.

Left eye.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Right cheek.

Left cheek.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Both lips together.

Your chin.

Jaw.

Throat.

Right collarbone.

Left collarbone.

Right side of the chest.

Left side of the chest.

Upper abdomen.

Navel.

Lower abdomen.

Right groin.

Left groin.

Your pelvic floor.

The whole right leg.

The whole left leg.

The whole right arm.

The whole left arm.

The whole face.

The whole head.

The whole upper body.

Your whole body.

Your whole body.

Your whole body.

Focus on the space in front of your closed eyelids.

Imagine a transparent screen as though you were at the movie theater.

The screen is as high and as wide as the eyes can see.

Concentrate on this mind screen.

Now a number of different summer images will be named.

Envision them on your mind screen.

Envision them on the level of emotion,

Memory and imagination as best as you can.

Jump from image to image as soon as you hear it named.

Sun shining overhead.

Birds singing.

A bouquet of flowers.

Bees buzzing.

Tall coconut tree.

A thick lush forest.

Cool clear water.

Warm sun on your skin.

A relaxing afternoon.

Animals playing in a fresh stream.

Warm damp air.

Laughing with friends.

A warm embrace.

Blossoming flowers.

A vibrant sunset.

Ripe fruits on a tree.

Warm summer rain.

A cat relaxing in the shade.

A beautiful garden path.

Large field of golden crops.

Your favorite song.

The sound of my voice.

Your body lying on the floor.

It is time to repeat your sankalpa.

Please repeat the same statement from the beginning of the practice three times silently in your head.

Then come back to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.

Maintain your awareness of your breath and at the same time develop your awareness of your physical body.

Your body is relaxed and lying on the floor.

Bathing in the warmth and energy of the summer.

Feel your skin and clothes touching you.

Notice the heaviness of your body as it rests on the floor.

Visualize yourself lying on the floor and what other objects are around you.

Now slowly move your hands and feet.

Take a few deep breaths in and out.

Deep breath in.

Breathe in the summer air.

Take the splendor and energy of the summer with you.

Now open your eyes and look around you.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.