Yoga Nidra - Visualization
In Yoga Nidra, we can delve deeper into relaxation by visualizing images. We name concepts we imagine, like a peaceful sunset or a lush meadow of flowers. But the magic lies in the fact that our subconscious chooses the specifics. Our conscious mind is on autopilot, allowing us to process and let go of negative thoughts and memories - a practice called "burning samskaras". Through gradual practice, we can become aware of and overcome these hindrances to our positive growth. You may not even notice the transformation happening, until one day you realize how much your values have shifted. Yoga Nidra is a tool to help us on this spiritual journey.
Transcript
During Yoga Nidra we can use certain methods to relax further.
One of them is the visualization of images.
This involves naming certain concepts that you imagine or visualize while you are completely relaxed.
For example a sunset or a meadow of flowers.
How exactly this sunset looks like and which environment you imagine it in is decided by your subconscious.
Since the sequence of images is quite fast,
You are hardly given time to consciously decide on a particular moment or memory from your life.
Your subconscious mind decides.
Your mind is literally an autopilot.
This creates the opportunity to subconsciously process,
Clean up and get rid of what is there.
You are not even aware of it.
This is called burning samskaras.
Sometimes these memories or tendencies stand in the way of a positive unfolding of our self.
By becoming aware of these unconscious thoughts,
We can overcome them.
However,
This happens gradually and each practice takes you a little further.
Most likely you will not even notice the process but suddenly realize that you value something completely differently than you did a year ago.
Maybe Yoga Nidra helped you with that.
Welcome to your practice of Yoga Nidra.
Be undisturbed during this practice and silence your phone.
Lie on a stable surface with a neutral spine and cover yourself with a light sheet or blanket.
Lie comfortably on your back.
Make sure your head is also positioned in a neutral position.
Place your arms at the sides of your body with your palms facing up.
The fingertips point towards the ceiling.
The legs are stretched out.
Relax and let your legs fall outwards.
Remain still and relaxed during Yoga Nidra so that both your mind and your body can fully relax.
However,
If you feel uncomfortable,
You can change your position at any time.
If you're pregnant,
Lie down in a comfortable side position and support your body with pillows where you need it.
Allow your eyes to close now and keep them closed until the practice is finished.
You may place a sheet or small pillow over your eyes if you wished.
Yoga Nidra is a dynamic sleep on the threshold between waking and sleeping.
We involuntarily touch the subconscious and unconscious dimensions.
We train with it the letting go of tensions and over-tensions up to the dissolution of all tensions.
Emotional tensions,
Suppressed feelings and emotions are loosened and the emotional structure is calmed down.
Yoga Nidra refreshes the body and the mind.
It relaxes and rejuvenates you.
To create a peaceful world,
We must first learn to relax and bring body and mind into harmony.
Stay awake and present by listening to the sound of my voice.
I will ask you to direct your consciousness through your body.
Stay completely relaxed while doing this.
Look at everything that is happening consciously and without bias.
Breathe in deeply,
Tense your body a little,
Then exhale deeply and let go completely.
Inhale deeply again,
A little tension in your body,
Then exhale and release all tension.
Again,
Breathe in deeply,
Tense your body a little,
And then exhale deeply and let go completely.
Sink deeper with your whole body.
You don't have to move now.
Let your eyeballs get heavy,
Eyeballs getting heavier.
Relax your eyelid and the whole area around your eyes.
Let your whole face become soft,
Your forehead,
Your nose,
Lips,
Ears and neck.
Feel your body,
Feel your heels heavy on the support and let your heels sink deeply as you exhale.
Feel your sacrum heavy on the mat and let your sacrum sink deeper into the surface as you exhale.
Feel the back of your head getting heavier on the mat.
Exhale deeply and let the back of your head sink deeply into the mat.
Your body and mind are now completely relaxed.
Now set your Sankalpa.
With your Sankalpa you will change your personality or the direction of your life in a positive way.
Stay with your Sankalpa and do not change it.
This is how it can manifest in your life.
Now say your resolution to yourself silently three times with confidence and firm conviction.
You are aware that you are now doing Yoga Nidra.
Stay awake throughout the practice and follow the instructions of my voice.
We will now begin a journey of sensory awareness through the body.
You will bring your awareness to different parts of your body as you hear them.
Please repeat the name of the part of your body silently in your mind each time.
Feel that part of your body but do not move.
You can also imagine letting the breath flow through that part of your body.
We start on the right side.
Right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Your right pinky finger.
Palm.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Right upper arm.
Right shoulder.
And armpit.
Side of the right chest.
Waist.
Hip.
Groin.
Thigh.
Right knee.
And knee pit.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Heel.
The sole of the foot.
The top of your right foot.
Your right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And your right pinky toe.
Feel into your whole right side.
The whole right side.
And let's move to the left.
Your left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
And the left pinky finger.
Your palm.
Back of the hand.
Left wrist.
Forearm.
And elbow.
Your upper arm.
And left shoulder.
Armpit.
And side of the chest.
Your waist.
Your hip.
Groin.
And thigh.
Left knee.
And knee pit.
Lower leg.
Ankle.
Your heel.
And sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
And your left big toe.
The second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And your left pinky toe.
Now feel your whole left side.
Feel into your whole left side.
Now go to the back of your body.
Feel your right heel.
Your left heel.
Right calf.
Left calf.
Right knee pit.
Left knee pit.
Right thigh.
Left thigh.
Right buttock.
Left buttock.
Your lower back.
Middle back.
And upper back.
Feel the entire spine.
The entire spine.
The right shoulder blade.
The left shoulder blade.
Your neck.
The back of your head.
The top of your head.
Feel into the whole back of your body.
The whole back of your body.
Now come to the front.
Your forehead.
Right temple.
Left temple.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
The centre point between the eyebrows.
The centre point between the eyebrows.
Your right eyelid.
Your left eyelid.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Right nostril.
And the left nostril.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Nose.
Tip of the nose.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Both lips together.
Your chin and jaw.
Neck.
Right clavicle.
Left clavicle.
The right side of your chest.
The left side of your chest.
Upper abdomen.
Navel.
Lower abdomen.
Right groin.
Left groin.
The pelvic floor.
Feel into your whole right leg.
The whole left leg.
Both legs together.
The whole right arm.
The whole left arm.
And 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.
Feel into your 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 alert.
Now direct your attention to the movement of your navel.
With each breath your belly button gently rises and falls.
Feel the expansion with the inhalation and the contraction with the exhalation.
Concentrate on this movement that is created by the breath.
Now begin to count the breath backwards.
Start at 27.
Count 27 in as the belly button rises.
Count 27 out as the belly button lowers.
Count 26 in on the next inhalation.
And count 26 out on the next exhalation.
Continue counting mentally until you reach one.
Concentrate on your counting.
If you lose count,
Just start again at the beginning at 27.
Begin now.
In a few minutes I will gently bring you back from your meditation.
Stop counting now.
Focus on the space in front of your closed eyelids.
Imagine a transparent screen in front of you,
As if you were in a movie theater.
The screen is as high and as wide as your eyes can see.
Concentrate on this thought screen and become aware of all the phenomena that manifest upon it.
Colors,
Patterns and light.
Whatever you see is the manifesting state of your mind.
Continue your awareness of this space,
But do not influence it.
Practice detached awareness.
When subtle images appear,
Simply notice them without directing the images.
When thoughts arise,
Let them come and go.
Simply continue to observe the dark space.
Continue with detached awareness.
Stay awake and now intensify your awareness.
You now visualize something specific.
As soon as you hear a term,
Imagine it or visualize it on your mind screen.
Be aware and unbiased.
The key to visualization is to relax and just let the image rise.
Flickering light.
A large flowering cherry tree.
A large fir tree.
A moving car.
Colored clouds in the sky.
Yellow clouds.
Gray clouds.
Pink clouds.
Foggy morning.
Sunshine in the fresh air.
Starry night.
Moonlit night.
Full moon.
Laughing with friends.
A warm hug.
Cleaning cat.
Galloping horse.
Rising sun.
Setting sun.
Ocean waves.
Cool,
Clear water.
Waiting for results.
Getting help from others.
Making appointment.
Meditating Buddha.
Sandy beach.
Sailboat.
Barbecue place.
Smoke from a chimney.
Cold winter.
Light in a house.
Daybreak.
Temple bells ringing.
Meditating yogi.
Resting Buddha.
Wide clouds.
Calm sea.
Dense jungle near the sea.
Animals living peacefully together.
Cobras.
Lions.
And goats.
See yourself in this jungle.
And hear the mantra OM.
Listen to the mantra OM.
Remember your resolution.
Your sankalpa.
Say your resolution three times in your mind.
With confidence and firm conviction.
Now come back to the feeling of your breath.
Your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.
Maintain awareness of your breath.
While developing awareness of your physical body.
Your body is relaxed.
And lying on the floor.
Feel your skin.
And the clothes.
And pillow or blanket that are touching you.
Enjoy the heaviness of your body.
As it rests on the floor.
And direct your awareness to all the points that touch the floor.
The back of your heels.
The hands.
Thighs.
Buttocks.
The back and shoulder blades.
Arms.
Elbows.
Hands and the back of your head.
Do not open your eyes yet.
But visualize the space surrounding you.
Imagine where you are in the room.
And what other objects are positioned around you.
Remain still until you feel ready to move.
Then begin by moving your hands and feet slowly.
Take your time.
There is no rush.
When you are sure that you are fully awake.
Gently open your eyes.
Then please roll onto your right side.
Stay here for a few breaths.
Settle yourself.
In the here and now.
Then push yourself up from the floor.
With your hands.
And let your head come up last.
The practice of Yoganidra is now complete.
