Yoga Nidra - Yogic Sleep

This is a trauma informed approach to yoga nidra/yogic sleep. You are welcome to engage with this in a way that is useful for you and you can expect some guidance towards breath awareness, a body scan to build awareness of your body, imagery, and rest.

Transcript

This is a yoga nidra practice and yoga nidra just translates to mean yogic sleep.

So to practice yoga nidra you probably want to set aside about half an hour and you might want to lie on your back and perhaps create some support for your body.

You could bring perhaps a cushion or two under your knees,

Maybe something under your head and perhaps a blanket over your body but feel free to change any of the props to bring a little bit more comfort to your body.

So perhaps taking some time to set up your shape,

Your form,

Just creating any support for your body and as we go through the yoga nidra practice we'll aim to remain still throughout the practice just so that your brain has a chance to fully relax but if you become uncomfortable at all feel free to change your position and perhaps allowing your eyes to close and as we go through the practice we'll go through a state of consciousness so between wakefulness and sleeping but see if you can try to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice and you'll be asked to move your awareness to various bodily sensations and emotions and images and try not to concentrate too intensely as it might prevent you from relaxing but just guiding your awareness to each point of focus as I say it and during the meditation feel free to absorb what you need in the moment and leave anything else behind and if your mind becomes overactive with thoughts or worries just come back to the sound of my voice.

So just becoming aware of any sounds that you can hear in this moment so nothing else but what you can hear without strain.

Begin to focus on the most distant sounds that you can hear allowing your sense of hearing to radiate outward searching out for any distant sounds and just following them for a few moments and just moving your attention from sound to sound without labeling the source gradually bringing your attention to closer sounds to any sounds outside of this building to sounds inside of this building to sounds inside of this room without opening your eyes visualizing the four walls of this room and then the ceiling floor and 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 acutely aware of the existence of your physical body lying on the floor become aware of your natural breath becoming aware of your natural and spontaneous breath that moves in and out of your body without effort your natural breath perhaps flowing in through both nostrils and noticing the feeling of your breath as it comes in and out of your nostrils perhaps there is a sense of coolness as you inhale your breath maybe following this feeling into your nose your sinuses perhaps the back of your throat and then into your lungs and possibly noticing a sense of warmth as you exhale your breath maybe feeling the warmth on your upper lip as you breathe out observing your natural breath flowing through both nostrils during your inhalation and exhalation allow your breath to become longer and slower take a long slow inhalation followed by a longer slower exhalation make your exhale even slower perhaps notice the slight pause after your exhalation slow inhale even slower exhale and pause feel the urge to breathe in just bubbling up inside you and when you need to inhale feel free to do so taking a long slow inhale a longer slow exhale and then pause noticing where your body is neither breathing in or out and then continue to breathe in this way for a couple more rounds and eventually going back to the natural rhythm of your breath and releasing any control over your inhalation or exhalation and then finally just let go of your breath and let go of your breath and then releasing any control over your inhalation or exhalation just coming back to an easy breath for you now we'll start to move to our yoga nidra practice and as we prepare for our yoga nidra you might like to set a sankalpa or a resolve our sankalpa can be short a positive statement or language it might be just a few simple words maybe even a little affirmation and you might state your sankalpa clearly and with awareness three times just internally and when we think of sankalpa our intention we think it of something of as something that you already have so it's not like we're trying to get something from outside that might be separate or different from you but it's already a part of you so perhaps creating a little affirmation just a few simple words and perhaps framing it in the present tense and our sankalpa that we make during the yoga nidra practice plants a seed in your mind to bring about transformation and healing you might also like to say to yourself i'm practicing yoga nidra i am awake and relaxed i am practicing yoga nidra i am awake and relaxed we'll now begin a systematic journey of sensory awareness throughout your body and you're welcome to move your awareness to different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named and feel free to say the name of the part of yourself and feel that part of your body but don't move any areas of your body as best as you can remaining in stillness and the practice begins on the right side of your body bringing your awareness to your right hand thumb your second finger third finger fourth finger fifth finger palm of your hand back of your hand wrist forearm elbow upper arm shoulder armpit waist thigh knee calf ankle heel sole of your foot top of your 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 your hand back of your hand wrist forearm elbow upper arm shoulder armpit waist thigh knee calf ankle heel sole of your foot top of your foot left big toe second toe third toe fourth toe fifth toe now go to the back of your body right heel left heel right calf left calf right thigh left thigh right buttock left buttock lower back middle back upper back the entire spine your right shoulder blade your left shoulder blade back of your neck back of your head top of your head forehead right temple left temple right ear left ear right eyebrow left eyebrow middle of your eyebrows right eye left eye right nostril left nostril right cheek left cheek upper lip lower lip both lips together chin jaw throat right collar bone left collar bone right side of your chest left side of your chest upper abdomen navel lower abdomen right groin left groin your pelvic floor your whole right leg your whole left leg whole right arm whole left arm your whole face your whole head your whole torso your whole body your whole body your whole body now imagine your whole body becoming light as though your whole body could float away from the floor towards the ceiling your head is light and weightless your limbs are light and weightless your torso is light and weightless your whole body light and weightless now imagine your body becoming heavy feel the heaviness in all parts of your body each part becoming heavier and heavier and heavier your head is heavy your limbs are heavy your torso is heavy your whole body heavy now awaken the experience of cold in your body the experience of being cold imagine being outside in the winter without enough clothing and feeling the experience of being cold throughout your whole body now experience the sensation of warmth to spread throughout your entire body perhaps remembering a time when you've been out in the heat in the summer without enough shade and feeling that heat radiating onto your skin perhaps noticing warmth and heat and heat throughout your whole body now bringing your awareness to perhaps recollect the experience of anxiety perhaps intense anxiety and worry and feeling this stress in your mind and your body but don't concentrate on the source so perhaps creating the experience of anxiety as clearly as possible now allowing the feeling of complete calm to wash over you manifesting the experience of calm in your entire mind your body and emotions so being relaxed and aware and aware and completely calm inviting a sense of calm throughout your whole body your whole experience now begin to concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyelids imagining before you a transparent screen as though you were at the cinema and the screen is as high and as wide as your eyes can see concentrating on this mind screen and become aware of any phenomena that manifest within it so colors or patterns and light just whatever you see is the manifesting state of your mind and continue your awareness of this space but don't become involved so practicing detached awareness if any subtle images make themselves known simply notice them without directing the images and if thoughts occur let them come and go but continue watching the dark space and continue to observe with detached awareness now a number of different things will be named and you're welcome to envision them on the level of emotion or memory perhaps imagination as best as you can jumping from image to image as soon as you hear it red desert peacock feather a doctor's office a good night's rest full moon your reflection in a mirror in a mirror foggy morning waiting for results sun shining overhead a tall tree receiving help from others cool clear water making appointments a relaxing afternoon laughing with friends a warm embrace burning a candle a long flight a path in the woods vibrant sunset taking a deep breath cat stretching your favorite song the sound of my voice your body lying on the floor you're welcome to return to your sankalpa your intention for your practice and if you created a statement or a short affirmation you might like to repeat it to yourself internally three times here come back to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils maintaining your awareness of your breath and at the same time developing your awareness of your physical body your body relaxed and lying on the floor and feeling the container of your skin and the clothes and the props that are touching you notice the heaviness of your body as it rests on the floor or whatever support you might be using and take your awareness to all of the points of your body that are connected to the floor or to your support perhaps the back of your heels your thighs your buttocks shoulder blades arms hands and head just keeping your eyes closed here but visualizing the surrounding room in your mind's eye imagine where you are in the room and all of the other objects that are around you i'm just lying quietly here until you feel ready until you feel ready to move and when you do feel ready to start moving feel free to slowly start moving your hands and your feet taking your time and know that there's no hurry and when you are sure that you are fully awake you might like to gently blink your eyes open just taking in the the light noticing colors and shapes and textures you might like to bend your knees and perhaps slowly roll over to one side and just remaining on one side for a few moments becoming aware of your breath again and then whenever you feel ready you might like to slowly make your way up into a seated form feel free to take a moment for yourself just to thank your body for allowing you to practice in the way that you have and honoring all of the effort that you've put into your practice and this brings us to the end of our yoga nidra our yogic sleep

Reviews

Lovely practice, thank you.