Ocean Yoga Nidra

This practice is a Yoga Nidra that guides you through setting an intention, body scan, breathing, dualities, visualization, and a special ocean journey to enhance flow and letting go of what no longer serves you.
- Recorded in class

Transcript

Come into a relaxing position,

Reclining on the floor or bed.

Place bolsters or pillows under your knees and a support under the head if needed.

Notice how your body feels draped along the ground and feel if there are any places that are tense or unwilling to relax.

If you find any,

Direct your breath into those areas so they soften and release.

Inhale into the tense areas and as you exhale,

Imagine them sinking into the support of the floor.

The practice of yoga nidra connects you to your deepest ability to rest and rejuvenate yourself.

You will be guided to the space that lies between being asleep and awake,

Where you can most easily connect to your witness consciousness.

The witness is that part of your awareness that observes what happens in the body,

In the mind,

And in the emotional state.

If you have pain in your body,

The witness observes how it affects the body without holding.

If you have mental stress,

The witness watches how it ties you up in mental knots and circular thoughts.

If you have intense emotions,

The witness watches them arise and fall without judgment or blame.

Think of accessing the witness as a way to release pain,

Untie the knots,

And stop the chattering of the mind,

Even if only temporarily.

Try to stay awake during the practice by listening to the instructions.

Follow them as well as you can,

And if you do drift off to sleep,

Do not worry.

Simply return to the instructions and stay relaxed.

Take a few more moments to deepen your level of relaxation.

It is not difficult to do even when you are awake.

Sink into the sensations of the body as you rest on the floor.

Feel the body being supported by the floor and notice where you are touching the floor.

Then begin to feel the breath flow in and out of your nostrils.

Slowly breathe in and slowly breathe out.

Can you feel the flow of your breath throughout your body as well?

Like waves moving in and out of the shore,

The breath moves in and out of your body.

Listen for the subtle sounds that the breath makes as it moves in and goes out through the nose.

It sounds like when you hold a shell up to your ear,

You can hear a gentle oceanic sound as the breath moves in and out.

Without amplifying the sound,

Bring your point of focus to the feeling and sound of your breath.

Allow your intention or resolve to bubble up from your deepest wish for transformation and healing.

Be sure that the statement is positively stated and in the present tense and something that you will remember.

Repeat it silently three times.

Also say to yourself,

I am practicing yoga nidra,

I am awake and relaxed.

You will now begin the rotation of consciousness.

Move your awareness throughout different parts of your body as soon as you hear the name.

The awareness will jump from place to place.

Say the name of the part to yourself after you hear it and at the same time become aware of only that part.

Stay alert without too much concentration.

The practice will begin with the feet.

Feel the soles of both feet.

Your heels.

Your arches.

And all ten toes.

Move awareness up to your ankles.

Your calves.

Shins.

Front of your knee.

Back of your knee.

Insides of the knees.

Outside of the knees.

Fronts of your thighs.

Inner thighs.

Backs of the thighs.

Outer thighs.

Feel your hips.

Buttocks.

Groins.

Your pelvic floor.

Notice your lower belly.

Sacrum.

Middle back.

Insides of the waist.

And upper abdomen.

Feel your rib cage,

Noticing how much space it takes up in your torso.

Feel the right side of your rib cage.

And the left side.

Feel the sternum.

Your entire spine.

The sides of your chest.

Armpits.

Joints of your shoulders.

Upper arms.

The inside of the upper arms.

Inner elbows.

Inner forearms.

Insides of the wrists.

Palms of your hands.

Thumbs.

Index fingers.

Middle fingers.

Ring fingers.

And little fingers.

Feel the backs of your hands.

Backs of the wrists.

Outside of your forearms.

Points of the elbows.

Outside of your upper arms.

Tops of the shoulders.

Other bones.

Right side of the neck.

Left side of the neck.

Front of the neck.

Jaw.

Chin.

Lower lip.

Upper lip.

Space between the lips.

Lower teeth.

Tongue.

Upper teeth.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Entire nose.

Right cheek.

Left cheek.

Right ear.

Left ear.

Inner ears.

Ear lobes.

Right eye.

Left eye.

Right eyelid.

Left eyelid.

Right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

Space between the eyebrows.

Right temple.

Left temple.

Forehead.

Crown of the head.

Feel now the whole right side of your body.

The whole left side of your body.

The front of your body.

The back of your body.

Your whole body.

Feel your entire body all at once.

Feel your entire body.

Remember that you are practicing yoga nidra and draw your attention to the outgoing breath.

Draw your attention to the natural,

Ingoing and outgoing breath.

Real breath going in and out of your lungs.

Do not try to change the rhythm.

The breathing is natural.

Automatic.

There is no effort.

Maintain awareness of your breath.

Continue.

Concentrate awareness of breath.

Now begin to concentrate awareness on the movements of your belly.

Concentrate on your belly movements.

Your belly is rising and falling slightly with every breath.

With each and every breath,

It expands and contracts.

Feel this movement in synchronization with your breath.

Imagine the space of the belly is as deep and relaxed as the bottom of the ocean.

The breath creates waves in the deep waters of the belly.

As you inhale,

Feel the breath originate from deep within the belly and travel upwards towards the chest.

Focus on the rising inhalations for a few moments longer.

Inhale from deep within the belly.

Observe the breath as it travels in a wave-like motion upwards in the torso towards the chest.

With each inhalation,

The breath travels a little further upwards.

Then notice as you exhale that the breath moves from the chest back down into the depths of the belly.

Exhale from belly to chest as if a wave were swelling and exhale from chest to belly as the wave subsides.

Continue feeling the movement of your belly and your chest with each and every breath.

Breathing in and breathing out.

We now come to the experience of dualities.

Allowing the breath to continue but do not concentrate on it.

Imagine the feeling of heaviness in the body.

The feeling of heaviness.

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

The arms heavy.

The legs heavy.

The head heavy.

The whole body is heavy.

You are feeling so heavy that you sink into the floor like a stone dropped into water.

The body is heavy and sinking like a stone.

Then awaken the opposite feeling,

One of lightness in the body.

The feeling of lightness.

Create the sensation of buoyancy in all parts of the body.

Your body feels so light that you seem to be floating away from the floor like a bubble.

The body is light.

The whole body is as light as a bubble rising towards the ceiling.

Return to the sensation of your body resting on the floor in peace and safety as you practice yoga nidra.

Imagine the sensation of dryness in the body.

Remember the feeling of dryness on your skin.

Your clothes are dry.

Your hair is dry.

Your whole body is dry.

Does this feeling of dryness permeate into your body as a sensation of being dehydrated?

Feel the body dry.

The whole body is dry.

Now awaken the opposite experience,

One of moisture in the body.

The experience of moisture and wetness.

Imagine water on your fingertips.

What would that feel like?

Remember the feeling you have when you are in the bath surrounded by water.

Imagine that wetness moving into the body as a sensation of internal hydration.

The body is wet.

The whole body wet.

Project your mind into 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,

As low or as high and as wide as you can see.

Watch the darkness.

Very carefully be totally aware but not involved.

Manifest your mind in this warm and friendly darkness.

Become aware of any images that manifest within the dark space,

As if you were watching a movie.

If you see colors or patterns,

Simply notice these and continue with your awareness.

Whatever you see is the manifestation of your subconscious mind.

If thoughts occur,

Let them come and go but continue watching the dark space.

There is no effort,

Simply awareness.

Staying detached and relaxed.

Now begin to visualize the following on your mental screen.

Imagine a deep still pool.

Torrential rain.

Ripples on the surface of water.

Snow-capped mountains.

A warm turquoise sea.

An orange flower.

Birds flying across a sunset.

Raging flood waters.

A golden spider web.

A meandering river.

Gentle rain on the windows.

A stormy sea.

A crying child.

A steamy hot tub.

A dog sleeping.

The smell of the ocean.

A yogi sitting in meditation.

Waves breaking on a deserted beach.

The eternal restless sea.

Mud puddles after a rainstorm.

Imagine that you are walking along a peaceful stream in a wooded glade.

You can hear the sound of water gurgling softly over the rocky streambed and feel the cool moisture in the air.

As you approach the water,

You smell the damp earth beneath your feet.

Walk to the edge of the running water and watch the movement you see there.

Eddies and ripples form around smooth stones.

Ice and twigs float along the surface as the water flows past.

You decide to take off your shoes and step into the shallow water.

The stream is cool on your feet and shins.

You feel the gentle pull of the current around your legs.

Imagine that the water in which you stand could wash away the things in your life now that are no longer serving you.

Old emotional patterns,

Grudges,

Habits of thought or behavior.

Allow the water to carry these burdens away from you so that you may develop more nurturing ways of being in the world.

Feeling free from these burdens,

Return to the edge of the stream and climb out onto the dry ground.

After replacing your shoes,

You begin walking along the flowing water as the course meanders along its path,

Around rocks,

And it collects in deep pools.

Watch as the water follows the path of least resistance.

Moving downwards towards the ocean,

You can hear the sound of the waves now and smell the salty marine air.

As you stand at the lovely secluded beach,

Hear the waves crashing onto the shore and watch the uprush of water come up the beach and the backwash of water recede into the oncoming waves.

Imagine moving toward the swash of the waves.

In the wet sand,

Use your finger to write a word that represents something you are ready to move beyond in your life.

A mental habit or emotional tendency that you have outgrown and are ready to relinquish.

For the next few moments,

Watch the surge of water dissolve the word you have written.

Each wave makes the word less and less distinct.

The waves return this quality back to the sea where it can be cleansed and absorbed by the limitless ocean.

As you envision the scene,

Know that this habit no longer has a hold over you.

You are free from this pattern and the water has cleansed it from your mind and body.

Then find a comfortable dry place to relax upon the sun warmed beach.

Allow your body to come into a restful reclining position and close the eyes.

Listen again to the sound of the waves.

Their endless motion reminds you of the ebb and flow of your life.

Sink into the knowledge that life is unfolding in sweetness and synchrony.

Allow your intention to bubble up again from the depths of your mind and repeat it silently three times.

Bring your attention to the natural breath that flows in and out of your nostrils.

Help awareness of your physical body.

Feel your body sinking down into the floor.

Remember that you are practicing yoga nidra and begin to imagine the surrounding room.

Are there other people or objects present?

Notice any sounds that you might be able to hear which will bring you more into the present moment.

Start moving your body very slowly.

Move your fingers and toes slowly.

Move your hands and feet slowly.

Turn your head slowly from side to side.

Take your time.

There is no hurry.

When you are sure that you are fully awake,

Open your eyes and allow the action of seeing to happen without focusing on anything.

Then rolling over to your side,

Staying on your side for a few moments.

Open your hands to press yourself up from the floor,

Allowing your head to come up last.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

Reviews

Wao! This was definitely wonderful! Thank you so much for all the wellness you share with us through these marvelous Yoga Nidras! Blessed you are!