by Kara
Yoga Nidra or Yogic Sleep is a beautiful way to get into a deep meditative state. Yoga Nidra meditations can help you find clarity and relaxation while assisting the brain to achieve a state of rest while being awake.
Transcript
Welcome to this Yoga Nidra, This journey to and through yogic sleep. My name is Cara, And I will be guiding you through this meditation. Please lie down in Shavasana. And make yourself as comfortable as possible. Your legs can be extended with the feet falling to the sides in relaxation. Or your knees can be bent, Turning inward to rest upon one another in a constructive rest. Let your eyes grow heavy and close. Arms can rest at your sides comfortably. Take a few deep cleansing breaths with long, Slow exhales so you can settle into your position of rest. My voice will be your guide into this meditative state. I encourage you to stay mentally alert during this practice while welcoming relaxation and rest into your body. Don't overly concentrate on anything other than what I'm guiding your mind to. There is nothing else to do. But listen to the sound of my voice. Allow your mind to become aware of what your senses are experiencing. Tune into sound. Sensation. Smell. And taste. Observe without latching on to any one sensation. Just notice. Feel the support of the Earth beneath you. Think of the earth's support as an invitation to let go a little bit more in the body and allow yourself to deeply relax into this support. The earth cradles you like a baby. Listen to the ambient noise in the room. As you settle in. Perhaps you can even hear your own breath flowing gently in and out. Take the next few moments to set an intention to stay still throughout this meditative practice. I invite you to set a sand caliper. A resolve, A deeper intention. To cultivate something for your life. Think about what you would like to manifest during this practice. It can be a simple word like peace. It could be a phrase or an affirmation. Such as I share my peace with others. Take this moment now to set your Sancalpa. In this yoga nidra, I will lead your awareness to different parts of the body. As I guide you, Silently repeat to yourself the part of the body that I have guided your mind to. And then. . . Focus your mind on that part. Give each body part your full mental awareness. There is no need to move the body parts. Let your consciousness be guided by my voice. Draw your awareness to your heart center. Notice any feelings that arise from bringing your awareness to your heart. Be aware of your heart beating. That your heart is an energetic, Life-giving source in your body. Warm energetic waves emanate from your heart. Feel a sense of gratitude for the work your heart does for you. Your heart and heart chakra are balanced. Ready to give and receive love. Experience any sensations that arise from this awareness. Now bring your awareness to your right hand thumb. Notice the index finger. The right middle finger. Awareness moves to your right ring finger. And pinky finger. The top of the right hand. The palm of the right hand. Experience sensation in the entire right hand. Shift your awareness to the right forearm. The right elbow. Let go in the upper arm. And feel sensation in the right shoulder. The whole right arm is tranquil. Your energy, Your prana flows through the entire right arm. Shift your attention to the right side of the chest. Allowing the heart to open and relax. Observe the right abdominals, The right side of the pelvis, Hip, And glutes. The right thigh is at ease. The right knee. And the right lower leg. Ankle, Top of the right foot. Feel the bottom of the right foot. Notice the right big toe. The second toe. Third toe. Fourth toe, And fifth toe. Be aware of sensation in the entire right leg. The right leg is fully relaxed and heavy, Sinking into the support of the earth. Move your awareness to the left, Big Toe. The left second toe. Third toe. Fourth toe, And the left fifth toe. Be aware of the top of the left foot. The bottom of the left foot. Left ankle. Left low leg. Have awareness of the left knee. Releasing any tension through the left thigh. Notice and feel your entire left leg alive and carefree. Breath gently flows in and out again and again. Shift your awareness to your root chakra at the base of the spine. It grounds you and roots you to the earth. Shift that focus to the left hip. Left glute. And left side of the pelvis. All clear of tension. Be aware of the low abdomen. Harnessing your sacral chakras' creative energy. It is full of possibility and abundance. Notice the left side of the abdominals. Shift focus to the wisdom of the solar plexus chakra, Right above the belly button. It guides you to be your authentic self and to your purpose. Notice the left side of the chest. The softness of the heart center. The entire back and torso. Are engulfed in tranquility. Shift your consciousness. To your left shoulder. Let go through the left upper arm. Elbow. Left forearm heavy with relaxation. Noticing the left palm. The left top of hand. The left thumb. Index finger. Middle finger. Ring finger, And pinky finger. Become aware of the whole left arm. Still. Cocooned in comfort. Your breath is rhythmic. Your body soft and floating. Your focus shifts to your throat. Your throat is home to your throat chakra. Which allows you to speak your truth. Shift that focus to your jaw. Relax. As the face softens. The eyes, Both heavy in their sockets. Tension melts away from the brows and your forehead smooths. Focus on the third eye. The point between the brows. The energy center of awareness and intuition. Your awareness transcends time and space. The third eye chakra allows you to perceive levels of consciousness. Prana flows in and out of your third eye. Move your attention to the crown of your head. To your crown chakra, Which is the bridge to the cosmos. You are connected to a deeper understanding of all and of the self. Feel and notice sensation in the entire body. Experience the entire body. You are relaxed. Tingling. Floating. And full of sensation. Your entire body glows with peaceful energy, Honesty, And freedom. Observe your breath. It's soft. It's happening without you putting any effort into it. Your breath is rhythmic. Undulating like ocean waves softly rolling in and out to sea. Or rhythmic like a pendulum. Swinging back and forth. Never stopping. It's hypnotizing. Your breath has a distinct pattern. A certain depth. And texture. Each exhale makes room for the next inhale. Be aware of all the breath has to show you. In house. Exhales. And those pauses in between. It's in these stillnesses that we grow. Begin to count down from 25. Counting each inhale and exhale as one number. Inhale, 25. Exhale, 25. Inhale, 24. Exhale, 24. If you lose your place or get to zero, Begin again at 25. Return your awareness back to your body. Make your body be as heavy as possible. With each exhale, Your body grows heavier. As if your clothes are weighed down by stone. Now let your body feel as light as possible. It floats in the air like a cloud in a light blue sky. You are completely weightless. Shift from weightless to feeling warm. Comforting, Cozy warmth. As your temperature rises and it turns into heat. Imagine now that you are cooling down. Your body cools down from your core until you are icy cold. Return to a comfortable body temperature. And then let your mind shift to a time when you felt sorrow. Recall that moment and experience the feeling. Shift your mind now to a time when you felt joy. Experience. What it's like to feel joy. Recall that emotion. You find yourself walking an inviting path through a lush, Green forest. The trees are thick and lush. So you cannot see very far into the woods. All the surrounding plants on the path are the most vibrant forest green you have ever seen. Mixed in are flowers and ferns of the most vivid colors, Bright emerald green and bright reds. The path appears as if it's been traveled many times. As the grass is worn away. Leaving no doubt what direction the path is heading. Confident. You walk the path. And are excited for an adventure. As the path starts to head uphill. You feel intrigued as to where this well-worn path is taking you. The air is comfortably warm and fresh. There is a cool breeze. As you notice, You're climbing higher and higher into this forest. You realize this path is some sort of mountain trail. Curious, You continue the climb. Soon, You see beams of sunlight breaking through the trees. As the path opens up at the top of a mountain. There is a gap in the trees, Revealing a spectacular overlook out into a valley. You are a safe distance from the edge of a tremendous cliff. This view allows you to see a waterfall cascading down the mountain. And the beautiful valley below. It is a gorgeous day. The sun is shining and warm. There's a soft breeze keeping you comfortable. No one else is around. Suddenly, You look down and see a bird's nest. In the nest. Is a folded piece of paper. Underneath a smooth stone. The stone is preventing it from blowing away in the wind. Curious. You kneel next to the nest and pick up the piece of paper. It has your name on it. As you feel the warm sun touch your face. You unfold the paper and read the message inside. It's a message to you from the universe. Only you can see this message. And only you understand its meaning. You feel a sense of contentment. As you watch the waterfall cascading down the mountain. It is now time to remind yourself of your Sankalpa. The intention you set at the beginning of this journey. Silently repeat your sankalpa to yourself three times with intention. Become aware of your whole body lying in Shavasana. As if you were looking down on yourself from above. Notice yourself as you are right now in this very moment. Allow yourself to receive and feel at peace. Experience this piece. Shift your focus to the room around you. Slowly inviting yourself out of your journey and back to the world. Invite small movements back into the body. Nod your head side to side. Take a full body stretch. Eventually turn to the fetal position and come to a seat when you're ready. Thank you for letting me be your guide in this yoga nidra practice. Namaste.
