Self Inquiry Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is a form of deep introspective relaxation. Also known as Yogic Sleep, Yoga Nidra can bring deep insights through calming certain aspects of the awareness, namely, the senses, the body, and the mind. Similar to that of a guided meditation, this Yoga Nidra is inspired by the Bihar School of Yoga's path of following the Koshas or subtle forms of the body. This particular Yoga Nidra features a rotation of consciousness and deeply introspective journey into your true Self and being.

Transcript

Welcome to this self-inquiry,

Niyogunidra,

Where I invite you to explore,

But not necessarily answer,

The question,

Who am I?

Put the senses continuously drawing our attention outwards,

Sometimes to the visual splendor or distress in the world around us,

To sounds that agitate us or make us feel relaxed,

To sensations of burning hot or frigid cold.

After too long,

We can become so engulfed in our sensory experiences.

Sometimes we forget what we truly are at a layer deeper than our immediate perception of the world.

By withdrawing the physical senses from the outside world,

We can tap into the infinite wisdom that already exists in the deeper layer of our inner world.

A world which we pass ever so quickly by as our schedule pushes us to sleep,

Just to arise and continue the next day.

Through the practice of Niyogunidra,

By isolating and exploring the space right before we fall asleep,

We are able to uncover the sources of so many of our waking thoughts and sensations.

Beginning to move towards a cockerel position,

Laying on your back if that's accessible to you,

Bringing the arms by your sides,

Palms up or down,

Depending on how your shoulders feel most comfortable.

Legs relaxed,

Feet gently falling outwards,

Finding a position that works for the body for the next 40 minutes,

Is important to take in the time now to adjust as needed.

Perhaps a pillow under your head,

Or a bolster or pillow under your knees to help the lower back.

Maybe a blanket over top of you to keep you warm and feeling safe throughout the practice,

Resolving to remain completely still during the practice.

The practice of Niyogunidra begins now.

I invite you to follow my voice.

You may drift in and out and even have periods where you don't hear me directly,

But know that you can come back to my voice.

If you notice that you fall asleep,

Gently guide the awareness back to my voice.

The invitation of this practice is to remain in a state of conscious awareness,

Guiding the layers of the body to sleep as you become aware of your inner deep consciousness,

Simply as it is,

Aware of the layer of consciousness that is deeply inside of you,

Unaffected by the external world around you.

Understanding what sort of inner dialogue is going on right now,

Giving light awareness to the inner dialogue that allows you to comfortably relax on deeper layers of the body.

What is the body asking for right now,

The sense of safety,

Attention to areas which may have been missed?

Or is the body simply asking for rest?

Trying to invite permission to rest the space of your physical body,

Relaxing even deeper,

Becoming aware of the sounds,

The sounds inside the room,

The sounds outside the room.

What is the furthest sound that you can hear?

Noticing any subtle changes in the awareness as you focus the sense of hearing further and further away from the body,

Expanding the awareness from immediate surroundings to further away from the body.

See if you can become aware of your body in the room just as it is now,

Imagining your body laying on the floor,

Allowing the inner vision of the mind and the imagination to see your body laying on the floor.

Now,

If it is accessible to you,

Inviting the awareness to zoom out further to perceive the body laying on the floor from the point of view of a bird in the sky.

Imagining one layer further,

You can imagine your body laying on the floor from the perspective of an airplane passing in the sky.

Noticing any subtle shifts in how the awareness changes as you focus the sense of your body further and further away,

Expanding the awareness from the immediate surroundings to further away from your body.

Gently and slowly inviting the awareness of sound and the feeling of your body back towards the body itself,

Filtering in towards the sound of the breath,

Being aware of the breath without changing it.

Imagining the body is hollow and with each inhale,

The body filling with new revitalizing energy.

With every exhale,

The body settling into the space created by the inhale.

Each inhale creating a soft expansion and each exhale relaxing into that newly created space.

Breathing here just as you are for a few moments.

With each inhale,

Receiving the ability to move forward on your journey.

With each exhale,

Relaxing with gratitude,

Thanking the breath.

Noticing any strong focus on the breath or focus on the thoughts relaxing your attention into the dark release of the eyelids over the eyes.

A sense of inward attention and focus to the inner operator or the witness moving from a sense of the awareness focusing on the mind to a sense of being guided.

By holding onto a rope to be guided along a path free from effort or planning or any expectations.

With this freedom from expectation,

We can set our intention for the practice.

Letting the intention be our guide.

Letting the intention come up naturally from a place of stillness and emptiness.

And I am statement.

Something that already exists inside of you that you intend to grow.

Some examples might include I am whole.

I am expanding.

I am evolving.

I am centered.

I am loved.

Or I am safe.

Once you have your senkalpa state hit internally three times.

Once we have set our intention for the practice,

We can now release it and move to the relaxation of the physical body.

The anamayakosha.

For this relaxation I will guide you through a rotation of consciousness where you will remain aware,

Keeping the focus on my voice.

Movement is not necessary.

Just bringing the internal awareness to each part of the body I mention.

Bringing the focus to the left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Gently guiding the awareness to the sole of the foot.

Top of the left foot.

The ankle.

The heel.

The left calf.

The kneecap.

Up the leg.

To the left thigh.

To the left side of the pelvis.

To the left hip.

Left ribs.

Left armpit.

The shoulder.

Down the shoulder.

To the left upper arm.

The elbow.

The lower arm.

The wrist.

The top of the left hand.

The back of the hand.

The left thumb.

Point your finger.

Middle finger.

Index finger.

And pinky finger.

Gently guiding the awareness to the right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

The sole of the right foot.

The top of the right foot.

The ankle.

The heel.

The right calf.

The kneecap.

The right thigh.

Up the leg to the right side of the pelvis.

The right hip.

The right ribs.

The right armpit.

The right shoulder.

Down the shoulder to the right upper arm.

The elbow.

The lower arm.

The wrist.

And the top of the right hand.

The back of the hand.

The right thumb.

Point your finger.

Middle finger.

The index finger.

And the pinky finger.

Guiding the awareness to the right shoulder blade.

The left hip.

The left shoulder blade.

The right hip.

The left middle back.

The right middle back.

The left lower back.

And the right lower back.

Beginning to bring the awareness to where the spine connects to the pelvis in your lower back.

Slowly guiding the awareness up the spine.

Vertebrae by vertebrae up the spine.

Releasing any tension as you rise the awareness up the spine.

Pausing if you need to to connect with the breath.

If any help or assistance is needed to gently massage each vertebrae.

Giving you a few moments to breathe up the spine.

Feeling the entire spine.

I invite you to meet the awareness at the base of the neck.

Where the neck attaches to the shoulders.

Releasing any tension in the neck,

The chest,

And the shoulders.

You can hold so much tension in your collar bones in front of the neck.

Allowing the tension to melt away with the breath.

Feeling the shoulders press into the floor.

Beginning to feel the last few vertebrae up your neck.

Where your spine connects to the base of your skull.

Feeling the fascial lines of the body all connecting to the back of the skull.

Moving the awareness to the top of the head.

Feeling the top of the head.

The forehead.

The left eyebrow.

The right eyebrow.

The left eyelid.

The right eyelid.

The left eye sinking into its socket.

And the right eye sinking into its socket.

Feeling the left cheek.

And the right cheek.

In the nose.

The tip of the nose.

The upper lip.

The lower lip.

Releasing any left over tension in the jaw.

Bring the awareness to the inside of the mouth.

The tongue.

The teeth.

Down the back of the throat and the windpipe.

Where the breath flows down the neck and into the lungs.

Feeling the lungs fill with air.

The left lung.

And the right lung.

Feeling the heart.

Seeing if you can feel the liver.

The stomach.

The large intestine.

The left kidney.

The right kidney.

The small intestine.

And the reproductive organs of the body.

Gently guiding the awareness up to the brain.

Feeling the brain resting in the skull.

Feeling the left ear.

And the right ear.

Feeling the whole of the right arm.

The whole of the left arm.

Feeling both arms together.

Feeling the whole of the left leg.

And the whole of the right leg.

Feeling both legs together.

Feeling the whole of the back body.

Feeling the whole of the front body.

Feeling the whole of the head.

Feeling the whole body together.

The whole body together.

Feeling the entire physical body relaxed and unified.

We can begin to guide our attention to the breath.

We begin to dive a layer deeper into the Pranamaya Kosha.

Where our vital life energy flows.

Bringing the awareness to the breath without changing it.

The breath is a powerful pathway from our scattered awareness to our powerful awareness.

To our powerful centered awareness.

The breath acting as a pathway to the inner operations of our body.

Seemingly automatic without our attention.

But also able to be controlled by our attention.

Without changing the breath.

Bringing it to your awareness.

Noticing the subtle changes as the breath moves in the body.

And as the body moves with the breath.

We feel the gentle rise and fall of your abdomen.

And the gentle expansion and contraction of your ribs.

We begin to guide the attention to the palms of both hands.

As you breathe noticing how the breath feels in the palms of your hands.

Can you feel the pathways of energy from your lungs to your hands as you breathe through your hands.

Allowing the subtle energy to flow in the body.

Becoming more acutely aware of the movement of the breath.

Beginning to guide the awareness to the soles of the feet.

Noticing how the breath feels in the soles of the feet.

What sort of feeling do you have in your feet when you breathe in and out?

Can you feel the pathways of energy from your lungs to your feet?

Allowing the subtle energy to flow in the body.

Becoming more acutely aware of the movement of the breath in and out of the feet.

Beginning to guide the attention to the center of the chest and the heart.

Noticing how the breath feels in the heart.

What sort of feeling do you have in your heart when you breathe in and out?

Becoming more acutely aware of the movement of the breath in and out of your heart.

Allowing for space in the heart on the inhale.

Allowing the body to relax into that space on the exhale.

Continuing to breathe on your own for a moment.

Keeping your own natural rhythm of the breath.

Inviting the awareness back into focus.

Go a layer deeper into the Manomaya Kosha or the mental and emotional body.

Landing into the seat of our inner witness.

This layer of the body observes our sensory perceptions of the world around us.

Where we're able to awaken sensations without external stimuli.

Emotions and perceptions that are ingrained inside of us.

Here we can become more aware of any unconscious or imbalanced forces in the mind.

Any triggers or sensations.

We can practice returning the body to a neutral and open state.

By exploring these repressed or unresolved emotions in a safe and comforting environment of our parasympathetic nervous system.

We allow the emotions to become easier to release and come to a true homeostasis and neutrality in our resting awareness.

Allowing the following sensations to be witnessed and remembered.

Knowing that you are safe here in the room.

Feeling the sensation of pain.

Pain.

Only the experiences of pain that the body is ready to witness.

Anywhere in the body that is storing pain.

The memory of pain flowing easily in the body.

The sensation of pain alive,

Awake.

Knowing that you are safe to experience any emotions that arise.

Releasing the sensation of pain.

Resting back into the stillness and neutrality and sense of safety in the body.

Inviting in the sensation of pleasure.

Pleasure.

Pleasure.

Pleasure being allowed to move inside the body however it feels ready to do so.

Any kind of pleasure that the body is ready to witness.

More and more pleasure awakening inside the body.

The sensation of pleasure alive and awake in the body.

Knowing that you are safe to experience any emotions that arise.

Releasing the sensation of pleasure.

Resting back into the stillness,

Neutrality and sense of safety in the body.

Inviting in the sensation of heaviness in the body.

The weight of gravity pushing you into the floor.

Allowing the sense of heaviness to flow into the body as it arises.

Keeping the awareness on the sensation of heaviness in the body.

Now bringing the attention to the sensation of lightness in the body.

Lightness as if light breeze could take you away.

Allowing the sense of lightness to flow in the body as it arises.

Keeping the awareness on the sensation of lightness in the body.

Now seeing you can feel the sensations of heavy and light simultaneously in the body.

The sensations of lightness in the body at the same time.

Inviting back the sense of neutrality in the body.

Allowing the body to settle back into being.

Gently releasing any other sensory experiences in our emotional body.

To bring awareness to Vijnanamaya Kosha.

Our wisdom body.

The gateway to our inner spirit and essence.

Where we explore creativity and freedom in the seat of our inner witness.

And creation beyond the construction of the self and any limited thinking patterns.

We rediscover the infinite inner reality to help shape our outward reality.

We do this by releasing the hold of the imagination and allowing images to arise without effort or expectation.

Simply allowing whatever arises from this space as I mentioned the following images.

The heart.

Tall palm tree.

Mountain range.

Space.

Newborn puppies.

A lush garden.

Christmas morning.

A small snail.

The surface of the sun.

An Egyptian tomb.

The edge of the universe.

The dark side of the moon.

And unlimited potential.

Connecting to the deep inner wisdom of the body as we embark on a new journey each day.

Each day the mind interprets so much of the world around us.

Much of which we aren't even aware of in our direct consciousness.

I invite you to release any remaining effort or focus on the mind.

Letting go of any left over tension and forcefully creating something in the mind.

And simply being in this space allowing whatever it is that arises to arise.

Remembering not to come attached to any one thought in the mind.

We can begin to explore some of our subconscious thoughts through our infinite imagination.

You can imagine yourself looking into deep space.

The vast infinite expanse of space.

We find a sense of security in how we too belong in this universe.

Just as we are.

As we look into the deep expanse of space.

We notice that each area of darkness is actually a radiant palette of stars and planets.

The galaxies around you illuminating any darkness in your view.

Filling the surroundings with beautiful colors and shapes.

What sort of colors do you see in the galaxy around you?

As you begin to move slowly through the galaxies.

You notice that as each galaxy passes by.

You can feel the limiting beliefs of yourself gently fall away.

You feel that you're able to create distance between yourself and those limiting beliefs.

As you begin to become lighter and more agile.

More aware of the freedom that you have from the pull of these limiting beliefs.

You're beginning to gain the ability to float effortlessly through the vastness of space.

Free from the pull of gravity.

Free from the friction of the world.

The pull of the expectations of others.

Purely experiencing the beautiful wisdom and love that's already inside of you.

As you begin to close your eyes from the beautiful galaxies around you.

Comforting you.

You begin to notice and feel the inner light of the amazing galaxy that exists inside of you.

Full of all of its amazing colors.

Its complexity and magnificence.

As the system of this galaxy begins to come into focus.

You're able to easily shed any last form of your physical,

Energetic,

Emotional,

Or wisdom body.

And you can bask in the lightness of your inner bliss body.

Free from any effort on awareness.

Just existing in a state of bliss without any attachment.

Finding deep wisdom,

Clearly speaking to you from your deep inner self.

As you begin to merge into the field of unbound awareness.

We begin to see into the Anandamaya Gosha.

The bliss body.

Where polarity no longer exists.

No good,

No bad.

Just pure creation in existence itself.

Finding the space so subtle and simple.

Yet can be so overlooked in our daily lives.

But is always there.

Settling into this deep state of unbound awareness.

Sometimes referred to as the true self or spirit.

Deeper and deeper into your true being.

Here you will rest silently.

I'll be here to bring you back.

It is in this place that the seed of the Senkalpa is planted.

In the deepest garden of your being.

Tuning into your truth.

The seed that you are ready to grow within the form of you.

Gently calling up an I AM statement.

Feeling or ignoring.

Finding your Senkalpa.

Repeating it three times.

Mentally and energetically.

As you begin to emerge and come back to my voice.

As you begin to awaken the forms of the body.

You can imagine hovering over top of your body.

And seeing its form laying on the ground.

Seeing the shape of your body.

The color of your clothing or the placement of any props.

Allowing the layers of the body to gently come back into form.

The wisdom and knowledge deep in the body.

Followed by the emotions and sensations in the body.

Beginning to feel the breath and life force coming back moving through the body awake.

And then finally coming back into the physical form of the body.

Bringing the awareness completely into the present moment.

And noticing any new sensations in the body.

However small or subtle.

Noticing the smell of the moment.

The taste inside your mouth.

And consciously deepening the wind of your breath to touch the whole body awake.

Allowing the fresh rejuvenated energy to flow through the entire body.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Adayom Tat Sat.

If you feel called to remain in a lying position that is totally fine.

Gently letting the awareness and new energy flow outwards into the arms and legs.

When you feel ready.

Gently inviting small movements into the fingertips and toes.

If a stretch would feel good for the body inviting that in as well.

When the body feels awake.

And when you feel ready.

Gently coming onto either side of the body.

Make sure to support the head and neck.

Finally arising to a seated posture.

Keeping the attention inwards.

We will finish with a short seated meditation.

Keeping the focus on the gentle flow of the breath.

Bringing life into the body on the inhale.

And allowing the body to relax and release on the exhale.

Keeping the awareness on the breath.

We will sit silently for a few moments.

And we will be here to bring you back in just a few moments.

Thank you everyone.

Namaste.

Reviews

I need to listen to this one again!

So amazing ❣️
In the beginning I wasn't sure about the music, found it a bit too dominant.... but it helped taking me to higher realms I'd never seen before. Thank you - deep from my heart 🙏🙏🙏

I really liked this

Just amazing! This is one of the the best Yoga Nidras I've listened to. I loved the background tone..it helped pull me into the void. Thank you!
I'll be back! 🌿✨🪶

Really really good. Thank you

Thank you 🙏

What a blissful journey unraveling our sheats intricately. Many Thanks

Exceptional. I usually get into a deeply relaxed state and drift in and out of consciousness

Beautiful. Thank you for guiding me through this experience.

Amazing experience, this yoga nidra. Wonderful! Thank you.

Deeply relaxing and healing for me, with travel to places inside, not yet explored.
During bliss my inner vision went from indigo to warm comfortable ruby.
Lovely practice.. thank you 🙏

I loved this and will be back for more!

Beautiful! Tnk you!
🙏

Very nice practice! There is a sound glitch that was a little distracting. I loved the very thorough and balanced attention to each kosha.

Perfect yoga nidra and I loved the length and the soothing voice