Prepare for this practice of healing yoga nidra by coming to rest on your back.
Cover yourself with a blanket so that you can remain warm throughout the practice.
Close your eyes.
Take your feet about hip distance apart.
Open the palms of your hands to face upwards.
Adjust the position of your body so that it feels at ease.
Begin by letting your attention notice every sound in your environment.
The sounds outside the room or the house.
The sounds in the room.
The sound of my voice.
The sound of your breath.
Let your attention move from sound to sound without judging,
Just noticing the sounds.
Let your attention anchor on your breath.
Notice the pace of your breath,
The rhythm of your breath,
The depth of your breath.
Notice every subtlety,
Every detail of your breath.
Now bring your attention to your sankalpa,
Your intention.
Think of something that is very important to you,
Perhaps your dream or your vision.
Something that you would like to manifest in your life.
In your language,
Create a shortened simple phrase in the present tense to reflect your sankalpa.
Memorize your sankalpa.
Then repeat it to yourself three times.
Now let me take you through your physical body.
Just let your attention move through parts of your body as I name them.
No need to make any movement or think any thoughts.
Simply letting your attention follow my guidance.
Begin by bringing your awareness to the right hand,
Right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of your hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Side,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Front of the foot,
Sole of the foot,
Right toes,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
All right toes together.
Continue on the left side.
Bring your attention to your left hand,
Left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of your hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Forearm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Side,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Forearm,
Heel,
Front of the foot,
Sole of the foot,
Left toes,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
All left toes together.
Let your attention move through the back of the body,
All parts of your body that are in contact with the floor.
Start with the heels resting on the floor.
Calves,
Backs of the knees,
Backs of the thighs,
Buttocks,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
Backs of the arms,
Backs of the hands,
Shoulders,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
Crown of your head.
Bring your attention to your ears,
Your forehead,
Eyebrows,
Nose,
Tip of the nose,
Cheeks,
Jaw,
Lips,
Chin,
Front of the neck,
Collar bones,
Front of the arms and hands.
Return to your chest.
Continue with your solar plexus,
Upper abdomen,
Lower abdomen,
Inner organs,
Front of the hips,
Front of the thighs,
Front of the knees,
Lower legs,
Ankles,
Front of the feet,
Back to your toes.
Now feel the whole right leg.
Feel the whole left leg.
Feel both legs together.
Feel the whole right arm.
Feel the whole left arm.
Feel both arms together.
Feel the whole back of the body.
All parts of the body that are in contact with the floor.
Feel the whole front of the body.
All parts of the body facing the sky.
Feel your whole body together.
Now return to your breathing.
Feel your breathing deep,
Calm and relaxed.
Notice how your breathing has become deep,
Calm and relaxed.
Let yourself experience a gentle contraction.
As if your body is contracting towards the center,
Getting smaller.
Experience this contraction like the one you feel after an exhalation.
Notice how it feels to contract towards the center.
Feel every sensation that comes with it.
Create an experience of expanding,
As if your body is growing bigger in all directions.
Experience this expansion like the one you feel on an in-breath.
Notice how it feels to expand omnidirectionally.
Feel every sensation that comes with it.
Return to your center.
Notice how you feel on the inside.
Let your breath travel through your inner body with ease.
Follow the flow of your breath through your inner body,
From the center to the periphery.
Let the free-flowing breath release the tightness from your muscles.
Let the breath untangle all the knots.
Let the breath infuse your body with an experience of ease.
Let the breath make you feel more present,
More calm,
More at ease.
Begin to visualize the breath as light filling your body from the inside.
Imagine the bright light growing and radiating from the inside,
As it continues to travel through every cell and every tissue of your body with your breath.
Visualize how that inner light is becoming more and more alive and how it's beginning to activate the natural healing abilities of your body,
Healing your physical body,
Healing your mind and your emotional state.
Visualize your inner light as it is powered by your breath.
Continue to feel inner light expanding within you,
Creating the healing space inside and bringing health and vitality to every part of your body,
Bringing about ease and radiant health.
Observe how the inner light is clearing out all that you no longer need to carry inside you.
Observe how the inner light is clearing all inner resistance.
Observe how your body is healing and restoring,
Focusing on your receptive nature and letting the bright light continue to heal you as it travels through your breath.
Feeling renewed and healed.
Feeling at ease with yourself.
Feeling calm and at ease with yourself.
Breathing with ease.
Radiating the benefits of this deep healing to all beings.
Deep healing.
Deep calm.
Deep relaxation.
Now see if you can remember your sankalpa word by word.
Then mentally repeat it to yourself three times.
Begin to gradually return to the physical space in which you are practicing.
Keep your eyes closed.
Start to move your fingers and your toes.
Squeeze and relax your hands and feet a few times.
Squeeze and relax your face.
Reach your arms over your head and stretch your body.
Then roll to the side and rest on your side for a moment.
When you are ready,
Come up to sitting and softly open your eyes.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
