Welcome to Yoga Nidra meditation.
My name is Elena and I will be guiding you through this practice.
This meditation will help you create a cocoon of safe space in which you can completely relax and let your body regenerate and heal itself naturally.
Yoga Nidra means Yoga Sleep and this particular meditation will help you prepare your mind and body for peaceful sleep.
Begin practice this meditation in bed.
I recommend using this practice every day before bedtime for 30 days in a row to create a foundation for healthy,
Restful sleep and to teach your brain to effortlessly let go and transition into sleep with ease.
As I guide you through this practice,
You may notice your attention becoming more diffused and sometimes you may feel like my voice is fading in and out.
It is not unusual and it often happens during Yoga Nidra.
At some point you are likely to drift off and fall asleep.
Even if you fall asleep or shift into a threshold state,
Your subconscious mind will still receive all the benefits of this practice.
Make yourself comfortable and if it feels good,
Invite your body to enjoy a few easy stretches and eventually begin to settle in.
Come to rest on your back and let your arms rest alongside your body with the palms open and facing outward.
If you prefer,
You can place your hands on your belly.
Take a few deep,
Easy,
Pleasant breaths in and out and with every breath give your body permission to become more and more relaxed.
With every exhale,
The tension in your body is beginning to melt,
Dissolve and evaporate.
Take a moment to observe the qualities of your breath.
Without judgment or expectation,
Simply notice how your breath feels right now.
Notice whether your breath feels heavy or light,
Edgy or soft,
Shallow or deep,
Short or long.
Here in your body can you feel your breath flowing?
Observe how your body is receiving the breath and the breath is effortlessly spreading through your body.
Notice how it's slowly making its way from your nostrils down into your lungs,
How the oxygen from your lungs is flowing through your body all the way to your fingertips and your toes.
How from the fingertips and your toes the breath is flowing back to your lungs and out of your body.
Slow wave-like breath flowing through your body and melting any residual tension one breath at a time.
Now let go of the breath awareness and think of something that is important to you.
This can be a dream,
An intention or a vision for the future that you would like to manifest.
Imagine the positive outcome and the vision of something really meaningful to you.
Turn that vision into a sentence,
A simple positive statement in the present tense as if your vision is already manifested,
As if it is already your reality.
In Yoga Nidra we call your intention Sankalpa.
Repeat your Sankalpa internally three times.
Now we are going to connect to your physical body.
I will guide you through different parts of your body,
Starting with your right side,
Then switching to your left side,
The back of your body and finally the front.
Continue to rest and simply let your awareness drift from one body part to the next as I guide you.
You don't need to move or actively focus,
Just follow me with your awareness.
First,
Let your awareness land on the 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 the 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,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Side,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
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.
Bring your awareness to the back of your body.
Your heels,
Ankles,
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 head,
Crown of the head.
Bring your awareness to your ears,
Your forehead,
Eyebrows,
The point between the eyebrows,
Eyes,
Nose,
Tip of the nose,
Cheeks,
Jaw,
Lips,
Chin,
Front of the neck,
Collar bones,
Front of the arms and hands.
Bring your awareness to your chest,
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.
Feel the whole front of the body.
Feel your whole body at once.
Now bring your awareness back to your breath.
Notice the qualities of your breath once again.
Observe the changes in your breathing pattern.
And how your breath is naturally becoming more soft,
Calm and relaxed.
Your breath is naturally becoming more soft,
Calm and relaxed.
Now I will guide you through two opposite sensations.
First,
Let your awareness diffuse,
Starting to feel how the whole body is becoming spacey.
The whole body is becoming spacey.
Then bring your attention inward and focus on your spine.
Imagine that your spinal column is softly glowing and keeping your awareness effortlessly centered.
Your awareness is effortlessly centered.
Let go of both sensations.
Let your imagination transport you into a comfortable cocoon.
The space inside the cocoon feels soft,
Warm and pleasant.
Resting in this cocoon is keeping all the fears,
Worries and concerns out of your way.
You feel safe and lovingly held.
You feel protected and divinely,
Unconditionally loved and appreciated.
The cocoon is wrapping you in a feeling of complete safety,
Warmth and comfort.
It feels good to be held,
Safe,
Loved and protected.
You can safely let go of the need to shield or protect yourself.
And you can rest in the warmth and comfort of this cocoon,
Knowing that all is well and you can rest easy.
You are feeling relaxed,
At ease,
Ready to let go and drift into restful,
Peaceful,
Deep sleep in this safe space.
You are letting go of anything that isn't serving you at this moment.
As you begin to descend into restful,
Deep sleep in a safe cocoon of warmth,
Care and relaxation.
You are letting go of anything that isn't serving you at this moment.
As you begin to descend into restful,
Deep sleep.
Internally counting down from 10 to 1 on each out-breath.
As you descend deeper and deeper into a state of restorative,
Peaceful,
Deep sleep.
Descending deeper and deeper into sleep.
Witness your mind dropping all the stories,
Memories,
Thoughts,
Feelings and experiences.
You are transitioning deeper and deeper into a state of peaceful,
Restorative sleep.
