Welcome to your Yoga Nidra guided relaxation.
Yoga Nidra is a deep relaxation,
A state between wakefulness and sleeping.
From my teacher I learned that Yoga Nidra is more energy restoring than sleep.
So begin by settling yourself into this quiet and comfortable space where you can be warm and free from distractions.
I would advise lying on your back with your arms by your sides.
Find what feels good for you.
Make use of any props to make yourself feel completely comfortable.
Adjust your head,
Neck and shoulders so they are in line with your spine.
Make yourself really comfortable and get any wriggles out so you can settle into stillness.
Yoga Nidra focuses on the acts of hearing and feeling and if you have not done so already gently close down the eyes.
Bring your awareness to the breath.
Take a long slow inhalation followed by a longer slower exhalation.
Notice the slight pause between the two.
Take a long slow inhalation fill up completely and as you exhale let go.
A long slow inhalation and when you exhale let the body feel completely happy.
Another long slow inhalation and this time as you exhale let the body feel heavy.
Allow your body to return to natural easy breathing without any control over the inhale or the exhale,
Natural ebb and flow.
Now bring your awareness to sounds outside the room.
Notice the different sounds.
Notice the sounds inside the room.
Listen for the most subtle sounds.
Now bring your awareness to your body.
The subtle sound of your own breath.
Awareness of the whole physical body.
Stillness from top of head to tip of toes.
In this moment of stillness come to your sankalpa or your intention and if you do not yet have a sankalpa think about a positive goal you wish to manifest in your life.
Your sankalpa or intention is like a seed planted in the fertile soil of your mind.
Repeat your intention to yourself with sincerity three times.
I'm going to guide you through bringing your consciousness to different parts of the body as I name each part of the body.
Bring your attention to that body part but try to remain still.
Begin by bringing your attention to your right thumb.
Awareness of your right thumb.
Shift awareness to right index finger.
Right middle finger.
Right ring finger.
Right little finger.
Palm of the right hand.
Back of the right hand.
Right wrist.
Right lower arm.
Right elbow.
Right upper arm.
Right shoulder.
Right armpit.
Right side of the chest.
Right waist.
Right hip.
Right upper leg.
Right knee.
Right lower leg.
Right ankle.
The right foot.
Sole of the right foot.
Top of the right foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
The whole right side of the body.
Awareness of the whole right side of the body.
Say internally,
I am practicing yoga nidra.
I am awake and alert.
Now focus your attention on your left thumb.
Awareness of your left thumb.
Shift awareness to left index finger.
Left middle finger.
Left ring finger.
Left little finger.
Palm of the left hand.
Back of the left hand.
Left wrist.
Left lower arm.
Left elbow.
Left upper arm.
Left shoulder.
The left armpit.
Left side of the chest.
Left waist.
Left hip.
Left upper leg.
Left knee.
Left lower leg.
Left ankle.
Left foot.
Sole of the left foot.
Top of the left foot.
Left big toe.
Left second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Whole left side of the body.
Awareness of the whole left side of the body.
Say internally,
I am practicing yoga nidra.
I am awake and alert.
Now bring your attention to the parts of the body in contact with the floor.
Start with the heels.
Carbs.
Back of thighs.
Glutes.
Lower back.
Middle back.
Upper back.
The back of the head.
Now awareness to the top of the head.
Awareness to your face.
The forehead.
The temples.
The eyebrows.
The space between the eyebrows.
To your right eye.
The left eye.
The right ear.
The left ear.
To the cheeks.
The nostrils.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Teeth.
Tongue.
Jaw.
Chin.
The neck.
Right collarbone.
The left collarbone.
Right side of chest.
Left side of chest.
Heart center.
Awareness to your upper abdomen.
The navel.
Lower abdomen.
Pelvic area.
Top of the thighs.
Knees.
Shins.
Top of the feet.
Finally,
The whole body.
Awareness of the whole body.
Whole body awareness.
Bring your attention to the breath.
The breath coming and the breath going.
Observing the rhythmic flow of breath.
Observe the inhalation.
Observing exhalation.
Taking ten cycles of breath.
Count down from ten to zero.
Take a deep breath in and on the following exhalation say ten.
Continue to count down on each exhalation remaining awake and alert.
The breath coming and the breath going.
The breath coming and the breath going.
The breath coming and the breath going.
Say internally,
I am practicing yoga nidra.
I am awake and alert.
Now imagine your whole body becoming heavy.
Feel all parts of the body in contact with the floor sinking down into the floor as the body becomes heavier and heavier.
The head is heavy.
The torso heavy.
The limbs are heavy.
The whole body is heavy.
Now imagine the body becoming light as though your body could float.
Almost levitating.
A feeling of weightlessness in the whole body.
Return to the sensation of heaviness.
Feel as though your whole body is heavy.
Melting into the floor.
Once again,
Return to the feeling of lightness.
Weightlessness.
The body light as air.
I now ask you to imagine you're in nature somewhere you find peaceful.
It could be a favorite place for you or a place from your imagination.
Take a moment to look around you in this peaceful place.
Notice what you see.
Notice the quality of light.
Notice the colors and the textures.
What sounds do you hear in this peaceful place?
How does the air feel on your skin?
Rest here a moment and breathe.
Feeling content and peaceful.
Come back to your San Calpa.
Your intention.
Visualize your San Calpa permeating through the whole body.
Picture this positive affirmation infusing all the cells within.
Repeat your Ketsan Calpa to yourself three times.
Bring your attention back to your breath.
Noticing the subtle rise and fall of the body with the breath.
Notice the weight of your body on the earth.
Relaxed.
Energized.
Visualize the room you are lying in.
The dimensions of the room.
The feel of the clothing on your skin.
The air on your face.
Notice any sounds around you.
Awakening you to the time of day.
Know that you have been practicing yoga nidra and that practice is coming to an end.
Begin to make small movements.
Bringing sensation back into your body starting with the fingers and the toes.
Movements in the hands and the feet.
The ankles and the wrists.
Make any movements,
Any stretches that feel good for you.
And when you are ready,
Bring yourself to a comfortable seated position.
Take a moment here to acknowledge the peace inside.
Our yoga nidra practice is now complete.
Namaste.
