Yoga Nidra: A Cosmic Siesta

Yoga Nidra. Yoga means union, wholeness, and oneness. Nidra means sleep, This is the practice of Yogic sleep. Join me as a guide you on this Cosmic Siesta as I guide you into deep states of conscious relaxation.

Transcript

Hello and welcome,

My name is Tracy Seawright and I am the Feather Sister.

So I would like to invite you to this Yoga Nidra practice,

Which I call Cosmic Siesta.

So I will be your cosmic guide through this experience.

So I invite you to find a place where it is quiet,

A place where you can get cozy.

It can be seated or it can be lying down.

I invite you to bring a pillow,

Perhaps a blanket.

You tend to get cold in the practice of Yoga Nidra.

So as you are getting ready,

I will begin to explain a little bit about Yoga Nidra.

Yoga Nidra.

Yoga means union,

Wholeness,

Oneness,

And Nidra means sleep.

So this is the yogic sleep.

I will invite you as we begin to guide on this journey,

I will take you through the different brain waves.

As we begin in the Beta,

Alpha,

Theta,

And we will gently dance down into a light Delta,

All while staying awake.

All you simply need to do is breathe and follow my instructions.

Now oftentimes in the practice of Yoga Nidra,

You're invited not to fall asleep.

However,

If that's what your body needs,

Please listen to your body and know that the subconscious never sleeps.

So it's perfectly fine to rest.

So if you have gotten yourself comfortable and cozy,

We will begin the practice.

So as your cosmic guide,

I will begin to guide you to the breath.

Begin to breathe softly and slowly through the nose.

And I will invite you through different sensations of the body.

All you need to do is be aware.

So as you focus on the breath,

I invite you with the eyes closed to begin to be aware of the sense of sound.

Become aware of the sound that is radiating near the body,

Perhaps four or five feet from the body.

You could be lying down,

You can be seated.

And know if you are seated,

You are always welcome to lie down anytime during the practice.

So bring your awareness around this earthbound body.

Begin to bring awareness to the sounds around this body.

Eyes are closed.

Now as you are becoming aware of the sounds,

I will invite you not to label or judge.

Simply listen.

Simply be aware.

No need to concentrate.

Just be.

Now in your next exhalation,

Expand that awareness just a little bit beyond the body.

Perhaps you are in a space with four walls.

Bring your awareness to the sounds in the space,

In the room that you are in.

Eyes are closed and breath is soft.

Just be aware of the sounds.

No labeling,

No judging.

Simply be a witness.

I will gently invite you to expand your awareness just a little bit more,

Perhaps beyond the walls that you are in.

Perhaps it's outside.

Expand your awareness of the sense of sound beyond the space that you are in,

Beyond the four or five feet of you,

Beyond the walls,

Beyond the structure that you are in right now.

Bring your awareness to the outside space.

No labeling.

Simply be a witness.

Now on your exhalation,

Begin to focus your awareness,

Awareness into space,

As we begin a cosmic siesta.

And I am your guide.

And together we're going to walk through various doors of perception.

So together,

Let's walk through this very first door of perception.

And this is a sankalpa,

A chittikasha.

The sankalpa will be an invitation for you to allow,

To rise in the body,

Your deepest desire,

Your wish.

This can be an I am statement,

Said in the present tense.

So allow that in the heart right now to arise.

Think of something that is your deepest desire,

Maybe something that no one knows.

And if nothing arises in this moment,

That's perfectly fine.

Continue with the practice and whenever it does,

Know that you can say it again.

So if that sankalpa has arisen,

I will invite you to silently say this three times.

And as you say this three times,

Say this with such passion,

Such joy and excitement that it is happening right now.

And you can gently place your hands over your heart to seal this in.

And it can be a statement as I am healing and happy.

I am resilient.

I am kind to all.

There is harmony in all relationships.

So whatever arises from the heart,

Say this three times.

And as that sankalpa begins to settle in the heart,

Together we will go through another door of perception.

And this door of perception is called the rotation of consciousness.

And in the rotation of consciousness,

I will invite you to bring your awareness to different parts of the body.

I may say them fast.

I may say them slow.

Your only job is to bring awareness to them.

There's no moving,

Just the thought and just focusing on the breath.

So as the body is becoming relaxed,

As the body is allowing it to let go,

Eyes are closed,

I will invite you to bring your awareness to the right side of the body.

Just be aware of the right side of the body.

There's no need to deeply concentrate,

Just be and listen.

Allow my voice to be your anchor and do your best to try to stay awake and know at any time if you need it,

You can fall asleep.

So as you're bringing awareness to the right side of the body,

From the tip top of the right side of the head,

All the way down to the bottom of the right foot,

Bring your awareness to the right side of the body.

Imagining as you inhale,

Reaching the top of the right side of the head and as you exhale,

That breath comes all the way down to the bottom of the sole of the right foot.

Bring awareness to the right side of the body.

And gently bring awareness to the right hand,

The right hand thumb,

The index finger,

The middle finger,

The ring finger and pinky.

Now bring awareness to the inside of the right palm,

Back of the right palm,

The right wrist,

The right elbow,

The right forearm,

The right shoulder,

And gently begin to bring awareness down the right sides of the ribs to the right hip,

The right thigh,

The right calf,

And the right ankle.

Now gently bring awareness to the top of the right foot,

The sole of the right foot,

And begin to bring awareness to the toes,

The big toe,

Second,

Third,

Fourth.

Now I invite you to bring that awareness all the way up to the right shoulder and bringing the awareness to the side of the right neck and gently bring awareness to the right side of the cheek,

The right ear,

And to the top of the right side of the head.

As you're bringing awareness to the whole right side of the body.

Now I invite you to bring awareness to the left side of the body,

The whole left side of the body,

From the top tippy top of the right left side of the head all the way down to the left bottom of the foot.

Bring awareness to the whole left side of the body.

Bring awareness to the whole left side of the body.

No concentrating,

Simply just being.

The whole left side of the body.

And then I'll invite you to bring awareness to the left hand,

The left hand thumb,

The index finger,

The middle finger,

The ring finger,

The pinky.

Bring awareness to the left palm and the back of the left hand,

The left wrist,

The left elbow,

The left upper arm and the left shoulder.

And gently bring awareness to the left side of the ribs as it comes down to the left side of the waist,

The left thigh,

The left calf,

The left ankle,

The top of the left foot,

The bottom of the left foot,

And all of the left toes,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe and fourth.

And as you gently bring awareness way back up to that left shoulder,

To the left side of the throat,

To the left cheek,

To the left ear and to the tippy top of the left side of the head.

Bring awareness to the whole side of the left of the body,

The whole left side of the body.

And then we'll gently bring awareness to the top of the head.

Bring awareness to the top of the head,

The forehead,

The right eyebrow,

The left eyebrow,

The left eye and the right eye,

The right cheek and the left cheek,

The left nostril and the right nostril.

And bring awareness to the upper lip and lower lip.

And then I invite you to bring awareness to the tongue.

Bring awareness to the taste buds in the mouth and the tongue.

And feel the taste buds alive with sensation,

Alive with sensation.

And just become aware in the mouth,

Does it feel dry or does it feel moist?

And bring your awareness to the upper teeth and the lower teeth.

And then as you gently bring awareness to the chin,

Coming down to the throat and bringing awareness to the heart center,

And gently bringing awareness to the navel center and to the pelvic area.

Now gently bring your awareness to the back of the head,

The back of the head.

And as you bring awareness,

Bring awareness to the whole backside of the body,

From the tip top of the back of the head all the way down to the heels.

Bring awareness to the whole back of the body,

The whole back of the body.

Bring awareness to the heels of the right and left foot,

The calf of the back of the right and left calf.

Bring awareness to the right and left back of the thigh,

And bring awareness to the sitting bones of the right and left side.

Bring awareness to the lower back.

Bring awareness to the shoulder blades,

Right and left.

Bring awareness to the top of the back of the head.

Now gently bring awareness to the whole front of the body,

The whole front of the body,

To the top of the head,

To the bottoms of the right and left foot.

Bring awareness to the entire body,

The entire body.

Now gently bring awareness to the back,

The whole back of the body,

The whole back of the body.

Now the whole body together,

Front and back.

Bring your awareness to the whole body,

Front and back.

Bring awareness to the whole body,

Practicing yoga nidra.

Continue with the breath,

The rise and fall of your chest as you're inhaling to fill and you're exhaling to let it go.

Now as we begin to go through another door of perception,

I will invite you to what is called the duality.

In this earthbound world that we live in,

We have the duality of love and hate,

Night and day,

Positive and negative,

Good and bad.

So I will ask you to remember sensations in the body from your timeline,

And when these sensations arise,

Just simply witness,

Be aware,

And recall these sensations as I name them.

So as you focus on your breath,

The rise and fall of the chest,

As you inhale deeply,

I invite the sensation of hot in the body.

Recall a time in your life you felt the sensation of warm and hot in the body.

Allow this sensation of warmth to begin to flow through the body.

Perhaps you are feeling it on the back of the neck.

Perhaps the hands are becoming sweaty.

Feel the sensation of heat in the body,

And with each inhalation,

The body becomes hotter and hotter.

It is as if you have a thermostat,

And you begin to turn it from 40 to 50 to 60 to 70,

80,

90,

100,

110.

Recall a moment when you felt hot.

Perhaps a day out in the sun with no shade.

And become aware of the mouth.

How is the mouth feeling?

Is the sensation of dry coming to the mouth?

Perhaps you have a blanket on,

And you will move it to the side as the sensation of hot fills the body.

The sensation of hot in the body.

Now on your next exhalation,

As the warmth begins to slowly fade.

On your next inhale,

Allow the sensation of cold to fill the body.

The sensation of cold to fill the body.

Perhaps the nose is becoming cold.

The fingers and hands are becoming cold.

Perhaps the body is beginning to shiver,

And goosebumps are starting.

Allow the sensation of cold to fill the body with each inhalation,

Colder and colder.

And that thermostat of 110 begins to move.

100,

90,

80,

70,

60,

50,

40,

30,

20,

10.

The sensation of cold in the body.

Recall a time when you felt cold in the body.

A time where you have felt cold in the body.

Bring awareness of the body to the sensation of cold,

As if you are outside on a cold winter's day without a coat,

Maybe without even shoes.

The sensation of cold in the body.

Now on your next exhalation,

The body begins to return to its natural temperature.

Allow the body to return to its natural temperature,

So the body is no longer hot and the body is no longer cold.

And just be.

As you focus on the breath,

The rise and fall of your chest.

As you're inhaling to fill,

And exhaling what no longer serves you.

And the next sensation that I invite in the body is the sensation of heavy.

Recall a moment in time where you felt heavy in the body.

This can be the physical sensation on the body or it can be the feeling on the chest and the heart.

But recall a moment in time where you felt heavy.

Perhaps you've moved a piece of heavy furniture.

Perhaps you heard some heavy news that weighed on your soul.

But recall a moment in time with a sensation of heavy on the body.

The head is heavy.

Eyelids are heavy.

You can't even open them.

Shoulders are heavy.

Arms and hands are heavy.

The torso is heavy.

It feels as if sandbags are on your legs.

You can't even get up.

It feels as if you are sinking into the earth,

As if you are in quicksand.

The sensation of heavy in the body.

The sensation of heavy in the body.

Recall a time of heaviness in the body.

Now on your next exhalation,

With each exhale,

You begin to start feeling lighter and lighter in this body.

And allow the body to recall a moment in time where you feel the sensation of light.

Lightness in the body.

Feel lightness in the body.

The head feels light.

Your eyes feel light.

Your arms and fingers feel light,

That you can gently move them and flutter them.

The chest feels light.

Legs feel light.

You feel like that you can simply float up to the ceiling.

Allow the feeling of light in the body.

The feeling of ease.

The feeling of freedom.

Recall a moment in your life where you felt light and free.

Not a care in the world.

Things were easy and effortless.

Recall this time in the earthbound body that you had lightness.

Feel the sensation of light in the body.

Lightness in the body.

And on your next exhalation,

Allow the body to return.

Return to this natural state where it was not heavy and not too light.

As you focus on your breath,

The rise and fall of your chest.

And as your cosmic guide,

I will invite you through another door of perception.

And this is the breath.

So as you are comfortably lying down or seated,

Practicing yoga nidra.

Awake and aware.

Awake and aware.

We will begin to focus on the breath.

The rise and fall of your chest.

And I will invite you to begin to count.

So we have the number 21.

And we will begin to count backwards.

So as you inhale 21 and you exhale 21.

You inhale 20 and you exhale 20.

We will continue counting until we reach the number 1.

If you mess up,

Continue going as this is a practice.

As you inhale,

19.

Exhale,

19.

As you inhale,

18.

Exhale,

18.

As you inhale,

17.

Exhale,

17.

Inhale,

16.

Exhale,

16.

And continue at your own pace.

Soft and slow.

Until you reach number 1.

Go at your own pace.

Soft and slow.

Bringing awareness to the rise and fall of your chest.

Soft and slow.

And know at any time,

If you mess up,

Continue with the practice.

Continue with the breath.

The rise and fall of the chest.

Until you reach 1.

Letting go.

Just being.

No concentrating.

No concentrating.

Simply be.

And when you reach the number 1,

You can turn back to your natural breath.

We are practicing yoga nidra.

You are awake and aware.

Awake and aware.

And following my voice.

And if you reach the number 1.

Begin to bring awareness to points of the body.

Points of the body that is connected to the floor.

Bring awareness to the points of the floor that your earthbound body is touching.

Bring awareness to the back of the head.

The shoulder blades.

The mid-back.

Lower back.

Back of the thighs.

Backs of the calves.

And back of the heels.

And perhaps your arms are stretched out wide.

Bring awareness to the upper arms.

The elbow.

And maybe the hands.

The palms or the back.

Bring awareness to the points of the body that are connected to the floor.

Feel the earth beneath you.

Supporting you.

And continue focusing on your breath.

The rise and fall of your chest.

And as your cosmic guide,

I will take you through another door of perception.

So together we walk through this door of the Chittikasha.

And this is the movie screen of the mind.

With your eyes closed,

I will invite you to imagine behind the eyelids is a movie screen.

And together we walk through a darkened theater.

And I invite you to sit down.

And in front of you,

The screen is covered by this velvet curtain.

Now in the Chittikasha,

I will invite you to let arise an image.

I will say a word.

I may say it fast.

I may say it slow.

I may say it more than once.

But you are the director.

You are the designer.

You are the creator of what you see on the screen.

And I'm going to invite you to merely be a witness.

As if you are watching a movie.

Allow to be creative with this.

Do not limit yourself with this.

But know to try to avoid being triggered.

With the practice of the Chittikasha,

It will allow you to simply look at something and simply be a witness.

It teaches you detachment.

So you are in charge of the image that you create on the screen.

So know at any time you can quickly take it off the screen.

So as you're seated there in the movie theater,

I will announce the movie will now begin.

The curtain begins to open.

And in front of you,

You see a darkened screen.

And on this darkened screen begins to form shapes.

See them begin to dance and swirl with patterns and designs.

Perhaps you're seeing the alphabet dance around.

Swirls,

Circles,

Squares,

Whatever you begin to create on the screen.

Various colors,

Perhaps a rainbow across the screen.

Remember,

You are the director of this movie.

You are the creator.

So create.

So now the screen will gently begin to change.

This darkness will suddenly become light.

And then suddenly become black.

And there on the screen,

You see a white circle.

And it begins to slowly grow.

And as it begins to expand,

You slowly begin to make out the shape on the screen.

And you see a red rose.

A red rose.

Bring your awareness to the screen of the red rose.

Now a white lotus.

A blue cloud.

And a rocking chair.

A holy symbol.

Snow-capped mountains.

And a full moon.

An unfinished puzzle.

The sound of rain on your roof.

A sunflower.

A palm tree.

A car moving down the road.

Starlit night.

A flickering candle.

A flickering candle.

Losing your car keys.

An unfinished puzzle.

Your first kiss.

A boat sailing.

A yellow cloud.

A fire burning.

A temple on a hill.

The sound of a car alarm.

The rising sun.

Oceans with waves.

A pink lotus.

A burning fire.

The smell of cookies baking.

Your bedroom door.

A sandy beach.

A bell ringing.

A blue cloud.

A full moon.

A warm towel.

A butterfly on a sunflower.

An open grave.

Finding your car keys.

The dawn of a new day.

Your favorite song playing.

A pond with clear water.

Snow-capped mountains.

A sunny afternoon.

Seeing an old friend.

A moonlight sky.

A dog standing.

A temple on a hill.

Green grass.

A cobra.

A cold winter night.

Receiving unexpected money.

Scheduling a dentist appointment.

A golden spider web.

A smoky cloud.

A palm tree.

A yogi in meditation.

A holy symbol.

The smell of something burning.

A childhood picture.

Your phone ringing.

Now the screen gently and slowly turns white.

And the velvet curtains begin to close.

As you are a witness and observer,

Be aware of the breath,

The rise and fall of your chest,

As you're inhaling to fill and exhaling to let go.

Now the velvet curtains begin to open and before you is a white screen again.

This is your canvas.

And I invite you in your mind's eye to slowly begin to create a scene.

This scene is your version of joy and happiness.

What does it look like?

Become so detailed that it is an energetic snapshot of exactly what you want,

That even a year from now,

You could completely remember this.

Remember the feeling.

So begin to add in the location,

The people,

Maybe even the season,

Of where you would have achieved complete happiness.

It can be achieved goals through a job or relationships.

Your version of success.

Begin to create this,

This energetic snapshot.

Where are you?

Who's with you?

Begin to add this into this picture.

If failure was never an option,

What would that look like to you?

Begin to create this and bring in the emotion of the excitement.

Excited to see how this picture looks.

Begin to feel that sensation of joy and love as you add in all those who are there for you in that moment in time.

People,

Your fur babies.

Any and all who are here for you and supporting you.

What does that look like?

What achievements have you accomplished in this moment in time?

How old are you?

Add in these fine little details to create exactly what you want.

What are you calling in?

You are the writer.

You are the creator and the architect of your life.

As you add in these final last details,

As you sit back and take a snapshot,

This energetic snapshot of this scene.

Know at any time,

As you move through your daily life,

The weeks,

The months and the years,

You can always come back to this picture that you created.

And know that it's there and know that it's achievable.

Now,

As you're sitting in this movie theater,

This picture gently begins to fade,

But no worries.

You took an energetic snapshot and the screen turns white and the curtains close.

And together we'll go through this final door of perception.

So together we walk through and arrive at where we began,

Which is the Sankalpa,

This I am statement,

This resolve.

And in this moment,

I invite you to recall that Sankalpa,

That resolve that arose in the beginning of our practice.

And if that did not come for you in the beginning,

I invite you now to let this arise.

What is that heart's desire?

What do you want to call in?

What do you want achieved?

So this Sankalpa,

You can say this silently three times with such passion and enthusiasm that it is happening right now.

It is achieved.

Now,

Any Sankalpa or resolve that is said during the practice of a yoga nidra with faith and practice plants the seeds to come true.

So as you let this Sankalpa begin to marinate into the heart and as you send it out to the ether,

We begin to bring our awareness back to the body.

So begin to bring awareness to the space that you are in,

The four walls that you are in.

With the eyes closed,

Listen to any sounds in the room.

Use that sense of hearing to bring awareness.

And perhaps with the eyes closed through that third eye,

You can even begin to imagine the space that you are in.

What's on the walls,

The floor,

The furnishings,

Without using that sense of seeing.

And then as you closely bring awareness about three or four feet from the body,

Bring awareness to the breath,

Listen to the sounds of the body.

And again,

Simply witness,

No judging,

No labeling,

Simply be.

And that sense of touch as you place your hands over your heart center,

As you feel the rise and fall of the chest.

As you're making sure that Sankalpa,

That resolve is there in the heart.

And then gently begin to bring awareness to the body.

Now you can easily turn the practice off and continue on into deep sleep.

Or if you're ready to end the practice,

Begin to gently wiggle your fingers and toes and bring awareness to the body.

As our cosmic siesta has now come to an end.

And on your next exhalation,

You can begin to open your eyes.

It was an honor and privilege to be your cosmic guide today.

And I thank you so much for joining me.

My name is Tracy Seawright and I am the Feather Sister,

Love Light and Feathers.

Reviews

What a wonderful practice! Much gratitude for you Tracy! 🙏🏼💫💕🦋🩵

Very good
A lovely mid-afternoon break

Lovely yoga nidra❣️•°♡~
✨️🙏🏼✨️🫶🏽 ✨️°•☆ 🌟🪷°•