Prepare for the practice of yoga nidra by lying down in a comfortable position.
In the practice of yoga nidra,
The temperature of our bodies tends to drop.
So if you like,
You can cover yourself up with a blanket.
You can place a bolster or a pillow under your knees for support.
If your eyes are open,
Gently close them.
You can lie down on your back with your arms out to the sides,
Palms facing up if that's comfortable for you.
Tuck your shoulder blades back and down.
Your feet can be relaxed out to the sides.
And if you feel any strain or stress in your body,
Go ahead and scan for that now and take in a deep breath and make any adjustment that you need so that you can be comfortable for the remainder of this practice.
Take in a deep breath and exhale,
Letting go of any tension that you have found in your body.
Become aware of the sounds around you and become aware of the sounds a little bit further away,
Perhaps outside of the room.
And then take your attention to the furthest sound that you can hear.
Now bounce your awareness from sound to sound.
You may hear sounds that may seem distracting.
In this practice,
See yourself as an observer and a witness only.
Let these sounds or any distractions come and let them go.
Just as any thoughts that may come up,
Let them come and let them go.
Learn your attention to your breath.
Begin to let your body fall asleep and allow your mind to remain awake and alert.
Begin to become aware of your sankalpa,
Your intention.
Your sankalpa may be something very loving and caring toward yourself.
For example,
I am completely loved beyond comprehension.
Take the next few moments and seek out your own sankalpa or you can use the one I just mentioned.
Now say your sankalpa to yourself three times in your mind with full belief that it is true.
With a grateful heart,
Let your sankalpa go.
Now let's move on to the rotation of consciousness.
I will say a part of the body and all you need to do is become aware of that part.
Take your attention to your right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
And your right hand.
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Right side of the ribs,
Right side of the waist,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
And knee.
Shoulder,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe.
Now take your attention to your left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Left elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Left side of the ribs,
Left side of the waist,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe.
Now,
Become aware of your breath and without changing it,
Begin to count your breaths starting from 30 counting down,
Inhaling 30,
Exhaling 30,
Inhale 29,
Exhale 29.
Continue counting your breaths on your own and if you get lost it's okay.
Start again at 30.
The next breath,
No need to go any further.
Now,
Let the counting go.
Begin to feel heavy.
Become heavy,
A sinking heaviness.
Now become light,
A rising lightness.
Return to the feeling of heaviness.
And once again,
Become light,
A sense of floating,
Uplifting lightness.
Now,
Take your awareness to the screen of your mind.
Realize that you're walking on a path,
A path of stone,
Of pebbles,
And soft sand.
Alongside the road,
You see green grass.
This road appears to be a secret place,
A place of peace,
Calm,
And rejuvenation.
You see flowers all along the fields,
Alongside the road.
And you look further,
And you see a forest of trees and life.
On the other side of the road,
You see shining waters,
A lake.
And you feel wind brushing on your skin.
And you feel the warmth of sunlight.
In this moment,
You recall your sankalpa and say it to yourself in your mind three times,
With complete faith of its truth.
Returning to the present moment,
Begin to listen to the sounds outside of the room.
Listen to the sounds inside the room and the sounds close to you,
Perhaps your heartbeat and your breath.
Begin to take in deep breaths and exhaling gently,
Feeling your rib cage expand and relax,
Becoming aware of your fingers,
Your palms,
Of the soles of your feet,
And your toes.
Taking another deep inhale here and beginning to bring movement into your fingers and your toes,
Rotating your wrists,
Rotating your ankles,
Noticing any difference in your body.
And when you're ready,
Turn over to your favorite side,
Laying in a fetal type position here for just a moment,
Feeling completely supported by the earth.
And only when you're ready,
You may press yourself up to a seated position.
The practice of yoga nidra is complete.
