Yoga Nidra,
Relax.
And now prepare for Yoga Nidra.
Begin by making yourself as comfortable as possible in a lying down position.
You might want to place a pillow under your head or beneath your knees or cover yourself with a blanket.
Relax into this space and into Yoga Nidra.
Sleep with trace awareness.
Adjust the head,
Neck,
And shoulders so they are aligned with your spine,
Your limbs fanned outward,
Your palms facing up.
Begin to collect your attention and take a few slow,
Deep breaths.
Make any last adjustments so the body can remain completely still throughout the practice.
Say quietly to yourself,
I choose to remain awake and aware.
Yoga Nidra has now begun.
Feel your entire body relaxing into the earth,
Letting go of any tension from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.
Let your eyes sink back and your jaw release.
Feel your feet relaxing.
Feel your legs relaxing.
Feel your hips and buttocks relaxing.
Feel your abdomen and lower back relaxing.
Feel your chest and upper back relaxing.
Feel your arms and hands relaxing.
Feel your shoulders and neck relaxing.
Feel your face and head relaxing.
Begin to become aware of any sounds outside the room.
No need to identify these sounds.
Just let them wash over you.
Quickly listen.
Now listen to the internal sounds.
Listen to the heartbeat,
Breath.
Observe your breath.
With every inhale and every exhale,
Feel your body expanding and relaxing.
Now is the time to generate a sankalpa or heartfelt resolve.
Bring awareness to the heart center.
What are you grateful for?
Visualize something,
Someone,
Or some place that you feel gratitude towards.
Feel the gratitude grow from your heart,
Spreading all throughout your body.
Continue to breathe deeply.
Now is the time to create your sankalpa,
A short positive affirmation such as,
I am safe.
I am inspired.
Continue to breathe into your lungs,
Heart,
And chest,
And repeat your sankalpa silently within yourself three times with feeling.
Know that the seeds of your sankalpa have been planted.
We will now begin to rotate the consciousness throughout the body.
Simply follow the voice of the speaker.
You can do this by imagining or bringing your awareness to each part of the body,
Or,
If you wish,
By repeating the part of the body silently after the voice.
We will begin by bringing awareness to the point between the eyebrows,
The third eye.
You may experience it as a physical point,
A feeling,
Or vibration.
You might see the point with your inner eye.
You might see light,
Like a blue star.
You might hear sound.
You might recall memory.
Know that these experiences may arise,
But there is no need to search for them.
Simply be.
Now bring awareness to the throat.
Bring awareness to the right shoulder.
Be aware of the right wrist.
Be aware of the tip of your right thumb.
Be aware of the tip of your index finger.
The tip of your middle finger.
The tip of your ring finger.
The tip of your little finger.
Bring awareness to your right wrist,
Right elbow,
Right shoulder.
Bring awareness to your throat,
Left shoulder,
Left elbow,
Left wrist.
Bring awareness to the tip of the left thumb,
The tip of the index finger,
The tip of the middle finger,
The tip of the ring finger,
The tip of the little finger.
Bring awareness to the left wrist,
The left elbow,
Left shoulder,
Throat.
Bring awareness to the chest center.
Feel sensation,
Feeling,
Energy,
Point of light,
Blue star.
Be aware of the right chest.
Chest center.
Left chest.
Center of chest.
Navel.
Perineum.
The right hip.
Allow any sensation to arise.
The right knee.
Right ankle.
Tip of the right big toe.
Tip of the right second toe.
Tip of the right third toe.
Tip of the right fourth toe.
Tip of the right little toe.
Right ankle.
Right knee.
Right hip.
Perineum.
Left hip.
Left knee.
Left ankle.
The tip of the left big toe.
The tip of the left second toe.
The tip of the left third toe.
Tip of the left fourth toe.
Tip of the left little toe.
Left ankle.
Left knee.
Left hip.
Perineum.
Physical or feeling awareness.
Pranic sensation.
Point of light.
Blue star.
The navel.
Chest center.
Throat.
The point between the eyebrows.
The point between the eyebrows.
Now bring awareness to the rise and fall of the breath.
Watch the breath as it moves in and out of the nostrils.
Expanding with each inhale.
Relaxing with each exhale.
Relaxed,
Awake,
And aware of the breath,
Begin counting the breaths from eight to one.
The breath rises,
Eight.
The breath falls,
Eight.
The breath rises,
Seven.
The breath falls,
Seven.
The breath rises,
Six.
The breath falls,
Six.
Remaining awake and aware,
Continue from five until one.
And now,
Stop the counting.
It doesn't matter how far you've gotten,
If you've finished or lost track.
Bring awareness back to the effortless rise and fall of the breath in the body,
And imagine your body resting comfortably in an emerald green field.
Multi-colored wildflowers growing about you.
The rays of the sun kissing your face,
Your body.
A soft breeze flows through the air,
Bringing with it the sound of birds singing,
And the sweetness of new growth.
The blue sky above you,
Expansive,
Free,
At peace.
The blue sky above you,
Expansive,
Free,
At peace.
And now,
Bring your awareness back to your breath as it rises and falls in the body.
Feel the movement of the body at the time of inhalation and exhalation.
Experience this movement.
Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Feel the weight of your body on the floor,
Or wherever it may be.
Slowly bring your attention back to the sounds of the room.
Lie quietly where you are,
Noticing the effects of the practice.
Gradually move your fingers and toes.
Begin to move your arms and legs,
Slowly waking them up.
Move slowly,
Gently,
Stretching the entire body.
When you feel ready,
Bring your body to a sitting position,
Keeping the eyes closed.
Rub your two palms together,
Creating warmth,
And place them on top of your closed eyes.
Feel the heat from the palms envelop your eyelids,
Keeping your hands over your eyes.
Gently open them,
Removing your hands,
Letting the eyes adjust,
Gently.
Breathe.
