A Course In Meditation - Session 7B - Yoga Nidra Practice

This is session 7, part 2, of "A Simple Course in Meditation." Part 1 provided a description of what Yoga Nidra and Sankalpa are, the rather unique experience they can produce, their potential benefits, and an explanation of Yoga Nidra from a modern psychological perspective. This second part is a dedicated practice of Yoga Nidra with Sankalpa, with no explanatory component, to enable a better repeat experience.
Music by G.S. Renfrey. Photo by Christian Rojas on Pexels

Transcript

A Simple Course in Meditation Session 7,

Part 2 Hi,

I'm G.

S.

Renfri.

This is a guided session of Yoga Nidra with Sang Kulpa.

An introduction to Yoga Nidra and a primer for today's practice was provided in Part 1.

As a quick reminder,

Sang Kulpa is an expression of an intention or desire for yourself and is similar in ways to the practice of self-hypnosis.

So,

Before we begin,

Decide upon a desire or intention for yourself for this practice.

It should take the form of a short positive statement,

Framed as though the desire is already manifested in your life.

So,

With no further discourse,

Let's begin.

It's time to be present here and now.

To prepare for your practice,

Lie on your back in a way that's most relaxing for you.

It's best to lie still during Yoga Nidra,

So take a moment to ensure you'll be warm and comfortable throughout.

Perhaps with a pillow or bolster under your knees to reduce arching in your back,

Or a light sheet or blanket covering you for extra warmth.

Head and neck supported,

Feet about hip-width apart,

Legs turned out naturally,

Arms at rest at your sides.

If you need to make adjustments to maintain this sense of ease and comfort at any time during the practice,

Do so,

But do so slowly and mindfully.

Take a deep full breath through your nose,

Pause a moment,

And release,

Exhaling as you would after a good yawn.

Repeat this cleansing breath a few times on your own,

And see if you can notice a wave of relaxation pass through your body on the exhalation.

With each breath,

Allow your body to sink more comfortably into the surface supporting you.

Now take in a long slow breath,

Filling the lower belly,

Upper belly,

And chest.

Then slowly exhale the breath at the same pace.

Repeat this to a silent count of five as you breathe in,

And a silent count of five as you breathe out.

Continue this on your own for a few moments,

Adjusting your rate of breath so that it's neither too slow nor too fast.

As you continue this five count breath,

Imagine what it would feel like if your arms became like warm,

Soft clay.

Imagine feelings of warmth and heaviness as though your arms were slowly softening into the ground.

Imagine how your legs might feel as warm,

Soft clay.

Imagine the feelings of warmth and heaviness as your legs soften and sink into the ground.

Imagine your torso transforming into warm,

Heavy clay.

Imagine your whole body now,

Warm,

Soft,

And heavy.

Imagine the feelings of warmth and heaviness as your whole body softens and slowly eases into the surface beneath you.

Imagine a feeling of coolness on your forehead as though touched by a cool spring breeze.

Now,

If you please,

Take a moment to identify your sankalpa,

The intention you'd like to implant during this practice.

Create a short,

Positive phrase for it,

Framing it as though it's already manifesting in your life,

And repeat it silently to yourself three times.

Take a deep breath in and release all thoughts of your sankalpa along with the breath out.

Let your breathing return to its natural,

Gentle rhythm,

With no efforts to change its depth or speed.

Become aware of the sensations as air flows into your nostrils and out again.

Notice the difference between the sensations on the in-breath and the out-breath.

Become aware of the sensations as air flows across the back of your throat as you breathe in,

And then breathe out.

Notice the difference in the quality of the sensations between the in-breath and the out-breath.

Become aware of the sensations in your chest and belly as they fill with air on the in-breath and fall as they release it.

Take several breaths on your own,

Directing your attention to the flow of air through your nostrils,

Over the back of your throat,

And into your chest and belly.

And then its return passage from your chest,

Over the back of your throat,

And out through your nostrils.

Notice the breath entering the right nostril and exiting the right nostril.

Feel the breath entering the left nostril and exiting the left nostril.

The breath as it enters the right and exits the left.

The breath entering the left and exiting the right.

Now simply,

Effortlessly,

Direct your attention to the body parts I name and become aware of any sensations you experience there.

Beginning with the right hand palm,

Right thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Little finger,

Back of the hand,

Right wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Arm pit,

Right side of your torso,

Right hip,

Right thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the right foot,

The right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Little toe,

Top of the right foot,

Palm of your left hand,

Thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Little finger,

Back of the left hand,

Left wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Arm pit,

Left side of your torso,

Left hip,

Left thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the left foot,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Little toe,

Top of the left foot,

Right heel,

Left heel,

Back of your right calf,

Back of your left calf,

Back of your right thigh,

Back of your left thigh,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Back of the neck,

Back of the head,

Top of the head,

Forehead,

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Middle of the eyebrows,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Where your lips meet,

Chin,

Jaw,

Throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Upper belly,

Navel,

Lower belly,

Pubic area,

Pelvic floor,

The whole right leg,

Whole left leg,

Whole right arm,

Whole left arm,

Whole face,

Whole head,

Whole torso,

Your whole body.

Feel the shape of your body.

Feel the space around your body.

Feel the space within your body.

Now imagine your body becoming heavy as you had earlier.

Imagine it becoming heavy like warm,

Soft clay slowly melting into the ground beneath you.

Welcome the weight of your body as you sink into the surface holding you,

Heavier and softer with each exhalation of the breath.

Feel the heaviness in your legs,

In your arms,

Your torso.

Feel your whole body warmer,

Softer,

Heavy.

Imagine your body becoming lighter.

With each inhalation of the breath,

It becomes lighter and lighter.

Your legs lighter,

Arms lighter,

Torso lighter.

Your whole body becoming so light it wants to lift off the surface you're lying on.

Now imagine the feeling of your whole body becoming heavy as you breathe out and lighter as you breathe in.

Heavy as you breathe out,

Lighter as you breathe in.

Imagine your body becoming hot as it might feel slipping into a hot bath.

Feel the soothing heat enveloping you and penetrating the depths of your body.

Now imagine your body becoming cold as though immersed in a cold lake.

Feel the cold enveloping you,

Chilling you to the bone.

Now imagine placing your hands in the sink of hot water.

Feel the warmth.

Imagine removing your hands from the hot water and slipping them into a sink of cold water.

Feel your reaction to the sudden change.

Remove your hands and immerse them in the hot water again.

Now the cold water.

Recall what it feels like to become very excited,

Perhaps thinking about a special occasion or experience wherein you are positively excited as you might be when skiing down a fast slope.

Now imagine yourself calm and relaxed as you might feel laying back on a warm day in the sun at the beach.

Bring your attention to the visual world within your closed eyes.

Are you aware of any shadows or wispy images?

Do you see colors or patterns of light?

Whatever you see,

Simply be aware of it with relaxed curiosity without trying to direct or control it in any way.

Now visualize these objects as I mention them.

Sunrise,

Full moon,

Ocean surf,

A tree,

The desert,

A tall building,

A glass of milk,

A burning candle,

A forest trail,

A dog,

A swing set,

A crowded mall,

A calm lake,

A cat,

A large truck,

A ballet dancer,

A mountain,

An airplane,

A garden,

A subway train,

An empty bed,

A mailbox,

A crowded highway,

A TV set,

A tricycle,

A boat.

Recall now your Sen Kulpa and repeat it to yourself three times,

Then let it go.

Return your awareness to your body.

Beginning with the breath,

Focus once again on the sensations your regular breathing creates in your nostrils,

The back of your throat,

In your chest and belly.

Be aware of your body as a whole,

The pressure points where your body makes contact with the ground,

The feeling of contact between your body and the clothes that cover it,

The air that addresses your exposed skin.

Be aware of the space that your body takes up,

The space just outside of your skin,

The space within your skin,

Keeping your eyes closed,

Sense the space around you,

The place you're lying,

The room you're in.

Become aware of any sounds other than my voice.

Now begin to awaken the body with small movements,

Starting with your hands,

Your feet,

Your arms,

Legs,

Your head.

Now when you're ready,

Flutter your eyes open and take a long,

Slow stretch.

Move your body in whatever way feels right.

Your yoga nidra practice is now complete.

Reviews

Very relaxing. Clear instructions, soothing voice. I like how the breathing exercises and visualizations are instructed, the "warm, soft clay" image/excercise. Thank you!

Ireland