Hello and welcome to Sunday Slow Meditations,
The once a week meditation where you can really dedicate some time to yourself,
You can relax deeper into the week that's just gone and embrace the new week that's about to come tomorrow.
I know that this week has been full of anxiety and worry and then I'm sure many of you here,
Like myself,
Have woken up today feeling fresh,
Full of hope and optimism.
I feel like we all really needed a win this year and I feel like we finally,
Finally got that.
I really,
Really hope that we can tune in to that optimism in this meditation and we can just come out of it feeling relaxed and excited for everything that's going to come.
I feel like we're turning a corner and I hope that you're all feeling it too,
No matter what you're going through or where you are.
This is our time to start changing things.
So what we're going to be doing today is a very traditional yoga nidra meditation.
Now yoga nidra is classed as the fine line between sleep and meditation.
It's often referred to as yogic sleep.
The number one rule,
The only rule really,
Is that you just don't fall asleep.
Very important.
However,
If you do fall asleep,
It's really not the end of the world.
You know,
You can,
You'll still feel rested and you will still reap the benefits of it.
And to be completely honest,
If you fall asleep during a meditation and you sleep better than you have done normally,
Then I still class that as a win.
So yoga nidra is often practiced laying flat on a surface,
So it might be the floor or the bed.
But in this instance,
If you feel more comfortable on a sofa or sat upright on a chair,
You know,
You can even be in your kitchen cooking and you feel like you need to dedicate a couple of minutes to yourself,
Then you know,
Close your eyes and tune into your breath and just give yourself that time.
It really doesn't matter where you do it.
The most important thing is that you get to dedicate some time to yourself.
You know,
We all deserve that.
We all deserve our own bit of peace and serenity and tuning in to what makes us happy.
So yoga nidra does give you more energy.
It makes you feel more relaxed as well.
It makes you feel more vibrant.
It's a beautiful,
Delicious meditation.
It's very,
Very,
Very simple.
You don't need to do anything in particular.
You just need to follow my voice as it guides you.
So I will be saying,
Guide me through your body parts.
As I say the body part,
I just need you to bring awareness to it.
That's the most important thing.
Just bring awareness to the body part.
I don't need you to think about it sinking into the ground or relaxing further.
Just bring awareness to it.
I will also be doing a visualisation technique.
Now this will just allow you to get out of your mind slightly.
It will just allow you a bit of peace and space from the day to day life.
And again,
Like the body parts,
Just as I mentioned,
The scene or the objects,
Just bring awareness to it.
That's all you need to do.
This is a traditional practice.
There will be some Sanskrit.
If that's not for you,
Then that's completely fine.
But just really close your eyes and allow yourself a couple of minutes.
We are on the edge of something very exciting and I hope that we all get to come out to this meditation feeling optimistic and feeling fresh,
Not only for the week ahead,
But for everything else that's going to come.
Please prepare yourself for yoga nidra.
Either lie down in shavasana with your body stretched out,
Your feet apart and the palms of your hand turned upwards and your eyes closed.
If you sat down,
Make sure that you're in a comfortable position.
Close your eyes and make all the necessary adjustments so that you're as comfortable as possible.
There must be no movement,
Neither conscious nor unconscious.
Remember,
You are about to practice yoga nidra,
Psychic sleep,
And that you only have to maintain awareness of hearing and feeling.
The body sleeps,
But the mind remains awake.
You must remain alert so that you do not sleep.
It might help to say to yourself mentally,
I will not sleep.
I will remain awake.
Take a deep breath in and as you breathe in,
Feel coolness and calmness spreading throughout the body.
And as you breathe out,
Feel all your cares and worries floating out of you and dropping away.
Become aware of your body and relax yourself completely.
Make yourself physically calm and steady.
Feel that the legs are relaxed,
The trunk,
The head,
The arms and hands.
Develop the awareness of your physical body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes and say in your mind,
Om.
Complete awareness of the whole body.
Say to yourself again,
Om.
Relax the whole body mentally.
Relax yourself mentally.
Relax yourself by breathing normally and becoming aware of the breath as it moves between the navel and the throat.
Awareness of your natural breath.
There is no forcing.
Neither to quote breathing.
Please go on with this awareness and slowly feel yourself becoming more relaxed.
Now leave your breathing and become aware that you are going to practice yoga nidra.
Yoga nidra begins now.
Now is the time to make your resolve for the week ahead.
Be consistent.
Plant the result at one place and do not change it.
Certainly the result will come true if the soul is perfect.
Repeat your resolve with a feeling and awareness three times.
Awareness of the parts of the body.
Consciousness should move around the body and keep moving.
As it moves it changes into prana,
The vital energy,
The form of current energy.
Do not concentrate on any one part but let your mind jump freely from one part to the next.
Right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Palm,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Right thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of the foot,
Right toes,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Left thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of the foot,
Left toes,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Go to the right toes and start from the bottom.
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Top of the foot,
Sole,
Heel,
Ankle,
Calf muscle,
Kneecap,
Thigh,
Hip,
Waist,
Armpit,
Shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Lower arm,
Wrist,
Back of the hand,
Palm of the hand,
Right thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Go to the left toes,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Top of the foot,
Sole,
Heel,
Ankle,
Calf muscle,
Kneecap,
Thigh,
Hip,
Waist,
Armpit,
Shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Lower arm,
Wrist,
Back of the hand,
Palm of the hand,
Left thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Go to the back of the body,
Go to the back of the head where it touches the floor,
Back of the right shoulder plate,
Left shoulder plate,
Whole spine,
Right hip,
Left hip,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Back of the right thigh,
Back of the left thigh,
Back of the right knee,
Back of the left knee,
Right calf muscle,
Left calf muscle,
Right ankle,
Left ankle,
Right heel,
And left heel.
Right ankle,
Left ankle,
Right calf muscle,
Left calf muscle,
Back of the right knee,
Back of the left knee,
Back of the right thigh,
Back of the left thigh,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Right hip,
Left hip,
Whole spine,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of the head.
Now go down the front of the body,
Go to the top of the head,
Top of the head,
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Jaw,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right chest,
Left chest,
Middle of the chest,
Navel,
Upper abdomen,
Lower abdomen,
Right groin,
Left groin,
Right thigh,
Left thigh,
Right knee,
Left knee,
Right toe,
Left toe.
Right toes,
Left toes,
Right knee,
Left knee,
Right thigh,
Left thigh,
Right groin,
Left groin,
Lower abdomen,
Upper abdomen,
Navel,
Right chest,
Left chest,
Middle of the chest,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Throat,
Jaw,
Chin,
Lower lip,
Upper lip,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Eyebrow centre,
Forehead,
Top of the head.
Now all of the major body parts,
The whole of the right leg,
The whole of the left leg,
Both legs together,
Whole of the right arm,
Whole of the left arm,
Both arms together,
The whole of the back together,
The whole of the front together,
The whole of the head together,
The whole of the body together.
Visualise the whole body.
Intensify your awareness,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Become aware of the meeting points between your body and the surface.
Feel the meeting points between your body and the surface,
Sharp meeting points,
Body and surface.
Feel the surface holding you to its bosom like a baby in its arms.
Now concentrate on your body as if you're seeing it from the outside.
Look on your body as an object.
See your head,
Your clothes,
Your whole body from top to bottom.
You are lying in savasana.
See your body as an object,
A reflection,
An imaginary mirror.
You are looking at your own reflection in the mirror.
You are seeing yourself lying.
Your feet,
Your legs,
Your abdomen,
Your chest,
Arms,
Hand,
Clothing,
Nose,
Closed eyes,
Forehead,
Hair,
Everything reflected in that mirror.
You,
Awareness of your body as an object.
Make sure you are not sleeping.
Bring your attention to the natural quiet breath.
Become aware of the breath through the nostrils.
Breathe.
The natural breath flows through the nostrils and meets the top of the nose to form a triangle.
The spontaneous breath enters through the nostril openings,
Moves upwards and draws together to form a triangle with breath passing through both nostrils.
Become aware of both breaths separately and simultaneously.
Think of the breath starting separately yet from a distance and then drawing near,
Uniting in the eyebrow centre.
Now concentrate on each breath and try and determine its temperature.
Move back and forth and compare the temperatures.
In yoga,
We say the left nostril breath is udha,
The moon,
And the right is pingala,
Pingala,
The sun.
Ida,
Left breath is cooler.
Pingala,
The right breath is warmer.
Continue your awareness of breathing,
But imagine you are now breathing through alternative nostrils.
In through one nostril and out through the other.
It's the sides of a triangle and back again.
Maintain your awareness and start counting each breath with full attention.
Inhale,
54.
Exhale,
54.
Inhale,
53.
Exhale,
53.
And so on.
Continue counting and breathing to zero.
Total awareness of counting and breathing.
If you make a mistake or reach zero,
Start again from 54.
Stop your counting and remain aware of the breath only.
Inhale in evenly through both nostrils.
Total awareness,
No sleeping,
No sleeping please.
Awaken the experience of heaviness in the whole body.
Become aware of heaviness in each of the body parts as it's named.
Toes,
Heels,
Ankles,
Calves,
Knees,
Thighs,
Buttocks,
Back,
Abdomen,
Chest,
Shoulders,
Arms,
Palms,
Head,
Eyelids.
The whole body heavy.
The whole body heavy.
The whole body heavy.
Experience this heaviness in the whole body.
Now lightness.
Manifest the experience of lightness in the whole body.
Manifest the feeling of lightness from the top,
From the top of the head,
The whole head,
The shoulders,
Palms,
Back,
Chest,
Abdomen,
Thighs,
Knees,
Calves,
Heels,
Soles,
Toes.
Manifest the experience of lightness in the whole body from top to toe.
The lightness of the body can be developed by feeling the meeting points between the body and the surface that you're on.
Point by point or as a whole,
A whole surface of the body meeting the surface.
Concentrate on this area of meeting and gradually experience lightness.
Feel yourself floating up from the floor.
You are so light,
You're floating to the ceiling and drifting back down and forth.
Continue this experience until lightness is a manifest.
Go on.
Pain.
Recollect the experience of pain of any type of pain that you've experienced in your life.
Head pain,
Stomach pain,
Any physical pain or mental pain.
Everyone has experienced pain at some point in their life.
Remember that pain.
Feel that pain.
Try to make that experience of pain as clear as possible.
Deepen your awareness and feel that pain intensely.
Acutely.
Continue to concentrate on the experience of pain.
Now,
Pleasure.
Try to experience the feeling of pleasure.
Any pleasure.
It may be according to your sense of touch,
Smell,
Taste,
Hearing or sight.
Any kind of mental pleasure.
Recall that pleasure and try and develop it into an intense,
Ecstatic experience.
Think of an ocean.
Think of a dark blue ocean and become aware of the waves.
The ocean lies within the inner space of the shidaskana and the rolling waves represent sleep.
The manifesting unconscious state of mind.
Become aware of sleep and try to visualize the state of unconsciousness within you.
Like waves on an ocean,
Above is a beautiful blue sky and below is a vast ocean with infinite waves.
The manifesting process of the unconsciousness.
Imagine a well and you are looking into it.
The well is deep and dark.
A tunnel deep into the earth.
There is a bucket on the chain and you lower it into the well.
It moves into the darkness.
You can feel it in the chain and into the depths but you cannot see it.
Now pull the bucket up and look out into the darkness and into the light.
Let's lower the bucket again but this time if you wish you can get into the bucket.
Lower yourself down and pull yourself back up perfectly safely.
Now the bucket is winding you down and you are descending into the darkness.
Unknown or pervading darkness.
Complete darkness and emptiness all around.
So dark that you cannot see yourself.
And out into the dim light,
From the dim light into daylight and out of the well.
Now ask yourself,
What am I thinking?
But do not think,
Do not become aware of the spontaneous thought process.
Become a witness but do not suppress.
Try to witness your thoughts and ask yourself again and again,
What am I thinking?
At the same time maintain complete awareness.
Don't think,
Just allow the thoughts to come and go like clouds across the sky.
Now you have to concentrate on yourself as if you are doing asanas,
Yogic postures.
You should try and visualize yourself on the outside doing the poses but with psychic awareness only.
Do not move your body.
Do this mentally.
Salute to the sun.
See yourself in each of the poses.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight,
Nine,
Ten,
Eleven,
Twelve.
Now you are lying down.
Visualize yourself in Shavasana,
Dead man's pose.
In the Shavasana move to the shoulder stand.
Palasana,
The plow and counter pose fish.
Now forward bend into cobra.
Turning over into Padmasana.
And then back into a handstand.
Check that you are not sleeping.
Now you are going to travel into your past in the same way that you have traveled from the past to your present.
Retrace in the steps of your memory and consciousness backwards from this time.
The past is part of the time and part of your mind.
Normally you walk backwards and forwards in time.
This time try and just walk backwards by remembering your past.
You are going to go deeper into the recesses of your consciousness.
Try to remember what happened from the present time to the time that you got up this morning.
You have to go back in time as if you were watching a film,
Running in reverse.
Or if not a film,
A series of slides.
Remember back to the start of Yoganidra.
Then recall what you were doing in the half hour before that.
Remember the important objects and feelings in that time.
And then keep on proceeding in the half hour or one hour stages to when you woke up.
Stage by stage with full awareness,
Visualize and recall what you were doing.
Thinking and feeling.
When you have finished,
Bring your mind directly back to the present.
Bring your awareness to the present and make sure you are not sleeping.
I'm going to name a few objects and you should try and visualize them on the levels of feeling,
Awareness,
Emotion,
Imagination and the best you can.
You should move as fast as I go,
Jumping your mind from image to image.
Do not waste your time concentrating on any one image.
Keep on moving.
A flickering candle,
A weeping willow tree,
Tall palm tree,
A car moving on the road.
Coloured clouds gathering,
Yellow clouds,
Blue clouds,
Starlit night,
Full moon,
Dog standing,
Cat reposing,
Elephant moving,
Horse racing,
Rising sun,
Setting sun.
A big pond with clear water,
Blue lotus,
White lotus,
Pink lotus,
Golden spider web,
Sandy bank of wide river,
A boat sailing on water,
See the ripples.
Yourself lying down without clothes,
A golden cord extending from your navel to the sky.
A chimney smoke rising from old house,
A cold winter,
A fire burning in our old house.
A cold winter,
A temple bell ringing,
A monk with a shaved head,
A yogi sat in deep meditation,
Buddha in repose.
Intensify your awareness,
Intensify your awareness and go to an infinite ocean,
Calm and quiet,
And try to discover a sound there.
There is a sound,
An infinite ocean,
Green,
Dark green jungles in the shore,
Snakes,
Lions and goats living in friendliness.
From the shore,
A path leads to a lonely cottage in the jungle,
A yogi is sat outside in lotus pose.
There is a fire and smell of incense,
The fragrance of flowers and the atmosphere of tranquility.
All around can be heard the sound of om,
The chanting of om over the infinite ocean.
Become witness of your awareness,
Not of the body,
Not of the senses,
Not of the mind.
Nothing but the different awareness.
Become aware that you are observing yourself,
Look within and try to become aware of the one who is looking.
Who is aware of what you are doing so far?
Go to Shikasana,
Go to the cave of Shikasana,
Within that cave there is a flaming light,
Find that light and in that light a small golden egg,
A very small golden egg with bright light all around it.
Now remember your resolve,
Repeat that to yourself three times.
Now I want you to relax all of your efforts,
I want you to bring your attention back to your natural breath,
Your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.
Maintain your awareness of the breath and at the same time develop your awareness of the physical relaxation.
Awareness of the relaxation and awareness of your physical existence.
Become aware of the physical existence outside of your body.
Develop awareness of your body and visualize your body on the surface.
Take your mind out and visualize the surrounding room.
Let your mind become completely external,
Don't open your eyes yet.
You are practicing yoga nidra,
Become aware of the spect.
Lie silently until your attention is completely externalized.
Start moving,
Moving your body,
Stretching yourself.
Please take your time,
There is no hurry and when you are sure that you are completely awake,
Sit up slowly and open up your eyes.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
Hurry on that side.
Let your mind become completely external and open up your eyes.
Let your mind become completely internal and open up your eyes.
Let your mind become completely internal and open up your eyes.
Let your mind become completely internal and open up your eyes.
Let your mind become completely internal and open up your eyes.
Let your mind become completely internal and open up your eyes.
Let your mind become completely internal and open up your eyes.
Let your mind become completely internal and open up your eyes.
