It is time for Yoga Nidra.
I'm Maggi and I'll be leading you through the practice.
So lying on your back with knees supported,
Make sure that you're warm enough and that your position is one that will be comfortable for the duration of the practice.
It is recommended that you remain still during Yoga Nidra so both your body and brain have a chance to fully relax.
However,
If you become uncomfortable,
Please feel free to change position.
So allowing your eyes to close over lightly and keeping them closed until the practice has ended.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is a practice of yogic sleep that will guide you into a hypnagogic state,
A state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping,
Although you are to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice.
You will be asked to move your awareness to various bodily sensations and images.
During this meditation,
If the mind becomes overactive with thoughts,
Just return to the sound of my voice.
So becoming aware of any sounds you can hear in this moment,
Nothing else but what you can hear without strain.
Begin to focus on the most distant sounds that you can hear.
Let your sense of hearing radiate outward,
Searching out these distant sounds and following them for a few moments,
Moving your attention from sound to sound without labelling the source.
Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds,
The sounds outside this building,
The sounds inside this building,
The sounds inside the room.
And without opening your eyes,
Visualize the four walls of this room,
The ceiling,
The floor,
Your body lying on the floor.
Visualize your body lying on the floor,
The position of your body,
Your clothes,
Your hair,
Your face.
Become acutely aware of the existence of your physical body lying on the floor.
And become aware of your natural breath,
The natural and spontaneous breath as it moves in and out of your body without any effort,
The natural breath flowing in,
Flowing out.
Notice the feeling of the breath as it flows in and out of your body.
Notice the sense of coolness as you inhale.
Follow this feeling of coolness in through your nose,
The back of your sinuses and throat,
And down into your lungs.
And notice the sense of warmth as you exhale your breath.
Notice the warmth on your upper lip as you breathe out.
The natural breath flows through both nostrils during the inhale and the exhale.
Allow your breath to become longer and slower.
Take a long,
Slow inhalation deep into your belly,
Followed by a long,
Slow exhalation.
And just take another deep abdominal breath,
Allowing your abdomen to fill fully and then allowing a longer,
Slower exhalation.
And now returning to the natural easy breath,
Releasing any control over the inhale or the exhale.
The practice of Yoga Nidra begins now.
At this moment,
You should make your intention or resolve.
This is a short,
Positive statement in simple language.
Try to discover one naturally.
It could be something like healing peace or freedom and joy or I'm grateful and content.
Once you find a short phrase,
Please state your resolve clearly and with awareness,
Three times silently to yourself.
If one has not arisen naturally,
Then just keep breathing naturally.
State your intention now and clearly,
Silently to yourself,
Three times.
The intention you make during Yoga Nidra plants a seed in the fertile soil of your mind to bring about transformation and healing.
Say silently to yourself,
I am practicing Yoga Nidra.
I am awake and relaxed.
We will now begin a systematic journey of sensory awareness throughout the body.
Just move your awareness to the different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named.
Please say the name of your part silently to yourself and feel that part of your body but do not move any part.
The practice begins on the right hand side,
So taking all of your awareness into your right hand thumb.
Right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Right armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Right thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Now taking your awareness to your left hand thumb.
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
And now the back of the body.
Right heel,
Left heel,
Right calf,
Left calf,
Right thigh,
Left thigh,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
The entire spine,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of the neck,
Back of the arms,
Back of the head,
Top of the head,
And now to the front of the body.
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,
Both lips together,
Chin,
Jaw,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
Upper abdomen,
Navel centre,
Lower abdomen,
The whole right leg,
The whole left leg,
The whole right arm,
The whole left arm,
The whole face,
The whole head,
The whole torso,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
And now we will go to opposite sensations in the body.
Now imagine the whole body becoming light,
As though your body could float away from the floor and drift up toward the ceiling.
The head is light and weightless,
The limbs are light and weightless,
The torso is light and weightless,
The whole body light and weightless,
Rising higher and higher,
Higher away from the floor.
Now imagine your body becoming heavy,
Feel the heaviness in all parts of the body,
Each part is becoming heavier and heavier and heavier,
The head is heavy,
The limbs are heavy,
The torso is heavy,
The whole body is heavy,
Sinking further and further down into the floor.
Experience heaviness in your body.
Now a number of things will be named,
Please envision them as best you can,
Move from image to image as soon as you hear it.
Bring your awareness to the space between your eyebrows and imagine that there's a screen there on which you can see these images.
A red desert,
A red desert,
A red desert.
A peacock feather,
A peacock feather,
A peacock feather.
A full moon,
A full moon,
A full moon.
A foggy morning,
A foggy morning,
A foggy morning.
A foggy morning,
The sun shining overhead,
The sun shining overhead,
The sun shining overhead.
A bouquet of beautiful flowers,
A bouquet of beautiful flowers,
A bouquet of beautiful flowers.
A tall tree,
A tall tree,
A tall tree.
Cool clear running water,
Cool clear running water,
Running water,
Cool clear running water.
A burning candle,
A burning candle,
A burning candle.
A path through the woods,
A path through the woods,
A path through the woods.
A vibrant sunset,
A vibrant sunset,
A vibrant sunset.
Taking a deep breath,
Taking a deep breath,
Taking a deep breath.
A cat stretching out fully,
A cat stretching out fully,
A cat stretching out fully.
Beautiful music,
Beautiful music,
Beautiful music.
Your body lying on the floor,
Your body lying on the floor,
Your body lying on the floor,
Your body lying on the floor.
It is time to repeat your resolve or intention.
Please repeat the same statement made at the beginning of the practice three times silently to yourself now.
Now come back to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.
Maintain the awareness of your breath and at the same time develop your awareness of your physical body.
Your body is relaxed and lying on the floor.
Feel the container of your skin,
Feel the clothes and props that are supporting you or touching your body.
Notice the heaviness of your body as it rests on the floor and take your awareness of your body.
Take your awareness into all the points of contact your body is making with the surface underneath.
The back of your heels,
Thighs,
Buttocks,
Shoulder blades,
Arms,
Hands and head.
Do not open your eyes yet but visualise the surrounding room in which you lie.
Imagine where you are in the room and the other objects that are around you.
Lie quietly until you feel ready to move.
Start by slowly moving your hands and feet,
Moving your tongue around in your mouth.
When you are sure that you are fully awake,
Roll onto your right hand side and stay on your side for a few moments or for as long as you feel you'd like to.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Thank you.
