Yoga Nidra To Balance The Pitta Dosha

This Yoga Nidra practice includes visualisations designed to balance the Ayurvedic Pitta Dosha. Pitta is composed of the fire and water elements and is responsible for the body's transformative processes including digestion and metabolism. When Pitta is out of balance, symptoms can include excessive heat in the body, acid reflux, diarrhea, excessive hunger feelings of anger, jealousy, frustration, and intensity. Pitta is balanced by coolness, heaviness, and stability. The practice includes exploration of the opposites hot/cold and anger/acceptance and Pitta balancing visualizations including bathing the body in cool silver moonlight.

Photo by Lil Artsy

Transcript

Welcome to your yoga nidra practice.

Before you begin,

Make sure that you are comfortable.

Yoga nidra is traditionally done in the posture of shavasana,

Lying on your back with your legs open to a little wider than hip distance apart and with your arms a little away from your sides with the palms facing upwards.

Take your time to get comfortable.

There is no rush to begin.

If you need to take any support for your body,

A block or a cushion under your head or a rolled up blanket under your knees or your ankles,

Take whatever you need.

And if shavasana isn't going to be comfortable for you to relax into for a long time,

Find another position that feels better for you.

See if you can make yourself so comfortable that you might even be able to forget that your body is there at all.

And as you begin to feel more settled,

Before you close your eyes,

Take a moment to look around you at the space that you're in to acknowledge that it is safe for you to relax.

Notice any objects around you that contribute to your feeling of safety.

Any features in the space that let you know that you are safe.

A securely closed door or window.

The walls and ceiling around you.

And when you are sure that it's safe and secure for you to relax completely,

Gently close your eyes.

Feel into the feeling of your body resting into the surface beneath you.

Become aware of all the places where your body connects with that surface.

And with every breath,

Feel your body becoming heavier in each of those places.

Feel how every breath naturally carries your body into a deeper level of relaxation.

Feel how the muscles let go a little more with every exhalation.

And now send the awareness out to the sounds that you can hear in your environment.

Let the awareness move from sound to sound,

Just acknowledging that those sounds are there.

There is no need to analyse what the sounds are or where they're coming from,

Or to get too involved in any one sound.

Just observe the sounds that are there.

Acknowledge them and know that none of these sounds are going to disturb you as you relax,

But that they can only help you to relax even more deeply.

And just take the time now to acknowledge that this is your time for your deep relaxation,

And that there is no way that you can get this practice wrong.

You can follow my voice for as long as that's useful to you,

But you are also free to drift away and ignore me.

And if you fall asleep,

That just means that your body needs to sleep right now.

There are no rules about how to do this.

It is your time for you to welcome your deep relaxation.

So knowing that you can't get this wrong,

Perhaps you can permit yourself to surrender a little more deeply into deep rest,

Knowing that this practice is going to bring you exactly what you need today.

Now bring your awareness to the heart centre.

Rest the awareness at the heart centre,

The centre of the chest.

Feel into the heart centre.

And keeping the awareness at the heart,

If you have a personal sankalpa,

Now is the time to recall your sankalpa.

The sankalpa is a deep prayer or vow that comes from the heart for something that you wish to attain or experience in this life,

Something which feels to be bigger than you.

If you already have a sankalpa,

Welcome it as it arises for you now.

And if you don't have one,

Keep your awareness at the heart centre and observe whatever happens.

There is never any need to force a sankalpa.

If it is going to come,

It will come very naturally by itself,

Perhaps as a short positive statement or perhaps as an image or a feeling or a subtle sense of knowing.

And if you don't have one or if you don't want one,

That's okay too.

It's not essential to have a sankalpa,

But if you do have one,

Invite it to arise from the heart and take a moment to welcome and acknowledge it.

Now we'll begin the rotation of consciousness through the body,

Beginning at the tip of the tongue.

Bring the awareness to rest at the tip of the tongue.

And the whole of the tongue,

Bring the awareness to the whole of the tongue.

The tip of the tongue,

The tip of the tongue,

The tip of the tongue,

The tip of the tongue,

The tip of the tongue,

The tip of the tongue,

The tip of the tongue,

The tip of the tongue,

The nose,

The right cheek,

The left cheek,

The right ear,

The left ear,

The right eye,

The left eye,

The right eyelid,

The left eyelid,

The right eyebrow,

The left eyebrow,

The eyebrow center,

The forehead,

The right temple,

The left temple,

The top of the head.

Rest the awareness at the top of the head.

Now bring the awareness to the right shoulder,

The right upper arm,

The right elbow,

The right lower arm,

The right wrist,

The palm of the right hand,

The back of the right hand,

The right thumb,

The right index finger,

The right middle finger,

The right ring finger,

The right little finger.

Now bring the awareness to the left shoulder,

The left upper arm,

The left elbow,

The lower arm,

The left wrist,

The palm of the left hand,

The back of the left hand,

The left hand thumb,

The left index finger,

The left middle finger,

The left ring finger and the little finger.

Bring the awareness to the space between the collarbones,

The left side of the chest,

The right side of the chest,

The center of the chest,

The navel,

The lower abdomen,

The right hip,

The right thigh,

The right knee,

The right shin,

The right calf,

The right calf,

The right ankle,

The right heel,

The sole of the right foot,

The top of the right foot,

Each of the right toes,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Bring the awareness to the left hip,

The left thigh,

The left knee,

The left shin,

The left calf,

The left ankle,

The left heel,

The sole of the left foot,

The top of the left foot,

Each of the left toes,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Bring the awareness to the right toes and the left toes,

The right heel and the left heel,

The back of the right knee,

The back of the left knee,

The right buttock,

The left buttock,

The whole of the spine,

The right shoulder blade,

The left shoulder blade,

The back of the head,

The top of the head,

And the right arm.

Bring the awareness to the whole of the right arm,

The whole of the right leg,

The whole of the right side of the body,

The whole of the left arm,

The whole of the left leg,

The whole of the left side of the body.

And the whole of the body together.

Awareness on the whole of the body together.

The whole of the body together.

Bring the awareness to the breath.

Follow the breath as it flows into the nostrils and observe the triangle shape made by the breath.

It starts from outside the nose and flows through each of the separate nostrils,

Meeting at the eyebrow center,

Making a triangular shape.

Making a triangular shape.

And on the exhalation it flows back out through the separate nostrils.

Watch this triangular shape made by the breath as it flows in and out.

Now begin to visualize the breath flowing through alternate nostrils.

On the inhalation the breath flows in through the left nostril,

Up to the eyebrow center.

And on the exhalation it flows out through the right nostril.

Inhale through the right nostril,

Up to the eyebrow center.

And exhale through the left nostril.

Inhale through the right nostril,

Exhale through the left nostril.

Inhale through the left nostril,

Exhale through the right.

Inhale through the right nostril,

Exhale through the left.

Inhale through the left nostril,

Exhale through the right.

Inhale through the left nostril,

Exhale through the right.

Inhale through the left nostril,

Exhale through the right.

Inhale through the left nostril,

Exhale through the right.

Inhale through the right nostril,

Exhale through the left.

Inhale through the right nostril,

Exhale through the left.

Inhale through the right nostril,

Exhale through the left.

Inhale through the right nostril,

Exhale through the left.

And now move the breath into the legs and the feet.

Inhale from the left foot,

Up the left leg,

Up the left side of the body,

Through the left nostril to the eyebrow center.

Exhale through the right nostril,

Down the right side of the body,

Down the right leg to the right foot.

Inhale from the right foot,

Up the right leg,

Up the right side of the body,

Through the right nostril to the eyebrow center.

Exhale through the left nostril,

Down the left side of the body,

Down the left leg to the left foot.

Continue breathing through alternate sides of the body,

Changing sides after the inhalation.

After the next exhalation through the left side,

Begin to breathe through both sides of the body together.

Inhale from the feet,

Up the legs,

Up the front of the body,

Through the nostrils to the eyebrow center.

Exhale through the nostrils,

Down the front of the body,

Down the legs to the feet.

Continue breathing through both sides of the body,

Making a large triangle over the whole of the body.

Now bring the breath back to the arms and the hands.

Inhale from the hands,

Up the arms,

Through the nostrils to the eyebrow center.

Exhale from the eyebrow center,

Through the nostrils,

Down the arms to the hands.

Making a triangle shape from the hands to the eyebrow center.

Continue breathing through the arms and the hands.

Come back to the nose.

Inhale through the nostrils to the eyebrow center.

Exhale from the eyebrow center,

Back out of the nostrils.

The breath making a triangular shape through the nose.

And now move the awareness away from the breath and into your body.

And invite the feeling of heat to arise inside the body.

The feeling of heat.

Feel the body becoming very hot,

As if you are under the hot sun on a summer's day.

Intensify the feeling of heat.

Feel it vividly throughout the whole of the body.

The feeling of heat.

Welcome it.

The feeling of heat.

And now invite the feeling of cold to arise.

The feeling of cold.

Feel the body becoming very cold,

As if you are out in the snow on a winter's day.

Intensify the feeling of cold.

Feel it vividly throughout the whole of the body.

The feeling of cold.

Welcome it.

The feeling of cold.

And now invite the feelings of heat and cold to arise together.

Is it possible to feel heat and cold in the body together?

Can you feel the body intensely hot,

As if under the sun on a summer's day?

And intensely cold,

As if out in the snow on a winter's day,

At the same time?

Welcome the feelings of heat and cold in the body together.

Heat and cold together.

Heat and cold together.

Now feel into your body and invite the emotion of anger to arise.

The emotion of anger.

If it helps you to recall the feeling,

You might like to remember a time or a situation when you felt very angry.

Or simply allow the feeling of anger to arise by itself.

Feel how the feeling manifests inside your body.

The feeling of anger.

Intensify the feeling.

Feel it vividly.

The feeling of anger.

The feeling of anger.

And now the feeling of acceptance.

Invite the feeling of acceptance to arise.

Feel what happens in your body when you allow everything to be exactly as it is right now.

Intensify the feeling.

The feeling of acceptance.

The feeling of acceptance.

And is it possible to feel anger and acceptance together?

Can you welcome the feelings of anger and acceptance as they arise inside the body at the same time?

Anger and acceptance together.

Intensify the feeling.

Intensify the feelings.

Anger and acceptance together.

Anger and acceptance together.

Imagine yourself to be floating on the surface of a still lake at night time.

Silver stars sparkle in the sky above you as you float upon the water.

Silver moonlight radiates down onto your body.

Welcome the cool silver moonlight as it illuminates the top of your head.

Welcome the silver moonlight onto your forehead.

Your face.

Your throat.

Welcome the moonlight as it bathes your right arm,

Illuminating your right shoulder.

Upper arm.

Elbow.

Lower arm.

Wrist.

Hand and fingers.

And welcome the moonlight as it bathes your left arm,

Your left shoulder.

Upper arm.

Elbow.

Lower arm.

Wrist.

Hand.

Hand and fingers.

Welcome the silver moonlight onto your chest and your abdomen.

Your right hip.

Right thigh.

Right knee.

Lower leg.

Ankle.

Right foot and toes.

And welcome the moonlight onto your left hip.

Left thigh.

Left knee.

Lower leg.

Ankle.

Left foot.

And toes.

As you float on the still surface of the water,

Welcome the cool silver moonlight onto the whole of the body.

The whole of the body illuminated in cool silver light.

Now bring your awareness to the eyebrow centre.

Watch the eyebrow centre.

Observe what's happening there.

Notice any shapes,

Colours,

Images or patterns.

Without getting involved in them,

Just watch.

Maintain your awareness at the eyebrow centre.

I'm going to name some different things.

Allow an impression of each one to arise.

Without forcing anything,

Allow each one to come by itself however it comes.

Starting with a raindrop.

A frosty morning.

A hummingbird.

A bowl of salad.

A snowflake.

A crescent moon.

A dove.

Birds flying through the evening sky.

A bear in hibernation.

Autumn leaves blowing in the wind.

An ice cube.

A boat floating on a river through a quiet valley.

Bring the awareness to the heart centre.

Rest here in the peace of the heart centre.

Here you are free.

Keeping the awareness at the heart centre.

If you have a sankalpa,

Now is the time to invite your sankalpa to arise once again.

Welcome your heart's deepest desire.

And if you don't have one,

Simply maintain your awareness of the heart centre and continue to observe.

And now slowly begin to send your awareness back outwards.

Send your awareness out to the sounds that you can hear in your environment.

And just let the awareness jump between the different sounds without remaining too long at any one sound.

Feel into the feeling of your body resting into the surface beneath you.

Feel the feeling of your clothing against your skin.

Of your blanket against your skin.

And in your mind,

Can you create a picture of the room that you are in?

Can you picture the walls,

The floor and the ceiling?

Can you picture the furniture and all of the different objects?

Now take a long deep breath as you prepare to end the practice.

Start to make some small movements with your fingers and your toes.

Make some circles with your wrists and your ankles.

And give yourself a stretch in any way that feels good for you.

When you feel ready,

Slowly open your eyes.

Your practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Thank you for listening.

Reviews

Wonderful meditation! I feel extraordinarily relaxed, calm and peaceful 🤗❤️ Thank you, Jessica 🙏🪷