Introduction To Yoga Nidra

The Yoga of sleep... a guided meditation journey that is usually done lying down, but can be done reclined or in any position that is most comfortable. Its purpose is to facilitate a deep awareness, a deep sense of wholeness and balance within ourselves. This journey takes us through the many layers of our body (physical, emotional, mental, energetic, intellectual/subconscious, and bliss) so that we become more attuned with our true nature - Awareness.
Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels

Transcript

Welcome,

Thanks for joining me during this Introduction to Yogananda Meditation.

Before we get started and while we're sitting,

I'd like for us to prepare for this journey by taking a few Ujjayi breaths.

An Ujjayi breath is one where we breathe in and out through our nostrils,

All the while very slightly constricting the back of our throat as if making a whisper sound,

Or the gentle sound of wind through a tunnel.

I like this breathing technique because the sound and the feel help keep me focused on each present moment.

So let's get started.

With your spine in an upright position and sitting with your hips slightly above the level of your knees,

Go ahead and close your eyes.

Close your mouth so that your lips are together but they're still relaxed.

Place the tip of your tongue gently against the back of your two front teeth,

Where the teeth and the gumline come together.

Breathe in and out through your nose at a comfortable but slow pace.

As you breathe in and out,

You're slightly constricting the back of your throat,

As though you're making the sound of a gentle wind traveling through a tunnel.

You'll follow this pattern together for a minute or two.

Breathe in and out through your nose.

Breathe in and out through your nose.

I now invite you to lie down on your back.

You may use a pillow under your knees,

A towel or blanket under your head,

An eye pillow,

And a blanket to keep you comfortably warm if you'd like.

Go ahead and close your eyes and do whatever else you need to make yourself completely comfortable.

Before we start this Yoga Nidra meditation,

There are a few things that I'd like to tell you.

What we're doing is practicing relaxed awareness.

Your main purpose is to practice paying attention to whatever comes into your field of awareness at any moment without becoming attached to it.

You're becoming a bystander or a witness to these things.

I'll be taking you through a guided layered meditation to facilitate a deep relaxation and awareness on different levels of your being.

If you happen to fall asleep or doze in and out,

That is perfectly okay.

The part of your consciousness that I'm speaking to is always listening.

However,

If you prefer not to fall asleep,

You may state it as an intention such as this,

I will remain relaxed yet alert for the entire meditation.

If you'd like,

You can repeat that at least three times to yourself now,

And I'll give you just a few moments.

During our meditation,

There is no good or bad,

No right or wrong.

There's simply whatever arises.

It's all just information.

It gives you a chance to practice welcoming in whatever you're aware of,

Recognizing it for what it is,

Whether it be a sensation,

An emotion,

A smell,

A sound,

Whatever it may be,

And it gives you a chance to witness or observe it without judgment.

If something requires a response,

Such as an itch that simply won't go away or a sensation that can't be fixed without a subtle movement of a body part,

Try to do so only after you've welcomed,

Recognized,

And witnessed it first.

That way,

You won't be reacting,

And instead,

You'll be responding.

By practicing awareness in each present moment,

We come closer and closer to recognizing our true nature,

That of pure awareness and presence.

So let's get started with our meditation.

When you're ready,

Go ahead and focus on a sensation that's outside your body.

It may be a sound,

A smell,

The temperature of the room,

Whatever it is.

Welcome it in,

Recognize it for what it is,

And become the witness of it.

Now I invite you to notice the sensation of your breath.

Your breath is something that's happening inside your body.

Follow your breath through the inhale and the exhale.

Welcome it in,

Recognize it for what it is,

And become the witness of it.

Now return back to the external sensation.

Return back to the internal sensation of your breath.

Now notice both the external and the internal sensations simultaneously.

Hold on to the awareness of both the external sensation and the internal sensation.

Nothing is supposed to happen or not supposed to happen.

You're simply holding on to awareness of both at the same time.

While the internal and external sensations are different,

They do have something in common.

What they have in common is that you're aware of them.

You are awareness,

Holding sensations from both inside and outside your body at the same time.

It's time now to set your intention,

Your purpose for this practice.

This is your sankalpa.

It's a positive statement of truth set in the present tense.

It may answer these questions.

What's the reason you're practicing this meditation?

Is there something that you feel you need?

That you feel you're lacking that you would like?

Is there a certain way you would like to feel?

An accomplishment you would like to see through to the end?

Your purpose may be anything that's positive yet realistic.

If you feel you're lacking or missing something,

Word it as though you're on your way to getting it.

Your purpose should be a short,

Precise,

And clear statement of truth.

Some ways to state your intention in the present tense might sound like this,

I am on the road to I have everything within me to I am blessed with If you don't have an intention or a purpose,

That's okay.

You might set a general one,

Such as I am on the road to realizing my true nature.

I'll give you a few moments now to repeat your intention silently to yourself at least three times.

This is planting a positive seed of purpose for your practice and for your life.

Now I invite you to experience a place in your mind that makes you feel safe,

Secure,

And calm.

This is going to be your sanctuary,

A place to come whenever you want during meditation or during your waking day.

Visualize a place that you love to be,

A place where you can be totally yourself without worry or concern.

This place can be real or it can be imagined.

Place yourself at your sanctuary right now in the present moment.

What does it look like here?

How do you feel physically while you're here?

How do you feel emotionally?

What colors do you see?

Is it daytime or nighttime?

Are you alone or with other people or pets?

What are some of the scents that you can smell?

What are some of the sounds that you can hear?

This sanctuary,

Your inner sacred place,

Is here for you anytime you choose.

If there is anything during our meditation that you don't want to focus on or pay attention to,

Simply come back here to this place and use your senses to re-anchor your awareness,

To bring yourself back to presence,

To calm,

And to safety.

Use the feeling that you invoked while in your sanctuary and allow your body to become even more relaxed.

Anchor your presence by bringing attention to the sensation of your body.

With each part of the body you're led through,

You'll become more and more relaxed.

Notice the sensation of your eyes,

Your ears,

Temples,

The feeling of your nose,

Your lips,

The top lip touching the bottom lip,

Your cheeks,

Chin.

Bring awareness to the sensation of your entire face.

Notice the sensations of your entire face from your forehead down to your chin.

Now bring your awareness to the top of your head,

The back of your head.

Feel the sensation of your entire head.

Focus on your entire head,

Including your face and your scalp.

Become aware of the sensation of the front of your neck,

Front of your neck down to your shoulders.

Feel the front of your neck and shoulders relaxing and letting go of tension.

The back of your neck,

Back of your neck down to your shoulders.

Feel the muscles of the back of your neck and shoulders releasing and allowing you to relax even more.

Bring attention to the sensation of your left arm.

Left upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Palm of your hand,

Top of your hand.

All five of your fingers.

Left thumb,

Your entire left arm.

Right arm,

Right upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Palm of your hand.

Top of your hand.

All five fingers.

Right thumb,

Entire right arm.

Both arms together at the same time.

You are awareness,

Feeling the sensation of both arms together at the same time.

Bring attention to the front of your torso.

Feel the sensation of your chest,

Your abdomen.

Notice the sensation of your chest and abdomen rising and falling with each breath.

Front of your pelvis.

Your awareness itself,

Paying attention to the front of your torso.

Now bring attention to the back of your torso.

Feel the sensation of your upper back and shoulder blades,

Middle back and spine,

Lower back and pelvis.

Hold awareness of both the front and back of your torso simultaneously.

You're in the present moment,

Holding your attention on the sensation of your entire torso,

Front and back.

Follow your awareness down to the sensation of your left hip,

Right hip,

Left hip again,

Right hip again.

Now hold the sensation of both hips together,

Feeling the sensation of both hips simultaneously.

Bring attention to the feeling of your left thigh,

Left lower leg,

Ankle,

Top of your foot,

Sole of your foot,

All five of your toes,

Right thigh,

Right lower leg,

Ankle,

Top of your foot,

Sole of your foot,

All five of your toes.

Now bring attention to both your legs and your feet.

You're holding your awareness on both of your legs and your feet simultaneously.

Become aware of the sensation of the entire left side of your body from head to toes,

Holding awareness of the entire left side of your body.

Now become aware of the sensation of the entire right side of your body from head to toes,

Holding awareness of the entire right side of your body.

Left side of body,

Right side of body.

Now notice the sensation of both sides of your body at the same time,

Holding awareness in the present moment of your whole entire body.

Feel your entire body as warmth.

Feel the sensation of warmth throughout your entire body.

Your entire body is feeling warm.

Now feel your entire body as cool.

Feel the sensation of coolness throughout your entire body.

Your entire body feels cool.

Go back to feeling warmth throughout your entire body.

Go back to feeling coolness throughout your entire body.

Now feel the sensations of both warmth and coolness throughout your body.

Feel both warm and cool at the same time.

Don't overthink it.

Nothing needs to make sense.

You're simply observing your body as being both warm and cool at the same time.

As you bring attention to your entire body,

Notice how relaxed you feel,

Both mentally and physically.

Remember that there's nothing to do,

Nothing to change.

Simply be aware of how relaxed your body has become in the present moment.

Observe how your entire body feels resting on the surface beneath you.

Feel relaxing in the present moment,

In the here and the now.

As awareness,

Follow your breath as it enters your nostrils and travels down to expand your lungs and your abdomen,

Your chest.

And follow the sensation of your breath as it travels back up through your torso and exits your nose again.

Notice where in your body you feel your energy.

What sensations are associated with this energy?

Do you feel a heaviness or a lightness to your body?

Do you feel tingling or another sensation?

Do you see colors or shapes that might be moving or might be still?

The sensation of energy is unique to each individual.

Simply welcome,

Recognize,

And witness any sensations of energy you may be feeling at this present moment and where you're feeling it.

Remember there's no right or wrong.

If you don't feel anything,

Then that's exactly what you're supposed to be feeling.

Nothing is just as it's meant to be.

Bring attention to your thoughts.

Watching your thoughts as they slip into and out of your awareness.

Nothing is good and nothing is bad.

It's all just information passing through your mind.

You are welcoming,

Recognizing,

And witnessing your thoughts as they come and as they go.

Observe them from a distance.

Become a curious observer of your thoughts.

Are they quick moving or slow and stagnant?

Do they evoke memories or emotions or other thoughts?

Witness each one as it slips in and slips out of your awareness.

Just being a curious observer.

Now remember a time that you felt really excited about something.

Experience that feeling of being excited.

Bring attention to the sensation of being excited.

Now remember a time when you felt really bored.

Experience the feeling of being bored.

Bring attention to the sensation of boredom.

Go back to the feeling of excitement.

Now go back to the feeling of boredom.

As awareness in the present moment,

Visualize holding the sensation of excitement in one of your hands and the feeling of boredom in the other hand.

You're holding the sensations of feeling both excited and bored at the same time.

And this doesn't need to make sense.

You're simply being aware of the feelings of excitement and boredom at the same time.

These things may be opposite to each other and may seem like they have nothing in common.

However what they do have in common is that you're aware of them.

You're aware of them without judgment and without analyzing them.

You are awareness itself,

Holding each of these sensations in the present moment.

As awareness,

You are larger than these thoughts and feelings.

You are pure beingness.

I now invite you to revisit your sanctuary.

Use your senses to recall the sights,

The sounds,

The feelings,

And emotions of your sanctuary.

Smell the scents in the air and the feeling of the air on your skin.

Look at the beauty of the scene that you're in in this very present moment and how you feel mentally and emotionally while you're in your inner sanctum.

Let's revisit your intention,

Your sin kalpa for today's practice.

If you can remember it,

You're invited to repeat it now silently three times.

I'll give you a few moments.

Bring attention to the sensation of the soles of your feet,

The feeling of your hands,

Both front and back,

Your thumbs,

Your mouth,

Your eyes.

Feel the sensation of your entire body lying down on the surface beneath you,

The physical sensation of being relaxed in body,

In mind,

And in spirit.

While we all have many thoughts,

Emotions,

And sensations running through our body and our mind on a daily basis,

As awareness,

We are so much larger than each of these things.

You have everything you need already inside of you.

As you go through today and every day,

Rest in the knowledge that you are awareness.

You feel calm in body,

Mind,

And spirit as you encounter people,

Places,

Decisions,

And encounter conflicts.

You experience each day with a felt sense of peace,

With a sense of encouragement to make wise and compassionate choices.

Even though you may encounter stressful instances,

Have a myriad of thoughts running through your mind at any given moment.

Always remember that you're larger than all of them.

You are awareness,

You are presence,

You are relaxed and calm in your body,

In your mind,

And in spirit.

You can do anything you put your mind and your heart to.

In a moment,

I'll count down from five to one and this will signal the end of our yoga nidra practice today.

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Yoga nidra is now over.

Take your time in coming out of your meditation.

Wiggle your toes and your fingers.

Make circles with your ankles and your wrists.

Take a few deep breaths in through your nose with an audible sigh out your mouth.

Open your eyes if they're not already.

Roll over onto your side and slowly come into a sitting position.

Feel the ground underneath your bottom.

Take a look around you and notice what you see,

What you smell,

What you hear,

And what you feel.

All of this will bring you back to the present moment and give you a sense of feeling grounded to continue on with your day.

Thank you so much for practicing yoga nidra with me today and I'll see you next time.