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Welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra,
Which means yogic sleep.
Get ready to be guided through a relaxation process that will encourage your body and your thinking mind into deep rest,
Leaving your awareness bright and lucid.
This state of conscious sleep is both rejuvenating and healing for the body and the mind,
While at the same time training your mind to get a taste for,
And become accustomed to,
Deep states of meditation.
Please find a comfortable place to lie down,
Whether on the floor or on your couch or your bed.
It's nice to have a low pillow under your head,
And maybe a pillow under your knees as well,
And to be covered by a light blanket.
Lie on your back in the Shavasana position,
Feet apart and arms beside the body with the palms face up,
And close your eyes.
Make any adjustments that you need so that you're completely comfortable and won't need to move the body.
Now all you need to do is keep listening to my voice and following my instructions to the best of your ability and understanding,
Without worrying about doing anything wrong.
Let everything else go.
Let's begin.
Completely relax your entire body.
Say to yourself silently,
I will remain conscious throughout the practice.
I won't sleep.
Take a couple of deep breaths.
As you breathe in,
Feel a calm vitality spread throughout the body.
As you breathe out,
Feel any concerns flow out of the body and the mind.
Feel that your mind is tension-free and that there's a harmony between the body and the mind.
Feel that your legs are relaxed.
Feel that your arms are relaxed.
Your torso.
Your face.
Become aware of your entire physical body,
From the top of your head to the tips of your toes,
Totally relaxed.
Let your breath be completely natural.
Simply relax your belly and watch as your breath settles into its own gentle rhythm.
There's no need to control or fix anything.
Feel yourself becoming even more relaxed.
Feel that with every inhale you're taking in life-giving,
Healing,
Tingling energy.
With every exhale you're releasing tension,
Concerns,
Frustrations,
Resentments,
Guilt.
Continue this way,
Becoming more and more relaxed with each breath.
Let your breath settle into its own gentle rhythm.
Let your breath settle into its own gentle rhythm.
Let your breath settle into its own gentle rhythm.
Let your breath settle into its own gentle rhythm.
If you feel that you would like to make a resolve,
Now is the time.
Let it arise naturally.
If you have a resolve,
Please repeat it silently three times using simple language that you can easily remember.
In a moment,
I will mention different body parts in succession.
Bringing your attention to each body part brings life force energy to that part of the body.
Don't stop to concentrate on any one part,
But allow your mind to move freely from one part to the next.
Bring your attention to your right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger,
The four fingers and thumb together,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
The wrist,
The lower arm,
The elbow,
The upper arm,
The shoulder,
Right side ribs,
Right side waist,
Right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Five toes together,
The whole right side of the body,
Left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left side ribs,
Left side waist,
Left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Five toes together,
The whole left side of the body,
The right shoulder blade,
The left shoulder blade,
The right lower back,
The left lower back,
Right glute,
Left glute,
Right side of the back,
Left side of the back,
The spine,
The neck,
Back of the head,
Top of the head,
The whole back together,
Top of the head,
Forehead,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
The right eyelid,
The left eyelid,
The right eye,
The left eye,
The right ear,
The left ear,
The right cheek,
The left cheek,
The nose,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
The chin,
The throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right chest,
Left chest,
Center of the chest,
The navel,
The abdomen,
The whole trunk,
The whole front of the body,
The whole back of the body,
The whole right side,
The whole left side,
The whole body from the head to the toes,
Complete awareness of the whole body.
Don't sleep.
Check,
Are you awake or are you sleeping?
Say to yourself mentally,
I am awake,
I am not sleeping.
Now bring your attention to your nostrils and observe the breath flowing gently in and out the nostrils without altering the breath in any way.
In a moment,
We're going to count our breathing,
Counting backward.
Beginning with the number 27,
Be aware of the in-breath and then the out-breath,
And at the end of the natural out-breath,
Count 27.
Again,
Awareness of breathing in,
Awareness of breathing out,
And count 26.
Continue counting your natural breathing at the end of each out-breath,
Counting back all the way to 1.
Now,
We're going to count our breathing.
We're going to count our breathing.
We're going to count our breathing.
We're going to count our breathing.
We're going to count our breathing.
We're going to count our breathing.
We're going to count our breathing.
We're going to count our breathing.
Now bring your awareness to the base of the spine,
Sensing and feeling the area,
Peacefully observing whatever is present in the region of the root chakra.
Just observe,
You can't do this wrong.
Now go to the low belly in the front of the sacrum,
Sensing and feeling this area,
Observing in a relaxed way whatever is present in the region of the second chakra.
Now go to the navel center,
Sensing and feeling the area,
Constantly observing what is present in the region of the second chakra.
Now go to the navel center,
Sensing and feeling the region,
Curious and relaxed,
Noticing whatever is present in the third chakra.
Now go to the heart center,
Noticing whatever is present in the third chakra.
Now go to the heart center,
Noticing what is present in the third chakra.
Now the throat center,
Observe,
Sensing and feeling whatever is present in the third chakra.
Now the midbrain.
Observe,
Sensing and feeling what's present.
Now the crown of the head.
Observe whatever is present.
Observe.
Now if you made a resolve earlier,
Please repeat the same resolve that you made at the beginning of the practice.
Repeat the resolve three times with full awareness and feeling.
Now direct your awareness to the space that surrounds the body,
Sensing the space around the body.
Awareness fills the space.
Let your awareness expand even further to fill the room,
Sensing the space of the room.
And now bring your awareness to the soles of the feet,
Sensing the soles of the feet.
Palms of the hands,
Sensing the palms of the hands.
Let the awareness fill the entire body,
Feeling the entire body.
Take your time here,
Returning to the physical body and sensations.
Begin to move the toes and the fingers,
Feeling the bodily sensations.
Taking your time rolling to one side,
Staying connected to the awareness that fills the body.
Now sit up slowly and gently open your eyes.
Thank you.
