Make yourself completely comfortable.
Preferably lie down in the corpse pose,
Also known as the dead man's pose.
You sleeping on your back,
Legs plopped to the sides,
Your arms to your sides with your palms facing upwards.
Allow the body to be fully supported.
If you choose,
You can also do the practice sitting down,
Keeping your spine upright,
Your hands on your knees or your thighs with your palms facing upward.
If needed,
Place support under the knees or under the head so that the lower back can soften.
Take a moment to adjust whatever you need to adjust,
The blanket,
The pillow,
The temperature.
Because once you are settled,
There will be no need to move.
Let the arms rest slightly away from the body.
Allow the feet to fall open and gently close your eyes.
Begin to notice your natural breath.
Do not change it.
With every exhale,
Feel the body softening.
Feel the body settling.
Feel the body becoming more and more deceptive.
And now gently introduce an intention,
A dissolve,
Your Sankalpa.
Not something to force,
But something to allow.
If you can't think of an intention,
You could have a simple intention like,
I allow my experience to move.
Whatever your intention is,
Repeat your intention three times with complete feeling and awareness.
Let this intention rest in the body.
We will now go into the rotation of awareness.
As I name the part of that body,
Become aware of that part of the body.
And you can also repeat the name of that part in your mind.
Bring awareness to the lower abdomen.
The lower abdomen.
Just above the navel,
The lower abdomen.
The pelvic bowl,
The lower abdomen.
Remain aware.
Bring your attention to the lower abdomen.
Attention to your right leg,
The right hip,
Upper thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe,
The right inner thigh,
The right outer thigh,
The right hip,
The lower abdomen.
Bring your attention to the left leg.
Bring your awareness to the left leg.
The left hip,
Upper thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe,
The left inner thigh,
The right inner thigh,
The left outer thigh,
The left hip,
The lower abdomen.
Bring your awareness to the pelvic floor,
The sacrum,
Lower back,
Right side of the pelvis,
Left side of the pelvis,
Center of the pelvis,
Lower abdomen.
Bring your awareness to the whole pelvis.
Now become aware of the lower abdomen and the hips together,
The lower abdomen and the lower back together,
The whole pelvic region.
Now bring your awareness to the lower abdomen just below the navel.
Notice the natural breath moving there.
Do not change it.
Simply observe.
As the breath flows in,
Feel the lower abdomen gently expand.
As the breath flows out,
Feel it softly recede.
As the breath flows in,
Feel it gently expand like water rising and falling.
No need to deepen the breath.
Allow it to move at its own pace.
Feel a gentle settling.
Imagine the breath as a small wave inside the pelvic bowl,
Contained,
Rhythmic,
Not crashing,
Not pulling,
Just moving.
If emotion arises,
Let it move like water.
If nothing arises,
Let there be still water.
Both are natural.
Notice the smooth transition between inhale and exhale,
The turning point where the wave pauses before the turning.
Rest your attention in that turning point.
Breath flowing in.
Breath flowing out.
Movement without force.
Flow without losing shape.
Once again,
Bring your awareness to your lower abdomen just below the navel and become aware that this space carries a subtle vibration.
The vibration it carries is VAM.
You do not need to repeat it.
You do not need to pronounce it.
Simply notice whether the lower abdomen has a tone,
A softness.
A rounded resonance.
If the sound VAM appears in the mind,
Allow it.
If it dissolves,
Allow that too.
VAM is not something you do.
It is something you sense.
Now gently let go of the sound.
Remain with the rhythm.
Breath rising.
Breath falling.
Flow.
Flow without force.
Rest here.
I will now name a series of images.
As I say the phrases,
Try to create the image in your mind and get a feeling of the image.
A small wave rising.
A small wave falling.
Water moving slowly.
Water in a bowl.
A calm pool of water.
A slow ripple across the surface of the water.
A quiet river.
Water moving around a bend.
Current flowing without force.
Moonlight reflected on water.
A still lake at dusk.
Light shimmering on the surface of the water.
Water becoming still.
Surface smoothing.
Quiet water.
Remain aware of the water that moves and the basin that holds it.
And once again bring your awareness to the lower abdomen.
The space just below the navel.
The pelvic bowl.
Imagine the water moving.
Imagine this area as a wide,
Shallow basin.
Not empty.
Gently filled with warm,
Still water.
The water is not cold.
It is softly warm.
Comfortable.
Contained.
There are edges to this basin.
Nothing spills.
Nothing overflows.
The water rests within its shape.
Now imagine a small circular movement in the center.
Not a wave.
Not a splash.
Just a slow,
Subtle turning.
Like water gently stirred.
The movement spreads outward in smooth ripples.
Even.
Unhurried.
Then it settles again.
Above this basin,
A soft crescent moon.
Its reflection resting on the surface.
Light touching water.
Water receiving light.
Notice that the water responds gently to whatever arises.
If something falls into it,
It moves.
Then it returns to stillness.
Nothing is held.
Nothing is resisted.
If emotion appears,
Let it move like a dipple.
Still.
Contained.
Temporary.
Returning to calm.
Now allow the water to become very still.
Smooth.
Reflective.
Present.
Remain with the sense of fluid presence within boundaries.
Fluid presence within boundaries.
Not frozen.
Not flooding.
Simply held.
Now gently bring back your intention,
Your resolve,
Your sankalpa.
The same one that you made at the beginning of the practice.
And repeat that intention three times with complete feeling and awareness.
Begin to notice the natural breath once again.
Simply noticing without forcing.
Feel the body on the surface that it is resting on.
Feel the contact points of your body and the surface that it is resting on.
Notice the temperature of the air on your skin.
Invite small movements into the fingers and the toes.
If you wish,
You could start to stretch yourself.
And when you are ready,
Slowly open the eyes.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
