Get yourself comfortable,
As comfortable as you can.
Preferably lie down in Shavasana,
Which is also known as the corpse pose or the dead man's pose.
Where you are laying flat on your back.
Feet plop to the side.
Your arms to the side of you,
Slightly outward with your palms facing upward.
And if you wish,
You can also do this practice sitting down.
Make sure your spine is upright.
And you can rest your hands on your legs with your palms facing upward.
Try to become completely still.
And gently close your eyes.
And let them remain closed throughout the duration of this practice.
And bring your attention to your breath.
Your natural breath.
Become aware as the air enters your nostrils.
And as you exhale.
Simply be aware of your breathing without trying to control.
Become aware of your body.
Your physical body.
And become aware of the space that is occupied by your physical body.
Body.
And space.
Body.
And space.
The practice of Yoga Nidra now begins.
Bring to mind a sankalpa,
A resolve or an intention that you would like to bring to this practice.
Whatever your intention is.
Repeat it three times with complete feeling and awareness.
We will now go into the rotation of consciousness.
As I name the specific part of the body.
Bring your awareness to that part of the body and you can repeat the name of that part mentally.
Bring awareness to the top of the head.
The crown of the head.
The soft space above the crown.
Remain aware.
The right side of the forehead.
Left side of the forehead.
The right eye.
The left eye.
The right ear.
The left ear.
The nose.
The nose.
Mouth.
Chin.
Throat.
The right shoulder.
Right upper arm.
Right elbow.
Right forearm.
Right wrist.
Right palm.
Right thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Little finger.
Left shoulder.
Left upper arm.
Left elbow.
Left forearm.
Left wrist.
Left palm.
Left thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Little finger.
Center of the chest.
Upper abdomen.
Navel.
Lower abdomen.
Pelvis.
Right hip.
Right thigh.
Right knee.
Right lower leg.
Right ankle.
Right heel.
Right ankle.
Right sole.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Left hip.
Left thigh.
Left knee.
Left lower leg.
Left ankle.
Left heel.
Left sole.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Become aware of the whole right side of the body.
Become aware of the whole left side of the body.
Front of the body.
Back of the body.
The whole body together.
Now bring awareness again to the crown of the head.
The soft space above the crown.
Sense the whole body resting within awareness.
Not parts.
Not effort.
Just one field.
Remain here.
Now bring your awareness to the natural breath.
Do not change it.
Do not deepen it.
Simply notice.
Now bring awareness to the crown of the head.
The soft space at the top.
The subtle space just above it.
Notice that the breath is happening on its own.
You are not doing it.
Breath arising.
Breath dissolving.
As the breath flows in,
Sense a slight openness at the crown.
Not expanding upward forcefully.
Just a gentle receptivity.
As the breath flows out,
Sense soft relaxation.
Not downward.
Not inward.
Just ease.
Now notice something subtle.
Breath comes.
Breath goes.
But awareness remains.
Let attention rest at the crown without concentrating.
Breath moving.
Awareness steady.
If thoughts arise,
They move within awareness.
If sensations arise,
They move within awareness.
Breath continues.
Effortless.
Now allow the breath to become more subtle.
Do not follow it closely.
Let it be in the background.
Awareness remains in the foreground.
Rest here.
No control.
No direction.
Just presence.
Now bring awareness again to the crown of the head.
The soft space at the top.
The subtle space at the bottom.
The subtle space just above it.
Now notice if there is a very subtle vibration in this region.
The vibration,
The sound is OM.
You do not need to repeat it.
You do not need to pronounce it.
Simply notice whether the mind becomes aware of the resonance.
If OM appears in the mind,
Allow it.
Soft.
Spacious.
Almost like an echo.
Notice that OM does not need effort.
It rises and fades.
After the sound dissolves,
There is silence.
Remain aware of the silence.
Sound appearing.
Silence remaining.
Let OM fade completely.
No sound.
Just awareness.
Rest in this awareness.
I will now name a series of images.
As I name the image,
Try to create a mental clear picture of that image in your mind.
And try to develop a feeling for that image.
A white lotus.
Petals unfolding.
Light at the crown.
Soft white light.
A gentle violet glow.
Morning light before sunrise.
Light expanding outward.
Open sky above the head.
Horizon dissolving into brightness.
Light becoming space.
Sky without clouds.
Vast openness.
Awareness without image.
Stillness.
Presence.
Remain aware of the space in which all images rise and dissolve.
Once again bring awareness to the crown of the head.
The soft space at the top.
The subtle space just above it.
Rest awareness here.
Imagine a very gentle point of light above the crown.
Not bright.
Not intense.
Soft.
Almost like the first light before dawn.
The light does not shine outward with force.
It simply radiates quietly.
Present.
Still.
With each inhale sense a subtle opening at the crown.
With each exhale sense the body relaxing.
Nothing beneath it.
No effort.
Just receptivity.
Now allow the light to become slightly wider.
Like a soft halo above the head.
Luminous.
Spacious.
The light begins to descend gently through the crown.
Moving into the head.
Filling the space of the mind with clarity.
Not thoughts,
Just clarity.
The light continues downward.
Through the throat.
Through the heart.
Through the solar plexus.
Through the lower abdomen.
Through the base of the spine.
The entire body now rests within a field of light.
Not inside the body alone but surrounding it.
Holding it.
Notice there are no sharp boundaries.
The body resting in light.
The mind resting in awareness.
Now let go of the image of light.
Allow it to soften.
Dissolve.
Remain only with awareness itself.
Spacious.
Still.
Present.
Rest here for a bit.
And once again bring your attention to your breath.
Your natural breath.
Become aware of the temperature of the breath.
Area that you are in.
Become aware of your body and the surface that it is resting on.
Become aware of the meeting points between your body and the surface that it is resting on.
Become aware of the area that you are practicing Yoga Nidra in.
Listen for any sounds around you.
Start to gently stretch your body.
Small stretches.
Stretch your fingers.
Stretch your toes.
And when you are sure that you are completely awake,
You can open your eyes.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
HADYOM TAT SA
