The theme for today's Yoga Nidra event is Tapas,
Awakening the inner flame.
So get ready for Yoga Nidra.
Preferably lie down in Shavasana,
The dead man's pose,
Also known as the corpse pose.
Place your hands on your shoulders,
Your body fully supported,
Allowing your arms to rest gently by your sides,
Palms turned upward,
Legs slightly apart.
If you're sitting and practicing Yoga Nidra,
Make sure your spine is straight,
Your head is well supported,
And you can keep your hands on your knees with your palms facing upward.
If you need to adjust anything,
If you need a blanket to feel warm,
Do that now and let your eyes gently close.
Bring your awareness to this present moment.
This is your time for rest.
This is your time for awareness.
This is your time to do the inner work and say silently to yourself,
I am ready to welcome the fire of transformation.
And now is the time to repeat your Sankalpa,
Your resolve,
Your intention.
And this could be a short positive affirmation of your heart's truth.
If you don't have a Sankalpa already ready,
You could reflect on where the need is.
How often in your life do you seek clarity,
Discipline,
Or transformation?
And bring that to today's practice as your intention.
And repeat that intention now silently three times with the deepest of sincerity.
And we now go into the rotation of consciousness.
A journey through the body,
Awakening awareness in each part.
As I name the part of the body,
Become aware of that part and mentally repeat it in your mind.
We start with the right side of the body.
Right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Right armpit,
Right waist,
Right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
The big toe,
First toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Now the left side.
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of the foot,
The big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Now the back side of the body.
The right shoulder blade,
The left shoulder blade,
The whole spine,
The middle back,
The lower back,
The right buttock,
The left buttock.
Now the front side of the body.
The top of the head,
The forehead,
The right temple,
The left temple,
The eyebrows,
The center of the eyebrows,
The eyes,
The eyelids,
The nose,
Cheeks,
Lips,
Tongue,
Throat,
Mouth,
Collarbones,
Chest,
Abdomen,
Navel.
Now the whole right leg.
The whole left leg.
Both legs together.
The whole right arm.
The whole left arm.
Both arms together.
The whole back of the body together.
The entire front side of the body.
And now feel the entire body as one whole,
Alive,
Aware,
At rest.
Now bring your attention to your natural breath.
Your natural breath,
Effortless and out,
Rising and falling.
Visualize your breath as a soft wind.
A soft wind fanning the flame of a golden fire at the center of your chest.
Each breath fuels this inner flame.
Not wild or raging.
But steady,
Sacred,
Glowing.
With every inhale,
Imagine feeding this flame with clarity and energy.
And with every exhale,
Let it burn away stagnation.
Fear old habits.
Breathe with this flame.
We now move into Chidakasha Dharana.
Visualization through the mind's eye.
I will guide you through a series of images.
Visualize each one as clearly as you can.
If an image doesn't come easily,
Simply feel its essence.
Let it move through you like a dream.
A single flame dancing in total stillness.
A single flame dancing in total stillness.
A single flame dancing in total stillness.
Embers glowing softly in the dark.
Embers glowing softly in the dark.
Embers glowing softly in the dark.
A fire that does not burn but warms and purifies.
A fire that does not burn but warms and purifies.
A fire that does not burn but warms and purifies.
An old wooden match struck with purpose.
An old wooden match struck with purpose.
An old wooden match struck with purpose.
A candle that never flickers even in the wind.
A candle that never flickers even in the wind.
A candle that never flickers even in the wind.
Mountains rising through mist.
Mountains rising through mist.
Mountains rising through mist.
A steady drumbeat echoing through time.
A steady drumbeat echoing through time.
A steady drumbeat echoing through time.
A steady drumbeat echoing through time.
The sun at dawn golden and fierce.
The sun at dawn golden and fierce.
The sun at dawn golden and fierce.
A figure walking barefoot across hot sand,
Calm and unwavering.
A figure walking barefoot across hot sand,
Calm and unwavering.
A figure walking barefoot across hot sand,
Calm and unwavering.
An ancient temple lit by sacred fire.
An ancient temple lit by sacred fire.
An ancient temple lit by sacred fire.
A bundle of old habits placed into the flame.
A bundle of old habits placed into the flame.
A bundle of old habits placed into the flame.
The crackling sound of release.
The crackling sound of release.
The crackling sound of release.
The crackling sound of release.
A glowing coal resting gently at the center of your chest.
A glowing coal resting gently at the center of your chest.
A glowing coal resting gently at the center of your chest.
Breath feeding it,
Steady,
Conscious,
Alive.
Breath feeding it,
Steady,
Conscious,
Alive.
Breath feeding it,
Steady,
Conscious,
Alive.
You,
Calm,
Centered,
Burning with purpose.
You,
Calm,
Centered,
Burning with purpose.
You,
Calm,
Centered,
Burning with purpose.
Now we begin a deeper journey.
One of tapas.
Imagine yourself standing before an ancient stone temple.
Deep in the mountains.
The air is cool and still.
In your hands,
You carry only one intention.
Your sankalpa.
As you step forward,
Heavy wooden doors open silently.
Inside,
The temple is vast and beautiful.
It is bright and dark.
But at the center,
Glowing with warmth,
Is a sacred fire pit.
Flames dance high but never wild.
This is the flame of tapas,
The fire of transformation.
You walk slowly toward it.
Feel the heat gently rise as you approach,
Not burning but awakening.
You kneel before the flame.
On the altar,
Beside the fire,
Are three symbols.
A mirror,
Reflecting your current self.
A candle,
Representing your inner spark.
A bundle of sticks,
Each one symbolizing a habit or pattern.
You are ready to release.
You take one stick.
Name it silently.
Fear of failure,
Procrastination,
Self-doubt,
Distraction,
Whatever resonates.
Name it silently.
Offer it to the fire.
Watch it burn.
The flames rise,
Cleansing,
Purifying.
You repeat this for each stick.
Take the stick.
Name it silently.
Offer it to the fire.
Watch it burn.
Keep doing this for each stick.
With each release,
Your spine grows taller.
With each release,
Your heart becomes steadier.
Then you take the candle and light it from the sacred fire.
This is your inner flame.
Portable,
Steady,
Eternal.
You carry it with you.
You gaze into the mirror again.
Now you see not just yourself,
But the version of you who has integrated tapas.
Calm,
Resilient,
Purposeful,
Radiant.
See this version of yourself clearly.
Feel it as real.
This is you.
Whole,
Aligned,
On fire with intention.
Now gently step back from the fire.
The temple begins to fade.
But the candle in your heart remains.
You feel light,
Clear,
Committed.
You begin to return from temple to body.
And now silently repeat your sankalpa,
The one you stated at the beginning of your practice.
Repeat your sankalpa with complete feeling and awareness three times.
With the strength of tapas,
With the clarity of fire,
Feel it sink into your deepest layers.
And bring your attention to your breath,
Your natural breath.
Simply be aware that you are breathing.
Breathing is happening.
Start to move your fingers.
Start to move your toes.
Move your head from side to side.
You can bring your hands to your heart.
Take a deep,
Full inhale.
And exhale slowly.
And when you feel ready,
You can open your eyes.
Remain still for a few more moments,
Absorbing this stillness,
Absorbing this power,
Absorbing this new spark.
Tapas is not about force,
It's about devotion.
You carry within you the sacred fire of transformation.
Tend it,
Gently feed it,
Daily trust its warmth.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now completed.
Hari Om Tat Sat
