Yoga Nidra 40 Minutes

Discover the profound benefits of Yoga Nidra, a powerful technique known as "yogic sleep," designed to guide you into a state of deep relaxation and meditative consciousness. This 40-minute guided practice based on Swami Satyananda Saraswati's Yoga Nidra will enable you to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit, allowing a sense of inner peace and tranquility.

Transcript

Let's get ready for the practice of Yoga Nidra.

So you can lie down in Shavasana also known as the dead man's pose or the corpse pose which is sleeping flat on your back.

You could sleep on your yoga mat or you could be sleeping on your bed.

If you are prone to falling asleep during the Yoga Nidra session you can also do it seated on your chair.

It really helps with not falling asleep.

Keep your feet apart and let them flop a little sideways and have your arms slightly away from the body with the palms of your hands facing upward.

If you need to adjust your clothes or your position you can do that now so that you don't have any physical discomfort while we are practicing Yoga Nidra.

Please close your eyes and keep them closed.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is the act of hearing and the act of feeling.

There are only two important factors.

In Yoga Nidra you function on the level of awareness plus the level of listening.

In dreams you have no control.

In Yoga Nidra you are the creator of the dream.

So say to yourself mentally,

I will not sleep.

I shall only listen to the voice.

Repeat to yourself,

I will not sleep.

Now take a deep breath and as you breathe in feel calmness spreading throughout the body.

As you are breathing out say to yourself mentally,

I will not sleep.

As you are breathing out say to yourself mentally,

Relax.

Now become aware of sounds in the distance.

Become aware of the most distant sounds that you can hear.

Let your sense of hearing operate like a radar beam searching out distant sounds and following them for a few seconds.

Move your attention from sound to sound without attempting to identify the source.

Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds,

To sounds outside your room and then to the sounds inside your room.

Now develop your awareness of this room.

Without opening your eyes,

Visualize the four walls,

The ceiling,

The floor,

Your body lying on the bed or the yoga mat,

Become aware of the existence of your physical body.

Total awareness of your body lying in perfect stillness.

Now take a deep breath and as you breathe out say to yourself mentally,

I will not sleep.

Now develop your awareness of all the physical meeting points between your body and the surface it is resting on.

Become aware of the natural breath.

Become aware of the deep natural spontaneous breath.

Spontaneous breath.

Do not concentrate for this will interfere with the natural process.

Keep on listening to me and know that you are breathing.

The practice of yoga nidra begins now.

Say mentally to yourself,

I am going to practice yoga nidra.

I will not sleep.

I am going to practice yoga nidra.

This is the time to make your resolve,

Your sankalpa,

Your intention.

Simple resolve.

Simple resolve.

State your resolve clearly with feeling and awareness three times.

We will now move to the rotation of consciousness to the different centers of the body as quickly as possible.

Your awareness has to jump from point to point.

Repeat mentally the name of each part after me and simultaneously become aware of that part.

We begin with the right hand.

Right hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Lower arm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Armpit.

Waist.

Hip.

Right thigh.

Knee.

Calf muscle.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sole.

Top of the foot.

Right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Left hand thumb.

Left hand second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Lower arm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Armpit.

Waist.

Hip.

Left thigh.

Knee.

Calf muscle.

Ankle.

Heel.

Shoulder.

Sole.

Top of the foot.

Left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

The back.

Right shoulder.

Left shoulder.

Right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Right buttock.

Left buttock.

The spine.

The whole back.

Top of the head.

Forehead.

Right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

The eyebrow center.

Right eyelid.

Left eyelid.

Right eye.

Left eye.

Right ear.

Left ear.

Right cheek.

Left cheek.

Nose.

Tip of the nose.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Chin.

Jaw.

Throat.

Right collarbone.

Left collarbone.

Right chest.

Left chest.

Middle of the chest.

Navel.

Abdomen.

Lower abdomen.

Whole of the right leg.

Whole of the left leg.

Both legs together.

Whole of the right arm.

Whole of the left arm.

Both arms together.

Whole of the back.

Whole of the front.

Whole of the head.

Whole of the body.

Whole of the body.

Whole of the body.

Now,

Become aware of the space occupied by the body.

Become aware of the body and the space that is occupied by your body.

Body and space.

Become aware of the whole body and become aware of the whole body and the surface you are resting on.

The whole body in relation to the surface you are resting on.

And at the same time,

Become aware of the meeting points of the body and the surface you are resting on.

Feel the meeting points.

Become aware of all the meeting points between your body and the surface that you are on.

The sensation of all points simultaneously,

Evenly,

Clearly,

Distinctly.

Please do not sleep.

Switch your attention to the eyelids.

Feel the narrow line meeting between the upper and lower eyelids.

Feel the sharp points where they meet.

Intensify your awareness between the eyelids and then the lips.

Center your attention on the line between the lips,

The space between the lips.

From the lips,

We go to the breath.

Draw your attention to the natural ingoing and outgoing breath.

Feel the breath moving along the passage between the navel and the throat.

On inhalation,

It rises from the navel to the throat.

On exhalation,

It descends from the throat to the navel.

On exhalation,

It descends from the throat to the navel.

Do not try to force the breath,

Just awareness.

Maintain your awareness and at the same time,

Start counting your breaths backwards as follows.

I am breathing in 27.

I am breathing out 27.

Count to yourself mentally as you follow the rise and fall of your breath from navel to throat and back again.

Total awareness of breathing and counting.

I am breathing in 26.

I am breathing out 26.

I am breathing in 25.

I am breathing out 25.

I am breathing in 24.

I am breathing out 24.

I am breathing in 23.

I am breathing out 23.

I am breathing in 22.

I am breathing out 22.

I am breathing in 21.

I am breathing out 21.

I am breathing in 20.

I am breathing out 20.

I am breathing in 19.

I am breathing out 19.

I am breathing in 18.

I am breathing out 18.

I am breathing in 17.

I am breathing out 17.

I am breathing in 16.

I am breathing out 16.

I am breathing in 15.

I am breathing out 15.

I am breathing in 14.

I am breathing out 14.

I am breathing in 13.

I am breathing out 13.

I am breathing in 12.

I am breathing out 12.

I am breathing in 11.

I am breathing out 11.

I am breathing in 10.

I am breathing out 10.

I am breathing in 9.

I am breathing out 9.

I am breathing in 8.

I am breathing out 8.

I am breathing in 7.

I am breathing out 7.

I am breathing in 6.

I am breathing out 6.

I am breathing in 5.

I am breathing out 5.

I am breathing in 4.

I am breathing out 4.

I am breathing in 3.

I am breathing out 3.

I am breathing in 2.

I am breathing out 2.

I am breathing in 1.

I am breathing out 1.

Please stay awake.

Now awaken the feeling of heaviness in the body.

The feeling of heaviness.

Become aware of heaviness in every single part of the body.

You are feeling so heavy that you are sinking into the flow.

Awareness of heaviness.

Awareness of heaviness.

Now awaken the feeling of lightness.

Awaken the feeling of lightness.

A sensation of lightness and weightlessness in all parts of the body.

Your body feels so light that it seems to be floating away.

Awareness of lightness.

Awareness of lightness.

Now awaken the experience of bitter cold in the body.

Imagine you are walking on a cold floor in winter.

Imagine you are walking on a cold floor in winter.

Your feet feel very cold.

You feel cold all over.

Awareness of coldness.

Awareness of coldness.

Now awaken the sensation of heat.

Awaken the experience of heat.

The whole body is hot.

The whole body is hot.

You feel hot all over.

Recollect the feeling of heat in summer when you are out in the sun with no shade.

Heat all over the body.

Heat all around the body.

Awareness of heat.

Now concentrate and try to remember the experience of pain.

Any pain you have experienced in your life,

Mental or physical.

Recollect the feeling of pain.

Now recollect the feeling of pleasure.

Any kind of pleasure.

Physical pleasure or mental pleasure.

Recollect this feeling and relive it.

Make it vivid.

Awaken the feeling of pleasure.

Check that you are awake.

Are you drowsy or sleepy?

Make sure you are not sleeping.

Say to yourself,

I am awake.

Now,

I am awake.

Now withdraw your mind and concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyes.

The space we call Chidakasha.

Imagine before you a transparent screen through which you can see infinite space.

A space that extends as far as the eyes can see.

Concentrate on this dark space and become aware of any phenomena that manifests within it.

Whatever you see is the manifesting state of your mind.

Continue your awareness of this space but do not become involved.

Practice detached awareness only.

Imagine yourself in a park.

In a park in the early morning.

The sun has not risen and the park is deserted except for yourself.

It is a beautiful park,

Calm and peaceful.

Walk across the springy grass.

Listen to the birds whistle and call as they welcome in the new day.

There are gardens of flowers,

Roses,

Yellow,

Pink,

Red,

Purple.

Smell their fragrance and see the early morning dew drops on their petals.

Near the rose garden is a fish pond.

Goldfish swim in and out amongst the water lilies.

See their graceful movements.

You walk between trees,

Beautiful trees,

Bare trees and trees with leaves.

Wide spreading trees and tall stately trees.

There is a clearing between the trees.

In the clearing is a small temple with an aura of light around it.

Go to the door of the temple.

It is cool and dim inside.

Inside on the walls there are pictures of great saints.

You sit down on the floor,

Close your eyes and become still.

A sense of deep peace and harmony envelopes you as the sounds outside fade into the distance.

Continue your awareness of meditation inside the temple.

Stay there for some time.

Stay there for some time until peace and harmony pervade.

Bring your awareness back to Chidakasha.

Bring your awareness back to the dark space you see in front of your closed eyes.

This space can also be visualized in front of the forehead.

So if you want to explore it a little,

You can shift your gaze slightly upward but do not strain.

Watch the darkness that you see behind you.

Watch the darkness that you see before you very carefully with detachment.

Do not become involved.

Rest your mind in this warm and friendly darkness.

If any subtle phenomena manifest,

Like colors or patterns,

Simply take note of these and continue with your awareness.

If thoughts occur,

Let them come and go,

But continue watching the dark space.

Continue watching the dark space.

Continue watching with detached awareness.

Now remember your resolve,

Your sankalpa,

Your intention and repeat the same resolve you made at the beginning of the practice in the same words and with the same attitude.

Repeat your resolve now three times clearly with feeling and emphasis.

Now become aware of your breathing.

Become aware of your natural breathing.

Awareness of breathing and awareness of relaxation.

Become aware of your physical existence.

Become aware of your arms and legs and your body.

Become aware of the meeting points between your body and the surface you are resting on.

Develop awareness of the room,

The walls,

The ceiling,

Noises in the room and noises outside.

Take your mind out and become completely external.

Lie quietly for a few moments with your eyes closed.

Start moving your body and stretching yourself.

Please take your time.

Don't hurry.

When you are sure you are wide awake,

When you are sure you are wide awake,

If sleeping you can sit up slowly,

If you're sitting you can open your eyes.

We have completed today's practice of yoga nidra.