So let's get ready for Yoga Nidra.
Try to get into your most comfortable position,
Preferably in Shavasana,
The dead man's pose,
Also known as the corpse pose.
Where you're sleeping flat on your back,
Your legs slightly plopped to the side,
Your arms at the side with your palms facing upward.
Or if you're doing this while sitting down,
Make sure your feet are firmly planted into the ground,
Your back is upright,
And your head is resting comfortably.
If you need any props,
A blanket,
A pillow,
Grab that now,
And close your eyes softly.
Allow the weight of your body to sink into the surface that you are resting on.
Feel that surface holding you,
As if the earth is saying,
I've got you.
There is nowhere to go.
There is nothing to do.
Your only task is to be here.
And now is the time to state your Sankalpa,
Your dissolve,
Your intention.
To plant your Sankalpa like a seed you plant in your heart.
Silently repeat your Sankalpa three times,
With complete feeling and complete emotion.
And we now go into the rotation of consciousness.
We journey through the body,
Simply noticing,
Simply becoming aware.
As we move awareness,
We turn the senses inward,
Noticing without reacting.
As I name the part of the body,
Simply become aware of that part,
And you can repeat the name of that part in your mind.
We start with the right side.
Right hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
The palm of the hand,
The back of the hand,
The wrist,
The forearm,
The elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Thigh,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Second toe,
Third,
Fifth,
Sixth.
Now the left side of the body.
The left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
The palm of the hand,
The back of the hand,
The wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Now the back side of the body.
The right buttock,
The left buttock,
The lower back,
Mid back,
Upper back,
The spine,
Shoulder blades,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head.
Now the front of the body.
The forehead,
The right temple,
Left temple,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
The right eye,
The left eye,
The right cheek,
The left cheek,
The nose,
Lips,
Chin,
Chest,
Upper abdomen,
Navel,
Lower abdomen,
Pelvis.
Now become aware of your left arm,
The whole left arm.
Become aware of the whole right arm.
Now both arms together,
The whole left leg,
The whole right leg,
Both legs together,
The whole back,
The whole front,
The whole head,
The whole body together,
The whole body together,
The whole back,
The whole body together.
Now bring your attention to your breath.
Natural,
Unforced.
Simply become aware of your breath.
Be aware that you are breathing.
And imagine your breath as a wave flowing in,
Flowing out.
With every exhale,
The senses soften inward like petals closing at night.
As you inhale,
You can imagine drawing gentle nourishment in.
As you exhale,
Release any sensory noise or tension.
Count the breath backward from 11 to 1.
Inhale,
11.
Exhale,
11.
Inhale,
10.
Exhale,
10.
Inhale,
9.
Exhale,
9.
Exhale,
8.
Inhale,
7.
Exhale,
7.
Inhale,
6.
Exhale,
7.
Exhale,
6.
Inhale,
5.
Exhale,
5.
Inhale,
4.
Exhale,
4.
Inhale,
3.
Exhale,
3.
Inhale,
2.
Exhale,
2.
Inhale,
1.
Exhale,
1.
Feel your body supported by the surface beneath you.
Now imagine you are walking along a gentle forest path at dusk.
The air is warm touched by the scent of pine and earth.
Above you,
The sky glows in soft shades of gold and violet.
The path is quiet.
Only the sound of your footsteps on the soft ground.
You see a small wooden doorway nestled between two tall trees.
This doorway leads to your own inner sanctuary.
A place of stillness and safety.
As you step through the doorway,
You notice the air shift.
The outer world fades and a deep hush surrounds you.
At first you can still faintly hear the forest outside.
The rustle of leaves.
The call of a bird.
But slowly those sounds drift away.
Like ripples fading on a lake.
Until there is only the soft rhythm of your own breath.
You notice the room is bathed in golden candlelight.
Gradually the light begins to soften.
It dims to the color of warm amber.
And then fades into a gentle darkness.
Comfortable and safe.
In this darkness your inner vision becomes brighter.
You notice the faint aroma of sandalwood.
With each breath it grows lighter.
More subtle.
Until it melts away into pure clean air.
You become aware of any taste in your mouth.
Faint.
Neutral.
Then even this dissolves leaving only a clear still space.
You feel the air on your skin.
The flow beneath you.
Now imagine a warm luminous cocoon wrapping around you.
Protecting.
Holding.
Softening every edge.
The body rests.
The senses rest.
At the very center of this sanctuary is a pool of still water.
Its surface is perfectly smooth.
Reflecting nothing.
Disturbed by nothing.
You sit beside it.
Gazing at its calm surface.
And then without effort you feel your awareness sink beneath the surface into the quiet depths where nothing pulls at you.
Where you are whole.
Calm.
Steady.
Complete.
Here there is no past.
No future.
Only this still present moment.
Rest here.
When you are ready imagine rising gently from the pool of stillness.
You step back through the wooden doorway.
You hear the soft sounds of the forest again.
You feel the cool evening air on your skin.
You see the sun just about to begin its descent.
And bring your sankalpa back to mind.
Bring your intention,
Your dissolve back to mind and repeat it three times silently.
With complete feeling,
With complete emotion.
Feel its truth resonating more deeply now.
And begin to bring your awareness back to the room.
Sounds.
Sensations.
Smells.
Start to move your fingers.
Start to move your toes.
Stretch your arms overhead and take a full nourishing breath.
And when you are ready if you were in shavasana roll to one side.
Pause there for a moment and then gently rise to a seated position keeping your eyes soft or closed.
Take a moment to notice how you feel.
Lighter.
Quieter.
Clearer.
Pratyahada teaches us that peace isn't found by escaping the world but by choosing where we place our attention within it.
May this sense of inward steadiness guide you through the rest of your day.
When you are ready,
You can open your eyes.
The practice of yoga nidra is now completed.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
