This is a Yoga Nidra practice inspired by Yoga Sutra 1.
9.
Shabda.
Jnana Anupati Vastu Shunyo Vikalpa This Sutra simply invites us to notice how the mind creates inner worlds through words,
Concepts,
Stories,
Labels,
Through imagined possibilities.
A phrase appears,
A memory is triggered,
A future is imagined,
A story begins.
And before we know it,
The body is reacting not to what is here but to what the mind has created.
In this practice,
You are invited to rest deeply and gently observe the movement of imagination.
Not to fight it,
Not to judge it.
Not to silence it by force.
Simply to recognize This is an imagination moving through the mind.
This is imagination moving through the mind and then return to what is actually present.
The body Stop that.
The ground beneath you.
The awareness that knows every thought,
Image and story.
Get ready for Yoga Netra.
Lie down in a comfortable position.
Let the body be fully supported.
You may wish to place a pillow beneath the knees or the folded blanket beneath the head.
Allow the feet to fall slightly apart and let the arms rest away from the body with the palms facing upward.
Or in any other position that feels natural.
If you are doing the practice sitting down.
Make sure your spine is upright.
Preferably well supported.
And you can rest your hands on your knees or your thighs with your palms facing upward.
Adjust the body so that you can remain as still,
As comfortable as you can.
Let the eyes close gently.
And take a slow breath in and a soft breath out.
Once again.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Allow this to be a time of deep rest.
There is nothing to achieve.
Nothing to solve,
Nothing to figure out.
For now you are simply allowing yourself to be here.
Let the mind know that for the next moments.
It does not have to carry the future.
It does not have to complete every story.
It does not have to answer every what if.
You are safe.
Do this.
Bring your awareness to the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you.
Let go of effort.
Let go of the outer day.
Let go of the need to manage everything.
Notice the space around the body.
The stillness around the body.
The quiet presence of this moment.
And bring your awareness to your breath.
Your natural breath.
Allow the breath to become a doorway into the present moment.
Each breath reminding you.
This is Yo!
This is now.
This is real.
Now quietly bring to mind your Sankalpa,
Your resolve,
Your intention for this practice.
A simple intention.
And repeated silently three times with feeling and simplicity.
Let the Sankalpa settle into the deeper mind like a seed.
Now we begin the rotation of consciousness.
Allow your awareness to move from point to point in the body.
There is no need to move the body.
Simply listen,
Feel and move awareness.
Bring awareness to the right hand.
Right Hand Thumb Index Fingal Middle finger Ring finger.
Little finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Write this.
Boredom Elbow.
Apple arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Right side of the waist.
Right hip.
Right thigh.
Right knee.
Right curve.
Right Ankle Right Heel.
Soul of the right foot.
Top of the right foot.
Light a big dole.
2nd Tool Todd?
For Now the left hand.
Left Hand Thumb Index finger.
Middle finger LingFingal Little finger.
Thumb of the hand.
Back of the hand.
List.
For them.
Elbow Upper arm.
Shoulder armpit.
Side of the waist.
Left hip.
Tie.
Me.
Gov.
Angle.
Heal.
Soul of the left foot.
Top of the left foot.
Left big toe 2nd Tool Third,
For Now bring awareness to the back of the body.
Right Shoulder Blade Left Shoulder Blade The space between the shoulder blades.
Oppo back.
Middle back.
Lower back.
The whole spine.
The right side of the back.
The left side of the back.
The back of the pelvis,
The whole back body.
Now bring awareness to the front of the body.
The top of the head.
Fall ahead.
Light Eyebrow Left Eyebrow The Space Between the Eyebrows Light eye.
Left Eye The ideal Love to you all.
Right cheek,
Left Cheek.
The nose,
The Tip of the Nose Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Jim.
DROD Right Collarbone Left Collarbone Center of the chest.
Right side of the chest.
Left side of the chest.
Upper abdomen.
Navel Lower abdomen.
Pelvis.
The whole front body.
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 body.
The whole front body.
The Whole Head The whole body.
The whole body resting.
The whole body breathing.
The whole body held in awareness.
Now bring awareness again to the breath.
Feel the breath moving naturally.
Notice the breadth.
As something actually present.
Not imagined.
NOT REMEMBERED not conceptual,
Simply present.
The breath is here.
The body is here.
Awareness is Yours.
In your normal breathing rhythm,
Begin to gently count the breath backwards.
From 27 to 1.
Breathing in.
27 Breathing out.
27.
Breathing in.
26 Breathing Out 26 Breathing in.
25 Breathing Out 25 Continue silently.
If you lose count,
Simply the turn to 27.
There is no mistake.
Only the turning.
Breathing.
And counting.
Resting in the simple reality of the bread.
Now let go of counting.
Let go of counting and let the breath return to its natural rhythm.
Do nothing.
Allow everything to be as it is.
Now we move into Awareness of Opposites.
Bring into awareness the feeling of heaviness.
Bring into awareness the feeling of heaviness.
Heavy body.
Heavy arms.
Heavy Legs Heavy head.
The whole body heavy.
As if the body is sinking into the earth.
Now bring into awareness the feeling of lightness.
Light Body.
Light Arms.
Light legs.
Lighthead.
So lie.
As if the body is floating in spaciousness.
Lie.
Open.
Now heaviness and lightness together.
The body heavy and supported.
Awareness,
Light and Spacious.
Now bring into awareness warmth.
Warmth in the body.
Warmth in the hands.
Warmth in the chest.
Warmth in the belly.
A gentle,
Comforting warmth.
Now bring into awareness coolness.
Coolness in the face.
Coolness in the breath.
Coolness around the body.
A clear,
Calm,
Coolness.
Now warmth and coolness together.
Both known.
Bull.
Boss saying.
Both held in awareness.
Now bring into awareness the feeling of being caught in a story.
The feeling of being caught in a story.
Perhaps a familiar story.
A what-if story.
A story of rejection,
A story of failure,
A story of not being enough.
Do not choose anything overwhelming.
Just lightly sense the feeling of being pulled into a mental story.
Notice how the body responds.
Notice the energy of the story.
Notice the feeling of being inside it.
Now gently bring into awareness the feeling of presence.
The body on the ground.
The breath moving.
This moment.
Nothing to solve.
Nothing to predict.
Nothing to become,
Simply you.
Now story and presence together.
Stothi moving through the mind.
Presence holding the story.
The story is known Presence Remains.
Now allow all opposites to dissolve and rest in awareness.
Now bring awareness to the space of the mind.
The inner space behind the closed eye.
The space that we call Chidakasa,
The screen of the mind.
You may notice darkness,
Color,
Light,
Shapes,
Images,
Thoughts,
Memories,
Words,
Fragments.
Let them come and go.
Do not follow.
Do not resist.
Simply notice.
The mind may create words.
The mind may create images.
The mind may create stories.
Let each one arise.
Let each one pause.
You are not trying to empty the mind.
You are learning to see the movement of the mind.
Now silently hear the Sutra.
Shabda.
Jnananupati WAS TU?
Shun-yo.
Vikalpa Imagination is a mental movement.
Based on words and ideas.
Empty of an actual object.
Let the meaning settle gently.
And now imagine that you are sitting beside a clear Quietly.
At dawn.
The air is still.
The sky is soft.
The surface of the water is calm.
You are seated on the earth.
The body is steady.
The breath is quiet.
In front of you is the lake.
Cleo Open.
Reflect.
Now?
A single word appears on the surface of the lake.
The word is future.
Future.
And notice what the mind does with this word.
Perhaps it creates images.
Blah.
Hopes,
Fears,
Questions,
Possibilities.
Let the movement be seen.
You do not need to enter the stodhi,
Simply notice.
A word appears.
The mind creates a world.
Now gently say to yourself,
This is imagination.
Moving through the mind.
And watch the word dissolve into the lake.
The water becomes clear again.
And another word appears on the lake.
Failure.
Failure.
And notice what the bind does.
Perhaps it creates memories.
Shame,
Feel.
Pressure.
Old voices,
Old images.
Let it be seen gently.
No judgment.
No struggle.
Just seeing.
A word appears.
The mind creates a world.
And say to yourself.
This is imagination.
Moving through the mind.
And watch the world dissolve.
The lake becomes clear again.
And another word appears.
Success.
Success.
Notice what arises.
Images.
Expectations,
Desire,
Pressure,
Comparison,
Hope,
Identity,
Let the movement be seen.
You do not have to reject it.
You do not have to believe it.
Simply recognize it.
This?
Is imagination.
Moving.
Through the mind.
And the word dissolves,
The lake becomes clear.
Now another word appears.
Spiritual.
Spiritual.
Notice what the mind creates.
Ideas of how you should be,
How calm you should be,
How loving,
How peaceful,
How free from anger,
Fear or confusion.
Spiritual.
Notice if the word becomes special.
Notice if the concept becomes a standard.
Notice if imagination creates an identity.
And gently say,
This is imagination.
Moving through the mind.
And let the word dissolve into the lake.
The water becomes clear again.
And now another word appears.
Me.
Me.
Notice what the mind creates around this word.
Your name.
Your history,
Your goals,
Your mistakes,
Your achievements,
Your fears,
Your hopes,
Your image of yourself.
Let it all appear gently on the surface of the lake.
All the stories of me.
All the labels.
All the remembered selves.
All the imagined selves.
See them as movements on the surface.
And now gently say,
This too is known.
This too is moving through awareness.
Let the word dissolve.
Let the stories soften.
The lake becomes clear.
You the main.
Awareness remains.
Now rest beside the lake.
No words.
Nor labels.
Nostrody.
Only the quiet presence of Being.
The breath is yours.
The body is here.
Awareness is here.
Now imagine a small pot.
Beside the Lay You begin walking slowly along this path.
Ahead.
You see a signpost.
On the signpost are many Adhos and each Adho has words written on it.
What if?
Not enough.
Too late.
They will judge me.
I should be different.
I must get this right.
I am behind.
This will go wrong.
Notice how each phrase tries to pull the mind in a direction.
Each phrase opens a possible world.
Each phrase invites a story.
But you do not need to follow every sign.
You stand quietly before the signpost.
You breathe.
You feel your feet on the ground.
And you ask?
Is this happening now?
All is this imagination.
What is actually here?
And as you ask these questions,
Some of the others begin to fade.
The words lose their force.
The imagined paths become less compelling.
You return to the path beneath your feet.
This step.
This,
But that.
This moment.
Now continue walking.
The path leads to an open field.
Wide.
Quiet.
Spacious.
Above you,
The sky is washed.
Thoughts move like birds across the sky.
Words arise and pass.
Images arise and pass.
Stories arise and pass.
But the sky is not trapped by what moves through it.
Awareness is like the sky.
Open.
Clio.
Unharmed.
The mind may imagine.
The mind may create,
The mind may speak in words.
But awareness knows.
Awareness Holds.
Awareness remains.
Now bring back your Sankalpa,
Your intention,
Your resolve,
The same one that you chose at the beginning of the practice.
And repeat it silently three times.
Let the Sankalpa settle deep.
Now begin to feel the body again.
The body on the surface that it is practicing Yoga Nidra on.
Feel the back of the shoulders.
The arms,
Hands,
Back.
Hips,
Legs,
Feet.
Feel the whole body.
Notice the natural breath.
Notice the area around you.
Start making small movements in the body.
Move the fingers.
Move the toes.
Move your head from side to side.
Stretch your body in any way that feels natural.
If you are in sleeping position.
And when you are ready,
Roll gently onto one side.
And pause there for the moment.
Let this position represent the bridge between deep rest and waking life.
The mumble.
Words may arise.
Stories may arise.
Imagine futures may arrive.
But you can pause.
You can ask.
Is this happening now?
All is this imagination.
What is actually here?
And slowly when you are ready,
Come back to a seated position or remain resting if you prefer.
Take one final breath in.
A gentle breath out.
And when you are ready.
And you are comfortable.
Gently open your eyes.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Hadi Om Tat Sat.
