Lie down preferably in Shavasana which is the sleeping pose or also known as the dead man's pose or if you wish you could also do the practice sitting down.
If you are in Shavasana your head should be resting on the mat,
Your eyes closed and your palms facing upward,
Your feet a little bit apart.
If you are seated you can keep your feet firmly pressed into the ground,
Your back supported well if you require support and your palms on your thighs facing upwards.
If you need to make any movement please do it now as you should not allow yourself to move physically till the practice is completed.
And keep your eyes and mouth closed.
Stop all physical movement and lie completely motionless.
Completely motionless like a dead body in Shavasana,
In sleeping pose.
The body is quiet but under your control.
You are still conscious although you are not allowing the body to move.
No physical movement,
No movement of the toes,
Fingers,
Head or legs.
No quivering of any part of the body,
No tightening of any muscles,
No stretching of the body.
Now take your awareness inside you and start to investigate the whole physical body.
Every joint and muscle should be completely relaxed.
Relax the palms,
Fingers,
Feet,
Toes,
Ankles,
Ankles,
Calf muscles,
Knees,
Thighs,
Hamstrings,
Buttocks,
Back,
Shoulders,
Chest,
Arms,
Elbows,
Hands,
Head and neck.
Relax the whole body.
Investigate if there is any tension.
If there is tension,
Loosen it.
If muscles are tight,
Release them.
Now there should be no tension in the whole body.
Release them.
Now there should be no more physical movement.
You are also not supposed to sleep.
Yoga Nidra is the practice to make you more and more aware.
Today is the subtle inner awareness.
Let the whole body remain quiet and we will start to work with subtle awareness.
Now try to experience all the subtle movements in the body.
Now try to experience all the subtle movements in the body.
The physical body is moving on its own without effort in spite of all control.
Which parts are moving?
Where is the movement?
Are your feet moving?
Are the toes,
Fingers or thighs twitching?
Is the head turned to one side?
Is the chest or the stomach moving?
The stomach is moving forward and back,
Up and down.
You are not doing this.
It is happening on its own and you are not going to stop it.
Simply observe it.
The breath flowing in and out and as a result the chest is expanding and contracting.
In the throat,
Between the collar bones,
There is also some movement.
The depression of the throat seems to be moving upward and downward with respiration.
The breath is flowing in and out through the nostrils.
The breath is the cause of all this inner movement.
In spite of all your control,
Movement is still occurring in the physical body.
This has been going on by itself all the 24 hours of the day.
Right from the moment you were born,
Become aware of this movement.
The movement of the breath.
The inspiration and expiration through the nostrils.
The breath is causing movement in many parts of the body.
The breath is the cause of all this inner movement.
The breath is the cause of all this inner movement.
The breath is causing movement in many parts of the body.
The most movement occurs in the abdomen,
Stomach,
Heart,
Chest,
Throat and nostrils.
At the same time,
The whole body is vibrating.
Each and every hair of the body and all the pranas are moving.
But ordinarily we are unaware of it.
The breath is going in and out through the nostrils.
Watch the process of this breath.
The movement seems to be from the navel up to the throat and from the throat down to the navel.
Keep on watching.
Keep on witnessing.
This is sakshi bhava,
The attitude of witnessing.
Now let your consciousness rotate between the throat and navel.
The movement of the breath may be through the nostrils.
But the consciousness must go from the navel to the throat and from the throat to the navel.
Simply watch and observe this.
It is time now to state your sankalpa,
Your intention,
Your resolve.
And the sankalpa made during the practice of yoga nidra is always fulfilled.
It never fails.
But you cannot be impatient.
You must wait patiently and keep practicing it.
Repeat the sankalpa mentally now three times with complete feeling,
With complete emotion.
Now again bring your awareness back to your breath.
Make sure you are not moving your physical body.
Keep the sleep away and avoid becoming unconscious.
Do not become lost in thought.
Follow consciously.
Know that you are following what I am saying.
Know that you are following what I am saying.
Now I will guide you through the different parts of your physical body.
One by one I will take your consciousness to each and every part of the physical body.
At the same time you will visualize each part and repeat its name mentally.
Visualize the particular part which I name and say the name mentally.
Now visualize the right hand thumb and say mentally right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Visualize all five fingers together.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
We are continuing on the right side.
Right elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Right chest.
Right waist.
Right hip.
Right buttock.
Right thigh.
Right hamstring.
Right knee.
Right calf muscle.
Right ankle.
Right heel.
Right sole.
Right knee.
Right calf muscle.
Right ankle.
Right heel.
Right sole.
Top of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
All five toes together.
Now move your consciousness to the left side.
Start with the left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
All five fingers together.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Left chest.
Side.
Waist.
Hip.
Buttock.
Thigh.
Hamstring.
Knee.
Calf muscle.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
All five toes together.
Now we will move from the toes up to the crown of the head.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Top of the foot.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
All the five right toes together.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
All five toes together.
Now we will move consciousness from the right to the left.
As I say the paths alternately.
Right sole.
Left sole.
Both soles together.
Right heel.
Left heel.
Both heels together.
Right ankle.
Left ankle.
Both ankles together.
Right calf muscle.
Left calf muscle.
Both calf muscles together.
Right knee.
Left knee.
Both knees together.
Right thigh.
Left thigh.
Both thighs together.
Right hamstring.
Left hamstring.
Both hamstrings together.
Right buttock.
Left buttock.
Both buttocks together.
Right hip.
Left hip.
Both hips together.
Waist.
Lower abdomen.
Upper abdomen.
Whole abdomen.
Right side of the chest.
Left side of the chest.
The whole chest.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Center of the collarbones.
Troth.
Right shoulder.
Left shoulder.
Right arm.
Left arm.
Right elbow.
Left elbow.
Right hand.
Left hand.
Right thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
All five fingers together.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Right hand.
Left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
All five fingers together.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Shoulders.
Upper back.
Middle back.
Lower back.
Right side of the back.
Left side of the back.
Whole of the spine.
Back of the neck.
Front of the neck.
The whole neck.
Chin.
Lower lip.
Upper lip.
Both lips together.
Teeth.
Tongue.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Both cheeks.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Both nostrils.
Tip of the nose.
Whole of the nose.
Right eyelid.
Left eyelid.
Right eyeball.
Left eyeball.
Both eyeballs together.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Eyebrow center.
Right temple.
Left temple.
Forehead.
Back of the head.
Crown of the head.
Whole face.
Whole head.
Now we will take the whole body in parts.
Whole right arm.
Whole left arm.
Whole right leg.
Whole left leg.
Whole front.
Whole back.
Whole right side of the body.
Whole left side of the body.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
Now see the whole physical form of your body.
It is sitting on the chair or lying on its back.
See it as though you are standing outside the body.
Become aware of the touching points between your body and the surface that it is resting on.
Become aware of the parts of your whole physical body which is absorbing energy from the surface it is resting on.
Be aware of the front part of your body which is deriving prana from the air.
Feel the vibrations of prana moving throughout your body.
Be aware of me instructing you and of you following along mentally.
Experience tranquility,
Peace and quiet.
Become aware of the whole environment and your whole body.
Your whole body.
Your whole body.
Your whole body.
Please do not sleep.
This is the secret of Yoga Nidra.
In practicing Yoga Nidra you are neither asleep nor awake but somewhere in between.
Consciousness is functioning with a little bit of awareness.
Now visualize the whole body on the surface it is resting on.
Completely relaxed.
Tranquil.
Feel the body becoming very hot.
Try to experience the sensation of heat throughout the body.
Recall the feeling of being very very hot whether due to a summer sun,
A heater or warm clothing.
Try to create the sensation of heat now.
Try to feel the sensation of heat exactly as you have felt and experienced in the past.
If you have never felt extreme heat then try to feel it now.
Now reverse this feeling and try to feel cold.
Shivering cold.
As if you are standing outside in an icy wind wearing only thin clothing.
Try to feel that coldness through conscious effort because there is no cold wind here.
Create the sensation of cold with your consciousness.
Try to experience this cold.
Now try to experience heaviness in the physical body.
The body is becoming heavier and heavier.
It has become so heavy that you are unable to move any part.
You are unable to raise even an eyelid.
You are not even able to wiggle the toes or fingers.
The body has become so heavy.
Now experience the sensation of lightness throughout the body.
Not heaviness but lightness.
Feel the body becoming lighter and lighter and lighter as if it is completely weightless.
The body is so light.
As light as a piece of cotton.
As light as a feather.
Try to experience the lightness of your physical body.
Now we will go into chakra awareness.
In this light physical body visualize the chakras.
Muladhara Swadhisthana Manipura Anahata Vishuddhi Ajna and Sahasrara Sahasrara is located at the crown of the head.
Ajna,
The guru chakra is behind the eyebrow center.
Vishuddhi Vishuddhi within the spinal cord behind the throat where you feel palpitations.
Below is Anahata behind the heart.
Manipura behind the navel.
Swadhisthana at the 3rd disc of the sacrum.
Muladhara at the base of the spinal cord.
Try to remember the location of each chakra as it is named.
Muladhara at the bottom of the spinal cord.
Swadhisthana in the 3rd disc of the sacrum.
Manipura behind the navel in the spinal cord.
Anahata behind the heart.
Vishuddhi behind the throat.
Ajna at the top of the spinal cord.
And Sahasrara at the crown of the head.
This light body you are experiencing is able to see the subtle body within.
It's able to see the places where the chakras are situated.
It's once again time to state your resolve,
To state your sankalpa,
To state your intention.
Repeat your intention 3 times either mentally or out loud with complete feeling and emotion.
We will now get ready to end the practice so without opening your eyes,
If you are sleeping you may quietly sit up and turn around.
You may place the palms over the eyes and hold them there for some time.
Now bring your palms on your knees and move the physical body gradually and quietly without stretching.
Sit with the head straight.
Eyes closed.
Palms on the knees.
We will chant Aum 3 times together.
So breathe in deeply.
Aum Aum Aum The practice of Yoga Nidra is now completed.
Adi Om Tat Sat
