Yoga Nidra For Restoration
This practice will help you tune into the subtle messages of your mind and body, empowering you to live more authentically and with greater confidence. Let this session serve as an anchor, supporting you in embodying the calm and clarity that has emerged throughout the course.
Transcript
Hello and welcome.
My name is Abigail Morrissey and today I will guide you through a practice of Yoga Nidra.
We will practice of settling the mind,
Bringing the attention within,
And connecting to the subconscious,
The mind of our soul.
Turn off your phone or alarms.
Make sure you are in a quiet and safe place so that you can fully let go and immerse yourself in the practice of Yoga Nidra.
Please lie down on your mat.
We will now prepare for Yoga Nidra.
Adjust your body and find a comfortable position.
If needed,
Use blocks,
Pillows or blankets to support you during this time.
Please get as comfortable as possible.
During Yoga Nidra,
There should be no movement.
Simply lie on your back with your palms facing up,
Your feet fluffed open to the side.
Close your eyes.
Please keep your eyes closed for the remainder of the practice.
Allow your body to come into a complete state of relaxation.
Bring your attention now to your breath,
Exhaling any stress,
Worries,
Fears or preoccupations out.
Repeat this three more times,
Inhaling,
Letting the body fill,
And exhaling,
Letting it all go.
During your practice of Yoga Nidra,
You will experience a deep relaxation throughout your entire body,
From your head to your toes.
There is no need to force any muscles to relax.
It will happen naturally.
Simply follow my voice and let the practice guide you.
Try your best not to fall asleep.
Make a promise to yourself now,
And silently in your mind say,
I will not fall asleep.
I will remain awake throughout the practice.
During Yoga Nidra,
Your senses will connect on a hearing and awareness level.
The most important thing for you to do is to follow my instructions.
I will guide you throughout the practice.
Please know that thoughts and distractions are normal.
Don't judge them or hold on to them.
Simply notice them and let them go.
If you find it challenging,
Don't worry or overthink.
Naturally,
The thoughts will pass and float away.
Stay connected to your breath and find a sense of calmness and peace.
Now shift your attention to your body.
Scan your entire body from head to toe.
Notice if you hold any tension in your body.
See if you can let the tension go.
Allow yourself to sink in to comfort and stillness.
Now become aware of the practice of Yoga Nidra.
You can mentally repeat,
I am aware,
I am going to practice Yoga Nidra.
The practice of Yoga Nidra begins now.
Bring your awareness inside.
We are now going to set an intention for the practice.
This is called the Sankalpa.
Direct your focus and attention to your inner intuition and wisdom.
Let your intuition reveal your Sankalpa.
State your Sankalpa as an affirmation in the present.
State it with conviction and emotion.
Maybe you say,
I am compassionate towards myself and others,
Or I am at peace.
Whatever you decide,
State it in the positive and present.
Mentally repeat your Sankalpa three times,
Planting the seed deep within your subconscious mind,
Knowing that over time it will manifest.
Now direct your attention to your physical body.
We will begin a rotation of consciousness and you will focus on each part of the body individually.
Feel each part and visualize it in your mind.
Allow your awareness to travel swiftly and establish a deep sense of connection and awareness to each part of the body.
We will start on the right side.
Right thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Right palm,
Right hand,
The top of the right hand,
Right wrist,
Right lower arm,
Right elbow,
Right upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Right armpit,
Right waist,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
The kneecap of the right leg,
The calf muscle,
The ankle,
The heel,
The sole of the right foot,
Top of the right foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
All five toes together.
Now bring your attention to the left side,
Left thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Left palm,
Left hand,
The top of the left hand,
Left wrist,
Left lower arm,
Left elbow,
Left upper arm,
Left shoulder,
The left armpit,
Left waist,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
The kneecap of the left leg,
The calf muscle,
Ankle,
The heel,
The sole of the left foot,
The top of the left foot,
The big toe,
The second toe,
The third toe,
The fourth toe,
The fifth toe,
All five toes together.
Move your attention now to the back,
Feel the entire back,
Back of the head,
Neck,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
The entire spine,
The right buttocks,
The left buttocks,
Feel now your abdomen,
The navel,
The right chest,
Left chest,
Throat,
Chin,
Lower lip,
Upper lip,
Teeth,
Tongue,
Tip of the nose,
The entire nose,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
The right ear,
The left ear,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right eyebrow,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
Forehead,
Top of head,
Move your focus now to the lower limbs,
Feel the entire right leg,
The entire left leg,
Both legs together,
Broaden your focus to encompass the entire back of your body,
The entire back of the body,
Feel now the entire front of the body,
Expand your awareness now to feel the whole body,
The whole body,
Fully aware of the whole body,
Sense your entire body resting on the floor,
Feel your weight supported by the floor,
Visualize your entire body lying perfectly still on your mat,
As if you were observing from above,
Sensing your entire body resting on the floor,
Feel the weight of your body supported by the floor,
Visualize your entire body lying perfectly still on your mat,
Feel now the meeting points between the back of your head and the floor,
The shoulder blade and the floor,
The elbows and the floor,
The back of the hands and the floor,
The buttocks and the floor,
The calves and the floor,
The heels and the floor,
Awareness of all the meeting points between the body and the floor,
The sensations of these points simultaneously,
Evenly,
Please do not sleep,
Switch your attention to your eyelids and feel the narrow line,
The meeting point between the upper and lower eyelids.
Feel the sharp points where they meet,
Intensify the awareness between the eyelids and now bring your attention to the lips and notice the lines between the lips and now draw your attention to your breath.
Bring your attention now to the breath,
Notice your inhale and exhale without changing anything,
Just begin to witness your natural breath.
Rest in the changing sensation of your inhale,
Rest in the changing sensations of your exhale,
Rest in the changing sensations of the space in between the inhale and the exhale.
Inhale and exhale,
Rest in the changing sensations of your breath.
We will begin now to do a mental version of alternate nostril breathing,
The physical body will remain still,
The breath easy,
No strain,
Visualize the breath moving in through the right nostril and out the left nostril.
In through the left nostril and out through the right nostril,
Allow the breath to be as easy and soothing as possible.
Imagine that the breath moves in from below the nostril and travels all the way up past the center of the eyebrows to the middle of the brain,
Watch the breath fall,
Exhaling from the center of your brain all the way beyond the tip of your nostril.
See the breath move from nostril to brain,
Brain to nostril,
Nostril to brain,
Brain to nostril with ease.
Let go of this practice now and return to your normal natural breath,
Checking in with yourself to make sure that you are still awake,
Silently repeating in your mind,
I am awake and practicing yoga nidra.
We will now move the consciousness through various sensations,
Awaken a feeling of heaviness,
A feeling of heaviness,
A feeling of heaviness in every part of the body,
Your body feels so heavy that you seem to sink into the floor.
Awareness of heaviness,
Awareness of heaviness,
Awareness of heaviness,
Awaken now the feeling of lightness,
A feeling of lightness,
A feeling of lightness in every part of the body.
Your body feels so light that it seems to float away from the floor,
Awareness of lightness,
Awareness of lightness,
Awareness of lightness.
Awaken now the feeling of cold,
A feeling of cold,
A feeling of cold all over the body.
Remember the feeling of being cold in the winter,
Outside in the snow,
Without a coat,
Cold all over the body,
Cold all around the body.
Awareness of coldness,
Awareness of coldness,
Awareness of coldness,
Awaken a feeling of heat,
A feeling of heat in every part of the body.
Remember the feeling of heat in the summer,
In the sun with no shade,
Heat all over the body,
Heat all around the body,
Awareness of heat,
Awareness of heat.
And now awaken the feeling of fear,
Any kind of fear,
Physical or mental,
The feeling of fear,
The feeling of fear.
Now connecting to the feeling of bliss,
Any kind of bliss,
It can be physical or mental bliss,
The feeling of bliss,
The feeling of bliss.
Repeat to yourself,
I will stay awake,
I am practicing yoga nidra and I will stay awake.
Now visualize on the screen of your mind.
Bring your attention now to the space in between your eyebrows,
Your third eye.
Allow your mind to focus on images in this space that I described to you.
Strive to develop a clear and vivid vision of each image in the best way that you can.
Know that it is perfectly fine if you don't see anything or if you visualize something different.
Simply continue repeating and mentally visualizing each image as I say them.
You,
The color blue,
Looking out the window,
Seeing the snow fall,
A snowy day,
A baby laughing,
The sun shining.
You,
The color purple,
The color purple,
The color purple.
Allow yourself to feel like you're being held in the most nourishing ocean.
It is vast,
Intelligent,
Where everything is uncoiled,
Loose,
Slack and supported.
Everything is at peace.
You tell your whole body to relax.
You allow yourself to feel heavy,
Like lead.
You feel like you're being breathed.
You cultivate the subtle sense that your body is recharging,
Refueling as you are held in this healing space.
Being held in this ocean,
You are supported,
Suspended,
Recharging and refueling.
Imagine every body part recovered,
Refueling.
Every cell refueling and renewing.
Every thought you've ever thought,
Renewing and turning into something much more gentle.
It is now time to complete the practice.
Become aware of your whole body.
Think,
I am practicing yoga nidra.
Visualize your whole body lying on the floor.
Begin to become aware of yourself.
Now repeat your sankalpa three times.
Use the same resolve you made at the beginning of the practice.
Do not change it.
State it with full awareness and feeling.
Connect with the sensations it evokes.
And then bring your awareness back to your breath.
Feel your belly rise and fall with each and every breath.
Becoming aware of your physical body.
Becoming aware of your physical body lying on the floor in savasana,
Practicing yoga nidra.
As a result of this practice,
Your whole body,
The physical,
Mental,
Emotional and spiritual levels of the body have become quiet,
Tranquil and peaceful.
You are revived and energetic.
Begin to become aware of your environment,
The room and the surroundings.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
