Yoga Nidra For Balance & Vitality
by Mark Purser
The yoga nidra practice is designed to deeply restore, rebalance, and revitalize your body, mind, and spirit. Once we've entered the state of yoga nidra, we begin a practice of prana vidya, an ancient tantric technique in which we connect and learn to revitalize our pranic energy system. We also use a tantric technique exploring the dimension of memory, which can help to ease anxiety and tension in busy minds. This is one of my personal favourite techniques to practice, and I'm delighted to share it with you.
Transcript
Welcome to this practice of yoga nidra.
A brief introduction to yoga nidra for those new to the practice.
It is both a meditation and a relaxation practice.
Ultimately we're looking to bring our body into a state of deep rest whilst the mind remains awake.
The literal translation of yoga nidra is yogic sleep.
Yoga being awareness,
Connectedness.
Nidra meaning sleep.
So bringing the state of awareness into the experience of sleep.
It's a guided practice.
I will instruct guide you through a series of stages.
Your job should you choose to accept it is to just listen.
Follow the instructions as best you can.
We begin by feeling into this position of Shavasana,
Lying on our backs.
Perhaps bringing some support under the knees,
Making sure that you're comfortable.
Perhaps a little pillow behind the head,
Something small.
Palms facing upwards,
Feet about hip width apart.
Finding a sense of ease and comfort in the posture.
At this point in time I'd invite you to bring your awareness to your breath.
We're just going to do a little practice just to help settle the physical body.
We'll begin that practice just from wherever you are just exhale your breath.
Just an easy exhale.
And now a deep full inhale and then hold that breath for a moment and clench your fists and then let that go.
Now we're going to do the same thing inhaling full breath in.
Hold the breath and then curl your toes.
Activate your leg muscles.
Squeeze your buttocks and then let it go in the exhale.
One more time.
Big deep inhalation.
Just don't scrunch your face.
Activate the muscles of your neck and then again exhalation.
Let it go.
Now we're going to take another big deep inhalation and squeeze all the muscles of the whole body.
Clench the fist,
Curl the toes,
Legs,
Arms,
Scrunch the face,
The torso,
Chest and then let it go.
We'll do that two more times.
Big deep breath in.
Activate everything.
Squeeze everything.
Curl the toes.
Squeeze the fist and then let it go.
One more time.
Big deep breath in.
Squeeze everything.
Hold it tight.
Really squeeze the tension and then let it go.
Now just a soft breath.
Bringing awareness to just a gentle soft inhalation and exhalation.
Feeling into the plane of contact of your body on the floor.
Each exhalation allowing this plane of contact to expand slightly.
Letting each exhalation just be a little bit softer than the one before.
Allowing the breath to soften us.
This idea of surrender on the exhalation.
Letting go.
At this point in time we begin a practice of listening for sounds.
Activating our sense of hearing.
Sending the attention outwards into the external space.
Exploring for sounds.
This technique we're searching out sounds.
We hear a sound.
Bear witness to that sound for just a moment and then let that go.
Gently letting it go.
Finding another sound.
We're moving steadily consciously from sound to sound.
Be inquisitive.
Hear what you can hear.
Seeking out the sounds.
There's no need to contemplate the sounds or decide if it's a pleasant or an unpleasant sound.
It's a practice in pure listening.
We hear the sound.
That's it.
Bear witness for a moment and then gently consciously let it go.
Moving on to find another sound.
Perhaps you can seek out some more subtle sounds.
Perhaps there's some smaller sounds hidden between the larger sounds that you haven't discovered yet.
See if you can find perhaps three new sounds you haven't yet heard.
We'll come closer to ourselves looking for the sounds closer to ourselves.
Perhaps you can hear the sound of subtle ringing in your ears.
Perhaps you can hear or imagine you hear the sound of your heart beating.
Sound of blood moving through your vein.
Then bringing awareness to the sound of your breath.
Tuning the attention to the sound of your breathing.
At this point in time within this practice we bring to mind our intention.
Our resolve.
Our sankalpa.
Sankalpa is made in yoga nidra as a seed from which change can grow.
We frame a sankalpa as a short clear statement in a positive way as though it's already true.
I am this.
I have that.
For example if you wanted to improve your diet you might have a sankalpa that was something along the lines of I am radiant and well.
I eat nourishing wholesome food.
Framing it in a way that it's already true.
If you don't have a sankalpa take as long as you need.
It could be days weeks months to get clear on what that sankalpa is.
Perhaps just contemplating for a moment a quality you would like to cultivate.
A material thing you would like to have more of.
If you do have a sankalpa just repeating it a number of times.
Once we establish a clear sankalpa it's important we remain steady with that sankalpa.
Until it's true.
It becomes true absolutely.
And then let that fade.
Let it sink.
Now we begin the practice of rotating awareness throughout the physical body.
I will direct your attention to a body part.
You just silently repeat the name of the body part.
Move awareness throughout the whole physical body.
We begin by placing our full attention our full presence in the right hand thumb.
Right hand thumb.
Full awareness right hand thumb.
Nothing else just the right hand thumb.
Moving now to the right hand forefinger.
The ring finger.
The little finger.
The palm of the right hand.
The back of the right hand.
The right wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Right shoulder.
Right side of the chest.
Waist.
Hip.
Awareness to the right thigh.
Right knee.
Shin.
Calf.
Ankle.
Top of the right foot.
Soul of the right foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
Now awareness to the whole right side of the body.
Experiencing just the right side of the body.
And now we'll shift to the left side of the body.
Beginning again in the left hand thumb.
Full presence.
Full attention.
Left hand thumb.
Moving to the left hand forefinger.
The middle finger.
The ring finger.
The little finger.
Awareness to the palm of the left hand.
The back of the left hand.
The left wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Left shoulder.
Left side of the chest.
Waist.
Hip.
Left thigh.
Left knee.
Shin.
Calf.
Ankle.
Top of the left foot.
Soul of the left foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
And now the whole left side of the body.
Experience the whole left side of the body.
We're going to go again.
Repeat that whole process.
Beginning again in the right hand thumb.
Bringing the awareness back into the right hand thumb.
Full presence there.
Right hand thumb.
Moving to the right hand forefinger.
The middle finger.
The ring finger.
The little finger.
The palm of the right hand.
The back of the right hand.
The right wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Right shoulder.
Right side of the chest.
Waist.
Hip.
Right thigh.
Right knee.
Shin.
Calf.
Ankle.
Top of the right foot.
Soul of the right foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
And now the whole right side of the body.
Experience the whole right side of the body.
We'll move again to the left side of the body.
Again beginning in the left hand thumb.
Moving to the left hand forefinger.
The middle finger.
The ring finger.
The little finger.
The palm of the left hand.
The back of the left hand.
The left wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Left shoulder.
Awareness to the left side of the chest.
Waist.
Hip.
Left thigh.
Left knee.
Shin.
Calf.
Ankle.
Top of the left foot.
Soul of the left foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Little toe.
And now the whole left side of the body.
The whole left side of the body.
Awareness now comes to the back of the body.
The back line of the body where it rests upon the floor.
The back of the right leg.
Right shin.
Calf.
Thigh.
But the whole lower back.
Awareness to the right shoulder blade.
Awareness to the left shoulder blade.
The back of the neck.
The back of the head.
And now experience the whole spinal column.
Experience the whole spinal column.
Completely and only the spinal column.
The whole back of the neck.
The whole spinal column.
Completely and only the spinal column.
Full attention there.
Full attention to the spinal column.
Now again to the back of the head.
The crown of the head.
The forehead.
The right eyebrow.
The left eyebrow.
Find the point directly between your eyebrows.
Now to the bridge of the nose.
The tip of the nose.
The right nostril.
The left nostril.
Whole nose.
Both nostrils.
Whole nose inside and out.
Now to the right cheek.
The left cheek.
The whole right ear.
The top of the ear.
Ear lobe inside the right ear.
The whole right ear.
Now to the left ear.
The top of the ear.
The ear lobe inside the left ear.
Now beginning at the left ear.
Tracing a line along your jawbone.
All the way past the chin.
All the way to the right ear.
And then the whole jawbone.
Experience your whole jawbone.
And now the bottom lip.
The top lip.
Find the point where your lips touch.
That subtle point where the lips touch.
The front side of the neck.
Now the whole right pectoral muscle.
Right side of the chest and then the left side of the chest.
The right ribs.
The left ribs.
The upper abdomen.
The navel.
The lower abdomen.
And the pelvis.
The right side of the pelvis.
The left side of your pelvis.
Now the whole pelvis.
Now experience your whole right leg.
Just the whole right leg.
And now the whole left leg.
The whole right arm.
The whole left arm.
Now both arms together.
Experience both arms together.
And then both legs together.
Experience both legs together.
Now the whole torso.
Experience your whole torso.
Just the torso.
And now the neck and the head.
Neck and head.
Just the neck and head.
We'll do all that again.
Both arms together.
Experience both arms together.
Both legs together.
The whole torso.
Neck and head.
Both arms together.
Both legs together.
The whole torso.
The neck and head.
And now the whole body.
Experience completely.
The whole physical body.
Complete.
Interconnected.
The whole body.
The whole body.
The whole body.
Now again we bring attention to breath.
Awareness.
This time just at the breath of the belly button.
Watch as the belly button rises and falls with each inhalation and exhalation.
What with the inhalation the belly button rises.
The exhalation the belly button falls.
Now we're going to add a count to this practice.
We're going to count from 27 down towards zero.
So we'll begin with an inhalation.
Let the belly button rise for 27.
With an exhalation belly button falls for 27.
With an inhalation the belly button rises for 26.
With an exhalation the belly button falls for 26.
We inhale for 25.
Exhale for 25.
Continuing in this way counting from 27 down to zero.
Staying awake.
Stay committed to the practice.
Connected to the practice.
The observation of the breath of the belly button and the count from 27 towards zero.
If you lose track of the count just return back to 27.
There's no prize for getting to zero.
You get to zero.
Again just return to 27.
Again again.
Wherever you are with that practice you can now let it go.
Just let go of that awareness.
We're going to shift the attention now to the nostrils.
We're going to focus now our attention on just the very tip of your nostrils.
Noticing the breath there.
The touch of the inhalation and the touch of the exhalation at the very tip of your nostrils.
Subtle touch of the air as it moves in and out.
Sensing that subtle touch at the very tip of your nostrils.
Now noticing if you can the very subtle touch of the breath at the top of your nostrils.
Feel the touch of the breath at the very top of your nostrils.
Very subtle touch the breath at the top of your nostrils.
Directly between the eyebrows and the eyebrow center in the nasal cavity.
Now going to do a practice of psychic or mental Nadi Shodhana.
This is our alternate nostril breathing.
Doing it without the use of a hand.
With the next inhalation visualize the breath coming up through the left nostril.
We're inhaling from the tip of the left nostril to the eyebrow center and then we're exhaling from the eyebrow center out through the right nostril.
And then again inhaling this time through the right nostril to the eyebrow center.
We're exhaling out through the left nostril.
Continuing in this way visualizing the breath moving through an upside-down V on the tip of the nostril to the eyebrow center.
Inhaling in one nostril out the other and then again moving the other way.
This is a practice of analoma veloma or psychic Nadi Shodhana.
If you wish to add in another dimension of this practice you can add in the mantra so hum.
So is the mantra for the inhalation hum is the mantra for the exhalation.
So hum I am that.
Looking to discover the resonance of the mantra so in the inhalation the resonance of the mantra hum in your exhalation.
We're going to make the awareness wider.
We're now going to bring attention to the soles of the feet with the next inhalation.
Visualize the breath moving from the sole of the left foot all the way up the left side of the body to the eyebrow center.
With the exhalation we're moving from the eyebrow center down the left side of the body out to the sole of the right foot and then again up through the right side of the body with the inhale to the eyebrow center exhaling down the left side of the body.
Breath and awareness moving as one perhaps visualizing light moving through the body.
When the awareness goes light shines moving from the sole of the foot to the eyebrow center exhaling down the other way illuminating each inhalation softening with each exhalation.
Again you can add in your mantra so for the inhale hum for the exhale.
Breath awareness mantra moving as one.
Now wherever you are that practice just exhaling one more time and then let that go.
It's time bringing awareness to the soles of both feet.
The soles of both feet.
Now with the next inhalation the awareness moves up the whole body all at once both sides together and the soles of the feet up through the legs the pelvis the torso all the way this time to the crown of the head and then we exhale awareness moves from the crown of the head through the eyebrow center the neck chest the belly the pelvis the thighs the knees the lower legs all the way to the soles of the feet inhaling back the same way soles of the feet scanning all the way up through the body to the crown of the head.
Again you can add in a mantra to this practice if you wish the mantra appropriate here is the mantra om.
So we inhale awareness moves from the soles of the feet up through the body with the mantra om.
Exhaling crown of the head down the mantra om.
Om for the inhale om for the exhale.
Awareness breath and mantra moving as one.
After the next exhalation wherever you are with this practice and just let it go.
Let go of any effort at this point.
Allow our awareness to just rest internally and just rest awareness in heart space.
Now the awareness to rest in our internal space.
Effortless ease.
The next stage of this practice going to go through a journey in time.
Yoga nidra we seek to deconstruct the machinations of the mind and time is a construct of the mind.
We begin this practice by becoming aware of this time here and now.
Becoming aware of this time.
And then take a step back in time about an hour ago just before you came here today where were you who you with how did you feel?
Now again back to this time come present in this time contrasting the present time against the memory.
We'll step back again to mid morning this morning.
Grab a moment in time.
Mid morning today.
Where were you?
How did you feel?
Who you with?
Just relive a memory.
Create a moment.
Recreate the moment.
Become fully present in that memory and then again step back to here and now.
Become present in this time.
Going back again to breakfast time today.
Breakfast time this morning.
What did you eat?
Did it taste like?
Relive that memory.
Who are you with?
How did it feel?
And then dinner time yesterday.
Where were you?
What did you eat?
Who are you with?
How did you feel?
And then again mid-afternoon yesterday.
Where were you?
Grab a time.
Grab a single moment.
Mid-afternoon yesterday.
Where were you?
Who are you with?
Relive that memory.
And then again coming back to this time.
Again become present in this time.
At this time we again introduce our practice of sankalpa using the same sankalpa made at the beginning of yoga nidra.
Again repeating it a number of time.
If you don't have a sankalpa,
Just contemplating for a moment on a quality you would like to cultivate.
Or a material thing perhaps you would like to have more of.
And then let that fade.
Let that sink deep now into the subconscious mind.
To the fertile soil where it can create change and become truth.
Awareness is again now directed to breath.
Just feel that you are breathing.
Noticing again the breath in your nostrils.
Taking some deeper breath now.
Feeling that breath filling in to your chest,
Your belly expanding.
Feel the weight of your body now.
The weight of your body where you're lying.
The arms,
Legs,
The back of the head.
Feeling perhaps the touch of air on any exposed parts of your skin.
Hearing now the sound of your breath.
Again hear,
Just listen to the sound of your breath.
And then listening for other sounds around you.
Allowing your attention to roam outside now.
Hearing the sounds outside this space.
Coming aware of again where you are.
What time it is.
Feeling into your space within the room.
Knowing that you have been practicing yoga nidra and that practice is now coming towards an end.
In your own time now you can just breathe deeply into your arms and legs,
Hands and feet.
Bringing awareness and activity into your fingers and toes.
Wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes.
Your own time.
You could have a little stretch.
And again when you're ready and only when you're ready rolling onto one side.
Keeping your eyes closed.
Making your way up to a seated position.
Taking as long as you need.
Steadily making your way up to a seated position.
It's because you are in a seated position.
And again,
Keeping your eyes closed.
Making your way up to a seated position.
And again,
Keeping your eyes closed.
Making your way up to a seated position.
It's become established in the upright position for a moment.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
4.7 (187)
Recent Reviews
Leon
January 21, 2025
I fell into a deep sleep before it was over
Diane
June 4, 2023
Really appreciate this practice! Merci
Denise
January 30, 2023
Absolute perfection this nidra practice is Mark. Thank you so very, very much. The longer body scan and breath work really made this a wonderful experience.
Mandy
December 24, 2022
Fantastic!! Thanks for this Nidra session. I use it quite often 🧘♀️🙏🌷
Melissa
June 16, 2022
Amazing experience
Andi
May 12, 2022
I dozed off partway through and woke with a snore. Very relaxed. Then stayed awake for the rest. I like the mental alternate side breathing. And imagining going back and forth between present and past. A refreshing practice a little different from most yoga nidras.
Teresa
April 4, 2022
Loved this one🙏🙏🙏
Sergio
December 31, 2021
Thank you. Excellent relaxation
Astrid
August 12, 2021
Relaxing and enjoyable to listen to .... thank you for this.
Katherine
May 23, 2021
This is super relaxing and next level revitalising 🌟
Betsy
February 25, 2021
Very relaxing. Thank you.🙏