Hello and welcome to your yoga nidra class.
This is a 30 minute practice and we'll be doing the practice of setting a sankalpa or an intention.
So sankalpa is just a different word for an intention or a deep kind of inner resolve that we have.
So I invite you to ask yourself here as you maybe set up and find yourself into a comfortable laying down position on your back.
Just ask yourself what that intention might need to be for you at this point in time in your life.
Usually a good way of stating that intention is with an I statement.
So if you were to want to become a more loving individual you might say I am loving.
So you're saying it in the present tense as if it's already happened.
So what you're going to do is just settle down onto your yoga mat on your back in shavasana.
You might put a blanket over top of your body and you might put a pillow behind your head and potentially behind both of your knees as well.
Putting these pillows behind the knees and behind the head really does help the body relax down into the stillness that we're looking to create during yoga nidra.
So this first little bit of class we'll be setting our brain up for planting our sankalpa.
So just close your eyes,
Let your hands and your body feel totally relaxed as you lay here on your yoga mat.
Let's begin.
Let the relaxation come into the space behind your eyes.
As you enter deeper and deeper into this stillness and relaxation arising out of nowhere a golden majestic gait appears in front of your inward gaze.
The soft breeze of your breath causes the gait to slowly open as you approach it.
As you enter you find yourself in a serene place of nature created into being by your imagination.
You are flooded with feelings of calmness and peace.
Surrounded by love and safety it's emanating from the ground and the air all around you.
You find a nice spot on the soft ground and you lay your body down.
Your nose is filled with pleasant smells.
Your skin is surrounded by warm air and your body is completely supported by the earth beneath you.
Softly breathe in and exhale.
Relax deeper and deeper.
Softly breathe in and exhale.
Relax your whole body into the yoga mat,
Into the earth.
We will now plant our intention.
In yoga nidra we sometimes refer to it as our sankalpa.
So we will plant our sankalpa into this quiet place.
A deeply intended thought mixed with a deeply intended feeling can be very powerful.
That is why we want to feel our intention in every cell of our body as though it has already manifested.
State your intention now with full feeling,
Excitement and sincerity three times.
Now as I list the different parts of the physical body bring your attention on to the part that I name and simultaneously imagine a little bit of awareness within that area.
Like a light that turns on.
Become aware of the right hand.
Right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand.
Become aware of your palm.
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
The shoulder,
Armpit,
The right side of your waist,
The right hip,
Right thigh,
Knee cap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the right foot,
Top of the foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Middle toe,
Fourth toe and pinky toe.
Now become aware of the left side of your body.
The left hand,
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger and fifth finger.
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
The left shoulder,
Armpit,
The left side of your waist,
The left hip,
Left thigh,
Knee cap,
Left calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the left foot,
Top of the foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Middle toe,
Fourth toe and pinky toe.
And now to your back.
Become aware of your back.
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of the ribs,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Spine,
Back of the thighs,
Back of the knees,
Back of the calf muscles,
Your heels on the floor,
The whole back together,
The whole back together.
Go to the top of the head,
The forehead,
Both sides of the head,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right inner ear,
Left inner ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Nose,
Tip of the nose,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Tongue,
The inside of the mouth,
Chin,
Throat,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
Middle of the chest,
The navel,
The abdomen,
The upper thighs,
The shins,
The tops of your feet.
Now become aware of the whole right leg,
The whole right leg together.
Become aware of the whole left leg,
The whole left leg together.
Feel both legs together,
Both legs together,
The whole of the right arm,
The whole of the left arm,
Both arms together,
The whole of the back,
Buttocks,
Spine,
And shoulder blades,
The whole of the front,
Abdomen,
And chest,
The whole of the back and front together,
The whole of the head,
The whole of the head,
The whole body together,
The whole body together.
Allow a smooth breath in through the nose and a calm breath out through your nose.
Now let go of the awareness of your breathing and see your whole body as if it were lying on the floor as an object in this room.
You see your head,
Your arms,
Your chest,
Legs,
And your feet.
You see yourself completely.
Bring your attention now to the following sensations.
Awaken the feeling of heaviness in the whole body.
The whole body is suddenly very heavy,
Heavy,
Heavy.
Your legs,
Your arms,
Your upper body,
Your head,
So heavy.
As you exhale,
You feel heavy.
Your whole body is so heavy that you are sinking through the floor,
Deeply sinking down through the ground.
Heavy.
Now recall the feeling of lightness in your whole body.
Your whole body is light,
Light,
Light.
From the top of your head down your spine and legs to your feet,
You feel lightness spread in your whole body.
As you inhale,
You feel light.
See your whole body floating up from the floor like a feather,
Drifting back and forth.
Light.
Your entire body is suddenly very cold.
Your hands and your feet are cold.
Your stomach and your back cold.
Your whole body feels cold.
Like the air at the top of the mountain,
You feel fresh and cold.
Your whole body cold.
Your entire body is suddenly surrounded by feelings of warmth.
Your hands and feet are warm.
Your stomach and your back are warm.
Your whole body is feeling warm.
You feel the warmth around your body embracing you like a comforting blanket.
Embracing warmth in this moment.
Remember a time or situation where you felt guilty.
Try as best you can to awaken the feelings of guilt into this experience.
Remove the situation or person that evoked guilt in you from the sensation of guilt itself and be left with the residual sensations of the feelings of guilt.
You are not guilty.
You simply feel guilt.
Let that wash away.
Recall a situation or a person to mind where you felt pure and innocent.
If nothing comes to mind,
Recall a picture or experience of yourself from your early childhood where you recognize yourself as the embodiment of innocence and purity.
Deeply feel the purity of your childlike self.
Now detach from the situation or visual and stay only with the feeling of purity and innocence.
And let that wash away.
Notice feelings of sadness,
Feelings of joy,
Feelings of fear,
Feelings of trust.
Notice a feeling of surprise.
Notice feelings of anticipation or expectation.
Notice feelings of disgust,
Feelings of anger.
Notice a feeling of tension in the body.
And notice the feeling of relaxation throughout your whole body and your mind.
Relax your body and your mind.
Withdraw your mind and return to the space behind your closed eyes.
Notice the space behind your closed eyes.
Imagine before you a transparent screen through which you can see infinite space,
A space that extends as far as your eyes can see.
Concentrate on that space and witness anything that manifests within it.
We will prepare now for rapid visualizations.
Try to remain interested and present to the sound of my voice as I call off numerous images.
Merely see the image on the mind's eye.
Burning candle,
Burning candle,
Burning candle.
Endless desert,
Endless desert,
Endless desert.
Torrential rain,
Torrential rain,
Torrential rain.
Coffin beside a grave,
Coffin beside a grave,
Coffin beside a grave.
Birds flying across the sunset,
Birds flying across the sunset,
Birds flying across the sunset.
Red clouds drifting,
Red clouds drifting,
Red clouds drifting.
Stars at night,
Stars at night,
Stars at night.
Full moon,
Full moon,
Full moon.
Wind from the sea,
Wind from the sea,
Wind from the sea.
Waves breaking on a deserted beach,
Waves breaking on a deserted beach,
Waves breaking on a deserted beach.
Eternal restless sea,
Eternal restless sea,
Eternal restless sea.
Waves breaking on a deserted beach,
A rainbow,
A crystal skull,
Summer rain on your skin.
Your childhood bedroom,
The color orange.
A tree,
The shape of two interlaced circles.
The sky at night,
A waterfall,
The color red.
Your childhood face,
A garden,
A pyramid,
The color yellow.
A key,
Gazing into the flames of a warming fire.
A green pulsating heart,
Planet earth from above.
Footprints in desert sand,
Shades of pink in the clouds at sunset.
Wild eagles,
A spiral,
A spaceship,
Standing on a mountain peak.
Freedom,
Floating,
Freedom,
Floating,
Freedom.
Remain in the state of freedom as you connect with the gentle rhythm of your breathing.
A transparent screen slowly appears in front of your mind's eye.
A collage of the story of your life begins to appear on the screen.
Every experience,
Every emotion,
Every relationship,
Every lesson,
Every growth has been captured in pictures,
Feelings,
Symbols,
And memories.
Take a moment to scan your screen,
Each footstep that you have taken up into this point.
Now,
See your whole collage being erased,
Every piece of your past dissolving in front of your eyes.
Your entire life story has been erased.
Your screen is clear and empty.
At this very moment,
You can create the experiences you wish to have in the future.
Watch now as images,
Qualities,
Attitudes,
And relationships,
As well as your wildest dreams begin to effortlessly adapt to your screen.
Once again,
The newly created tapestry on your screen erases itself,
And all that is left is a vibrating field of pure potential.
Into this very powerful space,
Drop in your intention or sankalpa three times and let your life respond,
Feeling trust and excitement.
Repeat your sankalpa three times now.
Bring your awareness back to your physical body.
Notice your physical body lying in the ground,
In shavasana,
Completely supported by the ground.
Feel the skull,
The jaw,
Mouth,
Tongue,
Neck,
Shoulders,
Elbows,
Hands.
Feel your hands.
Your forearms,
Elbows,
Shoulders,
Chest,
Ribs,
Your spine,
Your body.
Your spine,
Stomach,
Pelvis,
Hips,
Thighs,
Knees,
Shins,
And shoulders.
Shins,
Ankles,
Feet,
Your feet,
Up to the ankles,
Shins,
Knees,
Pelvis,
Spine,
Shoulders,
Neck,
Forehead,
And your skull.
Feel your whole body completely relaxed on your back.
Your whole body completely relaxed.
On your yoga mat.
Nowhere to go.
No one to be.
But just you right here.
From here,
Slowly begin to move your fingertips and your tippy toes.
Inviting small movements into your hands and into your feet.
Begin to move your hands and your feet.
You might bring your hands up towards your face and maybe place the hands on either side of the head near the temples and just give yourself a little bit of massage on the head.
Still wake up through some touch.
And then from here you might open up your eyes and maybe you can stretch your whole body out.
Maybe arms reach up above your head and your toes point.
We've completed our practice of yoga nidra for today.
Thank you so much for trying it out.
I hope it came to you at a time that really worked for you,
Where you needed to find a little bit of that peace and relaxation.
From my heart to yours,
Namaste.
