Begin the practice of yoga nidra by lying on your back.
You may want to support the back of the head and neck with a low pillow or a folded blanket.
And you may want to place a cushion under your knees to relax the lower back.
Make any adjustments now so that you are totally comfortable.
Listen to my voice and feel whatever may arise without judgment or without trying too hard.
The more effortless you can be,
The better.
Just relax and be aware.
Simply feel your body and listen.
Become aware of sounds you might hear in the far distance.
Move your attention from sound to sound without becoming attached to them.
Now,
Draw your attention inwards and listen for sounds closer to you.
Now,
Become aware of the room you're in.
Become aware of your body lying in perfect stillness.
Feel all the points where your body is resting.
Try not to concentrate too hard.
Just be aware.
This is the time to state your saṅkālpa,
Your resolve or intention.
Your saṅkālpa is a goal you want to achieve in the next 6 to 18 months.
Your saṅkālpa can be material,
Mental or spiritual.
State your saṅkālpa as a positive statement in the present tense,
As though it's already happening.
Repeat your saṅkālpa three times with feeling and awareness.
I'm going to name a different body part.
Bring your awareness to that body part and bring a deep sense of relaxation.
Focus on the tip of your right thumb and deeply relax your right thumb.
Think of your right index finger and relax that.
Tip of the right middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky,
Right palm,
Right wrist,
Right elbow.
Relax the right shoulder and the right chest,
The right side body and ribs.
Relax the right hip and groin and the right buttock.
Relax the right knee,
The right ankle,
The sole of the right foot relaxes.
Tip of the big right toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Your right little toe.
Relax the whole right side of your body.
Relax the tip of your left thumb,
Left index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger and relax the left pinky.
Relax the palm of the left hand,
The wrist.
Relax the left elbow and the left shoulder.
Relax the left chest,
Ribs and side body.
Relax the left hip,
Groin and buttock.
Relax the left knee,
The left ankle,
Sole of the left foot.
Relax the left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Relax the left little toe.
Relax the whole left side of the body.
Relax the center of your chest,
The center of your throat,
The space between the eyebrows and relax the top of your head.
Relax the whole body.
Bring awareness to your breath.
Become aware that you're breathing and nothing else.
Feel the breath moving through the nostrils.
Feel the breath move through your nostrils and meet at the space between the eyebrows.
Begin to count backwards on your breath.
As you inhale,
Say to yourself 27.
And as you exhale,
Say to yourself 27.
Inhale,
26.
Exhale,
26.
And continue breathing backwards on your breath,
Feeling the breath meet at the space between the eyebrows until you get to the number one.
If you lose count or reach number one,
Just begin again at 27.
You're almost there.
Take a deep breath.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Exhale,
Exhale,
Exhale,
Exhale,
Exhale,
Exhale.
That was a learning challenge for me.
I hope people learn a lot and eventually get it,
Even if they're clumsy.
You can't do it if you're a beginner,
So people can learn a lot easily.
You you relax your effort gently bring awareness back to the body and mind by slowly deepening their breath and by slowly moving the fingers and toes take your time to sit up the practice of yoga nidra is complete
