Yoga Nidra

We are about to practice yoga nidra, I like to think of it as the way my friend Lisa described it once; a yoga nap. It is a deep very relaxing meditative experience that allows you to let go of worries and connect to yourself on a deeper level. Everyone who is able to lie down and chill can practice yoga nidra. And those who have a hard time laying down and being chill need yoga nidra even more.

Transcript

Hi and welcome.

We're about to practice Yoga Nidra.

I like to think of it at the way my friend Lisa described it once,

A yoga nap.

It's a very deep,

Relaxing,

Meditative experience and it allows you to let go of your worries,

Connect to yourself on a deeper level.

Everyone who is able to lie down and chill can practice Yoga Nidra and those who have a hard time laying down and being chill need Yoga Nidra even more.

So,

Find yourself in a comfortable position laying on your back.

The floor or your bed works.

Um put your arms by your sides,

Palms facing up and let your feet fall gently out to the side.

Get your head in a in a neutral position.

You may wanna use a thin pillow or a blanket.

Um you may also wanna pillow a blanket under your knees.

Whatever you need to feel the most comfortable.

Make sure you're warm.

If you need to cover yourself with a blanket.

I also like to use an eye mask or even just a towel over my eyes.

You can pause this,

Get comfy,

And then restart when you're ready.

So,

Once you're comfortable,

Allow your body to just relax and settle into the space.

Try and remain still throughout this practice.

If you notice any discomfort or achy or weird feelings in your body at any time,

Just observe them.

If they continue to bother you,

Make a necessary adjustment and then come back to this place of stillness as soon as you can.

Start taking some deep breaths through your nose.

And on every exhale,

Let go of all your worries.

If any distracting thoughts start to come in,

Just notice them and then let them move on.

Follow along with the sound of my voice and try to remain awake and aware but if you fall asleep,

That's okay.

Your mind will still hear the words.

Now,

Start to allow the easy rhythm of your breath to get you more relaxed.

Allow each breath to flow through you like a rolling wave in the ocean.

Observe any sounds outside or inside your room.

Notice them but don't find them disturbing.

They're meant to be there.

Feel the awareness in your body from the crown of your head down to the tips of your toes.

Start to mentally repeat in your mind the sound om.

Notice the stillness in your body but the awareness in your mind.

Continue saying to yourself om and keep your awareness on your entire body.

The fact that your whole body is laying on the floor of the bed relaxing.

The practice of yoga nidra begins now.

At the beginning of yoga nidra,

It's time to state your sankalpa.

Sankalpa is an intention,

A heartfelt desire,

An affirmation stated to yourself in the present tense.

It can be anything.

Present tense.

Repeat your sankalpa in your mind three times.

If you don't have a daily intention that you use or are working with right now,

You can always use I am love.

Now,

We will take a rotation of consciousness throughout your body.

Allow your mind to follow along.

Try to stay alert but don't strain to follow my voice.

This should be relaxing.

A relaxing journey through the body.

Remember to try and remain still and not move the body parts as we bring the awareness there.

Now,

Become aware of your right hand.

Bring your awareness to your right hand thumb.

Your pointer finger,

Your middle finger,

Your ring finger,

Your pinky finger,

Your right palm,

The back of the hand,

Your wrist,

Your forearm,

Your right elbow,

Your upper arm,

Your shoulder,

Your armpit,

The right side of your body,

Your waist,

Your right hip,

Your right thigh,

Your knee,

Your lower leg,

Your ankle,

The heel of your right foot,

The sole of your right foot,

The top of your right foot,

Your right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Pinky toe.

Bring your awareness to your left hand,

Your left thumb,

Pointer finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Pinky finger,

Palm,

The right back of your hand,

Left wrist,

Left forearm,

Elbow,

Your left upper arm,

Left shoulder,

Armpit,

The left side of your body,

Your waist,

Your left hip,

Your left thigh,

Your knee,

Your lower leg,

Your ankle,

Your left heel,

The sole of your left foot,

The top of your foot,

Your left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Pinky toe.

Now moving to the back of your body,

Become aware of your right shoulder blade,

Your left shoulder blade,

Your right butt cheek,

Your left butt cheek,

The whole of your spine and your back together.

Now the front of your body,

Bring the awareness to the top of your head,

Your right temple,

Your left temple,

Your right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Between the eyebrows,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Chin,

Throat,

The right side of your chest,

The left side of your chest,

The center of your chest,

Your belly button,

Your belly,

Your pelvis,

The pelvic floor,

Your whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

Now both legs together,

The whole right arm,

The whole left arm,

Both arms together,

The whole back of your body,

The whole front of your body.

Feel your entire body laying on the floor or bed.

You are awake and aware that your physical body is resting completely still,

Completely relaxed,

Completely soft,

Sinking into the earth.

Bring your awareness to your breath.

Feel the gentle rise and fall of your belly,

Your rib cage,

And your chest.

Each slow breath,

A gentle rise and fall,

And you can feel that energy,

The energy of the breath flowing through you.

Imagine the front of your body,

The space between your belly button and your throat,

And begin to picture your breath rising from your belly button on an inhale up to your throat and slowly going back down from the throat on an exhale to the belly button.

Continue to picture that breath as a wave throughout the body.

Begin to count your breath in your mind.

Inhale for a count of five.

Let the breath float for a count of five.

Exhale for a count of five and hold your breath out for a count of five.

And repeat that breath counting to five on the inhale holding holding exhale holding three times.

Now stop the practice of counting return to your normal breath.

We are going to become aware of some sensations in the body.

Awaken the sensation of heat in your body.

Imagine you live in Phoenix.

It's August.

You're outside in a scorching hot sunny day.

It's monsoon season so it's humid as well as hot.

There's sweat running down your body.

The sun is shining in intense heat on your skin.

Even your clothes are hot from the blazing sun.

Now allow that sensation of heat to fade away and you are beginning to experience the sensation of intense cold.

Picture yourself in northern Canada standing in the snow in your bathing suit.

No shoes on your feet.

Visualize goosebumps all over your skin.

Your body is shivering.

It's cold.

Now allow that cold to fade away and awaken the sensation of being wet.

You are in Costa Rica in a jungle during a crazy rainstorm.

It's coming in from the top,

The sides.

Feels like it's coming from the ground.

Water's dripping from your hair.

Your clothes are drenched and sticking to your skin.

Allow this wet sensation to dry up.

You're noticing the sensation of being dry.

You're standing in a desert in South America.

Your skin feels parched.

It's tingling.

It's so dry.

Your throat is scratchy.

You just want a single drop of water.

Now allow that sensation of intense dryness to leave you and come back to your happy sensation.

Start to concentrate on the space behind your closed eyes.

In this space,

You notice a screen of your mind.

That space reaches up as high and out as wide and as far as the eye can see.

Concentrate on this screen in your mind.

Become aware of any colors or patterns or lights.

Anything that your mind has made up.

Continue to be aware of what you see but don't become attached to it.

Just aware but detached from the images.

Now bring yourself back to your sankalpa,

Your resolve,

And repeat it to yourself three times with full awareness.

I am love.

I am love.

I am love.

Bring the attention back to the rhythm and sound of your normal breath.

Feel it flow in and out of your nose.

Maintain this awareness of your slow,

Easy breath as you start to notice your body.

The parts of your body that are touching the bed or the floor.

Your head,

Your back,

Your elbows,

The backs of your hands,

Your butt,

Your calves,

Your heels.

Start to notice any sounds outside the room or inside the room.

Picture the floor,

The ceilings,

The walls,

And start to do some slow movements.

Wiggle your fingers,

Your toes.

Roll over onto your right side and take some deep breaths.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.