Classical Yoga Nidra From Swami Satyananda
by Nemmy Sanbo
From the roots of Rishikesh, Swami Satyananda brought us Yoga Nidra, a practice based on Tantric that involves systematic stages such as resolve (Sankalpa), rotation of consciousness, breath awareness, feelings, sensations, and visualization. My wish is to share this practice from its purity. Hari Om tat sat. Soundtrack music: Mer ka Ba by Jesse Gallagher
Transcript
Please get ready for Yoga Nidra.
Lie down on your back and adopt a pose called Shavasana.
In this position,
The body should be straight from head to toe,
The legs slightly apart and the arms a little away from the body,
With the palms of the hands turned upwards.
Adjust everything,
Your body,
Clothes,
Position,
Until you are completely comfortable.
During Yoga Nidra,
There should be no physical movement.
Close your eyes and keep them strictly closed until you are told to open them.
Take a deep breath,
And as you breathe out,
Feel the cares and worries of the day flow out of you.
In the practice which follows,
You are going to develop the feeling of relaxation in the body.
It's not necessary to make movements or deliberately relax your muscles,
Simply develop the feeling of relaxation.
It is like the feeling you have just before sleep,
When relaxation becomes deep.
Sleep does come,
But you should try to keep yourself completely awake,
This is very important.
Make a resolution to yourself now that I will not sleep,
I will remain awake throughout the practice.
During Yoga Nidra,
You are functioning on the levels of hearing and awareness,
And the only important thing is to follow my voice.
You must not try to intellectualize or analyze the instructions,
As this will disturb your mental relaxation.
Simply follow my voice with total attention and feeling.
And if those come to disturb you from time to time,
Do not worry,
Just continue the practice.
Allow yourself to become calm and steady.
Now,
Bring about a feeling of inner relaxation in the whole body.
Concentrate on the body and become aware of the importance of complete stillness.
Develop your awareness of the body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes,
And mentally repeat the mantra.
Complete stillness and complete awareness of the whole body.
Continue your awareness of the whole body.
The whole body.
The whole body.
Become aware of the fact that you are going to practice Yoga Nidra.
Say mentally to yourself,
I am aware,
I am going to practice Yoga Nidra.
Repeat this to yourself.
The practice of Yoga Nidra begins now.
At this moment,
You should make your resolve.
The resolve will have to be very simple.
Try to discover one naturally.
You must develop a resolve to say at this time.
It should be a short,
Positive statement in simple language.
Stated three times with awareness,
Feeling and emphasis.
The resolve you make during Yoga Nidra is bound to come true in your life.
At this moment,
You should make your resolve.
We now begin rotation of consciousness.
Rotation of awareness by taking a trip through the different parts of the body.
As quickly as possible,
The awareness is to go from part to part.
Repeat the part in your mind and simultaneously become aware of that part of the body.
Keep yourself alert,
But do not concentrate too intensely.
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,
The wrist,
The lower arm,
The elbow,
The thumb,
The elbow,
The upper arm,
The shoulder,
The armpit,
The right waist,
The right hip,
The right thick,
The kneecap,
The calf muscle,
The ankle,
The heel,
The sole of the right foot,
The top of the foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Become aware of the left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
The wrist,
The lower arm,
The elbow,
The upper arm,
The shoulder,
The armpit,
The left waist,
The left hip,
The left thick,
The kneecap,
The calf muscle,
The ankle,
The heel,
The sole of the left foot,
The top of the foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Now the back.
Become aware of the right shoulder blade,
The left shoulder blade,
The right buttock,
The left buttock,
The spine,
The whole back together.
Now go to the top of the head,
The top of the head,
The forehead,
Both sides of the head,
The right eyebrow,
The left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
The right eyelid,
The left eyelid,
The right eye,
The left eye,
The right ear,
The left ear,
The right cheek,
The left cheek,
The nose,
The tip of the nose,
The upper lip,
The lower lip,
The chin,
The throat,
The right chest,
The left chest,
The middle of the chest,
The navel,
The abdomen.
Now major parts.
The whole of the right leg.
The whole of the left leg.
Both legs together.
The whole of the right arm.
The whole of the left arm.
Both arms together.
The whole of the back.
The whole of the back.
Buttocks,
Spine,
Shoulder blades,
Shoulder blades,
The whole of the front,
Abdomen,
Chest,
The whole of the back and front together.
The whole of the head.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
Please do not sleep.
Total awareness.
No sleeping.
No movement.
The whole body on the floor.
Become aware of your body lying on the floor.
Your body is lying on the floor.
See your body lying perfectly still on the floor in this room.
Visualize this image in your mind.
Become aware of your breath.
Feel the flow of your breath in and out of your lungs.
Do not try to change the rhythm.
The breathing is natural.
Automatic.
You are not doing it.
There is no effort.
Maintain awareness of your breath.
Continue.
Complete awareness of breath.
Now,
Concentrate your awareness on the movement of your navel area.
Concentrate on your navel movements.
Your navel is rising and falling slightly with every breath.
With each and every breath,
It expands and contracts.
Concentrate on this movement in synchronization with your breath.
Go on practicing,
But be sure that you are aware.
Now,
Start counting your breaths backwards from 27 to 1.
Like this.
27.
Navel rising.
27.
Navel falling.
26.
Navel rising.
26.
Navel falling.
25.
Navel rising.
25.
Navel falling.
And so on.
Say the words and numbers mentally to yourself as you count your breaths.
Be sure that you don't make a mistake.
If you do,
You must go back to 27 and start again.
With total awareness that you are counting,
Go on counting from 27 to 1.
Keep on with the practice.
No mistakes.
Do not sleep.
Now,
Stop your counting of the navel breath and shift your attention to the chest.
Please,
Shift to the chest.
Your chest is rising and falling slightly with each and every breath.
Become aware of this.
Continue concentrating on the movement of the chest and start counting backwards from 27 to 1.
In the same way as before.
27.
Chest rising.
27.
Chest falling.
26.
Chest rising.
26.
Chest falling.
25.
Chest rising.
25.
Chest falling.
And so on.
Again,
Repeat the words and numbers mentally to yourself as you count.
No mistakes.
If you make a mistake,
You must go back to the start again,
To 27.
Continue counting.
27 to 1.
Keep on with the practice.
Counting and awareness.
Awareness and counting.
Cease your counting of the chest breaths and move your awareness to the throat.
Please,
Move to the throat.
Move to the throat.
Become aware of your breath moving in and out of the throat.
Become aware of this.
Concentrate on the movement of the breath and start counting backwards from 27 to 1.
In the same way as before.
Complete awareness of counting and the breath.
No sleeping,
Please.
Yes,
Total awareness that you are counting.
Stop counting.
Keep on with the practice.
Continue counting your breaths in the throat.
Stop counting and go now to the nostrils.
Become aware of the breath moving in and out of the nostrils.
Concentrate on the movement of the breath in and out of the nostrils and start counting as before.
You know it very well by now.
27 breathing in.
27 breathing out.
26 breathing in.
26 breathing out.
Complete awareness,
Please.
Continue counting.
No mistakes.
No mistakes.
Keep on with the practice.
Continue.
Stop your counting and leave your breathing.
We now come to visualisation.
A number of different things will be named and you should try to develop a vision of them on all levels.
Feeling.
Awareness.
Emotion.
Imagination.
As best you can.
If you are able to find this vision,
Your relaxation is complete for the time being.
And if you are not able to,
Then you need a little more practice.
Burning candle.
Endless desert.
Egyptian pyramid.
Torrential rain.
Snow-capped mountains.
Greek temple at sunrise.
Coughing beside a grave.
Birds flying across a sunset.
Red clouds drifting across above a church.
Stars at night.
Full moon.
Smiling Buddha.
Wind from the sea.
Waves breaking on a deserted beach.
The restless sea.
Eternal,
Restless sea.
Now is the time to repeat your resolve.
Repeat the same resolve that you made at the beginning of the practice.
Do not change it.
Repeat the resolve three times with full awareness and feeling.
Relax all efforts.
Draw your mind outside and become aware of your breathing.
Become aware of the natural breath.
Awareness of the whole body and awareness of breathing.
Your body is lying totally relaxed on the floor.
You are breathing quietly and slowly.
Develop awareness of your body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes.
And say mentally in your mind.
Mentally to yourself twice more.
Become aware of the floor and the position of your body lying on the floor.
Visualize the room around you.
Become aware of your surroundings.
Lie quietly for some time and keep your eyes closed.
Start moving your body and stretching yourself.
Please take your time.
Do not hurry.
When you are sure that you are wide awake,
Sit up slowly and open your eyes.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
