Yoga Nidra For Sleep 3
This is the third installment of audio to support the course Yoga Nidra For Sleep that you can find in the courses section. Use this 40 minute yoga nidra after having firmly established a daily routine over the course of the previous two weeks. Be well.
Transcript
Welcome back to this series of Yoga Nidra designed to help you naturally restore your sleep patterns.
You will find a course entitled Yoga Nidra for Sleep under my courses menu which links to this series of practices.
This Yoga Nidra is 40 minutes in length.
This track extends the experience and adds the aspects of contrasting emotions as well as mental imagery.
Again,
Give yourself plenty of time and opportunity to become familiar with this pattern with at least one week of exposure before commencing with Lesson 4 in this series.
Remember that when we practice Yoga Nidra that we aim to remain conscious and aware throughout the practice.
If you do drift off to sleep,
Then determine to remain awake the next time you practice Yoga Nidra.
Lie on your back in Shivasana pose,
As flat as possible.
If you need to,
Place a thin pillow under your head and a bolster under your knees to take any strain off your lower back.
Cover your body with a light blanket to keep warm.
If you have an eye pillow,
Pop it gently on your eyes now.
Turn your attention to your body and adjust your position so that you are in the best alignment possible,
With head,
Neck and spine straight.
Place your arms lightly at your sides,
Away from your ribs,
Palms open to the ceiling.
Check that your hips are parallel to each other.
Stretch your legs through to your heels.
Push your heels out and feel the stretch along the back of your legs.
Relax and let your feet flop naturally out to the sides.
Use your attention to gently scan your body and note any areas of tension.
Begin to feel your entire body relaxing.
Determine to stay in this pose for the duration of our practice and determine to stay awake.
Consider your breath.
Take three deep belly breaths in and out.
Feeling your belly rise on the exhalation and deflating as you exhale.
Feel the coolness of the air as you inhale.
And the warmth of the breath when it leaves the body.
Be watchful as you let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
Do not force the breath.
Let it flow in and out without hindrance from the mind.
Note that breathing happens at its own pace.
Notice your body now.
Bring your attention to your head.
Consciously let go of any tensions that you feel in your forehead.
Soften your temples.
Soften your eyes and draw them back further into their sockets.
Let gravity pull your cheeks as you relax them.
Relax your lips and dissolve any tension in your jaws.
Slightly open them and relax the jaw completely.
Feel your body becoming heavier as you become more and more relaxed.
Notice the thin sheath of sensation where your body is touching the floor.
From the back of your head to the shoulders.
The torso.
The back of the arms,
Hips and legs.
Slowly scan this entire interface where the body meets the floor.
Surrender yourself to the earth.
We will now begin our rotation of awareness around the body.
Focus your awareness at the point between your eyebrows at the third eye.
Then sink your awareness to the midbrain area.
If you can,
Imagine a ball of gently pulsating golden light.
That brings healing and peace to the area it touches upon.
Notice too that this ball of energy moves upon your direction wherever your mind directs.
Gently pulsating,
Radiating,
Healing,
Peaceful energy.
As it moves from point to point,
Become aware of your consciousness outlining the body.
Be intently focused on one point.
Do not let your attention waver to any other task.
Move the ball of energy between the eyes,
Back of the right hand,
Tip of the thumb,
Tip of the forefinger,
Tip of the middle finger,
Tip of the ring finger,
Tip of the little finger,
Center of the right palm,
Middle of the wrist,
Right shoulder,
Throat,
Middle of the wrist,
Back of the left hand,
Tip of the left thumb,
Tip of the forefinger,
Tip of the middle finger,
Tip of the ring finger,
Tip of the little finger,
Palm of the left hand,
Middle of the wrist,
Left elbow,
Left shoulder,
Heart center,
Heart center,
Heart center,
Solar plexus.
Navel,
Pubic area,
Right knee,
Right ankle,
Top of the right foot,
Tip of the big toe,
Tip of the first toe,
Tip of the second toe,
Tip of the third toe,
Tip of the fourth toe,
Sole of the right foot,
Right knee,
Pubic area,
Top of the left foot,
Tip of the big toe,
Tip of the first toe,
Tip of the second toe,
Tip of the third toe,
Tip of the fourth toe,
Sole of the left foot,
Left ankle,
Left knee,
Solar plexus,
Heart center,
Left chest,
Heart center,
Right chest,
Heart center,
Third eye.
Return your point of awareness to the center midbrain area and consciously dwell there,
Floating in awareness.
Bring your awareness to the feelings in your body.
Direct your body to feel as heavy as possible.
Imagine your body to be a heavy sack of potatoes sinking into the ground.
Feel the pull of all earth's gravity pulling you deeper into the earth,
Releasing and letting go.
In contrast,
Direct your body now to feel as light as air.
The only thing stopping it from floating away is your blanket covering you.
Feel as light as a helium-filled balloon.
Feel the top layer of your body pressing against your clothes,
Being lifted up.
Now bring up the feeling of heat in your body.
Think your body as hot as possible.
Imagine sweat arising on your forehead as your body temperature is ramped up.
Be aware of the heat of your body radiating from the solar plexus.
In contrast,
Bring up the feeling of cold.
Imagine yourself plunging into an ice bath,
Shivering with cold as the ice-cold water wraps around your entire body,
Cooling you off to your core.
Bring to mind a period of time in your life when you felt emotionally low or sad.
Recall the feeling.
Note where these feelings arise in your body.
There could be a sudden tightening in the chest.
Your breathing may suddenly change rate,
Becoming shallow.
Simply be aware of this as these emotions come up.
Observe and do not react.
Let the sadness arise.
Let the feeling expand.
Watch it arise and fall away.
In contrast to the sadness,
Recall feeling happy and content.
How does this express itself in your awareness?
Imagine the scenes before you.
Note where the feeling arises.
Recall these feelings with intense clarity.
Watch where it arises and let it fall away.
Bring your attention now to your forebrain area.
On the screen of your mind's eye,
Project the following images in as clear detail as possible.
Let them arise in full color and then let them fall away without attachment.
A crisp red apple.
A fountain of clear,
Refreshing water sparkling in the sun.
An expansive stand of green,
Lush bamboo swaying in the wind.
Children laughing and playing in the park.
A full moon on a clear and cloudless night.
A family of dolphins jumping in joy.
Out of the water.
A crowd of people going to work on the train.
The night sky full of stars stretching out to infinity.
The entire universe of galaxies.
Our sun blazing hot on a summer day.
A sudden shower of cooling rain.
Bring your attention now to your heart center.
Imagine your entire being sinking deeply into the chamber of your heart.
Feel a strong connection here.
Rest here for a time.
Do not let your attention waver from this point.
Be here now.
Now bring your awareness gently back to your environment.
Notice the sounds in your environment.
The smells.
Become aware of the physical space that you are in.
Gently wiggle your toes and your fingers.
Feeling the warmth in the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.
Slowly stretch out your legs through your heels.
Take a deep breath and raise your arms for a long stretch.
Stretch above your head.
Open your eyes slowly and take some time to readjust to the environment of your room.
To finish this practice,
Bring to mind three things that you are grateful for in your life.
First,
Offer a blessing of love.
Be well.
