Welcome!
Thank you for being here and making this time for yourself.
In giving yourself this practice,
You are not being selfish.
You are engaging in necessary self-care that will benefit not only you,
But everyone in your life.
Today we're going to practice Yoga Nidra,
Which is a powerful meditation technique that translates as yogic sleep.
But this is unlike any sleep you've ever experienced.
Yoga Nidra is a state of consciousness that exists between waking and sleeping,
A threshold state where you remain awake while accessing the profound restoration of deep sleep.
Most of your waking day is spent in beta waves,
14 to 30 hertz,
Your active thinking doing mind.
When you relax,
Perhaps while reading or taking a bath,
You might drop into alpha waves,
8 to 13 hertz,
A calm focused state.
When you fall asleep,
You pass through theta waves,
4 to 7 hertz,
That dreamy twilight state,
And eventually into delta waves,
Which are the slowest brain waves,
0.
5 to 3 hertz,
Where your body does its deepest healing and restoration.
Here is what makes Yoga Nidra remarkable.
While most of us only experience theta and delta unconsciously during sleep,
Yoga Nidra allows you to consciously remain in theta waves for extended periods of time.
This is the state where the magic happens,
Where emotional healing occurs,
Where traumas can be processed,
Where the subconscious mind becomes accessible,
Where your intentions can take root in the fertile soil of your deepest consciousness.
Research has demonstrated that regular Yoga Nidra practice can significantly reduce stress,
Anxiety,
Depression,
Improve sleep quality,
And help with insomnia,
Reduce chronic pain by changing your relationship with pain,
Enhance your immune system,
Lower your blood pressure,
Improve your memory,
Help with PTSD,
Increase overall sense of well-being and life satisfaction.
That is amazing.
So without further ado,
Let's begin.
Welcome to this Yoga Nidra ocean of deep peace.
This is a practice of conscious deep relaxation.
Find a comfortable position lying on your back,
Allowing your body to be completely supported.
Let your arms rest along your body,
Palms faced up,
Your legs slightly apart,
Feet falling out naturally.
Take a moment to adjust your body in a way that brings more comfort.
Perhaps a blanket over the body or a pillow beneath the knees or the head.
This is your time for complete rest and renewal.
Close your eyes gently.
Begin to sense the weight of your body against the surface beneath you.
You are safe.
You are supported.
There is nowhere to go and nothing to do.
Know that you will remain awake and aware throughout this practice.
Following the sound of my voice like a traveler following a distant lighthouse through the gentle darkness.
Now bring to mind your sankalpa,
Your heartfelt intention.
This is a short positive statement in the present tense that reflects your deepest desires.
It might be something like,
I am at peace.
I am whole.
I trust in life's flow.
Repeat your sankalpa three times with full awareness and feeling as though it is already true.
Plant the seed deep in the fertile soil of your consciousness.
Now we begin a journey of awareness through the body like a wave gently touching every part of the shore.
Simply bring your attention to each part as it is named without moving or concentrating too hard.
Just a soft,
Present awareness.
Bring your awareness to your right hand,
Right hand,
Thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the right hand,
Left hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Right armpit,
Right waist,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Kneecap,
Shin,
Calf,
Ankle,
Right heel,
Sole of the right foot,
Top of the right foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Now the left side of the body.
Left hand,
Thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the left hand,
Back of the left hand,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left armpit,
Left waist,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Kneecap,
Shin,
Calf,
Ankle,
Left heel,
Sole of the left foot,
Top of the left foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe on the left foot.
Bring your awareness to the back body.
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
The spine,
The whole length of the spine from the base to the crown.
Now the front body.
Top of the head,
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
The upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Jaw,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right chest,
Left chest,
The center of the chest,
The navel,
The belly,
Right groin,
Left groin,
The whole right leg,
The whole left leg,
The whole right arm,
The whole left arm,
The whole back body,
The whole front body,
The entire body.
Completely aware of the entire body.
Feel yourself whole and complete.
Now bring your awareness to the natural flow of your breath.
Like waves upon the shore,
Your breath flows in and flows out effortlessly and naturally.
As you breathe in,
Imagine you are breathing in the fresh,
Clean air from across the vast ocean.
As you breathe out,
Feel yourself releasing and letting go,
Letting the tide return to the sea.
Watch your breath as it enters your nostrils,
Cool and refreshing.
Follow your breath as it travels down into your lungs,
Feeling the gentle pause at the end of a full inhalation,
Like the moment when a wave reaches its peak.
Then observe the exhalation,
Warm and soft,
As the breath leaves the body,
Carrying away tension and worry.
Observe the gentle pause at the end of an exhalation,
Like the quiet moment before the next wave arrives.
Continue watching this eternal rhythm,
Breathing in peace,
Breathing in ocean freshness,
Breathing out all that you no longer need.
Observe that the breath breathes itself.
You are simply the awareness watching this beautiful dance.
Now,
In your mind's eye,
Imagine yourself standing on a peaceful beach at sunset.
The sand is soft and warm beneath your feet.
Before you stretches the vast,
Beautiful ocean,
Its surface shimmering with golden and amber light.
You begin to walk slowly toward the water,
With each step feeling more relaxed,
More at peace.
The gentle waves lap at the feet,
Warm and welcoming.
And you wade further into the water.
You realize you can breathe here,
Naturally and easily.
As though you belong to this ocean.
The water is the perfect temperature,
Embracing you with complete love and acceptance.
And you descend slowly and peacefully deeper into this ocean.
Sinking down,
You see the sunlight filtering through the water above,
Creating dancing patterns of light and shadow.
Descending deeper still,
You find yourself in a place of profound peace.
The water here is calm,
Still,
Deep blue.
You are floating effortlessly in this sacred space,
Held by the ocean,
Suspended in perfect peace.
Here,
In the deep,
You are far from the surface,
From any turbulence.
Down here,
The storms cannot touch you.
The waves of life's challenges are far above.
Here,
You rest in your deepest self,
In the unchanging depths of your being.
You are like a pearl,
Resting in the dark,
Quiet depth of the ocean.
Beautiful,
Complete,
Precious beyond measure.
Rest here,
In this truth.
You are whole.
You are perfect,
Exactly as you are.
You are held in the ocean of consciousness itself.
Stay here,
In this deep,
Peaceful place,
For a few more moments.
Absorbing this feeling of complete safety,
Complete peace,
Complete belonging.
From this deep place of peace and wholeness,
Bring your sankalpa,
Your intention,
Back to mind.
Repeat it three times,
With even more power and conviction,
Knowing that it is being planted in the most fertile soil of your consciousness.
Here,
Your sankalpa takes root,
And will grow in its own perfect time.
Now,
Very slowly,
You begin to ascend back to the surface.
Rising gently,
Effortlessly,
Bringing all of this peace with you.
Rising through the deep blue water,
Seeing the light grow brighter above you.
Now,
Breaking through the surface,
You find yourself back on that peaceful beach.
Carrying the stillness of the depths within your heart.
Walking back onto the warm sand,
Knowing you can return to this deep peace whenever you need it.
Begin now to find your awareness back in your physical body.
Notice the weight of your body against the surface.
Become aware of the sounds in the room,
The temperature of the air on your skin.
Slowly begin to deepen your breath,
Taking a bigger inhalation and a longer exhalation.
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes,
Awakening the body with small movements.
When you're ready,
Stretch your arms overhead.
Point your toes and give your whole body a gentle stretch.
Bend your knees and roll over onto your right side,
Curling up like a child,
Taking a moment to rest.
And when it feels right,
Use your hands to press yourself up to a comfortable seated position.
Bring your hands to center at your heart,
A gesture of gratitude.
Thank you for taking this time to deeply rest.
May you carry this ocean of peace with you throughout your day and night.
Namaste.
