Nidra Works - Yoga Nidra | The Liminal Space

A Yoga Nidra practice for deep rest of 38 minutes, created to journey to the Liminal Space.

In Yoga Nidra, we know this place, this Liminal Space to be the state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep. Also known as the hypnagogic state, this is the heart of the practice, where we bridge the conscious and the unconscious.  Where we access deeper states of being, of awareness.  Where we experience profound rest, discovery and healing. 

As Marion Woodman, the Jungian analyst and author, reminds us: "The liminal space is a sacred threshold where we confront the mysteries of existence and emerge transformed." 

I hope you enjoy this practice.

Transcript

So prepare for practice,

Taking whatever props you need.

Build yourself a little nest of rest,

Your Nidra nest.

And take all the time that you need here and make a resolve to stay awake through today's practice.

Perhaps a little curious to experience this Yoga Nidra practice in a state of awakened sleep.

For now,

Welcome Shavasana.

Lying on your back,

Legs straight out in front of you,

Spine aligned.

And sense this alignment,

Rising up from between your feet all the way through the centerline of your body to the crown of your head.

And take any support you need for your neck to ensure your throat isn't constricted in any way.

Let it be neutral and open.

Perhaps tuck your shoulder blades in a little to allow your chest to also open,

Your heart to open.

And have your arms lying by your sides with your palms facing upwards to the sky.

And close down the eyes and seal your lips,

Breathing through your nose for the duration of the practice,

If that's comfortable.

And know in this practice,

There will be moments of pause,

Moments where my voice will gently fade,

Allowing you to journey deeper to the liminal space.

Trust these spaces,

These pauses,

And trust the power within the pause.

Remember,

This time is for you.

You can put all the doing and the thinking away now.

Now is the time to fill your cup up,

To restore and renew.

And you can pick up everything after the practice.

But for now,

Right now,

This time is all for you.

And as we journey toward the liminal space in today's practice,

Take heed of the meaning of the word liminal.

Coming from the Latin word limen,

It means threshold,

A state or place of transition,

Of being on the threshold between one state of experience and another.

In Yoga Nidra,

We know this place,

This liminal space,

To be the state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep.

Also known as the hypnagogic state,

This is the heart of the practice,

Where we bridge the conscious and the unconscious,

Where we access deeper states of being,

Of awareness,

And where we experience profound rest,

Discovery and healing.

As Marion Woodman,

The Jungian analyst and author,

Reminds us,

The liminal space is a sacred threshold where we confront the mysteries of existence and emerge transformed.

As we begin this journey,

Become aware of and encompass your whole body.

Observe from within your body lying here,

As if you were observing someone else.

See your whole body lying here in this space,

Supported here in this space.

And move your awareness again to how your body is being supported.

Whatever you're lying on,

Become fully aware and focus on the support beneath you.

And become aware of the connection between your body and the support,

The meeting of matter with matter.

And notice how you can begin to let go.

Allow everything to start melting away,

Dissolving away onto the support that's here for you.

Knowing here,

You are held.

And bring your awareness now to the sensation of touch on your body.

Noticing those places where the air is meeting your skin.

Really feel the sensation of it brushing over you,

Where your skin is uncovered.

And then the sensations on your skin,

Where you are covered,

Where you are contained,

Wrapped in your cocoon of comfort.

Notice the difference,

Notice everything.

Now become aware of your breath,

Each and every breath,

Every inhale and every exhale.

Watch as your breath moves without any effort,

Moving in and out of your body.

Notice the breath entering your body,

Where it goes in your body and what happens to your body's form as it receives and releases each breath.

Your belly rising on the inhale,

And falling away on the exhale.

Inhale,

Belly rises.

Exhale,

Belly falls.

Inhale,

Belly rises.

And exhale,

Belly falls.

And you might like to now extend the exhale.

Breathing in for four.

And breathing out for six.

And really empty your whole body of breath,

Slowing down your heart rate,

Activating your vagus nerve and your parasympathetic nervous system.

Inviting rest.

Breathing in for four.

And breathing out for six.

In for four.

And out for six.

And what would it feel like now to add a pause in at the top and the bottom of every breath now?

On your inhale,

Breathe in deep into your belly for four.

And then hold it at the top for two.

Before exhaling and allowing all the air to leave your body for six.

And again,

Hold the pause at the bottom for two.

Be aware of the space you are creating on each of these most simplest of pauses.

Creating space,

Possibility,

Potential.

In your own time,

With your own breath,

Really explore this.

Be curious about the breath and the pause.

The space of the pause.

The power of the pause.

Being reminded of the words of Viktor E.

Frankl,

Between stimulus and response,

There is a space.

In that space is our power to choose our response.

In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

Moving your awareness once again,

This time to sound and to all the sounds around you.

Hear these from not only your ears,

But from your whole body.

Allow the sensation of sound to permeate your entire body.

Open up every cell,

Every tissue to become receptors,

Receivers of all the sounds around you.

Those furthest away and those closest.

Even the sounds within.

Listen now to the sound of silence within.

The sound of silence inside from the place of pure stillness.

The vast infinite stillness,

Which is always there inside your body.

From this place of stillness,

Deep inside,

Deep within your body,

Invite your sankalpa to come to mind.

Your highest intention in this life.

Your most heartfelt longing.

That which has always been and which always will be.

Your deepest desire.

Waiting to be named,

To be seen,

To be brought into your world.

And starting with the words I am,

Prepare to repeat your short positive statement created in the present tense,

Which encapsulates your sankalpa.

Your vow to your highest truth.

And repeat your sankalpa silently three times in the space that now follows.

Be mindful and fully present as we move to rotation of consciousness.

Hold in your mind's eye each body part as you hear it named.

Repeat it silently to yourself as we move around the body,

Starting at the right hand.

Bring your full focus and awareness to your right hand and to your right hand thumb.

First finger.

Second finger.

Third finger and little finger.

Your thumb and fingers together.

The palm of your hand.

The back of your hand.

Your wrist.

Lower arm.

Elbow.

And the crease of your elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

The right side of chest.

Your hip.

Thigh.

Knee.

Shin.

Ankle.

Soul of foot.

The top of your foot.

Your right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe and little toe.

All your toes together.

Now bring your full focus and awareness to your left hand and to your left hand thumb.

First finger.

Second finger.

Third finger and little finger.

Your thumb and fingers together.

The palm of your hand.

The back of your hand.

Your wrist.

Lower arm.

And elbow.

And the little crease within your elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

The left side of your chest.

Your hip.

Thigh.

Knee.

Shin.

Ankle.

Soul of foot.

The top of your foot.

Your left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe and little toe.

All your toes together.

Moving your attention now to the back of your body.

Your heels right and left.

Your right and left calf.

And the little spaces behind your knees right and left.

The backs of both your thighs and your glutes.

Your lower back.

Your middle back.

And your upper back.

All along your spine from your tailbone to the nape of your neck.

And to your head.

Your whole head.

Just let it go.

Moving your full focus and awareness now to the crown of your head.

And then to your forehead.

Your temples right and left.

To your right eyebrow and your left.

And the space between your eyebrows.

Breathe here.

Your right eye.

Your left eye.

All the muscles behind your eyes.

Resting in your focus and awareness.

Your right cheek and your left cheek.

Your nose and your nostrils right and left.

Breathe in through both nostrils.

And then let the breath go.

Your mouth.

Lips perhaps parting now with effortless breathing.

Your mouth.

Lips perhaps parting now with effortless ease.

Your top lip and your bottom lip.

Your top teeth and your bottom teeth.

Your tongue loose and relaxed.

Lying in the base of your mouth.

Your jaw.

Everything letting go with your awareness and focus.

Moving now to your throat.

And to the base of your throat.

That little valley between your right collarbone and your left collarbone.

The whole of the right side of your chest.

And the whole of the left side of your chest.

Your whole chest.

And your belly.

Heavy and loose.

And your pelvis.

The right side and the left.

Your whole right leg.

And your whole left leg.

Both your legs together.

The whole of your right arm and the whole of your left arm.

Both arms together.

The whole of the front side of your body.

The whole of the back of your body.

The right side.

The left side.

From the top to the bottom.

And the bottom to the top.

Your whole body.

Your whole body.

Your whole body.

Your whole body made complete.

Made whole once again with the focus of your awareness.

Rest now in this sense of connection.

This sense of wholeness.

Connected and whole.

Bring your attention to your breath again.

And notice the flow.

The movement in your breath.

How your breath,

Together with your prana,

Your life force,

Moves gently and gracefully in your body.

And then guide your attention,

Your full attention,

Back to the stillness inside.

The well of stillness and silence within.

And move once again to the flow of your breath.

And notice the difference between its movement and the stillness inside.

And move between these two states.

The flow and the stillness.

The stillness and the flow.

Begin to feel an expansion in your body.

Perhaps on your inhale,

Feel a wide expanse from deep within.

An enlargement of your energy or your heart.

A widening.

An expansion.

And then on your exhale,

Feel everything contract.

Everything rushing back in to the center of yourself.

And move between these two sensations with your breath.

This time using the breath as a bridge to these states of awareness.

Inhaling,

Cross the bridge to feel a wide expansion.

And exhaling,

Return over your bridge of breath and release into contraction.

Allowing your body to contract and surrender.

Expansion and contraction.

Contraction and expansion.

Now begin to notice the points of contact between your body and the floor.

Feel heaviness and the weight of your body grounding you to the earth.

Rooting you to the earth.

And at the same time,

Allow your awareness to expand beyond your physical form.

Feeling a sense of lightness and buoyancy.

A weightlessness.

On your next inhale,

Expand the chest and feel the lightness of the body.

Perhaps even imagining it lifting slightly off the floor.

And on your exhale,

Release the chest and feel the heaviness of the body sinking on to the ground.

The earth beneath you.

Continue in your own time with the natural flow of your breath.

And then let go.

Let go of the either and the or.

And allow yourself to simply be.

Realizing everything is just an experience.

Take a moment to notice how your feet are moving.

Take a moment to notice how you're feeling.

Your breath.

Your body in a state of deep rest.

Allowing everything to be just as it is.

Quiet.

At peace.

At rest.

We move to rapid visualization.

Call to mind the following images as you hear them named.

Not forcing anything to appear,

Rather allowing it to unfold.

Imagine in your mind's eye the twilight of the day.

The shoreline where sea meets land.

The shoreline where sea meets land.

Coming through a haze of fog into the light.

A meteor shower across a cloudless night sky.

A total eclipse of the sun.

Standing under a tumbling waterfall.

A river flowing to the sea.

Entering a cave of rest and refuge.

A pathway into a dense green forest.

A snow-capped mountain range.

The never-ending dunes of the desert.

A brewing storm.

The dancing colors of the northern lights.

The winding path of a labyrinth.

An old lock of a door beginning to turn open.

A bridge from here to there.

Standing at the threshold.

Entering the liminal space.

Entering the liminal space.

Entering the liminal space.

Bear witness to this place.

To this,

The liminal space.

The threshold from here to there.

And see the veil thin between worlds.

Where the earthly and the divine converge.

And see the veil thin between worlds.

Where the earthly and the divine converge.

Knowing that you are invited here.

You are invited and welcomed.

Find solace in the stillness.

And allow the whispers of your heart to beckon you in.

Dissolve into the unknown.

The boundless mystery.

And let the transformation begin.

May today there be peace within.

May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the past.

To be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.

May you use the gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content with yourself just the way you are.

We return once again to Sankalpa,

Your consciousness ripe now in this state of rest.

Ready to receive your seeds of intention deep into its fertile soil.

Ready now to bring forth and make real your heartfelt desire,

Sankalpa.

Prepare now,

Feeling your Sankalpa.

Prepare now,

Feeling your Sankalpa as already real with every fiber of your being.

And repeat it silently to yourself three times.

Take a moment now to be grateful to yourself for this experience today.

For making time for yourself.

For creating space.

For giving yourself the gift of deep rest.

For trusting the process and trusting the practice.

Slowly begin to become aware of your physical body again,

Lying here in this space.

Feel the gentle rise and fall of your breath.

The air on your skin or the covers over you.

Allow sounds to return from near and far.

All your senses returning now as you land back into this space.

And know you will keep all the good feelings and the benefits from this practice with you as you return to your world.

And maybe start to give a little movement in your body,

Perhaps wriggling your fingers and toes,

Reawakening them.

Or maybe a full body stretch.

Or you may want to just curl up on your side,

Taking a few moments more rest,

Whatever you need today.

And if you are returning now,

Take a few deep breaths,

Filling your whole body with fresh energy.

And when you're ready,

Slowly open your eyes and return to the room.

Welcome back to your world.

And may the peace which passes all understanding keep your heart and mind in the knowledge and presence of love.

This practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

Thank you for taking the time to practice with me today.

Reviews

It’s rare I find a yoga nidra that brings me a more powerful and profound experience than usual. This one did. Thank you. namaste ✨🙏💜

Absolutely blissful and I found myself floating 🤍🤍🤍

The blessings at the end made this oractice uniqe and wonderful. Thank you!

I love your calm voice! And I really appreciate the pauses, they are so important!

Thank you for this brilliant, expansive, blissful yoga nidra🙏🏻🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🙏🏻

Such a beautiful flow with the most soothing voice. Thank you