Deep Relaxation Yoga Nidra Meditation
by Nikki Roda
The practice of Yoga Nidra is a deep relaxation technique. It is believed that a 30-minute Yoga Nidra meditation is equivalent to 3-4 hours of good sleep. Using a modified script provided by one of the pioneers of Yoga Nidra, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, I'll be guiding you through the practice to help you calm your mind, relax your body, and find deep rest for your soul.
Transcript
Greetings,
And thank you for joining me today for our 30-minute deep relaxation yoga nidra practice.
It's generally believed that 30 minutes of yoga nidra is equivalent to almost three hours of good sleep,
Although it is not sleep.
Instead,
We deeply relax our minds to that place in between conscious thought and sleep,
Breaking down the walls of our logic-driven brain to find space to rest and reset.
I'll be reading portions of the yoga nidra 2 meditation from Swami Satyananda Saraswati,
One of the pioneers of this restorative practice.
To begin,
I recommend finding a comfortable resting position,
Somewhere you can feel completely at ease,
But not allow yourself to fall asleep.
It is also recommended that you try not to move at all during the meditation.
So take this moment to find a posture you'll be able to hold for the next 30 minutes without moving.
Let your legs and hips relax.
Let your arms relax at your sides,
And close your eyes.
Take three long,
Deep breaths,
Exhaling with a sigh.
The practice of yoga nidra is the act of hearing and the act of feeling.
These are the only important factors.
In yoga nidra,
You function on the level of awareness,
Plus the level of listening.
In dreams,
You have no control.
In yoga nidra,
You are the creator of the dream.
Say to yourself mentally,
I will not sleep.
I shall only listen to the voice.
Say to yourself,
I will not sleep.
Give yourself some time to become calm and steady.
Take a deep breath,
And as you breathe in,
Feel calmness spreading throughout your body.
As you are breathing out,
Say to yourself mentally,
Relax.
Become aware of sounds in the distance.
Become aware of the most distant sounds you can hear.
Let your sense of hearing operate like a radar beam,
Searching out distant sounds and following them for a few seconds.
Move your attention from sound to sound without attempting to identify the source.
Gradually,
Bring your attention to closer sounds,
To sounds outside this building,
And then to sounds inside this building.
Now develop your awareness of this room without opening your eyes.
Visualize the four walls,
The ceiling,
The floor,
Your body lying on the floor.
See your body lying on the floor.
Become aware of the existence of your physical body lying on the floor.
Total awareness of your body lying in perfect stillness.
Your body is lying on the floor.
Develop your awareness of all of the physical meeting points between your body and the floor.
Become aware of the natural breath.
Become aware of the deep,
Natural,
Spontaneous breath.
Do not concentrate,
For this will interfere with the natural process.
Keep on listening to me and know that you are breathing.
The practice of yoga nidra begins now.
Say mentally to yourself,
I am going to practice yoga nidra.
I will not sleep.
I am going to practice yoga nidra.
This is the time to set your intention for this meditation.
A simple intention,
A simple intention.
Place state your intention to yourself clearly with feeling and awareness three times.
Create your consciousness through the different centers of the body as quickly as possible.
The awareness has to jump from point to point.
Please repeat mentally the names of each part after me and simultaneously become aware of that part.
The practice always begins with the right hand.
Right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Thumb of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Lower arm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Arm pit.
Waist.
Hip.
Right thigh.
Knee.
Calf muscle.
Ankle.
Heel.
Soul.
Top of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Lower arm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Arm pit.
Wrist.
Hip.
Left thigh.
Knee.
Calf muscle.
Ankle.
Heel.
Soul.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Right shoulder.
Left shoulder.
Shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Right buttock.
Left buttock.
The spine.
The whole of the back together.
The top of the head.
Forehead.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
The eyebrow center.
Right eyelid.
Left eyelid.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Nose.
Tip of the nose.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Chin.
Jaw.
Throat.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Right chest.
The chest.
Navel.
Abdomen.
Lower abdomen.
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 front.
The whole of the head.
Together.
Legs together.
Together.
Legs,
Arms,
Back,
Front,
Head together.
The whole of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
Right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Lower arm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Arm pit.
Waist.
Hip.
Right thigh.
Knee.
Calf muscle.
Ankle.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
Palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
Wrist.
Lower arm.
Elbow.
Shoulder.
Arm pit.
Waist.
Hip.
Left thigh.
Knee.
Calf muscle.
Ankle.
Heel.
Soul.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Left shoulder.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Right buttock.
Left buttock.
The spine.
The whole of the back together.
The top of the head.
Forehead.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
The eyebrow center.
Right eyelid.
Left eyelid.
Left eye.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Nose.
Tip of the nose.
Right nostril.
Left nostril.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Chin.
Jaw.
Throat.
Left chest.
Middle of the chest.
Navel.
Abdomen.
Lower abdomen.
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 front.
The whole of the head.
Together.
Legs.
Arms.
Back.
Front.
Head.
Together.
The whole of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
Develop homogenous awareness of the whole body.
Enthusiasm.
In the next lecture,
The ten concepts of the whole body,
Whole body and become aware of the space occupied by the body.
Become aware of the body and this space occupied by the body.
Body and space.
Become aware of the whole body and the floor.
The whole body in relation to the floor and at the same time become aware of the meeting points of the body and the floor.
These are very subtle physical points between the body and the floor.
Feel the meeting points between the back of your head and the floor,
Shoulder blades and the floor,
The elbows and the floor,
The back of the hands and the floor,
The buttocks and the floor,
The calves and the floor,
The heels and the floor.
Awareness of all the meeting points between the body and the floor.
The sensation of all points simultaneously,
Evenly.
Go on feeling these points clearly and distinctly.
Please do not sleep.
Continue.
Switch your attention to the eyelids.
Feel the narrow line of the meeting between the upper and lower eyelids.
Feel the sharp points where they meet.
Intensify your awareness between the eyelids.
And then the lips.
Center your attention on the line between the lips,
The space between the lips.
From the lips we go to the breath.
Draw your attention to the natural,
In-going and outgoing breath.
Feel the breath moving along the passage between the navel and the throat.
On inhalation it rises from the navel to the throat.
On exhalation it descends from the throat to the navel.
Be completely aware of the respiration,
Navel to throat,
Throat to navel.
Do not try to force the breath.
Just awareness.
Maintain your awareness and at the same time start counting your breaths backwards as follows.
I am breathing in 27.
I am breathing out 27.
I am breathing in 26.
I am breathing out 26.
I am breathing in 25.
I am breathing out 25.
And so on from 27 to 1.
Count to yourself mentally as you follow the rise and fall of your breath from the navel to the throat and back again.
Total awareness of breathing and counting.
The breathing is slow and relaxed.
Please continue counting.
Continue counting.
Awaken the feeling of heaviness in the body.
The feeling of heaviness.
Become aware of the heaviness in every single part of the body.
You are feeling so heavy that you are sinking into the floor.
Awareness of heaviness.
Awareness of heaviness.
Awaken the feeling of lightness.
Awaken the feeling of lightness.
A sensation of lightness and weightlessness in all parts of the body.
Your body feels so light it seems to be floating away from the floor.
Awareness of lightness.
The experience of cold.
Awaken the experience of bitter cold in the body.
Imagine you're walking in a cold floor in winter.
Your feet feel very cold.
You feel cold all over.
Awareness of coldness.
Awareness of coldness.
Awaken the sensation of heat.
Awaken the experience of heat.
The whole body is hot.
The whole body is hot.
You feel hot all over.
Recollect the feeling of heat in summer when you were out in the sun with no shade.
Heat all over the body.
Heat all around the body.
Awareness of heat.
Awareness of heat.
Check that you are awake.
Are you drowsy or sleepy?
Make sure that you are not sleeping.
Say to yourself,
I am awake.
Withdraw your mind and concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyes.
This space we call the Chittakasha.
Imagine before you a transparent screen through which you can see infinite space.
A space that extends as far as the eye can see.
Concentrate on this dark space and become aware of any phenomenon that manifests within it.
Whatever you see is the manifesting state of your mind.
Continue your awareness of this space but do not become involved.
Practice detached awareness only.
Imagine yourself in a park in the early morning.
The sun has not risen and the park is deserted except for yourself.
It's a beautiful park.
Calm and peaceful.
Walk across the springing grass.
Listen to the birds whistle and call as they welcome in a new day.
There are gardens of flowers.
Roses,
Yellow,
Pink,
Red,
Purple.
Smell their fragrance and see the early morning dew drops on their petals.
Nearby the Rose Garden is a fish pond.
Goldfish swim in and out amongst the water lilies.
See their graceful movements.
You walk between the trees.
Beautiful trees.
Bare trees.
Trees with leaves.
Wide spreading trees and tall stately trees.
There's a clearing between the trees.
In the clearing is a small temple with an aura of light around it.
The trees are so beautiful.
They are so beautiful.
They are so beautiful.
The clearing is a small temple with an aura of light around it.
Go to the door.
It is cool and dim inside.
Inside on the walls there are pictures of great saints.
You sit down on the floor,
Close your eyes and become still.
A sense of deep peace and harmony envelops you as the sounds outside fade into the distance.
Continue your awareness of meditation inside the temple.
Stay there for some time until peace and harmony pervade.
Bring your awareness back to the Chittakasha.
Bring your awareness to the dark space you see in front of your closed eyes.
You see the light of the temple.
You see the light of the temple.
You see the light of the temple.
Watch the darkness you see in front of your closed eyes.
Watch the darkness that you see before you very carefully,
With detachment.
Do not become involved.
Rest your mind in this warm and friendly darkness.
If any subtle phenomenon manifests,
For example,
Colors or patterns,
Simply take note of these and continue with your awareness.
If thoughts occur,
Let them come and go,
But continue watching the dark space.
Continue with this detached awareness.
Now remember your intention.
Repeat the same intention you made at the beginning of the practice in the same words and with the same attitude.
Repeat your intention now three times clearly with feeling and emphasis.
Become aware of your breathing.
Become aware of your natural breathing.
Awareness of breathing and awareness of relaxation.
Develop awareness of your physical existence.
Become aware of your arms and legs and your body lying stretched out on the floor.
Become aware of the meeting points between your body and the floor.
Develop awareness of the room,
Walls,
Ceiling,
Noises in the room,
And noises outside.
Take your mind out.
Become completely external.
Lie quietly for a few moments and keep your eyes closed.
Slowly 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.
Thank you so much for taking this time to do this yoga nidra meditation practice with me today.
Wishing you all a very well and restful rest of your day.
4.3 (54)
Recent Reviews
Kat
May 8, 2021
Thank you
Denise
March 12, 2021
Nikki, thank you so very, very much for this truly wonderful nidra practice. Love your pace and words.