Yoga Nidra For Ashlesha Nakshatra

This Yoga Nidra invites you into deep rest while connecting with the energy of Ashlesha Nakshatra, a constellation goddess from Vedic astrology associated with the serpent and the power of entwining. The practice guides awareness through the body, breath, and inner imagery to explore themes of intuition, protection, and transformation. In the guided imagery section, a symbolic serpent supports a gentle shedding of old patterns and a return to instinctual wisdom.

This is a longer Yoga Nidra experience, designed to support profound relaxation and subtle inner exploration with spacious pacing and music.

Music by Arizona Guide / Nate Loper: Whispers of the Ancients; Winds Over Monument Valley
Image: Pexels

Transcript

Prepare for the practice of Yoga Nidra by lying on your back in Shavasana.

And if Shavasana does not feel appropriate,

You can sit on a chair or on the ground with your back against the wall.

Take some time to build your nest as we will be lying here for 45 minutes.

And this is a Yoga Nidra for Ashlesha,

The 9th nakshatra,

So really take the time that's needed for you to feel comfortable,

Able to relax and say to yourself mentally,

I am practicing Yoga Nidra.

Take a deep breath in and on the exhale think embrace.

Think of an embrace that makes you feel loved,

Protected,

Self-assured.

And once you've found that embrace,

Take another deep breath in and again repeat mentally embrace.

And do this several times,

Very easily,

Without effort.

And if embrace doesn't resonate as your word,

Then find another word of comfort.

And notice the weight of the body.

Notice where the body is heavy.

Perhaps the head is heavy.

Shoulders are heavy.

Arms and hands heavy.

Back heavy.

Buttocks heavy.

Legs and heels heavy.

And let the heaviness of the body allow you to relax more deeply.

And begin to listen in all directions for sounds.

And notice if these sounds around you have a pitch,

Have a rhythm,

Have a musical note.

And if that resonates,

If you hear a sound,

A pitch,

A note,

Perhaps do a sub vocal hum to connect to the pitch,

To the rhythm,

To the sound that you hear outside the room.

And if that doesn't make sense,

Just listen for the sounds outside the room.

Moving inward,

Begin to listen for sounds inside the room.

My voice.

Humming of electronics.

Other people.

And if you're inclined,

Listen for a rhythm,

A pitch,

A tone of the sounds inside the room.

And hum it sub vocally.

Or just listen.

And then journey inward.

And notice the sound of the breath moving in and out of the nose or mouth.

Connect to the breath.

Listen for its tone.

Its rhythm.

Its pitch.

Travel further in and listen for the sound of the heartbeat.

If that's difficult to do,

Feel the heart beating.

And connect to the rhythm of the heartbeat.

Or the pitch.

Or tone.

And in the heartbeat,

Hear the heart's desire.

The inner longing.

The burning bush of the heart.

In yoga nidra,

This is called the sankalpa.

A sankalpa is a short,

Positive statement in the present or future tense.

It's an affirmation or resolve.

If you don't have a sankalpa that you're working with,

For today,

Use the statement,

I will find the right sankalpa for me.

Or I hold myself in an embrace.

So using my statement,

I will find the right sankalpa for me.

Or I hold myself in an embrace.

Or your own personal statement,

Inner longing,

Heart's desire.

Repeat one of these three times with the exact same wording and the confidence that it will come true.

And now that the sankalpa has been made,

Cemented,

Come back to the breath.

Moving on to the rotation of consciousness through the body.

The body scan.

The body remains motionless.

But when a body part is named,

Repeat the name of the body part mentally.

Bring awareness to the body part.

Or visualize a star being placed on the body part.

All of these options are equally accessible and useful.

The cueing I will use is stars.

Place a star on the right hand thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

And pinky finger.

Feel or see a star in the palm of the hand.

Stars on the back of the hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Twinkling stars in the armpit.

At the side of the right rib cage.

Right waist.

Hip.

Upper leg.

Kneecap.

Twinkling stars on the lower leg.

Ankle.

Heel.

Stars at the instep.

Sole of the foot.

Top of the foot.

And stars across right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

And fifth toe.

And now the whole right side of the body is twinkling and filled with stars.

And bring more stars to the left side of the body.

And place a star on the left hand thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Pinky finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Stars at the upper arm.

Shoulder.

Armpit.

Side of the left rib cage.

Left waist.

Left hip.

And twinkling stars.

The upper leg.

Kneecap.

Lower leg.

Ankle.

Heel.

Instep.

Sole of the foot.

Top of the foot.

And twinkling stars across the left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

And fifth toe.

And now the whole left side of the body is twinkling and filled with stars.

And bring stars to the top of the head.

Place stars in the right temple.

The left temple.

The right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

And a bright twinkling star at the eyebrow center.

Place stars on the right eyelid.

Left eyelid.

Across the right eyelashes.

Left eyelashes.

Stars at the bridge of the nose.

Nose.

Tip of the nose.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Chin.

Chin.

Stars at the throat.

Stars at the right collarbone.

The left collarbone.

The hollow between the collarbones.

Stars at the right chest.

The left chest.

A bright twinkling star at the heart center.

Place stars in the upper abdomen.

Navel.

Lower abdomen.

Pelvis.

Buttocks.

Lower back.

Middle back.

Upper back.

Stars up and down the entire spinal column.

Stars at the right shoulder blade.

The left shoulder blade.

The back of the neck.

The back of the head.

The top of the head.

Now feel or see the whole body like a constellation suspended and filled with stars.

The whole body twinkling like a constellation.

Filled with stars.

Now let go of the stars.

Release them to the heavens.

Knowing that they will be there to watch over you.

They won't leave you.

They've just changed positions and now are placed in the sky as guides.

And moving from that place of comfort,

Of knowing that protection is there in the stars.

That interest is hanging in the stars.

That guardians are twinkling in the stars.

Come back to the breath.

Notice the gentle breath.

With the inhale,

The belly rises.

And with the exhale,

The belly falls.

And begin the practice of Siddhanta.

Inhale through the teeth with the mouth open.

The teeth are shut.

The lips are open.

Inhale through the spaces between the teeth.

And exhale through the nose.

Inhaling through open lips and closed teeth.

And exhaling through the nose.

Working with this practice of Siddhanta.

Inhaling through closed teeth and open lips.

And exhaling through closed mouth and the nose.

Work with this practice.

Inhaling through open mouth,

Closed teeth.

And exhaling through closed mouth,

Through the nose.

And do this for a few rounds of breath.

And if the practice of breathing in between the teeth and out through the nose has gotten lost,

Come back to that practice.

Breathing in through the teeth and breathing out through the nose.

Stay with this practice of Siddhanta.

Breathing in through the spaces between the teeth.

And breathing out through the nose.

Let go of the practice of breathing in through the teeth and out through the nose and come back to natural breathing.

And notice any cool air coming in through the nose or mouth.

And notice any other places where the body is cool.

And once the coolness is found,

Spread the coolness across the entire body.

Let the body be cool.

Know the body is coolness.

The body is cool.

Now let go of coolness and come to the opposite experience of warmth.

Notice any warmth under the clothing or blankets.

Notice the warmth at the core of the body.

Find places of warmth in or outside the body and spread that warmth across the entire body.

Let the body be warm.

Know the body is warm.

The body is warm.

Let go of warmth and come to the opposite experience of coolness.

Notice any coolness in the nose or exposed skin.

Let the body be cool.

Let go of coolness and come back to warmth.

Noticing any warmth under the clothing or at the core of the body.

Experience the warmth.

Know the body as warm.

Now let go of warmth and come back to coolness and add in warmth.

Perhaps the front of the body is cool and the back of the body is warm.

Maybe the inside of the body is cool and the outside of the body is warm.

Attempt to be both warm and cool at the exact same time.

Attempt to be both warm and cool simultaneously.

Now let go of coolness and let go of warmth.

Remember a time of feeling weak.

Remember a time of vulnerability,

Weakness,

Lack of agency.

Spread that weakness across the entire body.

Know the body is weak.

Experience the body as weakness.

The body is weak.

Come to the opposite experience of strength.

Remember a time of being very strong.

Working in integrity,

Authenticity,

Feeling secure.

And spread that strength across the entire body.

Let the body be strong.

Connect to the strength.

The body is strong.

Let go of the strength and come back to the weakness,

The vulnerability.

See the self weak.

Connect to that experience of weakness.

Know the weakness.

Embrace the weakness.

Let go of the weakness and come back to strength.

Remember the experience of strength.

Know the body is strong.

Feel the strength.

Embrace the strength.

Let go of the strength and come back to the weakness and add in strength.

Attempt to be both strong and weak at the exact same time.

Maybe the legs are strong but the arms are weak.

Perhaps the body is strong but the heart is weak.

Attempt to hold on to strength and weakness simultaneously.

Let go of strength.

Let go of weakness.

Let go of weakness and come back to the breath.

And move the energy of the breath to the Chittakash,

The mind space in front of the closed eyes.

Direct the prana to the Chittakash,

The mind moving.

Bring awareness to the Chittakash,

The mind screen in front of the closed eyes.

And in that space,

Notice if there are any patterns or colors.

Bring awareness to the Chittakash,

The mind space in front of the closed eyes.

And in that space,

See dark burnt earth.

Dark scorched earth.

And see the self walking on this earth very gingerly.

Because the feet are bare and the earth is hot.

Tiptoe or plant with great care on the hot scorched earth.

And then see the self transforming.

And now the self is no longer a you or a me.

The self has become a snake.

Moving with undulations across the earth.

Hissing,

Rocking and undulating is the self now shape shifted into serpent form.

Feel the spiral movements.

Connect to the elasticity of the body.

Notice the flow.

As what was once you has now become serpentine.

Feel the heat of the earth underneath the body.

But it's no longer troublesome or burning.

The heat has become nourishment and fuel.

Feel the heat of the sun on the top of the body.

And also use that as vitamins,

Minerals,

Prana.

As the body moves and undulates side to side.

And transform once more,

Shape shift again and come back into the body.

And feel the heat of the earth underneath the feet.

But now it's not troublesome or dangerous.

It feels like fuel.

It feels like connection.

And walk along the scorched earth under the bright sun.

Like a solar child of the divine.

And bring awareness back to the Chittakash.

The mind space in front of the closed eyes.

And let go of the visualization practice.

Let it go.

And connect to the breath.

Notice the breath.

And in the gentle breath hear the whisper of the Sankalpa.

The short positive statement that was made in the beginning of the yoga nidra practice.

The resolve affirmation.

And once again repeat it three times mentally with full awareness and the confidence that it will come true.

And notice the rhythm of the heart beating.

And connect to the timing of the breath coming in and out of the nose and mouth.

And listen for the rhythm of the sounds inside the room that you are located in.

And listen for the sounds outside the room.

Noticing the pitches,

What's high,

What's low.

And is there any rhythm there on the sounds outside the room.

And find the note of the farthest sound that you can hear outside the room.

And remember the room.

Remember the ceiling.

Remember the floor.

Remember your position in the room.

What are you lying on the couch,

Bed,

Floor.

Remember Nidra Shakti massaging the feet of Vishnu.

Remember the constellation goddess Ashlesha with her snakes.

With her name meaning entwining or embrace.

And come back to the breath.

And make each inhale deeper and deeper.

And make each exhale fuller and fuller.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply and fully.

Say to yourself mentally,

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Keep the eyes closed but begin to wiggle the fingers and the toes.

And transform the wiggling into making circles with the wrists and ankles.

Now switch directions of the circles.

Then if you wish,

And it's not necessary,

You can transition to lying on your side in a fetal position.

And in this position of rebirth and renewal,

Connect to what things you're entwined in.

Any messes.

Any little chaoses.

Any co-dependencies.

And then connect to the things that you embrace.

The relationships that are loving,

Nurturing,

And fulfilling.

And when you're ready,

And there's no need to rush or hurry,

And it's not even necessary to do it.

But if you wish,

You can close the practice by sitting up and bringing your hands to heart center.

You can bow in to acknowledge the time that you just spent in Pratyahara in a practice to withdraw the senses.

The moonlight in me bows down to,

Admires,

And acknowledges the moonlight in you.

Hari Om Tat Sat.