Welcome.
I'm so glad you've chosen to give yourself this time as we travel the koshas.
Before we begin,
Take a few moments to settle into a comfortable position.
Traditionally,
Yoga nidra is practiced lying on your back in shavasana.
Though any position that allows you to feel safe and supported and is relatively still is appropriate.
You may choose to place a bolster beneath your knees and a folded blanket beneath your head or another blanket covering your body to stay warm.
As the body relaxes,
Our temperature often drops,
So I encourage you to make yourself as comfortable as possible now.
And once you've settled,
Allow yourself permission to remain still for the duration of our practice.
If you need to adjust at any point,
Please do so mindfully and with a kindness towards your body.
There is no expectation of discomfort.
The invitation is simply to move with awareness rather than habit.
Allow your eyes to gently close and take a slow,
Easy breath in through your nose and release it with a soft sigh.
Again,
Breathing in,
Welcoming yourself into this moment.
And breathing out.
Letting go of everything that came before now.
One more deep nourishing breath.
Exhale slowly and completely.
Allowing your breathing to return to its natural rhythm.
There is nothing you need to control,
Fix,
Or accomplish.
Notice that you're breathing.
The breathing comes.
The breathing goes.
Life breathing itself through you.
Yoganidra is often translated as yogic sleep.
Though it's not sleep in the ordinary sense,
It's a practice of conscious relaxation,
A state in which the body may become deeply restful while awareness remains quietly awake.
As your nervous system settles,
You may find yourself drifting between wakefulness and sleep.
Images may arise.
Memories may appear.
You may lose track of my voice for a few moments before gently returning and all of these experiences are completely natural.
There's no perfect way to experience Yoganidra.
Some days your mind feels spacious and quiet,
Other days it remains busy.
Sometimes you feel every word and sometimes you feel as though you've slept through much of the practice.
Each experience is valid.
Trust that your body and mind are receiving exactly what they need today.
Throughout the practice,
Simply follow the sound of my voice as best as you can.
If your attention wanders,
Gently notice where it has gone,
And without judgment,
Return it to listening.
There's nothing to force or strive for.
Awareness itself is enough.
Today's practice is inspired by an ancient yogic teaching known as the pancha koshas,
The five koshas.
The Sanskrit word kosha means sheath,
Layer,
Covering.
The sages described our human experience,
Not as a single thing,
But as five interwoven layers that together make up our experience of being alive.
We begin with the outermost layer,
The anima-yakosha,
The physical body formed from food,
Water,
Minerals,
And the elements of the earth.
And moving inward to Pranamaya Kosha,
The energetic body.
The flow of breath and life force within every cell.
When we arrive at Manomaya Kosha,
The layers of thought.
Emotion,
Memories,
And the way that we interpret our experiences.
And deeper still is Vijnanamaya Kosha,
The wisdom body.
The quiet place of discernment,
Intuition,
Insight,
Our innermost knowing.
And resting in Anandamaya Kosha,
The bliss sheath.
Not happiness dependent on circumstances,
But the quiet peace that arises when we remember our deepest nature.
The ancient teachings tell us that even these five beautiful layers are not the whole of who we are.
At the very center beyond breath.
Body,
Thought.
Beyond even bliss.
Resides the Atman,
The True Self.
Pure awareness.
Unaffected by change,
Complete,
Always present.
During this practice,
We're not trying to escape the body or the mind.
We gently move through each layer with curiosity.
Discovering each kosher is sacred in its own way.
We visit one with care and recognizing that none of them alone defines who we truly are.
Bring your awareness now to the places where your body meets the earth.
Notice the back of your head.
Shoulders.
Arms.
Hands.
Spine.
Pelvis.
The backs of the legs and your heels.
Allow yourself to feel completely supported.
Imagine that the earth beneath you has no limit to its strength.
It receives your entire weight effortlessly.
There's nothing for you to hold,
Nothing to brace against.
For these next moments allow the earth to do all of the holding.
Become aware of the natural rhythm of your breath.
Without changing it,
Simply noticing.
The coolness of the inhale.
Warmth on the exhale.
The gentle rise of the belly.
The soft release as you breathe out.
Allow every exhale to become an invitation towards ease.
And not because you're making relaxation happen.
You're allowing yourself to receive it.
We begin by planting a seed known as your Sankalpa.
Senkalpa is more than a goal.
It's not a resolution based on willpower.
Not something you need to become.
It's a heartfelt intention that arises from the deepest truth already living within you.
It speaks not to who you wish you were,
But to who you already are beneath the layers of fear,
Conditioning and self doubt.
And sometimes sankalpa comes as a quiet knowing.
It can emerge as a quality you are longing to embody.
Perhaps trust,
Compassion,
Peace,
Courage,
Forgiveness.
Freedom,
Joy.
Sankalpa has been with you for some time.
And perhaps it's ready to deepen.
There's no need to rush.
Just simply open your ears to hearing.
Notice if a phrase begins to emerge.
Allow it to be simple.
Positive in the present tense.
As though it's already occurring.
For example,
I am valued.
I am loved.
I am enough.
I am healthy in body and mind.
For you are all of that.
Using the words I am is energetically powerful.
For the words you state after them become your truth.
Whatever comes,
Receive it gently.
If nothing comes today,
That's perfectly okay.
Open to hearing what may arise.
And simply choose a quality that feels nourishing and let that be enough.
Prepare to silently repeat your sankalpa three times with your whole being.
Imagine planting a seed into rich,
Fertile soil.
You do not need to make it grow.
You simply offer it to the quiet intelligence within.
Repeat your sankalpa with sincerity,
Trust,
Openness.
I am.
I am.
I am.
Allow the words to settle into stillness.
There's nothing more to do.
The seed has been planted.
And throughout our journey today,
We will return to it again.
For now,
Simply rest in the quiet awareness that follows.
Will move awareness throughout the body,
Awakening the first of the five koshas,
The Anamaya Kosha.
The physical sheath.
The physical body.
The body made of food,
The body sustained by water.
The body shaped by the earth.
Take a moment to simply appreciate this remarkable body.
Without evaluating or measuring it or asking it to be different.
Simply acknowledging.
This is the body that has carried me through every season of my life.
It has known joy.
It is known challenge.
It is healed.
Adapted.
Learned.
Rested.
It has breathed every breath that has brought me to this moment.
And just for the next few moments,
Can you meet your body with gratitude instead of criticism?
With curiosity instead of judgment.
And with kindness instead of expectation.
Imagine your awareness expanding through your entire body.
Like warm sunlight spreading across the landscape.
Every cell gently illuminated.
There's nowhere your awareness does not reach.
Become aware of your skin.
And the beautiful boundary between your inner world.
And the world around you.
Notice the air resting against your face.
Against your hands.
Against your feet.
Notice temperature.
Warmth,
Coolness,
Softness,
Pressure.
Gentle weight of clothing or blanket.
And receive each sensation exactly as it is.
Simply experience.
Become aware of your muscles.
Allow your jaw to soften.
The tiny muscles around your eyes relaxing.
The tongue resting effortlessly.
The throat spacious.
Shoulders melting towards the earth.
Arms becoming heavy.
Hands soft.
Muscles of your chest relaxing.
The belly loose and receptive.
The hips softening.
Thighs releasing and calves unwinding.
Feet completely at ease.
Imagine that every exhale allows another layer of unnecessary effort to dissolve.
Only resting.
Become aware of your bones.
The quiet architecture of your body.
The skull gently cradling your brain and the spine rising like the trunk of a great tree.
The ribs protecting your heart and lungs.
Your pelvis providing strength and stability.
The long bones of your arms and legs carrying you through life.
Strong.
Steady.
Imagine the minerals within your bones returning your awareness to the mountains.
To the stones and to the earth itself.
Recognize that your body is not separate from nature.
It is nature.
The calcium in your bones once belonged to the earth.
The water flowing through your body.
Troubled rivers and oceans.
The oxygen entering your lungs.
Passed through forests.
And the warmth within your body.
From the sun.
There is no separation.
Reflect gently now.
Without searching for answers.
Allowing the questions to settle.
How do i experience living in this body today?
And what has my body been quietly asking of me?
Where have I been listening?
Where have I forgotten to listen?
Can I meet this body with greater compassion?
And recognize it as an ally,
Not a project to improve.
Remaining exactly as you are,
Body is quiet.
Breath settling into its own gentle rhythm.
Mind beginning to soften.
There's nowhere else you need to be.
Nothing asking for your attention.
Allow yourself to follow the sound of my voice.
Moving only your awareness,
Body remains completely still.
Each point of attention is like a light.
Briefly illuminating one place before moving on to the next.
Allow your awareness to flow effortlessly.
As you bring awareness into your right hand.
Notice the right thumb.
Second finger.
Third.
Little finger.
Palm of your hand.
Back of hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Right side of the ribcage.
Waste.
Bye.
Knee.
Soon.
Calf.
Ankle.
Heal.
Soul of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth too.
Little toe.
Now become aware of your left hand.
Left thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Little finger.
Palm.
Back of hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Armpit.
Left side of the ribcage.
Waist.
Bye.
Shin.
Half.
Ankle.
Heal.
Soul.
Top of foot.
Big toe.
2nd third.
Little toe.
Now move to the back body.
Back of the head.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
Entire upper back.
Middleback.
Low back.
Sacrum Great Barak!
Left buttock.
Back of the right thigh.
Back of the left thigh.
Back of the right knee.
Back of the left knee.
Right calf.
Left calf.
Right heel.
Left heel.
Become aware of the entire back body resting on the earth.
And notice how effortlessly it's supported.
Bring awareness to the front of the body.
Top of the head.
Forehead.
Right temple.
Left temple.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
Space between the eyebrows.
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid.
Right ear,
Left ear.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
Nose.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Inside mouth.
Ciao.
Chin.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Center of the chest.
Right side of the chest.
Left side of the chest.
Heart center.
Upper belly.
Navel.
Low belly.
Pelvis.
And become aware of the entire right leg.
The entire left leg.
Both legs together.
The entire right arm.
The entire left arm.
Both arms together.
The whole back body.
The whole front body.
Torso.
Arms.
Legs.
The entire body together.
One whole body.
Resting.
Breathing.
Aware.
And bring awareness to your heartbeat.
Feeling the heartbeat.
Notice that the heart has continued beating since before you were born.
Without your conscious effort,
Quietly and faithfully.
Moment after moment,
Breath enters.
The heart responds.
Blood nourishes every cell.
Countless processes unfold within you right now.
Digesting,
Repairing.
Balancing,
Healing.
Your body possessing an extraordinary intelligence.
One that asks for your partnership and not perfection.
Imagine every cell of your body glowing with a warm golden light.
Alive as each cell receives nourishment.
Each cell resting.
Remembering its natural balance.
And let this golden light spread through your feet.
Your legs.
Pelvis.
Belly and chest.
Shoulders.
Arms,
Hands.
Your face.
The crown of your head.
The entire physical body bathed in gentle warmth.
And feel completely at home within your body.
This body is your first home and your first teacher.
Offering it gratitude.
Thank you for carrying me.
Thank you for teaching me.
Thank you for allowing me to experience this precious human life.
The wisdom of Annamaya Kosha.
Feeling the body as earth,
As water,
As living matter,
Sacred,
Whole,
Supported.
Awareness remains settled within the body as the body is quiet.
The body is supported.
The body is at rest without changing anything.
Notice that beneath the stillness of the physical body.
There is subtle movement.
Life moving through you.
Bring your awareness to the natural rhythm of your breath.
Simply witnessing,
Not changing.
Notice the inhale arriving.
The exhale leaving.
Your breath has been with you since the moment you entered this world.
Accompanying every joy and every sorrow,
Challenge,
Celebration.
Without asking for recognition.
Breathing.
Become aware of the coolness of the breath as it enters your nostrils.
The gentle warmth as it leaves.
The rise of the belly.
And the soft expansion of the ribs.
Subtle lifting of the chest.
And the effortless release as you exhale.
Each breath unique.
Breath is more than air.
It is the doorway to prana.
The universal life force.
Within every living being.
Prana is not something you create.
It is something you receive.
With every inhale,
Imagine you are welcoming this vital energy.
Into your entire being with every exhale.
Releasing fatigue.
Tension.
Anything you no longer need to carry.
Allowing without effort.
With every inhale.
Imagine a soft golden light entering through your breath.
Gathers in the center of your heart.
With every exhale the light begins to spread throughout your whole body moving effortlessly through your chest and into your shoulders.
Down your arms and through your hands and fingertips.
Back to your heart.
Down through your belly.
Your pelvis,
Your legs,
Your feet,
To your toes.
And then rising once again through the spine,
Flowing to the throat,
The face,
The crown of the head.
Every inhale replenishes,
Every exhale distributes.
Your whole body quietly illuminated from within.
And feel this flow of energy moving like a gentle river.
Sometimes swift and sometimes slow.
Always finding its way.
Without direction.
Notice if there are places where your energy feels vibrant and open.
I notice places that feel quieter and perhaps heavy or still.
Waiting for your attention.
There's nothing wrong with either experience.
This energy has seasons just as nature does.
Can you observe without trying to change anything?
Imagine your breath flowing into those quieter places,
Offering space and kindness.
Reminding every part of yourself that it belongs.
Reflecting to yourself what nourishes my energy.
Where do I feel most alive?
And where do I notice my energy becoming depleted?
And can I receive as naturally as I give?
Feel yourself breathing with the earth.
As you inhale.
The trees exhale.
And as you exhale,
The trees in hell.
This ancient exchange.
The same breath that is moved through forests,
Across oceans,
And over mountains.
Moving throughout you.
Life,
Breathing life.
And sensing your awareness becoming lighter,
More spacious.
As the edges of the physical body begin to soften.
Your awareness extends beyond the outline of your skin as it expands,
Breath,
Energy,
Presence.
And subtle awareness of Manomaya Kosha.
The sheath of mind and emotion.
This is the place where thoughts arise and memories are stored.
Where emotions move like weather across the landscape of awareness.
No need to silence the mind or to empty it.
As we practice something gentler,
Observing.
As the eternal witness.
See yourself sitting beside a wide,
Peaceful river.
Resting comfortably on its bank.
The river flows steadily before you.
Every thought that appears is like a leaf gently landing upon the surface of the water.
One leaf.
Than another.
Each carried downstream.
No need to chase after them or stop them.
Simply watch.
Thoughts arise,
Thoughts pass,
Awareness remains.
And perhaps the memory appears,
Notice it,
Allow it to drift on.
Perhaps tomorrow's plans appear.
Notice them.
Allow them to drift on.
Perhaps your mind becomes quiet and notice that.
Perhaps it becomes busy.
Notice that too.
Everything is welcome.
Nothing needs to stay.
Nothing needs to leave.
Gentle awareness to your emotions.
Just noticing what is here,
Perhaps calm or contentment,
Sadness,
Hope,
Uncertainty,
Gratitude.
Or perhaps something you cannot quite name.
Can you allow the feeling to exist without needing to explain it?
Without making it part of your identity.
In just this moment,
In this experience.
Imagine each motion as a wave upon the surface of the ocean.
Some waves are small and some are powerful.
Some dissolve almost immediately.
But beneath every wave,
The deep ocean remains still.
Your awareness is like that deep emotion,
Deep ocean,
Steady,
Spacious.
Unaffected by the changing surface.
Rest is the ocean.
Allow the waves to come and allow them to go.
And asking yourself.
What stories do I most often tell myself?
And are those stories always true?
And if I simply witness my thoughts,
Who is the one who is watching?
Notice the thoughts that arise.
And yet you are aware of them.
Emotions arise.
And you are aware of them.
Sensations arise.
And you are aware of them.
Experiences come and go.
Awareness remains.
Like the open sky,
Clouds appear and disappear.
The sky itself is never harmed.
Rest is the sky.
Limitless.
And remain here watching and allowing.
No need to analyze.
Being present.
The body in deep surrender.
Breath flows naturally.
Mind has become quieter.
Thoughts may still arise and emotions may still move.
Yet something within you has remained present through it all.
There is an awareness that has witnessed every sensation.
Every breath,
Every thought.
Every feeling.
And as we turn towards that awareness.
Towards the Vijnanamaya Kosha.
The wisdom layer.
The quiet intelligence that lives beneath the thinking mind.
Unlike the mind that analyzes and compares and searches endlessly for certainty.
Wisdom does not rush or judge.
It rests comfortably in stillness.
And see yourself walking through a peaceful forest at dawn.
The air is cool and the earth beneath your feet is soft.
The trees stand quietly around you.
No destination or hurry.
Just the simple experience of walking.
As you continue along the path.
You arrive at a small clearing.
And in the center is a perfectly still lake.
The surface is so calm that it reflects everything with complete clarity.
The sky,
Trees,
Light.
Nothing is distorted or exaggerated.
Everything is mirrored exactly as it is.
Let this lake become a symbol of your own inner wisdom.
When the mind becomes still.
Reality and truth becomes clear.
Notice the quality of stillness within yourself.
In the absence of experience.
Spacious awareness.
The part of you that notices.
This quiet witness.
This awareness has been with you since childhood.
And before you had words to describe yourself,
Before you collected stories,
Roles,
And responsibilities,
This awareness has remained unchanged.
Your body has changed.
Your thoughts have changed.
Your beliefs have changed.
Your circumstances have changed.
Yet,
Awareness has remained.
Patient,
Unmoving witness.
Rest is the witness.
Recognize what is always being here.
Begin to see yourself sitting beside your own wiser self.
The deepest expression of your own being.
This presence radiates kindness and patience.
There's nothing to prove,
Nothing to earn.
There's a profound sense of being welcomed exactly as you are.
What do we need to remember today?
There's no need to search for an answer.
Wisdom often arrives quietly.
Maybe a word or an image,
A feeling,
Or just a knowing.
Trust whatever arises.
What is it that I most need to remember today?
Notice how the question settles like a seed.
We don't require immediate answers.
Simply asking them begins to awaken something within us.
Remain curious and receptive.
As you begin to feel a warm light glowing in the center of your chest.
Not in your physical heart.
This is your heart of awareness.
The light grows slowly and effortlessly.
Illuminating everything it touches.
It shines equally upon joy and upon sorrow.
Upon certainty and uncertainty.
Upon strength and vulnerability.
Nothing is rejected.
Everything is held within compassion.
Feel your inner light expanding.
Flooding your chest and your entire body.
The space around your body.
There's no edge to its warmth and no limit to its wisdom.
You're both resting within it.
And made of it.
Remain here receiving.
Be in.
Calling back your Sun Culpa.
From this place of receptivity,
Bring your sankalpa back into awareness.
This heartfelt resolve you planted earlier in our practice.
Notice whether it feels different now.
Perhaps the words are the same.
They may carry a deeper meaning now.
They may no longer be simply words.
But a felt experience within your body and heart.
Slowly.
Purposely.
Let it arise from the deepest place within you.
It's recognition of the truth already living within you.
With complete presence,
Feel it gently ripple through every kosha.
Through the body,
The breath,
Mind.
Wisdom through bliss.
Settling into the fertile ground of your whole being.
Trust the seed will continue to unfold in its own perfect time.
Your sankalpa too unfolds through gentle attention,
Compassion.
A willingness to remember.
I am.
I am.
I am.
As we continue inward.
Beyond the body and the breath.
Thought.
And even understanding.
We entered Anandamaya Kosha.
The Bliss Layer.
The innermost of the five koshas.
It is the quiet contentment that exists beneath all experience and the peace that has always been present.
Floating effortlessly in a vast expanse of warm golden light.
With no up and no down,
No beginning,
No end,
Spaciousness.
Gentle presence.
You're completely supported.
There's nothing required of you.
Notice what it feels like to simply exist.
Notice the space between breaths.
And the quiet beneath every movement.
Rest there.
Imagine every boundary begins to dissolve between your body and the earth.
Between your breath and the air,
Between your awareness and the world around you.
As you're remembering your belonging.
The same life that moves through trees moves through you.
And the same awareness that shines through every living being.
Also shines through you.
We're not separate.
We never have been.
We've gently explored the five koshas.
Anamaya kosha,
The physical body.
Pranamaya Kosha,
The breath and life force.
The Manomaya Kosha,
The flowing landscape of thought and emotion.
And Vijnanamaya Kosha,
The quiet wisdom.
Discernment.
In the Ananda Mayakosha.
The subtle experience of peace,
Contentment.
Each kosher is sacred and each one offers gifts.
Yet none of these layers alone is who you are.
Like the petals of a flower.
Or the layers of an ancient tree,
They reveal aspects of your experience.
That you not define the essence of your being.
Rest in the awareness that has been present throughout this entire journey.
No,
This moment is enough.
You are enough just as you are.
Silence is the teacher as we rest here.
We begin to sense that even bliss is not the final destination.
The sages remind us that the koshas are beautiful expressions of our human experience,
Yet they are still layers and at the center of every layer,
Beyond body,
Breath,
Mind,
Wisdom,
Bliss.
There is the pure awareness.
The eternal witness of the Atman.
It has been here from your very first breath,
Witnessed every season of your life.
It has remained unchanged through childhood and through adulthood.
Through moments of certainty and uncertainty.
As watch joy arise,
As watch sorrow arise.
It has watched every thought come and go.
Like the open sky watching clouds drift across its vastness.
Awareness is never diminished by experience.
Rest now that awareness there is breathing there is stillness there is sensations thoughts,
Silence,
All of it appearing within awareness.
Awareness itself remains open,
Steady.
Imagine sitting beneath an ancient tree with its roots reaching deeply into the earth.
Its branches stretch effortlessly towards the sky.
The tree is held between earth and heaven.
Receiving,
And offering.
Notice that you too are both grounded and expansive.
Your body belongs to the earth and your breath belongs to the great exchange of life.
Your mind reflects your experiences.
Your wisdom guides your choices.
Your heart knows peace.
And at your center,
Awareness simply is.
Rest beneath this inner tree.
Feel its strength and presence.
Recognize this awareness is available not only here in the stillness of yoga nidra but in every moment of your life letting your breath anchor you back.
Into the present moment.
Into the present breath.
Breath deepens as it brings you back into this physical experience.
Beginning to notice temperatures.
Sounds.
The connection of your physical body on the earth.
As breath lengthens.
Grounding you here.
Notice the space your body takes up.
Feel your breath nourishing as you take a beautiful,
Deep,
Luxurious breath in.
And exhale a gentle sigh.
Returning to the here and the now as you take any gentle movements.
When you feel ready,
You can slowly roll to one side.
Curling your knees in as you pause for a few breaths here.
This integration space.
Notice this transitional space.
Appreciating the gift of moving slowly with intention.
Taking a slow breath in,
Receiving.
A long breath out,
Releasing.
Beginning to press yourself up to a comfortable seated position.
As our practice begins to come to a close,
Our hands come to heart center,
Palms pressing in towards each other.
As we continue the rest of our day,
Remember these five koshas are not places you visit only once during practice.
They are living expressions of your humanity.
You care for your body with tenderness.
You nourish your energy with intention.
May you meet your thoughts and emotions with compassion.
May you remember that beneath every changing experience,
The witness remains.
Steady.
And aware.
Thank you for sharing this practice.
May you move gently.
May you move wisely.
May you move with an open heart.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
That is truth.
Hare Om Tat Sat.
Hare Om Tat Sat.
Herium Tutsat.
