In the Northern Hemisphere,
We begin the gradual thaw process as we transition from winter slumber towards the melting of spring,
A season of renewal,
Rebirth,
A feeling of newness and growth as the sun stirs us from our winter cocoon.
This is the thaw.
We'll begin by finding a comfortable position that will support and comfort you into a state of stillness for the entire practice.
Traditionally,
This is laying on your back,
Arms and legs spread outward,
Palms up in a gesture of opening and receiving.
Take care to cushion under the knees,
Under head,
A small folded blanket under the low back may feel supportive,
Covering with a blanket so that as the body temperature begins to dip,
You remain comfortable.
The body is quiet,
But under your control.
You remain conscious while the body sleeps.
Letting your awareness sit in the physical body as you draw tightness squeezing into both hands and squeezing into the legs,
Into the chest,
The back,
The face,
Whole body tightness here as you take a breath in and releasing as you breathe out.
Notice how the body begins to soften and widen as you welcome a cleansing breath in and a full release out.
Awareness moves inward,
Investigating every joint,
Every muscle,
Inviting softness,
Finding deeper comfort so you may surrender into complete stillness.
During the entire practice of Yoganidra,
You sit in the seat of witness as your body sleeps.
Shaksibhava is the attitude of witnessing.
Ears hear sounds far away.
Skin notices temperature,
The sensation of clothing resting on it.
Body being breathed by breath.
Emotions are intentionally stirred to allow the stories we may have held as our truth To come to light,
There is opportunity here to shift these stories,
The beliefs that hold us in patterns that no longer serve us.
The brain is receptive to our thoughts.
When we tell it that we cannot do something,
They were not good enough,
That we are sick,
Or if we always have bad luck,
This becomes our truth.
As we begin the sacred practice of Yoganidra,
We make a resolve called Sankalpa.
It is a brief statement in the form of I AM.
The two most powerful words for what you say after them becomes your truth.
It is spoken in the present tense as it is already occurring.
Open your inner listening to what your heart speaks.
What is your I AM statement?
Is it I am healthy,
I am strong,
I am resilient,
Abundant,
Secure,
Safe?
Hear your heart vowel,
Rise up.
Allow the senses to open.
Receive this truth.
As it has always been,
Sankalpa is a remembering.
And if nothing arises,
Staying with I AM as you are all of that.
What would it feel like knowing so strongly that this is your current truth?
Embody this feeling now as you set your intention,
Stating it silently three times.
I am.
I am.
I am.
I'm exploring the physical body in Anamaya Kosha,
Rotating awareness throughout your body.
As we move from body part to body part,
Feel warmth spreading into each part of the body like warm honey.
And as we move through,
If that isn't working,
All you need to do is bring awareness to that part.
And begin feeling warmth building into the palm of the right hand.
Warming into the right hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Between the fingers.
Fingernails.
And beneath the skin to the bones,
The tissues,
Ligaments,
And the coursing pulse of your blood.
As the warmth travels up your arm,
Past elbow,
And through shoulder,
Side body.
And sensing the right rib cage.
And the space between the ribs,
The intercostal muscles,
And the right side of the pelvis.
Into the hip joint.
The femur bone.
Knee cap.
And the space just under the knee cap.
And the shin bone.
Ankle.
And the intelligent group of bones that make up your foot.
And the warmth spreads into the right big toe.
Second toe.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
And the space between the toes.
And the toenails.
Sole of foot.
Whole right side of body,
From toes to head.
Whole right side.
And crossing over to the left palm.
Feel this beautiful warmth pooling in the left palm.
Warming into the left hand thumb.
Second finger.
Third.
Fourth.
And fifth.
And the space between the fingers.
The fingernails.
And through the skin and down to the bones.
The connective tissues.
And into your blood.
As the warmth moves up your left arm.
And through the elbow.
To your shoulder.
And down the side body.
And into the left rib cage.
And into the bones of the rib cage and the space between the bones.
And the left side of the pelvis.
Hip joint.
The upper thigh.
Into the knee.
And the space just under the kneecap.
And down the shin bone.
And the ankle.
And the group of bones making up the left foot.
As warmth spreads across the sole of foot.
And into the left big toe.
And second toe.
Third.
Fourth.
And fifth.
And the space between the toes.
And the toenails.
And the whole left side of body from foot to head.
Whole left side.
And the warmth moves into both heels,
Right and left.
As the warmth begins to spread up the back of the thighs.
Warming the whole back of legs.
Into the glutes.
And the tailbone.
Warming into the spinal column.
One vertebra at a time as it moves gradually up the spine.
Warming inch by inch climbing all the way to the base of the neck.
As warmth spreads across the back of head.
To the crown of head.
And warmth spreading across forehead.
Across both eyebrows.
And into the eye sockets.
And warming the space behind the eye.
The nose.
Nostrils.
Both cheeks.
And lips.
Inside mouth.
Tongue.
Teeth.
Chin.
Spreading across the whole jaw.
Down your throat.
And across right shoulder.
Left shoulder.
Chest.
To the upper belly.
Low belly.
Pelvic bowl.
And feel the whole top side of body.
Warming.
And then two feet above your body.
Awareness two feet above body.
Now back body.
This beautiful warmth spreading across the back body.
And two feet below your body.
Awareness two feet below.
Entire body.
Flooded with beautiful warmth.
Whole body.
Whole body.
Whole body awareness.
And awareness moves into the chest space.
And deeper past the cage of the heart.
Into the beautiful strength of your heart as it beats.
And becoming aware of how the breath breathes you.
Breath moving the body.
Chest rises.
Chest falls.
Rise and fall.
Finding a natural balanced rhythm to your breath.
It is not forced or controlled.
Simply enjoying breath.
Momentally think so hum as you breathe.
Every inhale think so.
Every exhale hum.
So.
Hum.
So.
So.
Continue each breath.
So.
And releasing that now.
As we arrive at the emotion body of Manomaya Kosha.
Pairing of opposites.
Drawing your awareness into the center of your chest.
Into the safe cocoon of your ribcage.
Feel the rise and fall of breath.
The duality of breath in.
Of hope.
And possibility.
The exhale.
Releasing what must go.
Making room for growth.
And feeling your body sinking into the ground.
Like wet sand.
So heavy.
Eyes become heavy.
Sinking in their sockets.
Jaw melts towards the earth.
Shoulders fall down from the ears and legs heavy as boulders.
Body is being pulled by the magnetic force of the earth.
Arms like lead.
So heavy.
Bones begin to lighten.
As muscles and tissue release.
Arms and legs feeling pulled towards the sky.
As forehead,
Cheeks,
Hair all pulled towards the force of the moon.
As body becomes light.
Lightness.
Aware of the interior of your mouth.
The taste of your tongue.
Begin to taste sourness.
Acidic sourness of lemon on your tongue.
As mouth puckering in response to the sourness.
Vinegar.
Tartness.
Experience sour.
Taste shifts now to experience the sweetness of honey.
Melting sugariness.
Smooth and sweet.
Experience cotton candy melting on your tongue.
Sweetness.
Body becomes cold.
Sensing coolness throughout your entire body.
Temperature dropping.
Colder.
Colder.
Freezing.
Shivering cold.
Experience cold.
And heat begins to build.
As it replaces cold.
Warming and heating your entire body.
As heat builds to a burning white hot fire.
Experience heat.
And journeying through the wisdom body of Vijnanamaya Kosha.
Awareness now goes to the space between your eyebrows.
Allowing eyes to see the blank space behind your eyelids.
Chi Kadasha.
Allow yourself to move through images.
As they play on your mind.
On the screen of your mind.
Effortlessly.
Images appear and then shift to the next.
As you remain the constant witness.
Heavy frost.
Sunrise over the mountains.
Frosty breath.
Walking on a frozen lake.
Crunch of snow underfoot.
Falling snowflakes.
An icicle beginning to melt and drip.
Frozen waterfall.
Frozen waterfall.
Frozen waterfall.
And taking a step into the fresh fallen snow.
Boots crunching as it compacts towards the ground.
Each step loudly announcing your movement.
Sun peeking out.
Brilliantly illuminating the sparkle of the snow's surface.
The air is warmed.
And this is a late spring snow that won't stay long.
The sun already melting it in places.
This season of light approaching.
After a long dark winter.
This warmth is felt through your clothes.
Warming down to your skin.
Walking along the remnants of the frozen lake.
As the ice begins to break up.
Patchy and receding.
Brilliant blue sky is the last clouds part.
Walking uphill towards a tall waterfall.
Frozen in time.
The ice and otherworldly shade of blue.
A trickle of water can be heard.
As rays of sun touch the frozen water.
Smoothing it.
Glistening in the light.
The ice has a brilliant glassy shine.
As it is warmed.
The water glistening as it begins to melt.
Dripping.
Water droplets fall towards the pool below.
A sure sign of approaching spring.
The thaw has begun.
After the deep winter slumber.
Inward contemplation.
Stillness.
Awakening now to the radiance of the spring sunlight.
A newness.
A stirring.
In the season of rebirth.
A release of what was weighing down.
Cracking open the restraints.
Opening towards the sun.
Welcoming the warmth.
The hope of growth.
Of new seasons of life yet again.
Water begins to flow more freely.
As the force of the waterfall begins to break through.
The sound of rushing water grows louder.
Chunks of ice begin to break free.
The water unbound from its hold.
As it is reborn once again.
The restraints of the ice holding it back are no more.
Freedom.
Expansion.
Hearing the call of your sankalpa deep within.
Letting it come forth.
Let it speak loudly.
Let it rise.
Silently claiming it.
I am.
I am.
And so it is.
Opening to receive any messages that may arrive.
As we journey through the bliss layer of Anandamaya Kosha.
What is it you wish to know?
Be open to receive wisdom.
You will be called to return.
When it is time.
Returning to breath.
Tethering you into this present moment.
Connecting back into this time.
This space.
Consciously traveling back.
Returning to your body.
Returning to your breath.
Beautiful breath begins to lengthen.
Chest expands.
And falls.
The sensation of the support beneath you returns.
Awareness to temperature.
And sounds within the room.
Aware of the fingertips.
And aware of your toes.
As you draw length and breath in.
And length and breath out.
The sense of smell returning.
The sensation of the blanket upon you.
As you welcome a cleansing breath in.
Cleansing breath out.
Letting your head relax to one side.
And over to the other.
And you can roll your body to rest on your side.
Or if you wish you can make your way all the way up to seated.
And joining me with your hands together at your heart center.
As the practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
Haryam tatsat.
Haryam tatsat.
Haryam tatsat.
