Hope you're doing well.
Today we're going to be practicing yoga nidra.
So lie on your back and get as comfortable as you can.
Pause the recording if you need to and come back to it when you are on your back.
Make sure that you're warm enough and the position is one that's going to be comfortable for you because it's best that you remain completely still during this practice of yoga nidra because then your body and brain can completely relax.
So get yourself into a comfortable position now and allow your eyes to close and keep them closed throughout the practice.
Yoga nidra is the practice of yogic sleep where I'll be guiding you into a state which is between wakefulness and sleeping where you'll still be fully conscious.
Try to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice.
I'll be asking you to move your awareness to different body sensations,
Emotions and some images.
So try to keep your concentration but not so intensely that it prevents you from relaxing.
Just absorb whatever you need to in this moment and feel free to leave the rest behind.
If the mind becomes overactive with thoughts or distractions just come back to the sound of my voice.
So to begin,
Become aware of any sounds that you can hear in this moment.
Begin to focus firstly on the most distant sounds.
Let your sense of hearing search out for these distant sounds.
Just moving your attention from sound to sound without needing to label or analyze the sound.
And then gradually bring your attention to closer sounds.
Sounds perhaps inside your room or perhaps just observe the lack of sound.
Observing the silence,
The spaces between the sounds.
And without opening your eyes visualize the four walls of this room.
The ceiling and the floor and your body lying on the floor.
Visualize your body lying on the floor.
The position of your body,
Your clothes and scan your body from top to bottom.
Just put your attention on your own existence lying down.
And now become aware of your natural breath.
The breath that just moves in and out without you needing to make any effort.
The breath that flows in through your nostrils and comes out of your nostrils.
There's a sense of coolness as you inhale and there's a sense of warmth as you exhale.
Follow the breath coming in and out of your nostrils.
And see if you can make your breath longer and slower.
See if you can notice the pause after the exhalation and the pause after the inhalation.
Continue consciously slowing down your breath.
And now go back to the natural breath releasing any control.
Now think of a positive statement to declare to yourself as we begin going deeper into the practice and intention.
Anything that comes to mind that you need right now and then say to yourself I am practicing yoga nidra and I will remain awake and relaxed.
We will now begin a journey of awareness throughout the body.
You will move your consciousness to different parts of the body as soon as you hear me state to them.
You can repeat the name of the part to yourself or feel it or visualize it but do not move the body.
So the practice begins on the right side.
The right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe and fifth toe.
And now we'll move to the left side of the body.
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Now go to the back of the body.
Right heel,
Left heel,
Right calf,
Left calf,
Right thigh,
Left thigh,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
The entire spine,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
Top of the head,
Forehead,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Point between the eyebrows,
Point between the eyebrows,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Both lips together,
The space inside the mouth,
The tongue,
The chin,
Jaw,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
The whole rib cage,
The whole rib cage,
Upper abdomen,
Navel,
Lower abdomen,
Right hip,
Left hip,
The pelvic,
The whole right leg,
The whole left leg,
The whole right arm,
The whole left arm,
The whole face,
The whole head,
The whole torso,
The whole body,
Become aware of the whole body,
The whole body.
Now imagine the whole body becoming light as though your body could float away from the floor.
The head is light,
The limbs are light,
The torso is light,
The whole body is light and weightless.
You are rising higher away from the floor.
And now imagine your whole body becoming heavy.
Feel the heaviness in all parts of your body.
Each part becoming heavier and heavier and heavier.
The head is heavy,
The limbs are heavy,
The torso is heavy,
The whole body is heavy.
So heavy that it's sinking down into the floor.
Now awaken the experience of cold in the body.
The experience of chilly cold.
Imagine being outside in the winter without enough clothing.
You feel the cold throughout your entire body.
Now allow the sensation of warmth to spread throughout the entire body.
Remember the feeling of heat when you're out on a warm day.
Feel the heat radiating onto your skin and the entire body feeling hot.
Now begin to create an experience of tension.
Feel the tension in your mind and body.
Feel the tension in your mind and body without experiencing the source of it.
Just feel the sensations that tension creates as clearly as possible.
Now allow the feeling of complete calm to run through your body.
Create the experience of calm.
Calm mind,
Body,
Energy.
You are relaxed and aware and completely calm.
Now begin to focus on the space in front of your closed eyelids.
Imagine before you there's a screen like in a movie theatre.
The screen is as high and as wide as your eyes can imagine.
Create on this screen and become aware of any images,
Lights or patterns that come up on the screen.
Continue watching without needing to get involved.
Just noticing them.
Without having to direct them.
If any thoughts occur,
Let them come.
As you continue to watch the screen of your mind.
Now I'm going to name some images.
Feel any emotion and use your imagination as I repeat the following images.
Red desert.
Peacock feathers.
Buddha meditating.
A good night's rest.
A full moon.
Your reflection in the mirror.
Foggy morning.
Anticipating results.
Sun shining overhead.
A bouquet of flowers.
Tall tree.
Receiving help from others.
Cool clear water.
A relaxing afternoon.
Laughing with friends.
A warm embrace.
Burning candle.
A temple on a mountain.
A path in the woods.
A vibrant sunset.
Taking a deep breath.
A cat stretching.
A beautiful garden path.
A song that you love.
The sound of my voice.
Your body lying on the floor.
Now it's time to repeat the intention that you set at the beginning of the practice.
The statement that you made.
Repeat it to yourself three times mentally.
Letting it sink in.
And now come back to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of the nostrils.
Maintain your awareness of the breath.
And become aware of your physical body.
Lying on the floor.
Notice the sensation of your skin against your clothes.
And your body.
And notice the heaviness of your body as it rests.
And bring your awareness to all of the points of contact.
Of your body.
Against the surface you are lying down on.
Back of your heels.
Thighs.
Shoulder blades.
Arms.
Hands.
And your head.
Don't open your eyes yet.
But just visualize the room that you're in.
Imagining all of the objects that are around you.
And lie here quietly until you feel ready to move.
If you feel ready then start by slowly moving your hands and feet.
Taking your time.
There's no rush.
And when you feel fully awake start to gently open your eyes.
And roll over to your right side into a fetal position.
Enjoying this feeling for a few more moments.
And if you're ready use your hands to help you up off the floor.
And come to sit.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
If anything came up for you during this session then feel free to reflect.
Let it down.
Perhaps take a walk.
And just be.
Be with yourself.
Have a great rest of the day.
And I hope to see you soon.
