Yogi Nidra is a practice of lying down,
Listening and relaxing the mind,
The body,
The breath.
Yogi Nidra translated from Sanskrit to English means yogic sleep.
It's a place where we go to rest,
To open from within and to surrender to the present of what is.
So go ahead and get ready.
Find a position lying down on the floor,
Very similar to your Shavasana at the end of a yoga practice.
Make sure to have your feet apart and palm of the hands facing upwards.
Close your eyes and start to become motionless.
Take time to make any adjustments,
Last adjustments here so that you can stay in an easy lying down position,
But having to move.
Start to drift into this easiness of your resting lying down position and allow your worries to go away and concentrate on this practice of Yogi Nidra,
Forgetting all of your cares.
Take a long deep breath and as you breathe out,
Feel yourself letting go.
For the practice of Yogi Nidra,
Concentration is not required,
Only awareness.
So start to become aware of the outside sounds.
Become aware of distant sounds outside of the building.
Allow your sense of hearing to range into the distance and then gradually revert back into this building,
Back into this room.
Develop your awareness of this room that you are at and yourself lying on the floor.
Become aware of your body lying on the floor.
Become aware of your breathing.
Just be conscious that you are breathing,
Do not concentrate.
Awareness of your breath and awareness of your body.
Bring to your awareness a resolve.
Purposely resolve and mentally say to yourself,
I am going to practice Yogi Nidra and I will remain awake.
Now find a resolve that is close to your heart,
Something that you are working towards on and find that resolve in the present tense.
For example,
I am at peace.
Find that resolve within you and repeat it mentally to yourself three times.
Now we move into rotation of consciousness.
Awareness of different parts of the body by taking a trip through the body.
Let your mind jump freely from one part to the next.
Right hand thumb,
Second finger third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Side,
Waist,
Hip,
Right thigh,
Left thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of the right foot,
Right toes,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Fifth toe,
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the left hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Side,
Waist,
Left hip,
Thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Left heel,
Sole,
Top of the foot,
Left toes,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Fifth,
Left toe.
Go to the top of the head,
The forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Eyebrow center,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Jaw,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right chest,
Left chest,
Middle of the chest,
Navel,
Upper abdomen,
Lower abdomen,
Right groin,
Left groin,
Right thigh,
Left thigh,
Right knee,
Left knee,
Right calf muscle,
Left calf muscle,
Right ankle,
Left ankle,
Right toes,
Left toe.
Now the back,
Right sole,
Left sole,
Right heel,
Left heel,
Right calf muscle,
Left calf muscle,
Back of right knee,
Back of left knee,
Back of right thigh,
Back of left thigh,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Right hip,
Left hip,
Whole spine,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
Top of the head,
Whole right leg,
Whole left leg,
Both legs together,
Whole right arm,
Whole left arm,
Both arms together,
Whole of the head together,
Whole of the back together,
Whole front together,
The whole body together,
The whole body together,
The whole body together.
Now start to become aware of the inner space you see behind your forehead,
Shidaksha.
Develop total awareness of this space,
An infinite space that extends as far as you can see and as low or as high and as wide as you can see.
Become aware of this space.
Be totally aware but not involved.
Observe it as if you're watching a movie.
What you see is a projection of your subconscious.
If you see patterns,
This is simply the way your mind is manifesting.
Maintain your awareness.
Maintain your awareness.
Start to become aware of your affirmation,
Your resolve,
That sankalpa that you stated at the beginning of the practice.
This is time to repeat your affirmation.
Understand your sankalpa three times in the same words and with the same attitude,
With feeling and emphasis.
Start to become aware of your breathing.
Become aware of your natural breath.
Become aware of the breath that comes in and out through the nostrils.
Develop total awareness of the nostril breath and continue practicing this.
Mental awareness of your breathing and extend your awareness of the breath to every part of the body.
As you inhale,
Feel the life-giving force permeate your whole body.
Take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath and become aware of your relaxed body.
Become aware of your physical existence.
Start to develop awareness of your surroundings.
The floor that you're lying on,
The room that you are in.
Start to gently and slowly externalize your attention.
In your own natural way,
Start to make small movements in preparation to waking up your body.
Gentle movements in your fingers.
Gentle movements in your toes.
Gently moving your wrists,
Your ankles.
When you're ready,
Perhaps inhale and lift arms up and over the head.
Find a full,
Long stretch,
Full breath in.
And feel when you breathe out that softness and release in your body.
Then whenever you feel ready,
You can roll to one side or bring knees towards your chest.
And start to gently roll to one side and gently waking up.
Knowing that the practice of your Ganidra is complete.
Pres NS
