Yoga Nidra (Relaxation)

A deeply nourishing yoga nidra meditation. You begin to still the waves of the mind through conscious entry into the sleep state. Begin with sensing the body and breathing in specific ways in order to trigger the relaxation response. The relaxation response balances the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and balances the left and right brain. In the process, your brain shifts from beta, an awakened state with lots of brain activity, to alpha, a more relaxed state. Feel the benefits

Transcript

So welcome to this Yoga Nidra practice.

And in this practice today,

We'll be exploring sensations,

We'll be exploring thoughts,

Visualizations,

And I'll also be inviting you to set a sankalpa,

An intention,

A resolve,

Something that you desire.

As well as inviting you to feel into a place,

An inner space of peace for you.

So I'll be calling on that as we go through the meditation.

So for now,

Please find your comfortable position.

Allow yourself to be completely at ease.

And take as much time as you need to find the position that supports you best at this time.

As I said earlier,

It could be reclined,

It might be seated for you today.

However it is,

Make sure that the temperature is comfortable for you,

The support is supporting you to be at ease.

My intention for you with the Yoga Nidra is to feel at ease,

To feel your spaciousness,

Your expansion,

To come home to your heart and to who you truly are.

Let's begin.

Finding your comfortable position and feeling supported by the surface beneath you.

Feel that solid support beneath you.

And feel your body resting upon that surface.

Allowing your eyes to remain open or gently closed.

Taking time to settle into a position that feels just right for you.

And during this Yoga Nidra,

You are guided to notice and feel physical sensations.

Breath,

Emotions,

Thoughts and feelings.

Feelings of well-being,

Of joy.

And to experience yourself as the witness of all of these ebbs and flows coming and going.

However your experience arises,

Let it be.

Let it be just as it is.

And explore not placing any labels on the sensations.

For example,

Not labeling a sensation as good or bad.

Letting the sensation simply be as it is.

It might be the same for sound.

Could you just let the sound be a sound vibration,

Not labeling it as good or bad?

Or having preference for one sound versus the other.

Can you just let the sound be a sound?

And explore what arises as you open up to the sensation,

Sound or thought or whatever it is that arises at the time.

Now simply rest at ease and follow my guidance,

Allowing my voice to become your voice.

I welcome you to this Yoga Nidra practice.

And whatever it is,

The experience,

Let it be.

An experience as a messenger that is inviting you to explore,

Exploring,

To welcome in whatever arises,

Your body and mind are learning to remain at ease as you witness.

And while you discover the place within that is always a place of ease and peace.

Experiencing yourself to be unchanging,

Witnessing presence that is welcoming everything.

So as you settle into your chosen posture,

Feel the shoulders soften,

The face soften.

As you settle into your breath,

Turning up the corners of your lips,

You now begin the practice of Yoga Nidra.

Bring attention to your senses.

Let's begin with your senses.

Notice the taste in your mouth.

Notice the sounds surrounding you.

The sounds that are near and sounds that are far.

Notice the smells.

Notice the touch of air upon your skin.

With your inner gaze,

Notice any images or colours behind your eyelids.

Your senses are alive and awake.

I welcome you to now explore your intention for your practice,

Your intention for your Yoga Nidra practice.

You can call this your sankalpa,

Your resolve.

So how would you like to feel during and as a result of your practice today?

Perhaps a sense of inner peace,

Joy and well-being.

Perhaps today you're looking for some relief from physical discomfort or habitual patterns or perhaps some emotional pain.

Your intention may be as simple as to remain alert throughout this entire practice.

Whatever it is for you,

Allow your intention to emerge fully.

And feeling your intention supporting you to be focused and alert throughout your practice and in your daily life.

Perhaps your intention is affirming this and the feeling of your intention with your entire body and mind.

Notice how it supports you during your practice and in your daily life.

Now allow your heart's deepest desire to arise within.

Something that you want more than anything else in your life.

Own it and feel it now.

This may be a desire for yourself or for another or perhaps for the world.

Whatever it is,

Allow this longing to rise up naturally as your deepest heartfelt longing.

Don't try to force it or search for it.

As you open up to your heart,

Notice what arises.

Perhaps it's the feeling of being whole,

Healed.

The feeling of deep self-acceptance,

Peace.

Whatever it is,

Welcome and affirm your heartfelt desire in this present moment with your entire body as if it were true right now.

You may repeat your sankalpa,

Your intention,

Your resolve three times silently to your mind's eye.

Remember to keep it in present tense.

And then set your desire,

Your resolve,

Your sankalpa aside and notice how it returns at the end of the practice.

And as you go about your daily life.

So releasing your sankalpa now.

And now I invite you to allow your place of safety,

Your place of serenity,

Your inner peace place.

So this is a special place where you feel secure and at ease.

It might be a place that you've been to before.

Perhaps it's a place that you've imagined.

It might be a place in nature,

Maybe even an image or a symbol.

Or a feeling of deep peace.

Wherever and whatever.

Imagine your inner peaceful place.

And imagine it now,

Feel yourself there now.

And notice the sounds that are present.

The smells.

Tastes.

Colours.

Shapes that are present.

And feeling that sense of ease and safety,

Security and knowing this place is your inner peaceful place.

And experience feelings of security within you that are always available at a moment's notice.

So as you note this in your body,

Where you feel warm and relaxed,

Knowing that you can return to this secure place of wellbeing at any time during your practice or in your daily life.

Whenever you need to feel secure,

Calm and at ease,

Return to your inner peaceful place.

And now let the sound of my voice be your guide and support you in experiencing sensations throughout your body.

As I name these places,

Take your awareness to each body part.

And we will move quite swiftly at times.

Just allow that aliveness,

That awareness,

That wakefulness to be present as we move from body part to body part.

And as I name each area,

You may feel sensations that are present or nothing in particular.

Whatever you experience,

Just let it be as it is in this moment.

And let's begin at the lips,

Bringing awareness to the mouth,

Attention to sensations inside the mouth,

The roof of the mouth,

The inside cheeks,

The floor of the mouth,

Left side and right side,

Back of the throat,

Tongue,

The entire mouth,

A field of sensation,

The entire mouth.

Now to the ears,

Left ear,

Right ear,

Sensing both ears at the same time.

And welcoming the breath as pure sensation as you inhale through the nostrils and exhale through the nostrils.

Attention the left nostril,

Attention the right nostril,

Attention at both nostrils at the same time.

Now to the eyes,

Left eye,

Right eye,

Both eyes together,

A field of radiant sensation in both eyes.

And sensing the awareness move to the forehead and space between the eyebrows,

Awareness of the crown of the head,

Back of the head,

Left side,

Right side,

Back of the neck,

Inside the throat,

Awareness to the left shoulder,

Left shoulder,

Left upper arm,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Left palm of the hand,

Fingers,

The entire left arm,

The entire left arm.

Now shift into the right shoulder,

Gentle awareness,

The right shoulder,

Right upper arm,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Right palm of the hand,

Right palm of the hand,

Fingers,

The entire right arm,

The entire right arm.

Now both arms together as one field of sensation,

Both arms together,

The whole left arm,

The whole right arm,

Both arms together.

And taking the attention now to the upper chest,

To the upper back,

To the centre of the back,

To the heart centre,

To the heart centre,

To the abdomen,

To the lower back,

The entire torso,

The entire torso is a field of sensation,

The entire torso.

Now taking the attention gently to the left buttock,

The left hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Foot,

And toes,

The entire left leg,

Gentle attention on the entire left leg.

Now gently moving the attention to the right buttock,

To the right hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Right lower leg,

Foot,

And toes,

The entire right leg,

Gentle awareness on the entire right leg.

Now sensing both legs together,

Sensing both legs together,

And sensing the entire front of the body,

The entire front of the body,

And sensing the entire back of the body,

The entire back of the body.

Sensing the left side of the body,

Sensing the right side of the body,

Sensing now the entire body,

The entire body,

The inner,

The outer,

And sensing a field of radiant sensation throughout the entire body,

The whole body.

Now aware of the body,

The body breathing,

The flow of breath,

A sensation,

In through the nostrils,

As the breath draws in,

The abdomen gently rises,

As breath flows in,

And releasing,

The abdomen lowers as the breath flows out,

Gentle rising as the breath flows in,

And gently releasing as the breath flows out.

Gentle rise and release of the abdomen,

As you inhale and exhale.

No need to change anything.

The body breathing naturally and rhythmically.

In breath,

Abdomen rising,

Out breath,

Abdomen releasing.

No need to change anything.

Feel the natural rhythm,

Natural flow of your breath at this time.

The body breathing itself in and out,

In and out,

In and out.

And now,

While gently retaining the breath at the top of the inhalation,

Bring your attention into the left side of the body.

And while exhaling and inhaling,

Welcome sensation throughout the left side of the body.

So gently retaining the breath at the top of the inhalation,

Bring your attention into the left side of the body,

And while exhaling and inhaling,

Welcoming sensation throughout the left side of the body.

Then while gently retaining the breath at the top of the inhalation,

Bring attention now into the right side of the body,

Exhaling and inhaling,

Welcoming sensation throughout the right side of the body.

So gently retaining the breath at the top of the inhalation,

Bring attention to the right side of the body,

Exhaling and inhaling,

Welcoming sensation throughout the right side of the body.

And explore going back and forth from one side to the other at your own breathing pace.

Inhaling and exhaling,

And mindfully bouncing from left side of the body to right side of the body,

Right side of the body to left side of the body.

Radiant sensation experiencing first one side of the body,

Then the other side.

Giving time for attention of sensation to completely shift across the midline of the body.

As you explore and witness one side of the body and then the other side of the body.

Invite you when you're ready while holding the breath gently,

Not forcing,

Just gently holding the breath and sensing the entire body simultaneously while allowing the body to return to its natural breathing rhythm.

Allowing the body to return to its own natural breathing rhythm,

Natural breathing rhythm.

Feeling the whole body breathing natural breath rhythm.

Be aware of all that's now present in your awareness.

Feeling yourself as the one who is aware of everything that's now present,

Aware of everything that is now present.

Sensing what's present.

And experiencing yourself dissolving into being the field of awareness itself.

Being the field of awareness in which everything is arising.

The breath remains your constant anchor,

Your awareness rising.

Experiencing yourself dissolving into being the field of awareness in which everything is arising.

Now explore feelings and the opposites.

So remember that any time you experience the need to return to your inner peaceful place,

Feel free at a moment's notice to return to your inner peaceful place.

Now explore feeling of opposites.

Bring your attention to feelings that are present throughout the body.

Begin with warmth or coolness,

Heaviness or lightness,

Comfort or discomfort.

Allowing them to blossom fully into your body.

And if no feelings are present,

As may happen,

Simply welcoming whatever is present.

And if it's helpful,

Locate the opposite of whatever you're feeling.

If you're feeling warmth,

Find coolness.

If you're feeling heaviness,

Find lightness.

If you're feeling comfort,

Find discomfort.

Welcoming an opposite of feeling fully into the body.

Remember it's exploration.

Be curious.

Notice.

Now welcome both opposites of feelings into the body at the same time.

Without thinking,

Simply experiencing how doing this affects your body and mind.

Exploring the feeling of opposites in your body at the same time.

We'll continue this exploration with emotions.

Now bring attention to an emotion that is present in your body,

Or perhaps one that you're working with in your life.

An emotion that's present in your body or that you are working on in your life.

Or recall a memory that invites a particular emotion into your body.

Welcoming the emotion as sensation into your body.

Inviting this emotion to unfold fully as sensation in the body.

And if no emotion is present,

There's no need to make anything happen.

Simply welcoming whatever is present.

If an emotion is present,

Where are you feeling it in your body?

Allowing it to blossom fully while welcoming thoughts,

Images or memories that co-arise with this emotion.

Be open to experiencing it completely.

And as you explore,

And if it's helpful,

Allow an opposite emotion to emerge.

Perhaps recalling a memory that invites the opposite emotion into your body.

Where do you experience it in your body?

Taking your time.

Welcoming this opposite emotion.

And now explore with curiosity,

Moving back and forth several times,

If you like,

Between opposite emotions.

Experiencing first one,

Then the other.

Just sensing how each is experienced in the body.

And now inviting both emotions into awareness at the same time.

Without thinking,

Simply experiencing how this affects your entire body and mind.

And be aware of all that is now present in your awareness.

Feeling yourself as the one who is aware of everything that is now present.

Sensing what is present.

And experiencing yourself as the field of awareness in which everything is arising.

Experiencing yourself as the field of awareness in which everything is arising.

And remembering that there is no right or wrong.

There's no right or wrong way of doing any of this.

And welcome and return to your inner peaceful place at any time.

And welcome that curiosity.

Witness,

Observing,

Noticing and letting it be.

And if there's any thoughts,

Beliefs that arise,

Let them be.

Simply being with whatever is present.

And if there is a belief present,

As you hold this belief about yourself to be true,

Where and how do you feel it in your body?

And sensing how this belief affects the entire body.

Noticing any images,

Emotions or thoughts that co-arise with this belief without trying to change anything.

And explore if it's helpful.

Bringing to mind the opposite of this belief.

And as you hold this opposite belief about yourself to be true,

How does it affect your body?

Welcoming any images,

Emotions or memories that are also emerging at this time.

Being present to your experience just as it is without trying to change or fix anything.

Being present with what is at this time.

And now in your own rhythm,

Alternate several times between these opposites of belief.

Welcoming first one as true,

Then the other.

Experiencing how each belief acts upon your body and mind.

And now welcome both beliefs at the same time.

While experiencing how this affects your entire body and mind.

And be aware of all that is now present in your awareness.

Feeling yourself as the one who is aware of everything that's now present.

Sensing what's present.

And experiencing yourself as the field of awareness in which everything is arising.

The field of awareness of everything that is arising.

And now be attentive to sensations throughout your body.

Sensations of pleasure,

Happiness,

Joy or wellbeing.

Or perhaps recall a particular event from your life that invites feelings of pleasure,

Joy or wellbeing into your body right now.

Welcoming whatever emerges just as it is.

Perhaps experiencing the sensation of joy as an inner smile that radiates from your heart.

The heart smiling.

The heart smiling.

And this smile of sensation expanding throughout your entire body.

Flowing out into your torso,

Your arms and hands.

Down into your pelvis,

Legs and feet.

Following up into the head and face,

Mouth,

Lips and eyes.

All smiling.

The entire body smiling now.

Entire body radiant and alive with the feeling of joy,

Wellbeing or a sense of being okay just as you are.

Dissolving now into being pure awareness itself.

Open and spacious.

Being awareness in which everything is coming and going.

Awareness in which everything is welcome.

Just as it is.

Now returning to your breath.

Easy rhythmic breath.

Come back to your inner peaceful place.

Your place of grounding,

Of safety and ease.

And recall your sankalpa,

Your resolve,

Your intention.

Just feel it in your body.

Experience it now as an accomplishment.

In fact it is in this moment.

And imagine going about your daily life noticing sensations,

Emotions and thoughts all constantly changing.

Get all the while feeling yourself as unchanging,

Spacious awareness in which everything is coming and going.

Just as the breath comes in and goes out.

Now taking your time to transition to your alert and wide awake state of wakefulness.

Sensing your body.

Sensing the room around you.

Your eyes.

Taking a deeper than natural breath in and out.

And as you feel ready,

You might bring some movement to your fingers and your toes.

Your lips and your tongue.

Your eyes.

Coming fully alert and wide awake.

As you reorient yourself.

Take a pause,

A moment here to feel gratitude.

The feeling of gratitude for taking time to practice yoga nidra.

Taking time for yourself.

Welcoming and loving yourself.

Experiencing yourself as timeless,

Open,

Spacious.

Embracing yourself as you are in this moment.

Right here,

Right now.

Yourself as whole,

Healthy and complete just as you are.

Yourself as unchanging,

Spacious awareness in which everything is unfolding.

Just as it is.

And understanding that you always know the perfect response to each and every moment as you take the time to welcome your deepest knowing.

Let's bring the palms to meet as we bow our heads towards our hearts,

We bow with humility,

With grace and with love.

Thank you for taking time to practice for yourself and taking time to practice with me.

Namaste.