43-Minute Yoga Nidra For Compassionate Self-Awareness

Yoga Nidra translates into English as “yogic sleep,” and it refers to both a state of consciousness - one that is different from the waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states - as well as different styles of guided meditations that allow us to gain access to this state. These meditations help the entire being to slowly and gently become more still and silent.

This particular yoga nidra is based on the Amrit-style of yoga nidra, and its goal is to promote compassionate self-awareness. By developing a witness perspective, we can less harshly judge ourselves and simply become aware of our internal dialogues. With repeated practice, we can then intentionally show ourselves true kindness and grace until it becomes the new default.

Transcript

Welcome it's great to have you here.

My name is Stefano and I'll be guiding you through yoga nidra a meditation that mirrors the physiological process of sleep.

I'll be guiding you through a sequence of meditation,

Mindfulness and relaxation techniques that will help you relax at the level of the physical body,

The breath,

The mind and through deeper aspects of your being.

Yoga nidra is a form of NSDR,

Non-sleep deep rest.

It is a practice that will provide many of the same benefits of natural sleep.

The ultimate goal of yoga nidra is to reach a state where you can remain conscious even in the deepest levels of non-dreaming sleep where you reach delta brain waves.

However that naturally arises on its own.

You may catch glimpses of it in this practice but there's no need to set an expectation.

It will happen by itself and the more you practice the better you'll be able to maintain awareness during deeper and deeper levels of relaxation and you'll be able to carry these benefits throughout your waking life.

Just allow this time to be an opportunity for rest,

Relaxation and restoration and surrender your body to the surfaces that provide support.

There's nothing to do or achieve now.

Just follow along and allow all tensions and worries to melt away.

All you need to do is find a comfortable position either lying down in shavasana,

Shavasana,

The corpse pose using either a yoga mat or your bed or any comfortable surface with support under your knees and maybe a pillow for the back of your head.

For the corpse pose,

Simply lie down on your back.

Allow your legs to separate and let go of all holding in your legs.

You don't need to keep them straight.

Just allow your feet to fall open to either side.

Bring your arms alongside your body and slightly separate them from your torso at a 30 or 60 degree angle.

Whatever feels most comfortable and turn your palms to face the sky without trying to keep them open.

Maintain a position that allows your fingers to curl inward.

Tuck your shoulder blades onto your back for support without strain.

Once you have set up your limbs,

Release any effort from holding them in position.

Allow your whole body to relax,

Dropping any expression from the face and allow your whole body to feel heavy as you surrender your weight to the field of gravity.

It's recommended that you have a blanket,

Maybe an eye pillow if it feels more comfortable.

And again,

Don't worry if you fall asleep or if your mind wanders.

The moment that you're able to come back to my voice and listen to the instructions,

Gently guide your attention back and follow the instructions to the best of your abilities.

If you can,

Remain as still as possible.

But if there's any discomfort or pain,

Notice it for a few moments.

And if it goes away,

Continue with the guidance.

And if it doesn't,

Then gently readjust yourself so that you can be 10,

5,

Or even 1% more comfortable.

Allow yourself to completely relax during the practice.

And if you need to,

You can always assume a comfortable meditative posture in the seated position,

Making sure that you have a straight spine,

Allowing your neck to be tall,

Keeping your chin tucked in,

Chest forward,

And making sure that your hands are going to be on your lap with palms facing upward.

Also,

While maintaining a seated posture,

Make sure that your shoulders are dropped and relaxed,

Allowing yourself to maintain this posture with ease and without strain.

You can even practice yoga nidra while standing up if you have any pain in your spine.

Again,

Choose the position,

The position,

Posture that is most comfortable to you.

And allow yourself to make any adjustments at the beginning so that you can become deeply focused on your inner experience as the practice continues.

Typically,

We practice yoga nidra with the eyes closed.

But if for any reason this is not accessible to you or it produces discomfort,

Know that you can practice with your eyes open while maintaining a very soft gaze to the distance.

No matter what position or posture you assume,

Just make sure that your limbs and extremities are not making contact with other objects in the room.

As you continue to practice yoga nidra,

You'll become more and more sensitive to touch,

Especially in your fingers and toes.

So make sure to keep your extremities away from a wall or a bedpost.

Just make sure you have enough space to practice comfortably.

Also,

Know that as you practice yoga nidra,

It is common for your body temperature to drop as it mirrors natural sleep.

Have a blanket on the ready in case you need it.

Make sure that you take a few moments to pick a setting where you won't be distracted or disturbed.

Yoga nidra is typically practiced in an environment that mimics sleep.

So a cool,

Dark,

Quiet room would be optimal.

But again,

See what is available to you in the moment and go with that.

We'll be practicing different styles of yoga nidra.

The practice we'll do today will be of the amrit style of yoga nidra.

This is I am yoga nidra,

The integrated amrit method of yoga nidra.

I will give you a reminder of these things,

But make sure that you take a few moments now to get ready and you can assume a comfortable position to follow along without interruptions.

And take a mental note of how you're feeling now in body and mind.

When you're done with the practice,

Notice any changes,

However subtle you may experience,

So that you can begin to assess the impact of yoga nidra in both body and mind.

Now we'll begin the practice.

Any sounds or music in the recording will gently fall away as we begin the practice.

We will move our attention into the body to release trapped energy and move deeper into total relaxation.

Those with cardiac disease,

Hypertension,

Or glaucoma should use caution.

If you cannot have undue pressure in the head for any reason,

It is important that you breathe normally as you tense the body.

If you cannot have undue pressure in the head for any reason,

It is important that you breathe normally as you tense the body.

As you inhale,

Make fists and deliberately induce stiffness and tension throughout your shoulders,

Arms,

And fists.

Tighten,

Tighten,

Even more.

Now let go completely and relax.

On your next exhalation,

Relax even more.

Let go.

Observe and feel the flood of energy in your arms.

This time,

As you inhale,

Deliberately induce stiffness and tension in hips,

Legs,

And feet.

Tighten,

Tighten,

Hold,

Hold.

Let go.

Let go completely.

Relax.

Observe the flood of energy in your legs.

This time,

Tighten and tense the entire body as you inhale.

Arms,

Hands,

Shoulders,

Feet,

Legs,

Face,

Buttocks.

Tighten,

Tighten,

Hold,

Hold.

Now let go completely.

Relax.

On your next exhalation,

Let go even more.

Observe and feel the flood of energy extending to all muscles,

Nerves,

And cells of your entire body.

Let your whole body melt into the flood of energy you feel in your body.

Let your whole body melt into the flood of energy you feel in your body.

Let your body go limp like a ragdoll.

Relax even more.

Let your body go limp like a ragdoll.

Relax even more.

Let your body go limp like a ragdoll.

Relax even more.

Release any holding anywhere.

Release any holding anywhere.

Release any holding anywhere.

Maintaining this inner awareness,

Gently begin rubbing the palms together.

To the degree that you feel comfortable,

Place your fingertips on your eyelids,

The entire surface of the palms touching your face.

Start now by massaging the face,

The fingers working from the eyebrows up to the hairline,

Moving out to the temples,

Circling the fingers at the temples,

Moving down to the joints of the jaw,

Along the jawline to the chin.

Massage around the parentheses of the mouth,

Up to the bridge of the nose,

Around the orbits of the eyes,

Moving to the ears,

Massaging in front of and behind the ears,

And maybe even a gentle pull on the earlobes,

Feeling tensions and holding melt away.

Squeeze the back of the neck and maybe even the shoulders.

Now place the entire surface of the palms on the face,

Fingertips on the eyelids.

Drop all expression from the face.

Take a deep breath in and let go.

Take another deep breath in and let go even more.

Release your arms to your sides.

You may cover your arms and place an eye pillow over your eyes if you like.

Feel the impact flooding the whole body and the entire being.

Bathe in the sensations.

Feel yourself descending down into the stillness beneath the mind.

All existential and holding carried out with each exhaling breath.

Feel your outward attention moving inward.

Close your eyes and allow your attention to turn inward.

Bring your attention to the breath.

Feel the body beginning to relax with each progressive exhalation.

Now let's take a deep breath in together and chant the sound of OM.

Allow the vibrational impact of the sound to bring outwardly focused attention inward.

Close your eyes and quiet your mind.

Be still.

Let go of all thoughts,

Worry,

And tension.

Give yourself fully to a higher power.

Relax,

Trust,

And let go.

Breathe in fully and exhale with a deep sigh.

Again,

Breathe in fully and exhale with a deep sigh.

Let go even more.

Feel a deep sense of contentment and peace in your heart.

Now bring your intention into your awareness in the form of words,

Images,

Or as a felt sense.

If you are unclear about your intention,

Just see what appears in your field of awareness.

Repeat your intention silently three times.

Maintaining this inner stillness,

Gently cover yourself,

And if you wish,

Place an eye pillow over your eyes.

As we enter the next phase of Yoga Nidra,

Remain as motionless as possible.

If you need to move or make an adjustment,

Do so mindfully and return to stillness as soon as you're able.

Resolve to remain awake,

Staying in touch with the sound of my voice.

Allow your entire body to respond to my words directly and non-mentally.

Allow any disturbances,

External or internal,

To draw you more deeply within.

In Yoga Nidra,

You enter the subconscious pranic field.

Let your mind merge and melt into the energy body and go beyond the boundaries of body and mind.

Now shift from thinking and doing to feeling and being.

Now shift from thinking and doing to feeling and being.

Now shift from thinking and doing to feeling and being.

Do absolutely nothing from now on.

Simply relax.

Drop into the deepest state of tranquility,

Stillness,

And peace in the third eye.

Drop into the deepest state of tranquility,

Stillness,

And peace at the eyebrow center.

Drop into the deepest state of tranquility,

Stillness,

And peace at the brow center.

Now your consciousness is in direct communion with your energy body.

Now your consciousness is in direct communion with your energy body.

Now follow my guidance as we begin the relaxation breath.

Breathing in deeply,

Fill your lungs from the bottom to the top as if you were filling a water bottle.

As you breathe out,

Empty your lungs from the top to the bottom.

Let your breath be slow and steady.

Observe the movement of your abdomen and chest.

Stay connected to the wonderful feeling of the release of tension and the deep feeling of relaxation.

Let this feeling extend to every part of your body.

Let this entire process of breathing be the vehicle for deepening your relaxation.

Now redirect your full attention to your breath.

Create no struggle around breathing.

Use the breath to release any tensions.

Slowly deepen your inhalations and exhalations.

Let the exhalation be longer than the inhalation.

Let the flow of your breath be steady and uniform as much as possible.

Bring your undivided attention to the movement of your abdomen and chest as you breathe in and out.

With each breath out,

Release any tension held in your body and anticipations in your mind.

Let go.

With each breath in,

Fill every nerve and cell with pulsating,

Healing energy.

Relax.

Breathing out,

Let go of holding anywhere in your body.

Let go even more.

With the next breath in,

Visualize your body renewed and revitalized with new life.

Empty your body and mind and enter deeper levels of stillness and silence.

Now breathe normally and be still.

Empty your body and mind and enter deeper levels of stillness and silence.

Now breathe normally and be still.

Bring your total attention to the pulsating energy field felt in the form of sensations in your body.

Observe how your attention feeds the expansion of the pulsating energy field.

Energy follows attention.

Feel all the tension in your mind and tightness in your muscles melt away.

Let all the tension simply melt,

Drain away,

And dissolve in the expanding energy field.

Now bring your attention to your eyebrow center.

Recognize your deep connection to the original source of life force,

The life energy that sustains your life and is an extension of your soul.

Drop into that silent space where all doing stops.

Let go.

Let go even more.

Follow my guidance as we move our attention through different parts of the body.

Let the penetrating power of consciousness instantly dissolve any blockages and holdings as you move through different areas of your body.

As I guide you from point to point,

Remain in non-doing,

Silent awareness.

Resolve to yourself that you will stay alert and awake.

Now bring your undivided attention to the brow center,

Hit of the throat,

Right shoulder,

Elbow,

Wrist,

Thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

And little finger,

Wrist,

Elbow,

Shoulder,

Hit of the throat,

Left shoulder,

Elbow,

Wrist,

Thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

And little finger,

Wrist,

Elbow,

Shoulder,

Hit of the throat,

Middle of the chest,

Right side of the chest,

Middle of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Middle of the chest,

Chest,

Navel point,

Middle of the pubic bone,

Right hip,

Knee,

Ankle,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And fifth toe,

Ankle,

Knee,

Hip,

Middle of the pubic bone,

Left hip,

Knee,

Ankle,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And fifth toe,

Ankle,

Knee,

Hip,

Middle of the pubic bone,

Navel point,

Middle of the chest,

Hit of the throat,

And back to the brow center.

Gather your attention at the brow center.

Let the non-doing presence fully manifest in your brow center.

Observe the vast stillness and the silence resting in this vastness.

Allow whatever comes into your field of awareness to be present without comment or judgment.

Witness it as it floats by like clouds in the sky.

In this deep state of awareness,

Allow the following polar experiences and their associations to arise and dissolve,

Simply allowing all experiences to move through without preference,

Labels,

Or judgment.

By remaining as the witness,

You're releasing your identification with pre-programmed thoughts and feelings.

Pain,

Pleasure,

Anger,

Peace,

Sadness,

Joy,

Agitation,

Calmness.

Gradually allow visualization and accompanying sensations to fade as you bring your attention back to the brow center.

Now bring your attention to the center between your eyebrows and drop into the deepest level of relaxation.

Here,

There remains nothing to do or achieve.

You have entered the domain of grace.

In this domain of integration,

You are witness of all that is happening,

Doing nothing to make it happen.

All that can never be done by your doing can happen only in the non-doing presence of your being.

Feel yourself as time transcendent presence right now.

Allow this intention to go to the deepest levels of recognition with no hesitation.

Know that your higher self recognizes,

Honors,

And accepts your intention.

Have faith and trust that it has been heard and is being acted upon by a higher power of the source within you.

There is no need to do anything about it.

Bring your attention back to the center between the eyebrows and feel all the energies of your body from all meridians activated,

Purified,

Balanced.

All channels are open.

The life force is flowing freely,

Healing the body,

Calming the mind.

Open your heart and feel content.

Just experience.

Establish yourself firmly in faith and trust to receive the grace,

Protection,

And guidance of the higher self within you.

Establish yourself firmly in faith and trust to receive the grace,

Protection,

And guidance of the higher self within you.

The more often you go to your source,

The easier it will be to return there and the longer you can stay there.

Feel the presence of your own spiritual guides surrounding you and blessing you.

Accept their blessing and grace,

Embody it,

And spread it wherever you go.

Now you have prepared the base from where you can carry out interactions with life and interpersonal relationships with the integrative power of love and the source within.

You are the emissary of light and love.

Carry it everywhere you go and to everyone you meet.

If you have an area that you feel needs healing,

Be it physical,

Mental,

Or emotional,

Allow this light and love to flow into that area now.

Begin to become aware of the rising and falling of the breath.

Slowly feel yourself beginning to rise to the surface of awareness.

Sense the body resting on the surface beneath you.

The quality of the air as it touches the skin gradually.

You can move as if you're waking from a restful sleep.

Bend your knees and pull them closer to your chest.

Rock sideways gently.

Take your time.

Do not hurry.

Then just turn onto your right side and curl into a fetal position.

Feel the safety,

Comfort,

And protection of the womb of existence.

Bring your intention into your awareness again.

Change nothing.

Every time you find yourself in reaction,

You are empowered to replace it with your intention.

Now,

You can gradually move and begin to sit up with your eyes closed.

Continue to stay deep in this deep inner experience.

Regardless of what you consciously recognize that has or has not changed,

Know that something deep within has shifted to connect you with your intention.

Become aware of your body and bring a deep sense of peace and contentment with you as you bring attention back to the body.

Notice how relaxed the body is.

How relaxed the body is.

How soft the breath is.

How silent the mind is.

How quiet the heartbeat is.

Notice how relaxed the body is.

How soft the breath is.

How silent the mind is.

How quiet the heartbeat is.

Be still and be grateful.

Know that you can easily enter here again and again.

Now,

Now you may gradually open your eyes.

Thank you for practicing yoga nidra with me today.

I would like to get your feedback either in the comment sections or if you wanted to send me an email about your experiences with today's practice.

If you have any questions or if you would like to share your intention for your practice,

Please share below.

Also,

It would be nice to know where and when you started your practice today.

You can check the description of the video for additional information about the practice of yoga nidra as well as this individual recording.

And you're invited to also check out the other videos in the channel with other yoga nidras depending on what you need most right now.

If you've enjoyed this practice today,

Please consider sharing the video with others who would benefit from it.

And to receive further notifications,

You can always subscribe to the channel and sign up to receive the notifications.

As the community grows,

I'll include more and more styles of yoga nidra for people to explore the different benefits that can be obtained from this practice.

Not just for sleep,

Not just to reduce stress and anxiety,

But also for developing equanimity and self-realization,

As well as many practical applications to increase focus and energy and vitality.

Thank you again for practicing with me today.

Enjoy Bhagavan.

May the spirit be victorious or victory to the spirit.