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 is 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 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 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 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 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 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 bed post 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 and this is I am yoga nidra the integrated amrit method yoga nidra.
I will give you a reminder of all 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 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.
Bend the knees and place the feet flat on the floor,
Arms alongside the body in preparation for temper tantrum.
In a moment I will have you make a face and push the breath out of your mouth as you pound the feet and fists on the floor.
Now breathe in,
Tighten the face and begin.
Now stop,
Let go and feel.
This time put yourself fully into it.
You can even move your head from side to side and let sounds come out of your mouth if you want.
Take another deep breath in and begin.
Now stop,
Release the legs to the floor,
Arms by your sides.
Become aware of the released energy in the body.
Let it flow into any holdings,
Physical,
Mental,
Emotional.
Allow the body to settle into a deep state of balance and relaxation.
Merge into it.
Allow the body to settle into a deep state of balance and relaxation.
Merge into it.
Allow the body to settle into a deep state of balance and relaxation.
Merge into it.
Merge into it.
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.
I will guide you in the next phase to enter deeper and subtler levels of relaxation through the bumblebee sound and breath.
Use your thumbs to gently close your ears,
Just tight enough so that you can still hear me.
Rest the remaining fingers on either side of the forehead.
In a moment we will take a deep breath in and with closed lips we will begin to hum the sound of the bumblebee.
Keep the teeth lightly touching or slightly apart,
Whichever is most comfortable.
Tongue towards the front and roof of the mouth.
Raise and lower the pitch of the buzzing sound as we hum to maximize the vibratory sensation felt in your skull and create a felt sense of complete absorption.
Now take a breath in and follow me.
Now stop.
Bring your arms by your sides.
Cover your arms and be still.
Cover your arms.
Place your eye pillow and be still.
Bring your total and undivided attention to your whole body.
Feel the stimulating impact of the vibrations extending throughout your whole body.
Notice how your attention feeds your energy.
Observe your energy field expand and grow,
Extending everywhere and filling every nerve and cell of your body.
Now bring your attention to the eyebrow center and empty your mind into the flood of energy.
Let it melt and merge into the experience of the energy body,
Expanding beyond all boundaries.
Drop into complete silence and deep stillness.
Let it melt and merge into the experience of the energy body.
Expanding beyond all boundaries.
Now drop to complete silence and deep stillness.
Let it melt and merge into the experience of the energy body.
Expanding beyond all boundaries.
Drop to complete silence,
Deep stillness.
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.
We will chant a continuous OM together.
As you chant,
Let the sound come from deep in your belly.
When you run out of breath,
Take another full breath in and begin again.
We will repeat three times.
Let's begin.
Take a full breath in.
Full breath in.
Full breath out.
Come to silence.
Sense sound dissolving into silence.
Merge into that silent space.
Feel yourself in a place you like to be.
A place where you feel peaceful and calm,
Relaxed and quiet.
No concerns about the future or past.
Simply an overwhelming experience of the rightness of things.
Perhaps sitting on a beach,
Watching waves meet the shore,
The scent of salt air,
The sound of seagulls,
Or a mossy green forest with tall trees,
The smell of wildflowers,
Trickling stream.
Trust whatever image arises in your awareness.
Choose a comfortable spot to sit or lie down.
Perhaps a hollow in the sand that holds your shape or a soft bed of moss.
Let go into it.
Surrender the weight of your body completely supported.
No effort or need to hold yourself up.
Breathe in the scent,
Sight,
Sounds of this place.
Let the whole experience permeate your entire being,
Absorbed to each and every cell with each breath in and each breath out.
Feeling through bodily sensations what it is to be safe and at peace,
Surrounded,
Protected in this place where you can deeply rest.
Feel how restful and calm you are,
Feeling more content,
Relaxed,
More grounded than ever before.
Know that you can return to your safe place anytime you want or need to.
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 and again.
Breathe in fully and exhale with a deep sigh and 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're 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 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.
As you breathe in through your nose,
Fill your lungs fully and completely without straining.
Now start exhaling through softly pursed lips as if you're blowing through a straw.
Now start exhaling through softly pursed lips as if you were blowing through a straw.
Let it be a prolonged steady stream of breath and empty your lungs completely.
Breathe in completely and breathe out completely without straining.
Each time you exhale,
Empty your mind of all anticipations and empty your body of all tensions.
As you inhale,
Fill your heart with joy.
Continue to breathe with constant tension and attached awareness.
Each time you inhale,
Drop into a deeper level of silent awareness and experience the balancing and relaxing impact on the parasympathetic nervous system.
Breath is calm.
Mind is silent.
Body is relaxed.
Heart is unconditionally open.
Now return to your normal breathing and turn your attention inward.
Experience the powerful impact of vibratory energetic pulsations in the form of sensations in your body.
Let your detached awareness embrace all experiences unconditionally.
Let your mind melt and merge into it.
Now bring your total undivided attention to the eyebrow center and drop into the deepest level of silent stillness,
Peace,
And harmony.
Drop into that silent space where all doing stops.
As I name the body part,
Bring your total attention accompanied by a feeling of heaviness,
Sinking like a stone in water,
Both feet heavy like stones,
Calves and knees heavy,
Sinking deeper,
Thighs and hips very heavy like lead,
Abdomen,
Chest and back,
Gravity pulling you down deeper,
Shoulders,
Arms and palms very,
Very heavy.
Feel your entire head heavy like a stone.
Give your body completely and totally to the omnipresent field of gravity.
Now experience your whole body heavy like a rock.
Feel your whole body sinking deeper and deeper,
Totally let go into the pull of gravity,
Sinking,
Sinking heavy like a stone,
Like a stone,
Sinking deeper into stillness and silent awareness.
Now shift your attention and as I name the part of the body,
Let all the heaviness drain away.
Let your body be buoyant and light like a fluffy cloud,
Both feet limp and light,
Calves and knees empty and free.
Feel it,
Thighs and hips hollow,
Weightless,
Abdomen,
Chest and back,
Light and empty,
Shoulders and arms and palms floating,
Head hollow,
Empty.
Feel your whole body empty,
Light and hollow.
Sense the emptiness of your body and silence of your mind.
Enter the power and protection of your energy body.
Embrace its feathery lightness.
Feel completely safe and secure.
Feel yourself getting lighter and lighter until you begin to float in the air.
Give yourself permission and freedom to float out of your physical body.
Release your energy body from your physical body.
Experience the freedom of this new dimension,
Released and freed from identification of your body and mind,
Free of all inhibitions and boundaries of your body and mind,
Past and future.
Observe your body completely at peace,
Resting in stillness.
Recognize you are the spirit,
Separate from the physical body.
Enjoy the spirit,
Freed from all limitations,
The innate healing wisdom of the body,
Liberated and functioning optimally.
Now settle back into the physical body as you remain deeply established in your connection with spirit.
In faith and trust.
Feel yourself open and allowing,
Steady and centered.
Rest back,
Empty,
Like a blue sky,
Pure capacity for experience to move through.
Every cloud that comes eventually goes.
As the sky,
You can let it come and let it go.
You know this place.
It is the part of you that can never be diminished or destroyed.
Pure,
Steady,
Steady,
Timeless,
Like the sky itself.
Rest here.
Recognize whatever has happened in your life has already gone,
Already passed.
You are here.
Just be here in this moment.
At this time,
Allow the wisdom of the body to release what it no longer needs.
You don't need to hold it anymore.
Give it to the sky to hold for you.
Your life experience has the power to help you become who you were meant to be.
You already have what you need.
Let this knowingness permeate every part of the body,
Sending an ever-expanding sense of peace throughout.
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.
Remain empty and free from all doing.
Feel yourself as time-transcendent presence right now.
Here,
Your intention and your affirmations are actualized and fulfilled with effortless ease.
If you have an intention,
Bring it into your awareness three times in the form of words,
Images,
Or as a felt sense.
If you do not have an intention,
Just remain silent and let spirit,
Who knows what is best,
Do it for you.
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 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 and the life force is flowing freely,
Healing the body and calming the mind.
Open your heart and feel content.
Just experience.
Allow your entire self to respond spontaneously and effortlessly to what I say.
I am free and clear of all that has happened in the past.
I am light,
Unburdened,
And free.
I am free and clear of all that has happened in the past.
I am light,
Unburdened,
And free.
I am free and clear of all that has happened in the past.
I am light,
Unburdened,
And free.
I allow myself to change from where I am rather than where I am not.
I allow myself to change from where I am rather than where I am not.
I allow myself to change from where I am rather than where I am not.
The moment I get out of my own way,
I open the way for a higher power to come in.
The moment I get out of my own way,
I open the way for a higher power to come in.
At this time,
Feel the presence of any guides,
Mentors,
Teachers,
Or family members you feel connected to.
You may sense this as a universal force or energy surrounding you,
Guiding you.
Know that this presence surrounds you always.
You can draw on this presence at any time.
If there is any guidance to be received at this time,
Either as a felt sense,
Words,
Or images,
Allow yourself to receive it now.
Otherwise,
Simply rest back in the grace and protection of presence.
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 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 but 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,
You may gradually open your eyes.
Thank you for practicing yoga nidra with me today.
If you found today's practice beneficial,
Please consider following me here on Insight Timer.
If the meditation provided you with an experience that allowed you to go deeper within,
I would greatly welcome your review.
And if you feel compelled,
Your donations and contributions greatly help me continue to produce yoga nidras to share the benefits of these guided meditations with others.
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 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.
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.
May the spirit be victorious or victory to the spirit.
