20 Minute Yoga Nidra Practice

This meditation is a 20-minute guided body scan using the ancient technique of Yoga Nidra. This practice has been proven to help with insomnia, chronic stress, and anxiety among many other things. This recording is set to a background track, the Om Mantra, by Christopher Lloyd Clark which is very grounding.

Transcript

Welcome into your practice of yoga nidra.

We'll begin by making sure that your body is comfortable laying down either on the floor or maybe on the bed.

Make sure that your spine is straight and your arms are able to extend out from your sides with the palms face up and the legs are resting comfortably apart from each other.

If you feel cold make sure that your body is covered and your head is supported by something soft.

Yoga nidra is not sleeping or concentration but it's an opening of the inner chambers of your mind.

Yoga nidra you can step down to the internal dimension of your consciousness.

Even if you do not understand anything in yoga nidra it doesn't matter.

Use the sound of my voice as a rope.

Just as you take a rope and go in and out of the depths of a cave so with the help of the sound of my voice you can venture in and out of the mind.

As you get ready for yoga nidra close the eyes and still your body and begin to prepare your mind to relax.

Make no effort to control your mind.

The sound of your breath can start to become rhythmic and slow as your body enters a state of relaxation.

Now as we begin think the words I am going to practice yoga nidra.

I am listening to the instructions.

I can hear the sound of the voice and we are connected.

I will remain awake and aware.

At this point we'll set what's called a sankalpa or an intention for your practice.

You don't have to set it now but if you have one repeat it in your mind.

You can think of one do it now.

If you don't have an intention yet it can wait till the end of the practice.

If you already have an intention please repeat it.

Continue to listen to my voice and go on through the practice without concentration or analyzing things.

Now bring your attention to the thumb of your right hand,

Second finger,

Third,

Fourth,

Fifth finger,

Palm of your right hand,

Back of the hand,

The right wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

The upper arm,

The right shoulder,

Armpit,

And the side waist,

Right hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

And the lower leg,

Right ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the right foot,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third,

Fourth,

The fifth toe.

Now feel the whole right side of your body.

Feel the whole right side of your body now letting go,

Letting go of the entire right side of your body.

Now bring your attention to your left hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Palm of the left hand,

Back of the hand,

Left wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

The upper arm,

Left armpit,

Side waist,

Left hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

The lower leg,

Left ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the left foot,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second,

Third,

Fourth,

Fifth toe.

Now feel the entire left side of your body.

Feel the whole left side of your body now letting go,

Letting go of the whole left side of your body.

Now scanning the front of your body starting with the muscles of the forehead,

The right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

The space between your eyebrows,

Right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right eye socket,

Left eye socket,

Right temple,

Left temple,

The nose,

Tip of the nose,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

The upper lip,

Lower lip,

The chin,

Front of the neck,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right chest,

Left chest,

Abdomen,

Low belly,

Front of the right hip,

Front of the left hip,

Right thigh muscle,

Left thigh muscle,

Right kneecap,

Left kneecap,

Right shin,

Left shin,

Top of the right foot,

Top of the left foot.

Now feel the whole front side of your body.

Now feel the entire front side of your body letting go,

Letting go of the whole front side of your body.

Now scanning the back of your body starting with the back of the head,

The back of the neck,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

The upper back,

Middle back,

The low back,

Back of the right hip,

Back of the left hip,

Back of the right thigh,

Back of the left thigh,

The back of the right knee,

Back of the left knee,

Right calf muscle,

Left calf muscle,

The right heel,

Left heel,

Sole of the right foot,

Sole of the left foot.

Now feel the entire back side of your body.

Now feel the whole back side of your body letting go,

Letting go of the whole back side of your body.

Become aware of the body that's lying down on the ground.

Notice the point where your body is in contact with the ground.

Your awareness to the parts of your body that are touching and making contact with the ground.

The heels and the ground.

The head and the back of the head and the ground.

The right hand and the ground,

The left hand and the ground,

The right elbow and the ground,

The left elbow and the ground.

The back of your hips on the ground,

The heels on the ground.

The whole body and the ground.

The body is on the ground.

Become aware of the whole body.

Now imagine that your body is becoming very heavy.

Waken the idea of heaviness in your body.

Imagine gravity becoming stronger as your body becomes heavier and heavier.

The head is becoming heavy.

The right palm is heavy.

The left palm is heavy.

Both arms and the shoulders are heavy.

Your back is heavy.

Your pelvis and hips are heavy.

Both your legs are heavy.

Both your arms are heavy.

The whole head is heavy.

The whole body is heavy.

Intensify the feeling of heaviness.

Now feel the whole body becoming lighter and lighter.

Awaken the idea of lightness in the body.

The head is so light that it might even rise up from the floor.

The right and left palms are becoming lighter.

Both arms and shoulders are light.

The back is light.

The pelvis and hips are light.

The right thigh is light.

The left thigh is light.

The whole body is light and weightless.

As your body becomes weightless,

You feel as if it might rise from the floor light as a feather.

Feel the entire right arm.

Feel your whole left arm.

Feel both your right and left arms together.

Feel the entire right leg.

Feel the whole left leg.

Feel both the right and the left legs together.

Feel the entire right side of your body.

Feel the whole left side of your body.

Feel both the right and the left sides of your body together.

Feel the whole front side of your body.

Feel the whole back side of your body.

Feel both the front and the back sides of your body together.

Feel your whole entire body together.

Now feel your whole body together letting go.

Letting go of the entire body.

Now to complete the practice,

Become aware of the whole body.

Think the words,

I am practicing yoga nidra.

Keeping your eyes closed,

Visualize your whole body and everything in the room.

Becoming aware of your external environment,

Become aware of yourself.

Now as we come to an end,

Repeat your intention.

If you don't have an intention,

Try to find one for yourself now in the state of yoga nidra.

What would you like to manifest?

Is there something that you'd like to let go of or something that you'd like to cultivate in your life?

Take a few moments here to manifest something.

Become aware of your external environment.

If you'd like to rest a little bit longer,

Then continue as you are without moving.

If you feel ready to start to exit the state of yoga nidra,

You can start to return to your normal awareness by wiggling your fingers and your toes.

You might blink your eyes open to return your awareness back into the room,

Noticing what you see as your eyes start to open.

As you feel ready,

You can start to slowly sit up,

Moving as if you had the feeling of being underwater.

As you feel ready,

Take a big inhale and feel all the way up to the top of your mind.

Take a sigh out,

Feeling your body empty.

Thank you for practicing with me today and namaste.