It is now time to practice Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra is a powerful meditation technique for deep relaxation and renewed vitality.
It can bring profound levels of rest to the body and nervous system as well as to the senses and the mind.
It is also an ideal practice for cultivating self-awareness.
So sometimes Yoga Nidra is called yogic sleep or psychic sleep.
This particular practice is from a Himalayan tradition taking us through a pilgrimage of 61 points through the body.
Beginners will get to enjoy deep relaxation and those more experienced practitioners will also get to explore the hidden layers of the mind.
Before we begin our Yoga Nidra we need to set a Sankalpa or an intention for our practice.
A Sankalpa is a short positive statement of something we would like to manifest in our life now.
We use present tense language to help bring it about and we keep the same Sankalpa each time we practice Yoga Nidra until we see it manifest in our lives.
So for example if you would like to feel that you are coping better with the stress in your life you might say I have ease with all that life brings to me rather than I will cope better with the stress in my life.
So take a moment now and think about what your Sankalpa might be.
Remember it and I will ask you to repeat it later on in our practice.
Okay let's begin.
So the practice of Yoga Nidra works on the level of hearing and awareness.
There is nothing for you to do other than lie down,
Relax,
Listen to my voice and follow my instructions.
There is no need to concentrate too hard just relax and don't worry if you miss some instructions.
It is perfectly normal to feel like you drift in and out of awareness.
So lie down on your back in the pose of rest and relaxation making sure you are really comfy.
Maybe taking a pillow or bolster underneath your knees,
Maybe something underneath the head and even something to cover the eyes.
I also recommend having a blanket over you to help keep you warm.
Place your heels about shoulder width apart and allow your arms to be about six inches out from the sides of your body.
Have your palms facing upwards with the fingers gently curved and relaxed.
Gently close your eyes and let the floor or the bed support your body.
Mentally observe your body.
Become aware of the weight of your body where it touches your support.
Allow the whole body to relax completely.
Become aware of your breathing.
Breathe deeply,
Smoothly and evenly without any pauses or noise.
Observe the breaths as they enter and leave your nostrils.
Starting at the top of your head,
Relax your neck and shoulders.
Relax the upper arms,
Lower arms,
Palms,
And the back of your head.
Relax your neck and shoulders.
Relax the upper arms,
Lower arms,
Palms,
And fingers.
Relax your finger joints,
Wrists,
Elbows,
Shoulder joints,
And neck.
Relax your chest,
Navel,
Lower belly,
And hips.
Relax your thighs,
Calves,
Feet,
And toes.
Relax your toe joints,
Ankles,
Knees,
And hip joints.
Relax the whole pelvis.
Relax your navel,
Chest,
Shoulders,
And neck.
Relax the face and head.
Continue to breathe deeply,
Smoothly,
And evenly without pauses or noise.
Now repeat your sankalpa three times mentally.
We will now practice the rotation of consciousness in our physical body.
Allow your attention to flow sequentially to the 61 points of the body.
Visualize a golden light at each of the 61 points that will be mentioned.
Bring your attention to the first point in the center of your forehead.
Then to the base of your throat.
Moving to the right shoulder,
Right elbow,
Right wrist,
Right thumb,
Right index finger,
Right middle finger,
Right ring finger,
Right little finger,
Right wrist,
Right elbow,
Right shoulder,
Base of the throat,
Front,
Left shoulder,
Left elbow,
Left wrist,
Left thumb,
Left index finger,
Left middle finger,
Left right finger,
Left little finger,
Left wrist,
Left elbow,
Left shoulder,
Base of the throat,
Back,
Center of the chest,
Right side of the chest,
Center of chest,
Left side of chest,
Center of chest,
Navel,
Pelvic center,
Right hip,
Right knee,
Right knee,
Right ankle,
Right big toe,
Right second toe,
Right third toe,
Right fourth toe,
Right little toe,
Right ankle,
Right knee,
Right hip,
Pelvic center,
Left hip,
Left knee,
Left ankle,
Left big toe,
Left second toe,
Left third toe,
Left fourth toe,
Left little toe,
Left ankle,
Left knee,
Left hip,
Pelvic center,
Navel,
Center of chest,
Base of throat,
Center of forehead.
Continue to breathe deeply,
Smoothly,
Evenly and without a pause or noise for a few moments.
Feel as if you're breathing in and out through the eyebrow center for a few moments.
This concludes the 61-point exercise.
Slowly become aware of your surroundings.
Move your fingers and toes.
Reach out for a full stretch.
Move your fingers and toes.
Reach out for a full stretch.
And when you're ready,
Opening your eyes.
