Yoga Nidra Meditation

Yoga Nidra is a deeply relaxing practice that invites you to plant a sankalpa, or affirmation, deep in your psyche so that it may bear fruit in your life. We begin by becoming aware of your physical self and then go deeper with visualization, union of opposites and intention. What you choose to plant is entirely up to you! This is a wonderful practice for everyone, no experience required and can be done any time of day but is especially helpful for anyone who may experience insomnia and might like some support in relaxing for sleep.

Transcript

Lie down in Savasana with your body stretched out,

Legs out straight and uncrossed,

Your arms resting alongside you and the palms of your hands turning up.

Make yourself comfortable.

After this settling there should be no body movement.

Close your eyes and keep them closed until the end of the session.

Make a promise to yourself that for this yoga nidra I will not sleep,

I will remain awake.

Take a deep breath and as you breathe in feel the coolness and calmness spreading throughout the body.

As you breathe out feel your cares and worries flowing out of you.

Become aware of your body and relax completely.

Let it sink down into what you're lying on deeper and deeper.

Become aware of your breath as it moves between your navel and your throat.

Don't try to breathe long and deep,

Just allow your body to become more and more relaxed as your mind becomes clear and your breath naturally elongates.

Mentally repeat your sankalpa or affirmation three times now with feeling and awareness.

We will now begin to rotate your awareness from one part of your body to the next.

As I bring you to a place in your body repeat the name of the body part in your mind and simultaneously become aware of it.

Try to remain alert but don't concentrate.

Become aware of the right side of your body.

Take awareness to your right foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Little toe,

Sole of your foot,

Top of your foot,

Right heel,

Ankle,

Calf muscle,

Shin,

Knee cap,

Thigh,

Back of your thigh,

Hip,

Waist,

Right rib cage,

Armpit,

Shoulder,

Upper arm,

Right elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Right thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Back of your hand,

Palm.

Now become aware of the left side of your body.

Take your awareness to your left foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Little toe,

Sole of your left foot,

Top of the foot,

Left heel,

Ankle,

Calf muscle,

Shin,

Knee cap,

Thigh,

Back of your thigh,

Hip,

Waist,

Left rib cage,

Armpit,

Shoulder,

Upper arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Left thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Back of your left hand,

Palm.

Now relax and go deeper.

Remain awake.

Bring your awareness to your back body.

Become aware of your heels against what you're lying on.

Feel your calf muscles,

Backs of your thighs,

Buttocks,

Center of your back,

Back of your right hand,

Back of your left hand,

Back of your right arm,

Back of your left arm,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Back of your neck,

The back of your head.

Now feel your whole back body at once.

Now go to the top of your head,

Forehead,

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

The space between your eyebrows,

Right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

The tip of your nose,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Chin,

Right jawbone,

Left jawbone,

Throat,

Collarbone,

Right chest,

Left chest,

Your heart,

Navel,

Abdomen,

Right hip,

Left hip,

Your whole pelvis,

The whole right leg from hip to toes,

The whole left leg from hip to toes,

Both legs together,

The whole of the right arm from shoulder to fingertips,

The whole of the left arm from shoulder to fingertips,

Both arms together.

Now feel your whole front body.

Do not sleep.

Say to yourself,

I am awake.

I am practicing yoga nidra.

Become aware of the meeting points between your body and what you are lying on,

Precisely where your body meets that beneath you.

Now concentrate on your body as if seeing it from the outside.

Imagine that you have floated up and are looking down at your body,

Lying on the floor as an object,

Like a reflection in an imaginary mirror.

See how relaxed your face and body look.

See what you are wearing and if a blanket is covering you.

Now imagine a well,

Dark and deep.

Look down into it.

There is a bucket hanging above the well on a chain.

Visualize yourself lowering the bucket into the well.

Watch as it moves into the darkness.

Now you can no longer see it.

Slowly begin to raise the bucket back up.

See it come out of the darkness and back into the light.

Ask yourself,

What am I thinking?

Do not think but become aware of the thought process,

Become a witness.

View yourself with a detached mind.

Do not attempt to analyze or become involved by judgment or condemnation.

Now awaken the feeling of lightness.

Imagine you are lying on your back in a grassy field staring up into the blue sky full of white fluffy clouds.

Feel as your body begins to take on their lightness.

Your body begins to feel as if it is made of cotton balls.

Your body seems to be floating away from what you are lying on.

Now awaken the feeling of heaviness.

Imagine you are walking through a damp forest full of huge trees,

Mossy boulders,

Muddy paths.

Your body begins to take on the heaviness of your surroundings as if your body were made of stone.

Your body seems to be nestling into the earth itself.

Now awaken the sensation of heat,

The experience of being hot.

Imagine you are lying on a huge flat boulder out in the desert sun.

You feel the boulder heat you from beneath while the sun covers you from above.

Feel how the whole body is hot inside and out.

Now awaken the sensation of cold,

A bitter cold in your body.

Imagine you are hiking up Mount Everest battling the whipping wind and deep snow.

Feel the cold radiating up from your frigid feet through the crown of your head and out your fingertips.

Now try to remember the experience of pain,

Mental or physical.

Recall something that made you hurt deeply either in your body or your heart and feel it now.

Now relive the feeling of pleasure,

Make it vivid.

Recall something that made you burst with joy and gratitude.

Your body feels happy and healed.

Now mentally repeat your Sankalpa affirmation again three times.

Relax and go deeper.

Remain alert and do not sleep.

Try to visualize these images I present to you.

Visualize them on the level of feeling,

Awareness and emotion.

Let each one appear like a slide on your mental screen.

View them all without involvement.

A flickering candle,

A weeping willow tree,

A car moving along a winding road,

A hawk soaring overhead,

A starlit night,

A full moon,

A sitting dog,

A sleeping cat,

An elephant herd moving across the plain,

A horse running at full speed,

The morning sun rising behind the mountains,

The evening sun setting behind the ocean,

A clear river rolling over the rocks,

A turquoise stone,

A perfect white tulip,

A red rose,

A solitary swan sailing across a big lake,

Chimney smoke rising from an old stone house in the woods,

The dawn of the day,

A yogi in deep meditation.

Become a witness of your awareness,

Not your body,

Not the senses and not your mind.

Nothing but awareness.

Become aware that you are observing yourself.

Look within and try to be aware of the one who is looking.

Now we will release our samskaras,

These negative mental impressions that make up our ego and are the root cause of tension,

Mental disturbance and disease.

Go into a space behind your forehead the yogis call the chittakasha.

In the chittakasha space there is a flaming light.

See that light within you now filling the entire space behind your forehead.

See it clearly burning bright and full.

Allow yourself to go deeper.

In the center of that bright light you will see a radiant golden egg,

Very bright,

Shimmering with beautiful smooth sides and an almost unearthly luminescence.

Repeat your sankalpa or affirmation again three times.

Finally relax all your efforts.

Gradually begin to draw your mind back outside and become aware of your breathing.

Gradually become aware of your surroundings again,

The room you are in,

What you are lying on.

Lie quietly for some time now and keep your eyes closed.

If you are heading towards sleep,

Begin to drop into that state.

If you are coming back to being awake,

Start moving your fingers and toes and gently stretching your body.

Do not rush to open your eyes.

Take time to bring yourself back.

Start with small movements and when you are sure that you are ready,

Slowly roll off onto your right side,

Sit up very slowly and softly open your eyes.

Feel a sense of connectedness and loving compassion to anyone around you and to all beings.

Go in peace of mind and body.

Arlois Cadbury

Reviews

Love this meditation, thanks Gina, so great to hear your voice again!

Thank you Gina. I drifted and drifted... very very deep.

This was a wonderful meditation. Namaste

I’ve been looking for a meditation like this for a long time. It is perfectly creative and has just the right level of loving guidance. Thank you, thank you.

I liked this one although it's rather fast-paced. Namaste!

Wonderful! Thank you!

Well paced, very centering and calming. Great job .
Thank you.

Excellent many 🙏🏼 thanks