Yoga Nidra Chidakasha

Yoga Nidra means sleep with a trace of awareness. It is the state of mind in between wakefulness and dreaming. This Yoga Nidra is for everyone. A great introduction if this is your first time practicing Yoga Nidra. Find a quiet room, close windows and doors. Turn off distractions. Get comfy as I guide you through a relaxing journey. Do not control your breath or try to concentrate, just listen. Now try to stay awake and do not sleep as you follow along mentally.

Transcript

Get ready for yoga nidra.

Lie down in shavasana,

The dead man's pose,

And make yourself as comfortable as possible.

Keep your feet apart and let them flop a little sideways,

Arms slightly away from the body with the palms of your hands up.

Adjust your blanket,

Clothes,

And position so that you can practice yoga nidra without moving and with no physical discomfort.

Please close your eyes and keep them closed.

The practice of yoga nidra is the act of hearing and the act of feeling.

These are the only important factors.

In yoga nidra,

You function on the level of awareness plus the level of listening.

In dreams,

You have no control.

In yoga nidra,

You are the creator of the dream.

Say to yourself mentally,

I will not sleep.

I shall only listen to the voice.

Repeat to yourself,

I will not sleep.

Give yourself some time to become calm and steady.

Take a deep breath and as you breathe in,

Feel the calmness spreading throughout the body.

As you breathe out,

Say to yourself mentally,

Relax.

Become aware of the sounds in the distance.

Become aware of the most distant sounds that you can hear.

Let your sense of hearing operate like a radar beam,

Searching out distant sounds and following them for a few seconds.

Move your attention from sound to sound without attempting to identify the source.

Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds,

To sounds outside the building,

And then to sounds inside the building.

Now develop your awareness of this room.

Without opening your eyes,

Visualize the four walls,

The ceiling,

The floor,

Your body laying on the floor.

See your body laying on the floor.

Become aware of the existence of your physical body laying on the floor,

Total awareness of your body lying in perfect stillness.

Your body is lying on the floor.

Develop your awareness of all the physical meeting points between your body and the floor.

Become aware of the natural breath.

Become aware of the deep,

Natural,

Spontaneous breath.

Do not concentrate for this will interfere with the natural process.

Keep on listening to me and know that you are breathing.

The practice of yoga nidra begins now.

Say mentally to yourself,

I am going to practice yoga nidra.

I will not sleep.

I am going to practice yoga nidra.

This is the time to make your resolve,

Your sankalpa or your affirmation.

Something simple,

A simple resolve.

Please state your resolve clearly with feeling and awareness three times mentally.

Rotate your consciousness through the different centers of the body as quickly as possible.

The awareness has to jump from point to point.

Please repeat mentally the name of each part after me and simultaneously become aware of that part.

The practice always begins with the right hand.

Right hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Lower arm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Arm pit.

Waist.

Hip.

Right thigh.

Knee.

Calf muscle.

Ankle.

Heel.

Soul.

Top of the foot.

Right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Left hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Rest.

Lower arm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Arm pit.

Waist.

Hip.

Left thigh.

Knee.

Calf muscle.

Ankle.

Shoulder.

Ankle.

Heel.

Soul.

Top of the foot.

Left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Right shoulder.

Left shoulder.

Right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Right buttock.

Left buttock.

The spine.

The whole back together.

The whole back together.

Top of the head.

Forehead.

Right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

The eyebrow center.

The eyebrow center.

Right eyelid.

Left eyelid.

Left eyelid.

Right eye.

Left eye.

Right ear.

Left ear.

Right cheek.

Left cheek.

Nose.

Tip of the nose.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Chin.

Jaw.

Throat.

Right collarbone.

Left collarbone.

Right chest.

Left chest.

Middle of the chest.

Navel.

Abdomen.

Lower abdomen.

Whole of the chest.

The whole of the chest.

Whole of the right leg.

Whole of the left leg.

Both legs together.

Whole of the right arm.

Whole of the left arm.

Both arms together.

Whole of the back.

Whole of the front.

Whole of the head.

Together.

Legs.

Arms.

Back.

Front.

Head.

Together.

The whole of the body together.

The whole of the body together.

The whole of the body together.

The whole of the body together.

The whole of the body the whole of the body together.

Develop awareness of the whole body and become aware of the space occupied by the body.

Become aware of the body and this space that is occupied by your body.

Become aware of the whole body in space.

Become aware of the whole body and the floor.

The whole body in relation to the floor.

And at the same time,

Become aware of the meeting points of the body and the floor.

These are very subtle physical points between body and floor.

Feel the meeting points between the back of your head and the floor.

The blades and the floor.

The elbows and the floor.

The back of the hands and the floor.

The buttocks and the floor.

The calves and the floor.

The heels and the floor.

Awareness of all meeting points between the body and the floor.

The sensation of all points simultaneously,

Evenly.

Go on feeling these points clearly and distinctly.

Please do not sleep.

Continue.

Switch your attention to the eyelids.

Feel the narrow line of meeting between the upper and lower eyelids.

Feel the sharp points where they meet.

Intensify your awareness between the eyelids and then the lips.

Center your attention on the line between the lips.

The space between the lips.

From the lips we go to the breath.

Draw your attention to the natural ingoing and outgoing breath.

Feel the breath moving along the passage between the navel and the throat.

On inhalation it rises from the navel to the throat.

On exhalation it descends from the throat to the navel.

Be completely aware of the breath.

Navel to throat.

Throat to navel.

Do not try to force the breath.

Just awareness.

Maintain your awareness and at the same time start counting your breaths backwards as follows.

I am breathing in fifty-four.

I am breathing out fifty-four.

I am breathing in fifty-three.

I am breathing out fifty-three.

I am breathing in fifty-two.

I am breathing out fifty-two.

And so on from fifty-four to one.

Count to yourself mentally as you follow the rise and fall of your breath from navel to throat and back again.

Total awareness of breathing and counting.

The breathing is slow and relaxed.

Please continue counting.

Awaken the feeling of heaviness in the body.

The feeling of heaviness.

Become aware of heaviness in every single part of the body.

You're feeling so heavy that you are sinking into the floor.

Awareness of heaviness.

Awareness of heaviness.

Awaken the feeling of lightness.

Awaken the feeling of lightness.

A sensation of lightness and weightlessness in all parts of the body.

Your body feels so light that it seems to be floating away from the floor.

Awareness of lightness.

The experience of cold.

Awaken the experience of bitter cold in the body.

Imagine you are walking on a cold floor in winter.

Your feet feel very cold.

You feel cold all over.

Awareness of coldness.

Awareness of coldness.

Awaken the sensation of heat.

Awaken the experience of heat.

The whole body is hot.

The whole body is hot.

You feel hot all over.

Recollect the feeling of heat in the summer when you're out in the sun with no shade.

Heat all over the body.

Heat all around the body.

Awareness of heat.

The experience of pain.

Concentrate and try to remember the experience of pain.

Any pain you have experienced in your life,

Mental,

Physical,

Recollect the feeling of pain.

Recollect the feeling of pleasure.

Any kind of pleasure,

Physical or mental.

Recollect this feeling and relive it,

Make it vivid.

Awaken the feeling of pleasure.

Check that you are awake.

Are you drowsy or sleepy?

Make sure that you are not sleeping.

Say to yourself,

I am awake.

Withdraw your mind and concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyes.

The space we call Chidakasha.

Imagine before you a transparent screen through which you can see infinite space.

A space that extends as far as the eyes can see.

Concentrate on this dark space and become aware of any phenomena that manifests within it.

Whatever you see is the manifesting state of your mind.

Continue your awareness of this space,

But do not become involved.

Practice detached awareness only.

Imagine yourself in a park in the early morning.

The sun has not risen and the park is deserted except for yourself.

It is a beautiful park,

Calm and peaceful.

Walk across the springy grass.

Listen to the birds whistle and call as they welcome in the new day.

There are gardens of flowers,

Roses,

Yellow,

Pink,

Red,

Purple.

Smell their fragrance and see the early morning dew drops on their petals.

Nearby the rose garden is a fish pond.

Goldfish swim in and out amongst the water lilies.

See their graceful movements.

You walk between trees,

Beautiful trees,

Bare trees and trees with leaves,

Widespreading trees and tall stately trees.

There is a clearing between the trees.

The clearing is a small temple with an aura of light around it.

Go to the door.

It is cool and dim inside.

Inside on the walls there are pictures of great saints.

You sit down on the floor,

Close your eyes and become still.

A sense of deep peace and harmony envelops you as the sounds inside and outside fade into the distance.

Continue your awareness of meditation inside the temple.

Stay there for some time until peace and harmony pervade.

Bring your awareness back to Chidakasha.

Bring your awareness to the dark space you see in front of your closed eyes.

Actually this space can also be visualized in front of the forehead.

If you want to explore it a little you can shift your gaze slightly upwards but do not strain.

Watch the darkness that you see before you very carefully with detachment.

Do not become involved.

Rest your mind on this warm and friendly darkness.

If any subtle phenomena manifest,

For example colors or patterns,

Simply take note of these and continue with your awareness.

If thoughts come,

Let them come but let them go.

Continue watching the space.

Continue with a detached awareness.

Now remember your resolve,

Your sankalpa.

Repeat the same resolve you made at the beginning of the practice in the same words and with the same attitude.

Repeat your resolve three times clearly with feeling and emphasis.

Become aware of your breathing.

Become aware of your natural breathing.

Awareness of breathing and awareness of relaxation.

Develop awareness of your physical existence.

Become aware of your arms and legs and your body lying stretched out on the floor.

Become aware of meeting points between your body and the floor.

Develop awareness of the room,

Walls,

Ceiling,

Noises in the room,

Noises outside.

Take your mind out,

Become completely external.

Lie quietly for a few moments,

Keep your eyes closed.

Start moving your body and stretching yourself.

Please take your time,

Do not hurry.

When you are sure that you are wide awake,

Sit up slowly and open your eyes.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

Hari Om Tat Sat.

Reviews

Straightforward no frills yoga nidra. Just right

Her enchanting voice penetrated the deeper layers of my being. It was a profoundly sweet experience. Love this teacher.

Very clear and pleasant

This was wonderful to experience. Thank you!

Fantastic!

Amazing - thank you ✨🙏🏼✨

Deep relaxation. Soft voice. Energy uplifting.

Love this meditation

Thank you 🙏

A stunning meditation, I will be using this often as part of my yoga practice.

Great pace for nidra that really keeps you from over focusing so your mind can actually let go!

Very relaxing. Thank you!

Beautiful yoga nidra from the Satyananda teachings. Recommend!