Yoga Nidra Meditation

Yoga Nidra, 'sleep of the yogis' is an ancient yogic science of relaxation. Yoga Nidra is an antidote to our modern life, a guided, systematic relaxation practice that allows you the opportunity to relax, replenish and renew. In this meditation practice, there is nothing required but to lay down and listen while you relax, heal and transform within every level of being.

Transcript

Prepare yourself for the practice of Yoga Nidra.

Yoga Nidra is often referred to as sleep of the yogis,

An ancient meditation practice that allows the body and mind to completely relax.

While consciousness remains active,

Experiencing a profound connection with your authentic self,

It brings about an incredible sense of clarity,

Quietness and calmness to the body and mind,

Allowing you to access your deeper states of consciousness.

Yoga Nidra is a systematic powerful meditation in which your body is completely still,

Allowing you to physically rest and restore.

Your breathing finds a steady rhythmic pattern enabling your mind to gently focus,

Relinquishing any need to control,

Holistically support your physical,

Neurological and subconscious requirements.

Yoga Nidra uniquely unravels our nervous system,

Which is the foundation of well-being.

Practicing on a regular basis,

You will feel truly connected physically,

Mentally and spiritually.

When your mind has detached from the busy chattering and your inner stillness has been awakened,

Illumination of the spirit can unfold.

This journey takes you through many levels of consciousness,

Beginning with the waking state,

Past the dreaming state and beyond deep sleep to the highest states of transcendence.

It is here that the seeds planted through your sankalpa come to fruition.

A sankalpa is an intention,

A resolve,

An affirmation that connects you to your highest truth.

It is made in the form of a short,

Concise,

Positive statement in the present tense.

You will silently repeat it at least three times.

See and feel it as though it's already happening.

You will be asked to do this at the beginning and the end of the practice of Yoga Nidra.

When the individual sankalpa is aligned with the cosmic sankalpa,

It orchestrates the infinite organizing power of the entire universe,

So that the individual intention becomes the cosmic intention,

And the cosmic intention becomes the individual intention.

In order for you to fully enjoy this practice,

You will need to lie comfortably on your back.

You may use pillows,

Cushions,

Bolsters as you require.

You should cover yourself with a blanket for optimal comfort and maybe use an eye pillow.

Begin the practice of Yoga Nidra by settling your body on the ground.

Take your time to make any final adjustments so that you can be completely comfortable and remain still during Yoga Nidra.

Your palms are faced upwards,

Eyes are softly closed.

Know that you can move if you become uncomfortable,

But that there is no need for movement during the practice.

So allow the body to settle and come into your stillness.

Becoming aware of the breath,

Take a few breaths that sound the exhale.

Let the exhale sigh out.

See if you can feel that with every one of those sighing exhales,

The body softens and releases a little more.

Witness the breath.

Noticing the expansion on the inhale and the softening on the exhale.

Be aware of this physical release.

Consciously experience how the body becomes heavier with every exhalation.

Feel you can give that weight to the earth that is supporting you.

Take a few more breaths,

Allowing the body to release further with each exhale.

Now watch the breath coming and going,

Rising and falling like the ebb and flow of a wave.

Follow the inhale as it enters the body.

Follow the exhale as it leaves the body.

Can you follow the whole path that the breath takes?

The inhalation as it comes in through the nose,

Travelling down the back of the throat,

Into the chest and into the belly.

The exhale rising from the belly,

Travelling back up and out,

Through the chest,

Through the throat and finally passing out of the nose.

Follow this full breath for a few more moments.

Now we begin the practice of Yoga Nidra.

During this practice the body rests completely while the awareness remains active.

Stay attentive to my instructions with effortless ease.

What is your heart's desire?

We will begin by looking for a sankalpa.

A sankalpa is a positive resolve,

Intention or affirmation which is repeated at the beginning and the end of Yoga Nidra.

See if you can look inside and find something that feels relevant to you right now.

A sankalpa is like sowing a seed deep into the subconscious mind.

Express it in a short,

Concise,

Positive sentence that is phrased in the present tense.

Don't worry if nothing occurs to you.

Just leave space for something to arise in the future.

If you did find your sankalpa then take time to repeat it to yourself three times now.

Now we come to the part of the practice called the rotation of consciousness.

During this practice I will name the parts of the body in sequence.

It's not necessary to physically move the body.

Only a subtle movement of your awareness is required.

As I name a part of the body bring your mind's eye to it.

Visualize it,

Feel it,

Sense it.

It may be helpful to repeat what I say to yourself silently.

We will start with the right hand thumb.

Visualize,

Feel,

Be completely aware of the right hand thumb.

First finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger.

The five fingers together.

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Right armpit.

The side of the chest,

The side of the waist,

The hip.

Front of the thigh,

Back of the thigh.

Front of the knee,

Back of the knee.

Shin,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

The five toes together.

The whole of the foot,

The whole of the right side of the body.

Awareness of the whole of the right side of the body.

Now take your awareness to the left hand thumb.

Visualize,

Feel,

Be completely aware of the left hand thumb.

First finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger.

The five fingers together.

The palm of the hand,

The back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Left armpit.

The side of the chest,

The side of the waist,

Hip.

Front of the thigh,

Back of the thigh.

Front of the knee,

Back of the knee.

Shin,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

The five toes together.

The whole of the foot,

The whole of the left side of the body.

Awareness of the whole of the left side of the body.

Take your awareness to the front of the body,

To the two collarbones.

The upper chest,

The lower ribs,

The upper belly,

Navel,

Lower belly,

Groin.

Take your awareness to the back of the body,

The two buttocks,

The lower back,

The centre of the back,

The upper back and shoulder blades.

The tops of the shoulders,

The back of the neck,

The back of the head,

The top of the head,

The right side of the head,

The right ear,

The left side of the head,

The left ear,

The forehead.

Nose,

Tip of the nose,

Chin,

Throat,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Right temple,

Left temple.

The space between the eyebrows.

Top of the lip,

The bottom lip,

The two lips together.

Awareness of the tongue,

Teeth,

Gums,

The whole of the mouth,

The whole of the head.

Awareness of the whole of the head.

Awareness of the right arm,

Awareness of the left arm,

Awareness of the two arms together.

Awareness of the right leg,

Awareness of the left leg,

Awareness of the two legs together.

Awareness of the two legs and the two arms together.

Awareness of the whole body.

Awareness of the whole body.

Awareness of the whole body.

Now see if you can experience the feeling of heaviness within the body.

Can you feel that the body is really heavy?

The body is so heavy that you feel as though it sinks into the floor.

Can you experience the body feeling really heavy?

And now can you experience the body feeling really light?

The body is so light that it feels as though it floats up from the floor.

Can you almost feel the space between the body and the floor as the light body floats up?

Can you experience the body feeling really light?

Can you experience the body feeling heavy?

So heavy that it sinks into the floor.

Can you experience the body feeling light?

So light it flows up off the floor.

Can you experience the body feeling heavy?

Can you experience the body feeling light?

Heavy,

Light,

Heavy,

Light.

Can you experience the body feeling both heavy and light?

Leave these sensations and start to come back to the awareness of the breath.

The breath as it comes into the body and the breath as it leaves the body.

Watch the inhale as it comes in.

Watch the exhale as it goes out.

And now we will count the breaths.

We're going to count silently to yourself.

Counting down from 27 to 1.

When you feel ready,

Watch the inhale and silently count to yourself 27.

Exhale 27.

Inhale 26.

Exhale 26.

Inhale 25.

Exhale 25.

And on in that way all the way down to 1.

If you lose count,

If you drift off then come back to 27 and start again.

It is part of the practice that if you lose count or drift off you come back to the number 27 and start again.

Be with that practice for a little while.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Whatever number you come to,

Let go of the counting now.

Come to be aware of the internal space behind the eyelids.

The chidicasse.

It may be that this space seems really close or seems to stretch into infinity.

Gaze into this space and visualize a flower slowly unfurling its petals and coming into bloom.

A flower slowly unfurling its petals and coming into bloom.

A pear ripening on the branch.

A pear ripening on the branch.

A spring bubbling up out of the ground.

A field of grass sparkling with dew in the early morning.

Storm clouds,

Dark and grey and heavy with rain.

Waves lapping at the sandy shore.

A golden field of wheat ripening under a warm summer sun.

Recall your sankalpa.

Remember the seeds of a resolve sown in a relaxed mind will certainly bear fruit.

If you have a sankalpa,

Repeat it at least three times to yourself right now with absolute conviction.

Picture yourself living your heartfelt desire right now with total involvement.

Experience the feelings in your body.

Picture it in your mind and bring it to life with texture,

Colour,

Smells and tastes as well as feelings.

Remember if you do not have a sankalpa just leave space for one will surely appear when the time is right.

Unwind all efforts.

Draw your mind outside.

Become aware of your breathing.

Become aware of your surroundings.

The room that you're in.

Do not open your eyes.

Lie quietly until your mind is completely awake and externalised.

When you are sure that you are wide awake,

Turn the body to the right side.

Using your hands to help you sit up slowly.

Rubbing your hands,

Massage the face gently and slowly open your eyes.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

Hari Om Tat Sat.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

You

Reviews

This is one of my favorite Yoga Nedra meditations. The introduction is very good. And now that I have listened to this a few times I skip forward. Thank you

Superb Yoga Nidra guided meditation -- transporting and affirming of heartfelt intention.

Such a beautiful and descriptive yoga nidra 🕉

Very relaxing 🙏🏻🌺🦋

Love it 💙💛💚 not sure I want you hear the introduction over and over though. Even if it is a good one. Thank you!

Lovely calming voice. Really explained and shared her knowledge of yoga Nidra

Lovely! Thank you so very much!🙏🏻❤️🕉

Thank you for a lovely session. I feel very calm now. ?

Excellent yoga nidra practice thank you

Classic yoga nidra. Very relaxing! Explanation at the start great for begginers. It would be helpful to spend longer at the end bringing yourself back to surroundings and wakefulness though! Thank you

Enjoyed very much...thank you~~

I felt a realise at the end of counting that led to a fresh outlook.