Yoga Nidra - Taking Flight

Yoga Nidra is often referred to as "yogic sleep". I don't like to use the word sleep, though. In yoga nidra you hover on the edge of consciousness... not quite awake, but not sleeping! In that very powerful, receptive state you can affect great change in your psyche. Join me on this journey and take flight!

Transcript

Hello,

Everyone.

Welcome to Yoga Nidra.

Take a few seconds,

Get settled on your mat.

If you need pillows,

A blanket,

Or anything else to be comfortable for the next 30 minutes or so,

Now is the time.

Set it up.

If you need to hit pause in order to go get anything so you can be as comfortable as possible,

Please do so.

And then you can hit play again when you're ready.

Once you're set up,

Lay down,

Get comfortable.

Shift and move a little to let your body settle deeper into the ground.

There is a Sanskrit word,

Shamatha,

Which means to come to rest,

To settle.

Like drops of water that start high in the mountains and are always trying to come down to the lowest point so they can be still.

Let your body sink into the floor.

Be comforted that at this time,

Everything is okay.

Nothing else matters right now.

There is nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Take this moment to simply feel your body and listen.

Do not worry if you do not hear everything I say.

In this practice,

It is natural to flow in and out of conscious hearing.

The deepest part of you,

Your core self,

Is always listening.

Whatever you experience today,

This practice will still work.

There's no way to do this wrong.

Simply listen without trying too hard.

You are in a safe environment,

A protected space.

Come into stillness now and remain still for deep rest,

Deep nourishment.

Feel your natural breath.

Allow your bones to become heavy.

Feel your bones heavy and sinking into the earth.

Go deep inside now.

Send your attention to the center of your chest,

Your heart.

Notice the upper left corner of your heart.

Keep your attention there.

Breathe into that space.

In yoga tradition,

This is where the true self,

The Atman,

Resides.

Connect.

Connect with your true self and ask,

What does my true self desire?

Create a sankalpa,

An intention,

Affirmation based on your heart's longing.

A positive statement in the present tense,

As though it's already happening.

For example,

I flow through life with ease and peace.

Take a moment.

Create your own intention.

State it three times silently as though it's already happening.

Now,

Allow your awareness to travel through your body on a journey of sensation.

Simply notice each part as it's mentioned.

Remain still.

Welcome all sensation just as it is.

Begin with your mouth.

Feel your mouth.

Feel sensation in your mouth.

Feel your jaw,

Lips,

Upper lip,

Lower lip.

Notice where the lips touch.

Feel the inside of the mouth,

Roof,

Under tongue,

Upper teeth.

Roof,

Under tongue,

Upper teeth,

And gums,

Lower teeth,

And gums.

Tongue,

Root of the tongue,

Center of the tongue,

Tip.

Notice sense of taste in the mouth.

Feel the left inner cheek,

Right inner cheek.

Now feel all the parts together as a whole.

Feel your mouth as sensation,

As energy,

As radiant vibration.

Feel your nose.

Notice the nostrils,

Left nostril,

Right nostril,

Both nostrils.

Notice the breath,

Nasal passages.

Follow nasal passages all the way back into your head.

Become aware of your ears,

Right ear,

Left ear.

Both ears simultaneously.

Feel the wrinkles and folds of the ears,

The backs of the ears,

Ear lobes,

Ear canals.

Follow the ear canals into the inner ear.

Notice your ears receiving sound,

Listening.

Feel your ears hearing.

Feel your eyes,

Left eye,

Right eye,

Both eyes together.

Notice eyelids and feel each eyelash.

Notice where the eyelids touch.

Become aware of the surface of the eyes.

The centers of the eyes,

The backs of your eyes.

And feel your eyes now as energy,

Radiant,

Glowing embers.

Bring awareness to your crown,

Forehead,

Face.

Feel your whole head.

Feel your neck,

Back of your neck.

Sides of your neck,

Throat.

Notice your right palm,

Thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger.

And feel your whole hand alive with energy.

Feel your wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm.

Whole shoulder.

Notice the notch at the base of your throat.

Notice your left palm,

Thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger.

Feel your whole hand alive and filled with sensation.

Feel your left wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm.

Whole shoulder.

Notice the notch at the base of your throat.

Become aware of the upper chest,

Upper back,

Shoulder blades.

Feel your heart center.

Notice your abdomen,

Ribs on the back,

Solar plexus.

Feel your belly,

Navel center,

Pelvis,

Hips.

Feel your right hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Calf,

Ankle,

Toe.

Sole of the foot,

Whole foot.

Feel again the pelvis,

Left hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Foot,

Toes,

Sole,

Whole foot.

Notice both feet.

Feel your root between your sitting bones,

Navel center,

Solar plexus,

Heart center,

Throat center,

Third eye between the brows.

Feel now the back body resting on the earth.

Bring awareness of your whole body back as sensation alive with vibration.

Feel now the front body filled with radiant vibration.

Filled with radiant vibration.

Pour your awareness like liquid into the right side of your body.

Feel the right side.

Pour your awareness like flowing sensors into the left side.

Feel the left side.

Feel the midline.

Feel your body as a whole.

Complete entity.

Feel sensation throughout your entire body.

Notice your breath.

Your natural breath as it flows through your body.

Feel your breath as it comes in.

Feel the breath as it goes out.

As you exhale,

Imagine a wave passing downward through your body,

Carrying away tensions.

As you inhale,

A fresh wave flows upward through your whole body,

Bringing sense of calm to every cell.

As you exhale,

Wave flowing downward through your body,

Carrying away fears.

Inhale,

Fresh wave upward,

Bringing serenity and peace.

Imagine the feeling of warmth as sunlight kisses your face.

Let that feeling spread down the front side of your body.

Imagine a cool breeze carrying the sense of grass and wildflowers on a warm spring day.

In your mind's eye,

See an azure blue sky above you.

Soft,

White clouds drift by on the wind.

Notice how the sun and the sky completely re-energize you and fill you with positivity.

You realize you're lying on your back at the top of a hill.

Bright green grasses cushion you.

And a tiny,

Tiny white flowers are everywhere,

Almost like snowflakes in the grass.

As you sit up,

You see rolling green hills spread out before you,

Shining in the sun.

On the horizon,

You can see where the hills drop down to meet the sea.

You stand up and begin to walk slowly across the hilltop.

The sun warms your shoulders as you wander.

Gazing at the distant sea,

You can see tiny shapes of seabirds as they dive and swoop.

One shape in particular catches your eye.

It's different than the others.

As you watch,

It gracefully swoops and glides,

Dancing on the up currents,

Coming closer and closer to you.

Its aerial dance fills you with a sense of wonder and peace.

You realize this is not a bird at all.

It is a beautiful,

White dragon.

Its scales shimmer in the sun.

Long,

White streamers trail behind it,

Coming from its mane and its wings.

Its dance carries it high up in the sky,

Disappearing for a moment into the bright ball of the sun,

Then back down into view.

With a beat of its wings,

It sends itself towards you,

Landing gracefully on the hilltop only a few steps away.

You approach the creature.

It looks at you with crystal blue eyes that are filled with intelligence,

Peace,

And love.

You look at the creature.

It looks at you with crystal blue eyes that are filled with intelligence,

Peace,

And love.

It bows its head,

Dips its shoulder,

And offers you to climb onto its back.

With a great sense of joy,

You do.

Grasping its mane with both hands and hugging tightly,

Your heart leaps as the dragon takes into the sky.

You fly up,

Dipping and soaring.

Fresh air fills your lungs,

And the scent of the sea fills you with energy.

You fly higher still.

For a brief moment,

You fly into a cloud,

The droplets of moisture softly spraying your cheeks.

Then you come out above the cloud itself.

The sun shines down,

And it looks like a sea of white and gold.

You hug tightly to the beautiful dragon and thank him for such an amazing gift.

You close your eyes and feel the sun and the air and the energy of the whole world as you soar through the clouds.

Eventually,

You notice you are back on the hilltop.

The grass cushions your back,

And the sunlight warms your face.

You smile as you remember your journey.

Now,

Remember what your true self desires.

Remember your statement.

Remember your statement.

Repeat it again three times as the present truth.

Three times to yourself.

It is the truth.

Notice the backside of your body against the earth.

Feel all the places where you touch the ground.

Feel the pressure of that contact.

Feel your connection with the earth.

Notice the front side of your body facing skyward.

Notice all of the space surrounding you.

Let your body expand wider into the space that surrounds you.

Notice your breath.

Feel its rhythm and pace.

Start to come back into your body.

Before moving,

Sense your fingers and just imagine them moving.

Now,

Begin to wiggle your fingers,

Feeling every sensation as you do.

Notice your toes.

Begin to wiggle your toes.

Gently rock your head side to side.

A slow awakening.

Draw a deep breath into your belly,

Into your chest.

Rock slowly over to your right side.

Come into a fetal position.

Imagine that you are water and pressing your left palm into the floor.

Flow like a river up to a comfortable seated position.

Lengthen your spine.

Take a full breath in and out.

As you exhale,

Imagine filling with divine light.

Bring your hands into namaskar prayer position.

Thumbs right over the heart center.

Notice how you feel right now.

Notice the effects of your relaxation practice.

May the long time sun shine upon you.

All love surround you and the pure light within you guide your way on.

Ever so slowly,

Allow your eyes to open to a soft gaze on the floor.

Have an amazing rest of your day.

Namaste.