Welcome to this Yoga Nidra practice.
Yoga Nidra or yogic sleep is a practice where we relax the body,
The mind and the nervous system.
We switch from fight or flight mode to rest and digest.
And it's perfect to do right before bed.
So make yourself as comfortable as possible.
Relax your body.
And before we begin the practice,
Set an intention for your practice.
We call this a sankalpa.
A seed you'll plant inside your mind.
Now state this sankalpa three times to plant it inside your mind.
Now bring your awareness to your breath.
Notice your breath as it moves in and out of your body.
Notice the inhale.
Notice the exhale.
Now bring your awareness from your breath.
To the very center of your forehead.
The center where we carry stress,
Tension.
Start to soften the forehead and completely relax it.
Now bring your awareness up to the very top of your head.
The back of your skull.
And bring your awareness now from the back of your head.
All the way to the bottom of your head.
Any tension here,
Completely relaxing it.
Bring your awareness now back to your forehead.
Over to your left eyebrow.
Your right eyebrow.
Down to your left eye.
The socket of the left eye.
Your eyelids.
Completely relax.
Now move that awareness over to the right eye.
Right eye socket.
Right eyelid.
The whole of the right eye,
Completely relaxed.
Bring your awareness back to the center of your nose.
Feel the inhale through the nose and the exhale.
As it completely relaxes your nose.
Now move your awareness down to your mouth.
Your lips.
Your chin.
And the whole of your jaw.
Loosen the grip of your jaw.
The whole of your mouth,
Completely relaxed.
Now move your awareness to the whole of your face.
Your left cheek.
Right cheek.
And the whole of your head is completely relaxed.
Move your awareness now down past the center of your throat.
Relaxing the whole of your neck.
Move this awareness down to the upper back.
Left shoulder.
Right shoulder.
Top of the left arm.
Down to the left elbow.
Left forearm.
The whole of your left hand is completely relaxed.
The thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Fourth finger.
Baby finger.
Each of your fingers completely relaxed.
Now slowly move your awareness down to your forehead.
And move your awareness back up to the top of the right arm.
Down to the right elbow.
Right forearm.
Right hand.
Right thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Fourth finger.
Baby finger.
The whole of the right hand is completely relaxed.
Now move your awareness back up to the center of your chest.
To the upper back.
Middle back.
Lower back.
The whole of the torso completely relaxed.
Move your awareness now past your heart center.
All the way down past your stomach center.
Down to the left hip.
The right hip.
The whole of your spine is completely relaxed.
Now move your awareness from the top of the left hip to the left thigh,
Left knee,
Left glute,
Left calf,
All the way down to the left ankle,
The whole left leg completely relaxed.
Bring awareness now to the left foot,
Left big toe,
Left second toe,
Middle toe,
Fourth toe,
And baby toe.
The whole of your left foot is completely relaxed.
Move your awareness now back up to the right hip.
Right thigh.
Right knee.
Right glute.
Down to the right calf.
And all the way down to the right ankle.
Bring awareness now to the right foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Middle toe.
Fourth toe.
And baby toe.
The whole of your right foot is completely relaxed.
Now imagine the whole of your body is completely relaxed.
Move your conscious awareness from the tips of your toes,
All the way up your legs,
Past your hips,
Heart center,
Throat center,
Up to the center of your face,
And the very top of your head.
Imagine the whole of your body completely heavy.
Completely relaxed.
Like it could just sink into the floorboards.
Now alternate from this feeling of complete heaviness to a feeling of lightness in your body.
Like you could start to float up towards the ceiling,
Out of the building,
And up into the clouds.
Now alternate between this feeling of heaviness,
And pure lightness.
The body is heavy.
The body is light.
Now remembering your intention or sankalpa,
You said at the start of the practice.
Just bring that in.
Bring that back into your mind.
Even if just for a second.
Now bring your awareness back into your breath.
Focus on the inhale.
And focus on the exhale.
Now imagining the whole of your body is completely relaxed and sinking into your bed.
Like you could just drift away.
Drift,
Drift,
Drift.
Now bring your awareness back into your body.
Notice the sounds you can hear close by and far away.
Notice the smells.
Notice the taste inside your mouth.
Notice what you can touch and feel around you.
The comfort of your bed underneath you.
And notice any colors underneath your eyelids.
Notice how your body feels now.
More present.
More calm.
And one last time,
Bring your sankalpa back into your mind.
Now let it go.
Let it float away.
And notice how your mind,
Your breath,
Your body all feel after practicing yogic sleep.
The ancient practice of yoga nidra.
Thank you for practicing with me.
Namaste.
