Flowing Series: Yoga Nidra

Welcome to Green Lotus Studios.

For this practice we'll be exploring yoga nidra with theme of water linking to svadhisthana chakra,

The sacral chakra.

Coming to lie down in shavasana,

Lying on your back,

Traditionally with the heels slightly wider than the hips so the feet can flop out to the sides.

If this isn't comfortable you can bend at the knees and place the feet flat to the floor.

Typically it's more comfortable if the feet are as wide as the mat and the knees can drop in together to be supported.

Alternatively you can place a cushion or a bolster under the knees to relieve any tension in the lower back.

Arms traditionally are around 45 degrees away from the body,

Palms face up in order to allow the shoulders and the shoulder blades to release and relax down to the floor.

If this isn't comfortable you can have palms face down or alternatively you can bend at the elbows,

Placing the hands in contact with the body,

Noticing the contact the body is having with the mat beneath,

Allowing your consciousness to drop into the whole of the back of the body,

Noticing all the points of contact,

Connecting the back of the body with the mat and the floor beneath,

Noticing the contact of the heels,

The calves and the thighs,

Contact of the buttocks against the mat,

Parts of the back and shoulders in contact with the mat,

Arms and hands in contact with the mat,

The floor or perhaps your own body and noticing the heavy weight of the head resting on the mat beneath.

I invite you to become aware of sounds,

Listening to the sounds you may hear outside of the room you're practicing in,

Sending your awareness as far as you can,

Listening to the furthest sounds that are available this evening and take into consideration the spaces and silence between these sounds and then allowing your awareness to return into this room,

The room that you are practicing in and listening to the sounds you may hear within this room as well as the silence and stillness between sounds,

Allowing your awareness to drop in deeper still,

Listening to the sounds you can hear within your own body,

This might be sounds of digestion,

Sounds of the heartbeat,

Sounds of the breath,

Noticing here the cooler temperature as you inhale and allow that observation of cooler temperature spread to the cooler temperature you can feel on areas of exposed skin of the face,

Hands,

Arms,

Legs perhaps and noticing the lightness,

The coolness,

The gentle touch of air against the skin and here we'll contrast to the warmth and weight of the contact of clothing and covers covering the body and feel into that weight of the material laying on your body and notice the weight of the body as it lays on the floor and noticing the contrast between the warmth and weight of the layers and clothing and the lightness and coolness of the air against the skin,

Allowing that awareness to travel back to the entrance to the nostrils and on the next inhale allow the awareness to travel up into the top of the nose,

The eyebrow center.

Here I invite you to repeat your sankalpa.

A sankalpa is a positive statement of intent.

If you have a sankalpa you're currently working with then you can repeat that to yourself three times.

Alternatively you can use the sankalpa I have suggested.

The statement we will use for this practice is I move easily and effortlessly.

Please repeat your sankalpa three times.

I move easily and effortlessly.

Leaving the sankalpa here and allowing your awareness to drop into the whole of the body,

Feeling the sensations of the weight of the body lying on the mat,

Noticing the ebb and flow of breathing as we move into our rotation of awareness around the body.

Here I will name various areas of the body.

I invite you to repeat the name to yourself internally as you draw your full and complete attention to the area that is being named.

As I guide you around the body please follow along to the best of your ability.

If you notice that your mind has wandered or you've slipped off to sleep that's not a problem.

Once you become aware simply continue where we are bringing your full attention to the part of the body and repeating its name to yourself mentally.

Bringing your awareness to the right side of the body.

Awareness dropping into the right hand and we'll begin our rotation of awareness with the right hand thumb.

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of hand,

The wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Right side of the body,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Calf,

Right ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and fifth toe.

Allowing your awareness now to drift over to the left side of the body.

Full awareness into the left hand and we will continue our rotation of awareness with the left hand thumb.

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Left side of the body,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Calf,

Left ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and fifth toe.

Allow your awareness now to sink into the back of the body.

The right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Right side of the back,

Left side of the back,

The right buttock,

Left buttock,

The sacrum resting on the floor,

The spine lifting out of the sacrum all the way to the back of the head,

Forehead,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Tip of the nose,

The lips,

The chin,

Throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

The whole of the rib cage,

The diaphragm,

Abdomen,

Navel,

The pelvis and the pelvic floor.

Bringing your awareness now to the whole right leg,

The whole left leg and both legs together,

The whole right arm,

The whole left arm and both arms together.

Awareness now of the whole back body,

The whole of the front of the body,

The head and neck.

Awareness now to the whole body,

The whole body lying on the floor practicing yoga nidra.

Allowing your awareness to return to the breath,

Watching the inhale and exhale of breathing.

We'll move into the breath practice portion of our yoga nidra.

Here we will count from 27 to 1.

Each inhale and exhale is one count.

If you lose count or you reach 1,

Simply returning back to 27.

We'll begin together,

Breathing in 27,

Breathing out 27,

Breathing in 26,

Breathing out 26.

Continuing in this way,

Counting the breath.

If you reach 1,

Returning back to 27 and if you found that your mind has wandered,

You've slipped off to sleep or you've lost count,

That's not a problem.

Simply return back to 27 and begin again counting the breath.

Releasing the count wherever you are and returning back to watching the simple natural ebb and flow of breathing.

And we'll move into the rapid images portion of our yoga nidra.

Here I will name images or objects.

I invite you if it's comfortable to visualize or have a memory of this image.

Taking what resonates and leaving what doesn't.

Trying to follow along to the best of your ability.

Orange circle.

Six petaled lotus flower.

Dark sky at night.

Sleeping crocodile.

Water flowing over smooth pebbles.

Creative expression.

Twinkling stars.

Waterfall.

Deep connection.

Crescent moon.

Pleasant morning.

Boat on the ocean.

The shape of your pelvis.

Orange sunset.

A refreshing glass of water.

The feeling of joy.

Cloudless sky.

Dancing in the rain.

A state of flow.

Your body lying on the floor.

Your body lying on the floor practicing yoga nidra.

Allowing your awareness to return back to the entrance to the nostrils.

Noticing the inhale and the exhale.

Following your next inhalation.

Allowing your awareness to travel up to the brow center.

Where we repeat our sankalpa once together.

I move easily and effortlessly.

Allowing the observation of the cool air at the nostrils.

Return your awareness to feeling the sensations of the cooler air on the face and the arms.

Perhaps the feet.

Any areas of exposed skin.

Noticing that cool temperature.

That light touch of air.

And then the contrast between this and the weight and temperature of clothing and covers.

Covering various parts of body.

Noticing the difference in temperature.

The contrast between the two.

The coolness and the warmth.

And then allowing your awareness to feel into the weight of the body.

The full weight of the body lying on the floor.

As you breathe in.

Feeling as though you can fill the whole body with your inhale.

And release the air out of the whole body on your exhale.

And noticing the sound of the breath as it moves in and out of the body in this way.

We begin to externalize.

Moving from the internal to the external.

We start with the sounds we can hear within the body.

The sound of the breath.

Heartbeat.

And moving into the awareness of sounds occurring in the room around you.

Noticing any sounds and the spaces between the sounds.

Remembering the room that you're in.

The room you're practicing yoga nidra.

Remembering the floor and ceiling above and the walls around you.

Allowing your awareness to travel beyond the room out into the street below.

As you further draw from the internal to the external.

Allowing your awareness to travel as far as you're able to hear.

Drifting from sound to sound as you further externalize the body.

We can complete our externalization by making some small movements starting with the extremities of the body.

The fingers and toes.

Perhaps giving them a little wiggle.

Maybe rolling the head from side to side.

When you're ready bigger movements will feel appropriate.

You may want to take the arms overhead.

Reaching and stretching.

Maybe a yawn occurs naturally here and you can allow that to come.

You may want to draw the knees into chest.

Wrap the arms around and give yourself a hug.

Massage through the back by rolling across the floor and take some time to explore any movements that feel appropriate.

Listening to the body and moving in a way that feels right for you today.

Perhaps a twist.

Coming into a bridge.

Maybe the soles of the feet come together and the knees flop out to the sides.

You may want to take the knees in each hand and make circles.

Whatever feels appropriate for you to bring some movement.

Waking up the body and bringing yourself out of the practice of yoga nidra.

I invite you to draw the knees into chest and if it feels appropriate you can rock forwards and backwards to find yourself eventually up to seated.

If this isn't appropriate you can roll over to one side using the hands to push yourself up to sit.

Keeping the eyes closed or the gaze lowered just for a moment.

We'll close the class with a single chant of OM.

You're welcome to join in or simply listen to the recording.

Bringing the hands into prayer position in front of the chest.

Anjoli mudra.

Noticing the breath as you inhale and exhale.

We'll chant together following the next inhalation.

Breathing in.

The practice of yoga nidra has come to an end.

Thank you very much for joining me and I'll see you next time.