Yoga Nidra Meditation - Drift Off To Sleep

Welcome,

Dear one,

To this yoga nidra session designed to help you deeply connect with your body and breath,

Making it easy to relax and release any troubles or worries from the day,

Helping you to be present so you may enter the doorway to your subconscious mind,

Where new habits and behaviors can be formed and old ones can melt away.

My name is Kari J.

Mitchell-Polka and I will be your guide on this nidra journey tonight.

At this time,

I'd love to invite you to take a few moments to get comfortable in a space where it is safe for you to let go and simply be,

Maybe even eventually drift off to sleep.

As this practice is best done in the supine position of savasana,

Please lay down with your body straight from head to toe,

Your legs and arms slightly apart and away from the body,

With the palms of your hands turned upwards.

Take a moment to just witness whatever is there and adjust anything that might interfere with your total relaxation and comfort.

Cover yourself with a blanket if needed and loosen any tight or restrictive clothing.

As we move deeper into this session,

You will want to be sure that there is no physical movement in your body,

So please make any final movements now so your body can more deeply let go.

Your mind can more gently relax and you can more easily welcome stillness.

So when you're ready,

Draw your eyes to a close and invite them to remain closed at least until the session concludes.

And even though your eyes are closed and eventually you might even drift off to sleep,

I encourage you to attempt to stay awake for as much of the session as possible,

Allowing yourself to relax though remain aware as to receive the greatest benefit and gift from this nidra session.

So now that you are laying down with your eyes closed,

Go ahead and bring your awareness to your breath.

Just simply notice your breath and how it flows in and out of your body.

Notice as you bring your awareness to your breath,

How it naturally and organically begins to slow,

Soften,

And deepen.

As you breathe intentionally,

Release any clenching in your jaw or tension in your face.

Let go of the gripping in your shoulders,

Hips,

Buttocks,

Or thighs.

Just breathing and releasing,

Breathing and releasing,

Breathing and releasing.

Now if at any time you find that your thoughts are coming to disturb your peace and relaxation,

Do not worry or allow yourself to become distracted for too long.

Instead,

Intentionally call your awareness back to the sound of my voice.

Continuously return to the practice of yoga nidra and the sound of my voice.

Just breathing and relaxing,

Breathing and relaxing,

Breathing and relaxing.

It is now time to find your sankalpa as you welcome this relaxed state of being.

Your sankalpa is a resolve or an intention to achieve a positive outcome for your heart's greatest desire.

So what is it that you desire?

Are you looking to create change in your life?

Maybe within your career or relationships?

Or maybe you want to form a new habit or behavior.

Let go of ones that are no longer serving you.

And overall improve the quality of your living,

Breathing,

Life experience.

Whatever your desire may be,

Create a simple statement that captures a vow to achieve a positive outcome for this desire.

You might even choose to let your sankalpa come to you naturally and organically as you relax and breathe.

Once you know your sankalpa,

Take a moment to state it out of your mind.

To state it out loud three times with full awareness,

Feeling,

And emphasis on your words.

Now breathe deeply and let your sankalpa drift away.

Begin inviting an even deeper feeling of relaxation into your body.

Breathing deeply and slowly,

Intentionally allowing yourself to feel the inner relaxation of your whole body.

Become aware of your body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

Letting your body relax,

Letting the tension melt away,

And welcoming stillness.

With total and complete awareness of the whole body,

Relaxing,

Releasing,

Breathing.

Letting complete awareness of your whole body,

Your whole body relaxing,

Releasing,

Breathing.

Now aware of your breath,

Aware of your body relaxing,

Feeling the flow of breath in and out of your lungs.

Feel your body relaxing,

Feeling your body breathing,

Letting go and letting yourself be in stillness and peace.

So now notice how your navel moves as you breathe.

Focus on the movement of your navel as you breathe.

Notice as it rises and falls with every breath.

Notice how it expands and contracts with every breath.

Notice the movement of your navel in synchronization with your breath.

Go on practicing this awareness,

Keeping your focus on the rise and fall of your navel with every breath.

And in your mind,

Begin counting your breaths down from 11 to 1,

Just like this.

11 navel rising,

11 navel falling,

9 navel falling,

10 navel rising,

10 navel falling,

9 navel rising,

9 navel falling,

And so on.

Keep mentally speaking the number and words to yourself as you count your navel breaths down.

Be sure that you continue counting and continue in sequence.

If your mind strays,

You skip a number or find yourself on the final count,

Then go back to 11 and start over counting your breaths down from 11 to 1.

With total awareness that you are counting,

Total awareness of your breathing,

Keep counting your breaths down from 11 to 1.

As the music continues to play,

Keep with this practice until you hear my voice.

So,

So,

So,

So,

So,

So,

So,

So,

So,

Still aware,

Aware of your breathing,

Aware of your breath.

Gently stop counting down your navel breath and shift your attention to your chest.

Notice how your chest moves as you breathe.

Become aware of how your chest moves as you breathe.

Your chest is rising.

Your chest is falling.

Become aware of how your chest rises and falls as you breathe.

So,

Continue focusing on the movement of your chest.

And just as before,

Begin counting your breath down,

Only now beginning at 22 and going to 1.

Breathing with total awareness on each rise and fall of your chest,

Be sure that you continue counting and continue in sequence.

If your mind strays,

You skip a number or find yourself on number 1.

Go back to 22 and begin counting down the breath in the chest from 22 to 1.

With total awareness that you are counting,

Total awareness of your breathing,

Total awareness of the rise and fall of your chest,

You know the process,

Simply following your breath and the gentle rise and fall of your chest.

As the music continues to play,

Keep with this practice until you hear my voice.

So,

So so so so so so so so Still aware,

Aware of your breathing,

Aware of your breath.

Gently stop counting down this breath into your heart.

Just gently relaxing and breathing,

Breathing and relaxing.

So as you are aware,

But still relaxing,

Begin to repeat to yourself in your mind,

I am and then state your name.

Repeat this,

I am and then your name several times.

And notice how this statement makes you feel.

Notice where you feel this in your body.

Now drop your name and simply begin repeating,

I am,

I am,

I am.

Keep repeating this,

I am and notice any difference or subtle shifts in your body.

How does this statement make you feel?

And where do you feel it in your body?

So now drop the am and simply repeat,

I,

I,

I.

I notice where this resonates in your body and being.

Become aware of the location of I.

Is it separate from your awareness?

Is it a witness?

What does this I point to?

Now let go of the I and just be.

No observing,

No pointing,

Just let it all be.

And do nothing.

Embrace nothing.

Let the inner silence come,

But do not look for it.

Let it come.

Let the inner emptiness come,

But do not look for it.

Let simply let it come.

Now gently,

Without forcing,

Bring your awareness to your third I,

Your spiritual I.

Can you find it,

The bright light in the center of your forehead?

Begin moving towards it.

Notice if and how it changes as you move into your third I.

Now before you drift off to sleep,

Become aware of your sankalpa from before.

Remember the intention or vow you made at the beginning of this practice.

Now is the time to repeat your sankalpa.

As you swim within your third I,

Continue to repeat your intention in your mind in the same words as before,

While breathing deep and slow.

Deep and slow,

Deep and slow,

Until you drift off to sleep.

Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Om Aap Sat Aap Sat you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you