Yoga Nidra - Awareness Of The Breath

Hello and welcome.

Start by making yourself as comfortable as possible lying down.

Let your body stretch out.

Allow the feet to be wide and the toes to fall out to the side.

Let the arms be long and soft with the palms of your hands turned upward and eyes closed or a soft gaze at the ceiling.

Make all the necessary adjustments so that you are as comfortable as possible.

When you practice yoga nidra you will try to maintain awareness of hearing allowing the body to rest and relax.

Your mind will remain awake and you will maintain a connection to my voice doing your best not to fall asleep.

Gently bringing yourself back to the sound of my voice if you do slip away.

At this point say to yourself mentally I will not sleep I will remain awake.

Take a deep breath and as you breathe in feel coolness and calmness spreading throughout your body.

As you breathe out feel your body soften onto the earth.

With your eyes still closed become aware of your current surroundings.

Notice the space you are in.

Feel the ground beneath you letting the earth support you.

Take notice of where your body meets the ground and where it doesn't.

Notice the air on your skin.

The clothes resting on your body.

Or perhaps the energy in the room.

And now listen to the sounds around you.

Try not to label them just listen.

We will begin our practice by setting a sankalpa or personal intention.

This will enhance your yoga nidra experience by helping you focus your energy so that you may realize and utilize the best of yourself in the time you have.

A sankalpa is a statement that conveys a positive trait to deeply benefit you in living your life in a more healthy and meaningful way.

Take just a few moments here to formulate one that has meaning for you.

Trying not to force it let it come to you naturally.

Tune in with your heart and soul for one that resonates with both your mind and body.

Keeping it simple,

Positive and brief.

Use the present tense as if it's already true.

Such as I am at peace for I am loved.

My heart is open.

I am compassion.

I am mindful.

I am grateful.

Once you have found a sankalpa that resonates with you,

Silently repeat it three times.

And then take a big breath in and let it go.

Now we will bring awareness to the body.

Letting go of muscular tension.

Allow your mind to jump freely from one part to the next.

In your own way remind yourself to stay alert and aware.

Starting on the right side bring awareness to the right hand.

The right thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

And fifth.

The palm of the right hand.

The back of the hand.

The right wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

The right shoulder.

Arm pit.

The right side of the body.

The right hip.

Thigh.

Knee cap.

Calf muscle.

The right ankle.

The right heel.

The sole of the right foot.

Top of the right foot.

Right toes.

The first toe.

The second toe.

The third toe.

The fourth toe.

And the fifth.

Moving to the left side bring awareness to the left thumb.

The second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

And fifth finger.

The palm of the left hand.

The back of the hand.

The left wrist.

Lower arm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Left shoulder.

Arm pit.

The left side of the body.

Left hip.

Left thigh.

Knee cap.

Calf muscle.

Left ankle.

Left heel.

Sole of the left foot.

Top of the foot.

Left toes.

First toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

And fifth toe.

Moving to the top of the head.

The forehead.

The right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

Center.

Right eyelid.

Left eyelid.

Right eye.

Left eye.

Right ear.

Left ear.

Right nostril.

Right cheek.

Left cheek.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Chin.

Jaw.

Throat.

Right collarbone.

Right chest.

Left chest.

Middle of the chest.

Upper abdomen.

Navel.

Lower abdomen.

Right hip.

Left hip.

Right thigh.

Left thigh.

Right knee.

Left knee.

Right calf muscle.

Left calf muscle.

Right ankle.

Left ankle.

Right toes.

Left toes.

Moving to the back side of the body.

The right heel.

The left heel.

The right calf muscle.

The left calf muscle.

The back of the right knee.

Back of the left knee.

Back of the right thigh.

Back of the left thigh.

Right hip.

Left hip.

Whole spine.

Right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Back of the neck.

Back of the head.

Top of the head.

Now bring awareness to your whole right leg and your whole left leg.

Now both legs together.

Your whole right arm.

Your whole left arm.

Both arms together.

Whole of the head.

Whole back side of the body.

Whole front side of the body.

The whole body together.

Whole body together.

And now become aware of your breath.

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

Don't change the rhythm of your breathing.

Allow it to flow naturally.

Maintain this awareness of your breath.

Complete awareness of the flow of breathing.

Now notice the movement of the breath in your belly.

As you breathe in the belly rises.

And as you breathe out the belly softens.

Breathing in and breathing out with your awareness on your belly.

As you breathe in and breathe out.

Count one.

And again as you breathe in and breathe out.

Count two.

Continue to breathe this way for eight more counts.

Don't worry if you lose count just start back at one.

And now let go of your count.

Moving the breath awareness to the chest.

Notice the rise of the breath as you breathe in and breathe out.

And again allowing the breath to flow naturally.

As you breathe in and breathe out.

Count one.

As you breathe in and breathe out.

Count two.

And again do this for eight more counts.

And now let go of your count.

Now bringing your awareness to your nose feel the flow of the air as it comes in and it comes out.

Maintaining this awareness with your nose and the flow of the air.

Breathe in and breathe out.

Counting to one.

Breathe in and breathe out.

Counting for two.

Continue to breathe this way for eight more counts.

Now let go of your count and breathe in feeling the air enter your nose.

Feeling your chest and belly.

As you exhale feel the air release through your nose as your chest and belly lower.

Breathing with this awareness for ten counts.

Feeling the air in through your nose feeling the chest and belly rise.

Feeling the chest and belly lower as the air leaves the nose.

And now let go of any counting.

Allow your breath to move naturally.

And now allow your sense of sound to open.

Listen to the sounds reaching you from outside.

You don't need to analyze or intellectualize these sounds.

Just become aware of them as something external.

Keeping your awareness with the most distant of sounds that you can hear.

Moving your attention from sound to sound without attempting to identify the source.

Now start to narrow your attention to sounds closer.

Maybe sounds that are just outside the room.

And then sounds that are just in this room.

Let intentional awareness go.

Let intentional awareness go.

Moving into residing in the awareness.

Dwelling peacefully here and now.

Allowing awareness of the true self to be present.

Simply just be here now.

And now bringing your sankalpa to mind again.

Repeat it three more times.

Again taking a full inhale and a complete exhale as you let it go.

It's time to start making the transition back.

Without having to move in any way bring your awareness back to the breath.

And simply follow the breath with your awareness through the body.

Awakening with each breath.

Bring your awareness to the center of your heart and to your breathing.

Now becoming more and more aware of your body.

Become aware of any sounds in the room.

If you'd like to start to bring movement back to your body maybe moving your head from side to side.

Feeling the movement and then let yourself become still again.

Now it's time to come back into full awareness and wakefulness and bring with you all the benefits of yoga nidra to help yourself as well as to benefit others.

When you are ready roll over to your side and curl up.

Gently bring yourself back up to a comfortable seated position.

Take three deep breaths here in gratitude for your practice.

Hari Om Tat Sat.