Yoga Nidra: In The Arms Of The Divine Mother

This practice of Yoga Nithra is a remembrance of your connection with the source,

With the Divine Mother.

Anytime that you feel off-center or lost,

This will be an invitation to lay your worries and burdens down and rest in the arms that have always held you.

Whichever position you find yourself in,

See if you can make yourself a little bit more comfortable with necessary props or adjustments so that you can stay still for the duration of the practice.

Remember that during the practice of Yoga Nithra,

You only have to maintain awareness of hearing and feeling.

Mentally repeat to yourself,

I am about to practice Yoga Nithra.

I will remain awake.

Take a deep breath in and feel this life force spreading into the corners of your being.

And as you breathe out,

Let your cares drop away.

Become aware of your body and relax yourself,

Becoming physically calm and steady.

Feel that the legs are relaxed,

The trunk,

The head,

The arms,

Shoulder blades,

Hands are relaxed.

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

Complete awareness of the whole body.

The universe is resilient,

Expansive,

Infinite,

Mysterious,

Magical.

What does that say about you?

You who are born of it.

You who are held by it.

You who are nourished by it.

You whose every cell is the shine of the stars,

The vitality of the sun,

The cycles of the earth.

You whose every cell is alive with the stillness and vibrancy of the cosmic mother.

You who do not remember your mother like she remembers you.

As you lie in the stillness,

Can you feel her rhythm pulsing in your veins,

Beating in your heart?

Feel her embrace.

You are held.

You are supported.

You are loved.

You have always been held.

You have always been supported.

You have always been loved.

As the thinking mind drops,

Your internal vision sees that you were never separated from this source,

From your mother.

And from this place of connection and belonging bring to mind your sankalpa,

Your highest intention for your life.

Asankalpa is a short resolve in present tense as though it is already happening.

Repeat it three times mentally with sincerity and conviction and let it drop.

Become aware of the body part that I name and the innate intelligence of the body beginning with the right side of the body.

Right hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Right wrist.

Right forearm.

Elbow.

Right upper arm.

Right shoulder.

And armpit.

Right collarbone.

Chest.

Waist.

Hip.

Right thigh.

Knee cap.

Calf muscle.

Right ankle.

Right heel.

Sole of the foot.

Top of the foot.

Right toes.

Big toe.

Big toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Awareness of the whole right side.

Moving to the left side of the body.

Left hand thumb.

Second finger.

Left finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Left lower arm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Left shoulder and armpit.

Left collarbone.

Chest.

Waist.

Left hip.

Left thigh.

Knee cap.

Calf muscle.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sole of the foot.

Top of the foot.

Left toes.

Left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Moving awareness to the back of the body.

Back of the head.

Right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Whole spine.

Right hip.

Left hip.

Right butt.

Left butt.

Back of the right thigh.

Back of the left thigh.

Back of the right knee.

Back of the left knee.

Right calf muscle.

Left calf muscle.

Right ankle.

Left ankle.

Right heel.

Left heel.

Right ankle.

Left ankle.

Right calf muscle.

Left calf muscle.

Back of the right knee.

Back of the left knee.

Back of the right thigh.

Back of the left thigh.

Right buttock.

Left buttock.

Right hip.

Left hip.

Whole spine.

Right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Back of the head.

Go to the top of the head.

Forehead.

Right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

The space between the eyebrows.

Right eyelid.

Left eyelid.

Right eye.

Left eye.

Right ear.

Left ear.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Right cheek.

Left cheek.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Chin.

Jaw.

Throat.

Right collarbone.

Left collarbone.

Right chest.

Left chest.

Middle of the chest.

Navel.

Upper abdomen.

Lower abdomen.

Groin.

Right thigh.

Left thigh.

Right knee.

Left knee.

Right toes.

Left toes.

The whole of the right leg.

Whole of the left leg.

Both legs together.

Whole of the right arm.

Whole of the left arm.

Both arms together.

Whole of the back.

Whole of the front together.

The whole body.

The whole body.

The whole body.

Bring your attention to the natural,

Quiet breath.

Become aware of the breath moving through the nostrils.

Maintain your awareness of breath and start counting each breath with full attention.

Inhale.

One.

Exhale.

One.

Inhale.

Two.

Exhale.

Two.

Continue to count to ten.

Total awareness,

Counting and breathing.

Now stop counting.

Now stop counting and move the awareness to the sensations in the body.

Awaken the experience of heaviness in the whole body.

Feel the whole body heavy,

Sinking to the floor.

The whole body heavy and sinking.

And now awaken the experience of lightness.

Whole body light as a feather.

You are so light that you can almost float.

Whole body light as if floating in the air like a feather.

And let it go.

Become aware of the space behind the closed eyes.

As you are feeling the space,

Try to imagine and visualize these objects on the levels of feeling,

Emotion or imagination as best as you can.

A steady candle flame.

Blue sky.

A path disappearing into the distance.

A starlit night.

A big pond with clear water.

Chimney smoke rising from an old house.

Bells in a monastery.

A yogi sitting in deep meditation.

And then let the space behind the eyes fade away.

Remember your resolve or sankopa and mentally repeat it three times as we bring the practice of yoga nidra to a close.

Develop awareness of your body.

Visualize your body lying on the floor.

Take your mind out and visualize the room you are lying in.

You have been practicing yoga nidra.

Become aware of the sounds near and in the distance.

Bring gentle movement into the body.

Wiggle your toes and fingers.

You might like to stretch with your palms over the head or bring your knees to the chest.

Take your time to slowly lift yourself up into a sitting position.

You may rub the palms of your hands together and place them over your closed eyes.

And when you are ready,

Open your eyes.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.