Reach For The Light - Yoga Nidra For Sleep

This yoga nidra practice is all about pointing yourself towards the light and leaving the darkness behind you.

Just as plants rise up from the ground and point themselves towards the sunlight.

Or vines will climb up on trees or the sides of buildings.

Reaching for the sun,

Exploring,

Changing course,

Adapting as needed,

All in the effort to find the sunlight.

So as we settle in and get comfortable for our yoga nidra practice,

Think of the life of a vine,

Dancing in the light all along the way.

Where is the sunlight showing up in your life?

Step into your intuition and start moving in that direction now.

Make your way into a comfortable position.

You can lay down on your back or on your side with your knees bent or your belly.

You can even practice sitting up.

Whatever feels good to you.

The main goal is to make sure that you're comfortable.

Listen to your body and choose the position that best suits you right now.

Listen to your body and choose the position that best suits you right now.

And take the next few moments to wiggle and move yourself into stillness.

What is your body asking for in this moment?

What will allow you to feel more free?

When you feel comfortable,

Take a nice full breath in.

As you exhale,

Resolve yourself to be still.

You can place a blanket over top of your body to keep you warm.

A small pillow under your head.

Maybe a small pillow underneath your knees too to support your back.

Take the next few moments to try to find a nice comfortable position to be still in.

Yoganidra is practiced on the levels of hearing and awareness.

The body relaxes and falls asleep,

But the mind will remain awake and aware.

You can move your body anytime that you need.

Don't try to resist the urge to move.

Instead just quickly readjust your body and then bring yourself back into stillness.

Check that every part of the body is nice and comfortable.

Check that the feet are comfortable.

The legs are comfortable.

The hips.

The back.

The arms and legs.

The shoulders.

The neck.

The muscles on the face.

The whole body is comfortable as can be.

Feel your body completely supported by the surface beneath you.

Settling in to the support of the earth.

Sending down steady firm roots.

Steady firm roots give you the freedom to explore.

To grow.

To keep you grounded to the earth.

Now take a deep breath in.

As you exhale let go of anything you think you need to do at this moment.

There's nothing that you need to do.

There's nothing that you have to think about.

Set everything aside.

Give yourself this time to relax and explore the self.

Feel the body settling into stillness.

Think about turning your awareness inward.

Inhale.

Feeling present in the moment.

Exhale letting go of anything outside of this moment.

Inhale feeling present in this moment.

Exhale letting go of any stress or worries.

Letting go of anything outside of this moment.

Allow your sense of hearing to extend out.

Find sounds far off in the distance.

Allow your awareness to move closer to sounds just outside of the building.

And sounds within the building or the room that you're in.

Maybe even become aware of the sounds of your own body,

The sound of your own breath.

Become aware of your body.

Become aware of your whole body from the top of your head down to the toes and from your toes up to the crown of the head.

Be aware that your body is resting comfortably.

Feel stillness taking over your body.

Feel your body settling into comfort.

Free to settle into the roots.

Free to rest the body in absolute comfort.

Just as you like it effortlessly.

Feel the body resting while the awareness is free to roam.

The Yoganidra has now begun.

Now it's time for us to make our sankalpa.

The sankalpa is a short positive statement that's made in the present tense as if it were already a reality.

You don't have to try and find the perfect sankalpa.

Instead just allow the joyful feeling of your sankalpa to rise up from your heart center into your mind.

If you don't have a sankalpa and want to explore like a vine,

Allow an I am statement that fills you with joy to rise.

You can use I am vibrant,

I am abundant,

Or I am free.

Whatever stirs your soul.

There's no need for thinking,

Just feeling.

Whatever sankalpa rises in your mind,

Repeat it to yourself three times with full intention and full awareness.

And then allow your sankalpa to leave your mind with your next breath.

Now it's time for a rotation of consciousness.

I'm beginning the process of enlivening the body with energy.

I'll name points in the body.

Allow your awareness to move to each point as you hear it.

Simply repeat the name of the point of the body to yourself and then just move on to the next point.

Experience your awareness dancing from point to point like a soft vine of light or color.

Awareness dancing like a soft vine or light or color.

Bring your awareness to the tip of the right thumb,

Energetic awareness of the right hand thumb.

Now the tip of the left thumb,

Awareness of the tip of the left thumb,

The right wrist,

Left wrist,

Right elbow,

Left elbow,

Dancing like a vine of light or color,

The right shoulder,

Left shoulder,

Hollow of the throat,

The back of the head,

The top of the head,

The crown,

The spot in between the two eyebrows,

The third eye,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

The tip of the nose,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

The tip of the chin,

Hollow of the throat,

The spot in heart center,

Right side of the chest,

Back to heart center,

Left side of the chest,

Back to heart center,

The navel center near your belly button,

The tip of the tailbone,

Right hip,

Left hip,

Right knee,

Left knee,

Right ankle,

Left ankle,

Right big toe,

Left big toe,

And become aware of the right side of the body.

Feel all the muscles on the right side,

Soften and relax.

Now the whole left side of the body,

Become aware of the whole left side of the body,

All the muscles on the left side,

Soften,

Relax.

Now become aware of the whole body,

Awareness of the whole body,

Feel all the muscles throughout the whole body,

Soften,

Relax,

Feel the whole body relaxing together,

All the muscles throughout the whole body relaxing together,

Feel the whole body alive with energy.

Now become aware of the breath,

Awareness of the natural flow of the breath,

There's no need to change the breath in any way,

Simply bring your awareness to the breath.

As you exhale,

Feel that you're letting go of any fatigue,

Any stress,

Any tension.

As you inhale,

Feel that you're pulling in boundless energy.

Exhale letting go of stress,

Tension,

That which no longer serves you.

Inhale,

Filling up with boundless energy.

Exhale from the crown of the head down to the toes.

Inhale from the toes up to the crown of the head.

Exhale from the crown of the head down to the ankles.

Inhale from the ankles back up to the crown of the head.

Exhale from the crown of the head down to the knees.

Inhale from the knees up to the crown of the head.

Exhale from the crown down to the tailbone.

Inhale from the tailbone up the spine to the crown.

Exhale from the crown down the spine to the navel.

Inhale from the navel up the spine to the crown of the head.

Exhale from the crown down the spine to the heart center.

Inhale from the heart center up the spine to the crown of the head.

Exhale from the crown down to the throat center.

Exhale from the base of the throat up the spine to the crown of the head.

Exhale from the crown down to the bridge between the nostrils.

Inhale from the bridge between the nostrils up to the crown.

Now to the third eye.

Exhale down to the bridge between the two nostrils.

Inhale from the bridge between the nostrils up to the third eye.

Back to the crown.

Exhaling down to the bridge between the nostrils.

Inhale from the bridge between the nostrils up to the crown.

Exhale from the crown down the spine to the base of the throat.

Inhale from the base of the throat back up the spine to the crown.

Exhale from the crown down the spine to the heart center.

Inhale from heart center up the spine to the crown.

Exhale from the crown down the spine to the navel.

Inhale from the navel up the spine to the crown of the head.

Exhale from the crown down the spine to the tailbone.

Inhale from the tailbone up the spine to the crown of the head.

Inhale from the crown down to the knees.

Inhale from the knees up the spine to the crown of the head.

Exhale from the crown of the head down to the ankles.

Inhale from the ankles up to the crown of the head.

Exhale from the crown of the head down to the toes.

Inhale from the toes up to the crown of the head.

Feel that the whole body is breathing in and breathing out.

Inhaling cosmic energy from all around you and exhaling what no longer serves you.

Continue to breathe like this for the next few moments.

Inhaling cosmic energy,

Exhaling any energetic blocks.

Now check in,

Make sure that you're not sleeping.

Repeat to yourself three times.

I'm practicing yoga nidra.

I will not sleep.

I will remain awake and aware.

Opposite sensations.

Allow each opposite to fully arise within your being.

Fully experience each opposite.

And then when it's time to let it go,

Just allow it to leave your awareness completely.

Start by awakening within you the experience of being cold.

Feel coldness arising within you.

Feel a cool breeze rising up the body,

Bringing coldness from your toes all the way up to the tip of your nose.

Feel your feet like ice cubes,

Cold legs,

Your hips frozen solid,

Cold torso,

Cold arms,

Cold head.

Feel your body growing colder and colder as if you're standing in the middle of snow with no shoes on.

Feel a cool breeze rising up your spine,

Sending a shiver throughout your body.

Awaken to the experience of coldness within you.

Feel your body frozen with coldness.

Now release coldness and awaken within you the experience of heat,

Of being hot.

Feel heat rising up within your being.

Feel your body becoming hot,

Hotter and hotter with each breath.

Imagine you're standing in the middle of a desert with the sun's rays beating down on you.

Feel each part of your body becoming warmer and warmer,

The soles of your feet boiling hot,

Hot legs,

Hips like fire,

Hot torso,

Burning arms,

Hot head.

Feel heat rising within you.

Feel your body becoming so hot that sweat starts to bead up on your forehead.

Awaken within you the experience of heat.

Now release the experience of being hot and awaken within you the experience of heaviness.

Allow the feeling of heaviness to arise within you.

Feel your body growing heavier and heavier with each exhale.

Feel each part of your body becoming heavier.

Your body is so heavy it's made out of lead.

Feel your right leg heavy like lead,

Your left leg heavier and heavier,

Sinking down.

Heavy hips,

Heavy torso like a boulder,

Arms so heavy you can't lift them,

Heavy head.

Feel the body so heavy with each exhale you're sinking into the surface beneath you.

Allow the experience of heaviness to fully awaken within you.

The entire body heavy like lead.

Now let go of the sensation of heaviness.

Completely let it go.

Feel the sensation of heaviness releasing from each part of the body and awaken within you the sensation of lightness,

Of weightlessness.

With each inhale feel the body filling up with lightness.

With each inhale feel your body becoming lighter like a helium balloon.

Experience the body becoming lighter and lighter.

The right leg becoming light,

Lifting up off the ground.

The left leg filling with lightness,

Floating up.

Lightness in the hips,

Torso like a helium balloon,

Loading up.

Feel your arms becoming lighter,

Loading away.

Feel your head light,

Weightless.

With each inhale feel the entire body filling up with lightness,

Loading up from the ground.

Feel your body is so light that the smallest breeze can take you sailing away.

Awaken to the experience of lightness within you.

Now let go of the experience of lightness.

Completely let it go.

Allow yourself to gently float back to your mat.

Notice that you can manifest these opposite sensations,

Heaviness,

Lightness,

Hot and cold,

Anytime that you need.

If you find that you are too far to one side,

Experiencing too much hotness for example,

Remind yourself that all you have to do is simply let go of that experience.

When you let go of the opposite sensations,

The two extremes,

Notice how you end up in the middle of balance between the two.

Anytime you feel like you've gone too far to one side,

Remember to get back to the middle.

All you have to do is let go.

Making our way now to inner wisdom,

Effortlessly tapping in the wisdom within.

Just know there's an infinite well of knowledge within you.

A series of symbols will be named and when you hear the symbol,

Your mind may or may not create an image or a feeling or sensation around that symbol.

Symbols are the language of the mind,

So experience whatever may arise as you hear these symbols.

There's nothing for you to manifest,

To search for or to think about.

There's nothing to do at all.

Simply be a witness to whatever arises in the mind.

Like clouds floating through the sky,

Simply watch whatever arises.

Detached awareness,

A bright red chair,

A bright red chair,

A bright red chair.

Flowing stream,

Flowing stream,

Flowing stream.

Gift box,

Gift box,

Gift box.

Tall trees,

Tall trees,

Tall trees.

Resting lion,

Resting lion,

Resting lion.

Microphone,

Microphone,

Microphone.

String of lights,

String of lights,

String of lights.

Birthday cake,

Birthday cake,

Birthday cake.

Tropical beach,

Tropical beach,

Tropical beach.

Hot air balloon,

Hot air balloon,

Hot air balloon.

A yogi deep in meditation,

A yogi deep in meditation,

A yogi deep in meditation.

White linen,

White linen,

White linen.

Sun rising over a mountain,

The sun rising over a mountain,

The sun rising over a mountain.

If any insights spontaneously occur to you,

Take them with you.

If not,

That's also fine.

Just know this time has been useful in awakening your creativity and intuition.

Now bring your awareness to the spot at heart center,

Effortless awareness of the heart center.

Now picture at your heart center a beautiful glowing light,

Beautiful and radiant like the sun.

Feel its warmth and light nourishing your whole being.

This is the heart of your being,

Your luminous soul.

Your soul holds all the answers for you.

As the observer of this beautiful light,

You can ask it for any guidance that you like,

Maybe asking about your next move forward or anything else that might arise.

Take some time now to communicate with your soul,

With that light at your heart center.

Now thank your soul for any guidance it may have given you.

Visualizing the soul as a radiant light at your heart center.

Allow your awareness to completely absorb into this light,

Absorbing into your soul the duality of you as the observer and your soul as the other.

It dissolves away.

The sense of separation starts to dissolve and there's only you that remains.

Take the next few moments to rest as the luminous soul itself.

Simply being aware that you are aware,

Resting in pure consciousness itself.

Bring your awareness back to your heart center,

Effortless awareness of the heart center.

Take this time now to bring back the sankalpa that we started our practice with.

Allow your sankalpa to come back into your mind and repeat it to yourself three times with full intention,

Full awareness.

Know that your sankalpa has been received deep in your being,

Is already beginning to manifest.

Now move your awareness to your breath,

The natural flow of the air as it moves in through your nostrils,

Down into your body,

And then as it reverses,

Flows back up and out of the body.

Notice how calm and effortless your breath can be.

There's no need to try to change the breath or to interact with the breath at all.

Just simply follow the air as it comes into the body and then leaves the body.

Count down from 27 to 1,

Using your breath as a guide.

You can breathe just like this,

Breathing in 27,

Breathing out 27,

Breathing in 26,

Breathing out 26,

Breathing in 25,

Breathing out 25,

And so on and so forth,

All the way down to 1.

If you lose count or if you reach 1,

Just simply start over from 27 and count down to 1 again.

Continue breathing and counting,

Awareness of the breath and of counting.