Hello and welcome to Yoga Nidra practice.
My name is Elena and I will be your guide.
This practice will invite you to become more aware of your abdominal region,
Your vital organs and the deep muscles within your abdominal cavity.
This practice will cultivate a sense of relaxation in the areas of the body where we tend to store stress.
The practice will help you relax your entire body and will remind you that a state of health is your natural state.
Let's begin.
To prepare,
Find a private space where you can rest easy and where you won't be disturbed.
Come to rest on your back in preparation for this practice.
You can either lie down on a yoga mat if you plan to continue your day after you're finished or in bed if you'd like to use this practice to ease your transition into sleep.
Make sure you're feeling warm as you begin.
Use a blanket or layers to stay warm as you transition into relaxation mode.
Close your eyes.
Find your way into stillness and remain still while you are practicing.
Now begin to listen to your breath.
Let your breathing be easy,
Soft and deep.
Sending the breath deep into your lower abdomen.
Observing your breath.
Letting go.
Notice a feeling of warm breath traveling through the body.
Breathing deep and easy.
Now,
Without opening your eyes,
Observe the space around you.
Notice every detail.
And then begin to pay attention to all the sounds and noises.
Without naming them,
Just observe the sounds and noises.
Let your attention travel from sound to sound without labeling them.
And observe the sounds far away and the sounds close to you.
Don't get too involved.
Just quietly observe all of the sounds that you can detect around you.
Let your attention continue to move from sound to sound.
Then let go of the external sounds and just let your attention continue to follow my voice.
Let my voice continue to guide you through this practice.
Then bring your attention to your Sankalpa.
Sankalpa means your intention,
Your resolve,
A big dream or vision that you would like to manifest in your life.
Create your Sankalpa as a short and clear positive sentence.
Remember that sentence word by word and then internally repeat it to yourself three times.
Now bring your attention to your physical body.
Observe your body resting quietly with effortless ease.
Let your awareness move from one body part to the next as I guide you.
You don't have to make any movement or think any thoughts,
Just let yourself be guided.
Begin by bringing your awareness to the right side of your body.
Bring your awareness to the right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Forearm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Right side,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Front of the foot,
Right toes,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe and fifth toe.
All toes together.
Now switch to the left side.
Bring your awareness to the left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Left side,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Front of the foot,
Left toes,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe and fifth toe.
All toes together.
Let your attention move through the back of the body,
All parts of your body in contact with the surface you are resting on.
Heels,
Calves,
Backs of the thighs,
Buttocks,
Back,
Backs of the shoulders,
Backs of the hands and arms,
Back of the head.
Feel the whole back of your body.
Bring your awareness to your ears and then to the crown of your head.
Now let your attention travel through the front of the body,
Your face,
Forehead,
Eyebrows,
Lips,
Eyebrows center,
Eyes,
Nose,
Tip of the nose,
Nostrils,
Cheeks,
Lips,
Chin,
Jaw,
Front of the neck,
Collarbones,
Front of the shoulders,
Front of the arms,
Palms of your hands.
Now bring your awareness to the chest,
Center of the chest,
Solar plexus,
Diaphragm,
The organs inside your abdomen,
Kidneys,
Stomach,
Liver,
Spleen,
Gallbladder,
Pancreas,
Small and large intestine,
Colon and bladder,
Front of the hips,
Front of the thighs,
Front of the knees,
Shins,
Front of the ankles,
Front of the feet,
Back to your toes.
Feel the whole front of the body at once.
Feel the whole back of your body.
Feel your whole right leg.
Feel your whole left leg.
Feel both legs at once.
Feel your whole right arm.
Feel your whole left arm.
Feel both arms at once.
Feel your whole body.
Feel your whole body at once.
Now bring about a feeling of numbness.
A feeling of numbness or a lack of feeling.
Imagine your body as a grey zone where you are unable to identify any specific sensations.
A feeling of numbness.
An experience of numbness.
A feeling of numbness.
Now reverse the sensation.
Bringing about sensitivity.
Becoming sensitive to every experience,
Every feeling in your body.
Beginning to notice even the subtle sensations in your inner and outer body.
Developing sensitivity.
Experiencing sensitivity.
Let go of both sensations.
Bring your awareness to the center of your physical body.
Create a feeling of warmth in your abdominal region.
Begin to observe your breath moving through your abdomen.
Observe the movement of your diaphragm.
Then begin to settle your attention deep in your belly.
Starting to notice the sensations that come from your vital organs.
With your breath sending a wave of relaxation to your abdominal muscles and the organs deep in your abdominal cavity,
Stomach,
And lungs.
Liver,
Spleen,
Gallbladder,
Kidneys,
Pancreas,
Small and large intestine,
Colon,
And bladder.
Sending a wave of relaxation to your adrenal glands connected to your kidneys.
Sending a wave of relaxation to your psoas muscles.
With your breath sending a wave of relaxation to your abdominal muscles.
Sending a feeling of appreciation to your vital organs for keeping you alive and healthy every second of your life.
Sending a feeling of appreciation to your organs for continuously maintaining life moment by moment.
Visualize your vital organs pulsating with life,
Thriving and healthy.
Visualize every cell in your body pulsating with life,
Thriving and healthy.
Visualize every part of you pulsating with life,
Thriving and healthy.
Think of your intention,
Your sankalpa.
Try to remember the statement you have created in the beginning of the practice,
Word by word.
Repeat that statement to yourself three times.
Begin to hear the sounds again,
Both in the room and far out in the distance.
Begin to feel the surface you are resting on and the materials in contact with your skin.
Slowly coming back to the room.
Start to gently move your fingertips and your toes.
Let your head slowly roll from side to side.
Come to rest on the side of your body when you are ready.
Then slowly come up to sit or remain on your back and give yourself permission to drift into deep sleep.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
