Yoga Nidra To Relieve Anxiety And Sleep Well

Welcome.

It is now time for yoga nidra.

Please come lying on your back with your knees slightly bent and supported either by a bolster or a rolled-up blanket.

You can be in your bed,

On your couch,

On your yoga mat,

Or anywhere else you can be really comfortable.

Please make sure you are warm enough and that your position is one that you'll be comfortable for the rest of the practice.

It is best that you remain still during yoga nidra so both your body and your brain have a chance to fully relax.

However,

If you become uncomfortable then please feel free to change your position.

Allow your eyes to close.

Maybe you want to cover them with an eye pillow and keep them closed until the practice has ended.

The practice of yoga nidra is a practice of yogic sleep that will guide you to a hypnagogic state,

A state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping.

Try to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice.

You'll be asked to move your awareness to various bodily sensations,

Emotions,

And images.

Try not to concentrate too intensely as this might prevent you from relaxing.

During this meditation please use and absorb what you need in the moment and leave the rest behind.

If your mind becomes overactive with thoughts and worries just come back to the sound of my voice.

The practice of yoga nidra begins now.

At this moment you should make your sankalpa which is your intention or resolve.

The sankalpa should be a short positive statement in the present tense in simple language.

For example,

It could be I experience radiant health,

I am free of pain,

I am deeply relaxed and rejuvenated,

Or anything else that you discover naturally.

Take a moment now and think about your sankalpa,

Your deepest desire.

Once you've settled on your sankalpa please state it clearly to yourself with awareness three times.

The sankalpa you make during yoga nidra plants a seed in the fertile soil of your mind to bring about transformation and healing.

Also say to yourself I am practicing yoga nidra.

I am awake and relaxed.

Become aware of any sounds you can hear in this moment.

Nothing else but what you can hear without straining.

Begin to focus on the most distant sounds you can hear.

Let your sense of hearing radiate outward,

Searching out those distant sounds and following them for a few moments.

Move your attention from sound to sound without labeling the source.

Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds,

To sounds outside the building you're in,

Whether it's your home or wherever you are at this moment.

Now bring your attention to sounds inside the building.

And now to sounds inside the room.

Without opening your eyes visualize the four walls of this room,

The ceiling,

The floor,

Your body lying on the floor or wherever you might be.

Visualize your body,

The position of your body,

Your clothing,

Your hair,

Your face.

Become acutely aware of the existence of your physical body wherever you might be.

We will now begin a systematic journey of sensory awareness throughout the body.

You will move your awareness to different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named.

Please say the name of the part to yourself and feel that part of your body but don't move any part of your body.

The practice begins on your right side.

Right hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Pinky finger,

Palm of your hand,

Back of your hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Now move to your left side,

Your left hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Pinky finger,

Palm of your hand,

Back of your hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of your foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Now we go to the back of the body,

To your right heel,

Left heel,

Right calf,

Left calf,

Right thigh,

Left thigh,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back,

The entire spine,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Back of the neck,

Back of your head.

Now move to the top of your head,

Forehead,

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Middle of the eyebrows,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Both lips together,

Chin,

Jaw,

Throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Upper abdomen,

Navel,

Lower abdomen,

Right groin,

Left groin,

The pelvic floor,

The whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

The whole right arm,

The whole left arm,

The whole face,

The whole head,

The whole torso,

The whole body,

The whole body,

The whole body.

Now become aware of your natural breath.

Become aware of your natural and spontaneous breath that moves in and out of your body without any effort.

The natural breath flows in through both nostrils.

Notice the feeling of the breath as it comes in and out of your nostrils.

There's a sense of coolness as you inhale the breath.

Follow this feeling into your nose,

Your sinuses,

The back of your throat,

And into your lungs.

There is a sense of warmth as you exhale the breath.

Feel this warmth on your upper lip as you breathe out.

The natural breath flows through both nostrils during the inhale and the exhale.

Allow your breath to become longer and slower.

Take a long slow inhalation followed by a longer slower exhalation.

Make your exhale even slower.

Notice the slight pause after the exhale.

Slow inhale and an even slower exhale and pause.

Feel the urge to breathe in bubble up inside you when you need to inhale please do.

Take a long slow inhale and a longer slower exhale and then pause where the body is neither breathing in nor out.

Please continue breathing in this way.

Now go back to the natural easy breath,

Releasing any control over your inhale or exhale.

We now move on to the opposite sensations.

Now imagine the whole body becoming light as though your body could float away from the floor and towards the ceiling.

The head is light and weightless.

The limbs are light and weightless.

The torso is light and weightless.

The whole body is light and weightless.

You are rising higher and higher away from the floor or the bed or wherever you might be laying.

Now imagine your body becoming heavy.

Feel the heaviness in all parts of your body.

Each part is becoming heavier and heavier and still heavier.

The head is heavy.

The limbs are heavy.

The torso is heavy.

The whole body is heavy.

So heavy that it's sinking down into the floor.

Now awaken the experience of cold in the body.

The experience of chilly cold.

Imagine being outside in the winter without enough clothing.

You feel this chill permeating your entire body.

Now allow the sensation of warmth to spread through your entire body.

Remember the feeling of heat in the summer when you're out in the sun with no shade.

You feel heat radiating onto your skin.

Heat all around the body.

Now recollect the experience of anxiety,

Intense anxiety and worry.

Feel the stress in your mind and body but do not concentrate on its source.

Create the experience of anxiety as clearly as possible.

Now allow the feeling of complete calm to envelop you.

Manifest the experience of calm in your entire mind,

Body and emotions.

You are relaxed and aware and you are completely calm.

Now begin to concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyelids.

Imagine before you a transparent screen as though you were at the movie theater.

The screen is as high and as wide as the eyes can see.

Concentrate on this mind screen and become aware of any phenomena that manifest within it.

Colors,

Patterns and light.

Whatever you see is the manifesting state of your mind.

Continue your awareness of this space but don't become too involved.

Practice detached awareness only.

If any subtle images make themselves known simply notice them without directing the images.

If thoughts occur let them come and go but continue watching the dark space.

Continue this with detached awareness.

You you you you you you Now a number of different things will be named and you should envision them on the level of emotion,

Memory and imagination as best you can.

Jump from image to image as soon as you hear it.

Red desert,

Peacock feather,

Buddha meditating,

A good night's rest,

A full moon,

Your reflection in a mirror,

A foggy morning,

The sun shining overhead,

A bouquet of flowers,

A tall tree in the forest,

Receiving help from others,

Cool clear water,

A relaxing afternoon,

Laughing with friends,

A warm embrace,

A burning candle,

A pathway in the woods,

A vibrant sunset,

Taking a deep breath,

A cat stretching,

A beautiful garden path,

The starry night sky,

Your favorite song,

A dog rolling in snow,

The sound of my voice,

Your body lying on the floor or in your bed on the couch.

You you you you you you you you It is now time to repeat your sankalpa.

Please repeat the same statement you made at the beginning of this practice three times mentally now.

Now come back to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.

Maintain your awareness of your breath and at the same time develop your awareness of your physical body.

Your body is relaxed,

Stretched out.

Feel the container of your skin and your clothing and any props that are touching you.

Notice the heaviness of your body as it rests on your bed,

On the floor,

Or on your couch.

And now take your awareness into all points that are touching the bed,

The couch,

Or the floor.

The back of your heels,

Your thighs,

Your buttocks,

Your shoulder blades,

Your arms,

Hands,

And head.

Don't open your eyes yet but visualize the surrounding room.

Imagine where you are in the room and the other objects that are around you.

Lie quietly until you feel ready to move and when you do start by slowly moving your hands and feet,

Circling them,

Slowly waking up the body.

Take your time.

There's no hurry.

When you're sure that you're fully awake,

Gently open your eyes.

Please roll over to your right side and stay on your right side for three more breaths.

Then use your hands to press yourself up and let your head come up last.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.