Music Please lie down in Shavasana,
Getting ready for Yoga Nidra.
Take care to set up for a comfortable rest with enough support for your body.
You might choose a low pillow under your head,
A bolster under your knees,
Or a blanket for warmth.
Stretch your legs out long,
Arms resting at your sides,
Palms face up.
Slide your shoulder blades under your back body and draw your chin in gently toward your throat,
Creating length in the back of the neck.
We practice Yoga Nidra in stillness,
So take the time to become as comfortable as possible so that you may relax completely.
Find equal weight on both sides of your body.
If you have any discomfort in your hips or lower back,
You can lift your hips slightly to lengthen the spine before releasing them back down.
As you feel yourself settle,
Allow relaxation to spread through your body.
If you need to make any final adjustments,
Do so now.
Once you are satisfied,
Invite your body to settle into stillness.
By maintaining stillness throughout the practice,
We can more fully explore the depths of our inner layers of consciousness.
During Yoga Nidra,
You are functioning on the levels of hearing and awareness.
The only important thing is to follow the guidance of my voice.
I will ask you to move your awareness to various sensations,
Emotions,
And images.
Try not to concentrate too intensely or linger too long on any one sensation.
This may prevent you from relaxing.
During the practice,
Use and absorb what you need in the moment and leave behind what doesn't serve you.
If external thoughts come up from time to time,
Simply acknowledge them and let them go,
Returning your attention to the sound of my voice.
Become aware of any sounds you can hear in this moment.
Begin by focusing on the most distant sounds you can hear.
Let your sense of hearing radiate outward,
Searching for the most distant sound you can hear.
Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds you can hear,
The sounds within this room.
Bring your attention to the sound of your own breath.
Without opening your eyes,
Visualize the four walls of this room,
The ceiling,
The floor.
Visualize your body lying on the floor.
Visualize the position of your body,
Your clothes,
Your hair,
Your face.
Become acutely aware of the existence of your physical body resting on the floor.
Bring your awareness to the spaces between your body and the earth beneath you.
Invite your body to soften and rest into these spaces.
As you begin to surrender into relaxation,
Notice the spaces between your body and the earth beneath you becoming smaller and smaller.
Your body becomes fully relaxed,
Supported by the strength of the earth.
Relax here.
Deeply relax.
Take a deep breath in.
As you exhale,
Allow your cares,
Your worries to fall completely away.
Relax,
Your body heavy and weighted,
Sinking into the ground,
Fully supported by the earth beneath you.
The practice of yoga nidra begins now.
At this moment,
You should make your sankalpa,
Your resolve.
This resolve can be a short,
Positive statement using simple language.
The sankalpa you make during yoga nidra plants a seed in the fertile soil of your mind to bring about peace and well-being.
Try to discover your resolve naturally,
Whatever comes up in your mind.
State your sankalpa in your mind clearly and with awareness,
Repeating it three times.
We will now begin a journey of sensory awareness throughout the body,
A rotation of your consciousness through different parts of the body.
You will move your awareness as quickly as possible to each part of the body as you hear it named.
Repeat the part in your mind and simultaneously become aware of that part of your body.
Keep yourself alert,
But do not concentrate too intensely.
The practice begins on your right side.
Become aware of your right hand.
Become aware of the right hand thumb,
The index finger,
The middle finger,
The ring finger,
The pinky finger,
The palm of your right hand,
The back of your hand,
The wrist,
The lower arm,
The elbow,
The upper arm,
The right shoulder,
The armpit,
The right waist,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
The kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
The heel,
The sole of your right foot,
The top of your foot,
Your right big toe,
The second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Become aware of your left hand.
Become aware of your left hand thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Your left wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Your left shoulder,
Armpit,
Left waist,
Your left hip,
The left thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
The sole of your left foot,
The top of the foot,
The big toe,
The toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Move now to the back body.
Become aware of your right heel and your left heel,
Your right calf,
Left calf,
The back of the right thigh,
The back of the left thigh,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Your lower back,
The middle of your back,
Your upper back,
The right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
The back of your head,
The top of your head.
Become aware of the forehead,
Both sides of the head,
The right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between your eyebrows,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Your nose,
The tip of your nose,
Your upper lip,
Lower lip,
Jaw,
Your chin,
Your throat,
Your right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Your right upper chest,
Left upper chest,
The middle of your chest,
Your navel,
Your abdomen,
Your pelvic floor.
Become aware of the whole of your right leg.
Become aware of the whole of your left leg.
Become aware of both legs together.
Become aware of the whole of the right arm,
The whole of the left arm,
Both arms together.
The whole of your back,
Buttocks,
Spine,
Shoulder blades.
The whole of your abdomen,
Belly,
And chest.
The whole of your back and front body together.
The whole of your head together.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
The whole body together.
The whole body on the floor.
Become aware of your body resting on the floor.
See your body lying perfectly still on the floor in this room.
Visualize your body on the floor.
Begin to become deeply aware of your breath.
Take a deep breath in through the nose.
Pause at the top,
Then release it slowly and with control.
Allow your breath to wash through your torso,
Encouraging your muscles to soften and let go.
Take another deep breath in through the nose.
Out through the nose.
Let go.
Feel the flow of your breath in and out of your lungs.
Observe as your breath flows into your body like a stream,
Filling your lungs.
Sense this vitality running through the pathways of your body,
Spreading to nourish every part of your being.
With every exhale,
Release anything that is not serving you well.
Continue to follow the natural cycle of your breath in and out.
Begin to count your breaths backwards from nine to one like this.
Nine belly rise.
Nine belly fall.
Eight belly rise.
Eight belly fall.
Seven belly rise.
Seven belly rise.
Seven belly fall.
Continue your count,
Repeating the words and numbers to yourself as you count your breaths all the way back to one.
Feel the heaviness of sensation.
Imagine your whole body becoming heavy.
Feel the heaviness of all parts of the body,
The whole body.
Each part becomes heavier and heavier,
Pressing into the floor beneath you.
Your head is heavy.
Your arms and legs are heavy.
Your hips and torso are heavy.
The whole body is heavy.
So heavy that it is sinking down into the floor.
Now imagine your whole body becoming light.
It feels as though your body could float away from the floor toward the ceiling.
Your head is light and weightless.
Your arms and legs are weightless.
Your hips and torso weightless.
Your whole body is light and weightless,
Rising higher and higher away from the floor.
Resting higher and higher away from the floor.
Awaken now the experience of cold in the body,
The experience of a deep chill.
Bring to your body the feeling of being outside in winter,
Standing in the biting wind.
You feel this chill permeating your entire body,
From your toes to your hands,
Your nose.
Now allow the sensation of warmth to spread through your entire body.
Recall the feeling of heat in the summer when you're out in the sunshine,
No shade in sight.
You feel the heat radiating down from the sun,
Warming your skin,
Heating your whole body.
Imagine now that you are standing at the edge of a small,
Calm pond.
The rays of the sun fall softly through the branches of a willow tree,
Growing at the edge of the pond.
The surface of the water is completely still,
Reflecting the bright blue sky above.
A light breeze wafts by,
Ruffling the leaves of the tree and bringing gentle ripples to the water's surface.
The wind is warm and soft,
Bringing with it the scent of wildflowers.
This place feels familiar and peaceful.
It feels serene and safe.
Stepping closer to the water's edge,
You reach down to trail your fingers gently through the water.
It feels cool and fresh,
Enveloping each of your fingers as they slide beneath the surface.
You come to your seat,
Settling in to watch the slow ripples travel across the pond.
Across the pond,
You see a heron standing tall and straight in the shallows,
Watching the water.
You admire the bird's long,
Narrow beak,
Its beautiful feathers,
White and black and smoky blue.
You notice how patiently it stands and observes,
Calm and alert,
Focused and certain.
You return your gaze to the slow movement of the water as it is massaged by the warm,
Gentle breeze.
You become lost in the ripples of the surface,
The sparkle of the sun shimmering down on each small wave.
Time drops away.
There's no action to take.
There's nothing you need.
Sitting here at the water's edge,
You feel the peace of this place sink deeply into your heart.
The warmth of the sun,
The patience of the heron,
The soft,
Steady movement of the water.
You know that you can return to this beautiful place,
This place of rest,
Whenever you need it.
Now is the time to repeat your sankalpa,
Your resolve.
Repeat to yourself the same resolve you made at the beginning of the practice.
Repeat this resolve three times,
Fully opening your heart and mind to your resolve.
Come back now to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.
Come back to the sensation of your belly rising and falling with each inhale and exhale.
Extend this awareness to the rest of your body,
Your body lying relaxed on the floor.
Become aware of the top of your head,
The tips of your fingers,
The tips of your toes.
Notice again the connection between your body and the earth.
Become aware of your body resting on the floor,
The back of your heels,
Your thighs,
Buttocks,
Shoulder blades,
Arms,
Hands,
Head.
Opening your eyes,
Visualize the surrounding room,
The floor,
The walls,
The ceiling.
Imagine where you are in the room,
The objects surrounding you.
Lie quietly until you feel ready to move.
Start by slowly moving your fingers,
Your toes.
Take your time.
There's no need to rush,
No hurry.
Rotate your hands and your feet.
Gently shift your neck from side to side.
Bring gentle movement into your arms,
Your legs.
Take a deep,
Full breath,
Feeling it invigorate your whole body.
When you are satisfied that you are fully awake,
Roll over onto your right side and use your hands to press yourself up from the floor,
Slowly coming to a seated position.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
