Yoga Nidra For Relaxation

Welcome to this relaxing yoga nidra meditation.

To start off with begin to find your way to a comfortable position.

This could be seated or lying down,

Making sure that you prop and bolster the body in any way that makes you feel as comfortable as you can possibly be.

Cushions,

Bolsters,

Blankets,

Blocks,

Use whatever you need here to help you drop into the space of comfort.

Make sure that you are warm enough and that your position is one that can be comfortable for the duration of the practice.

If possible it's best that you remain still so that both your body and mind have a chance to fully relax.

However if you do start to become a little uncomfortable then please feel free to just change your position at any time.

From here allow your eyes to close,

Allow your body to sink into whatever it is that you're resting on right now and if there is any way that you can create just a little more comfort,

A little more ease then please do that now.

Remember that if at any point you drift away from my voice,

From the meditation,

Know that your body and mind will take on board everything that you need to hear.

All the teachings,

All the words will be absorbed whether you are fully conscious to them or not.

So please do not worry if you notice that you've drifted away.

Just allow yourself to sink into whatever you hear in the moment and come back to the meditation in the space that you're in.

As you rest now start to become aware of any sounds that you hear in this moment.

Nothing else but what you can hear without strain.

Begin to focus on the most distant sounds that you hear and let your sense of hearing radiate outwards,

Searching out these distant sounds.

Following them for a few moments.

Move your attention from sound to sound without labeling the source and gradually bring your attention to closer sounds,

To sounds outside where you are,

To sounds inside of the building that you're currently in.

Eventually bringing yourself to the sounds if any inside the room that you're in.

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

The ceiling,

The floor,

Your body lying or sitting wherever you are right now.

Visualize your body,

The position of your body,

Your clothes,

Your hair,

Your face.

Become acutely aware of the existence of your physical body lying on the floor.

Start to become aware of your natural breath.

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

The natural breath flows in through both nerves.

And notice the feeling of the breath as it comes and goes.

There is a sense of coolness as you inhale the breath and follow this feeling into your nose,

Your sinuses,

The back of the throat,

Into your lungs,

Into your body.

Notice 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 of your lungs.

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

The natural breath flows through both nostrils during the inhale and 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,

Even slower exhale and pause.

Feel the urge to breathe in bubble up inside of you.

When you need to inhale please do so.

Long slow inhale,

Longer slow exhale and then pause where the body is,

Neither breathing in nor out and continue breathing in this way.

Now go back to your natural easy breath,

Releasing any control over the inhale or exhale.

Now we introduce our sankalpa,

Our intention for this practice.

And the sankalpa should be a short positive statement in simple language.

Try to discover one naturally.

Please state your sankalpa clearly and 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.

And this could be something along the lines of I am inviting in today.

And allow yourself to finish the sentence,

Repeating it three times.

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

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

Please say the name of the parts to yourself and feel that part of the body,

But do not move any parts.

The practice begins on the right side.

Starting with right hand,

Right thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the 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.

Left hand,

Right thumb,

Right thumb,

Left thumb,

Left thumb,

Left thumb,

Right thumb,

Right thumb,

Left thumb,

Left thumb,

Left thumb,

Left thumb,

Left thumb,

Left thumb,

Left thumb,

Left thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Now go to the back of the body,

The 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 the head,

Top of the head,

Forehead,

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Middle of the eyebrows,

The third eye space,

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,

Whole left leg,

Whole right arm,

Whole left arm,

The whole face,

The whole head,

The whole torso,

The whole body,

The whole body,

The whole body.

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.

Imagine your body now becoming heavy,

Feel the heaviness in all of in all parts of the body,

Each part is becoming heavier and heavier and heavier,

The head is heavy,

The limbs are heavy,

The torso is heavy,

The whole body is heavy,

So heavy that it is sinking down into the floor.

Awaken the experience of cold in the body,

The experience of chilly cold,

Imagine being outside in winter without enough clothing and you feel this chill permeating your entire body.

Now allow the sensation of warmth to spread throughout the entire body,

Remember the feeling of heat in the summer when you are out in the sun with no shade,

You feel heat radiating onto your skin,

Heat all around the body.

Begin now to concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyelids,

Imagine before you a transparent screen as though you were at a movie theatre,

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 manifests within it,

Colours,

Patterns,

Light and whatever you see is the manifest manifesting state of your mind.

Continue your awareness of this space but do not become 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 with this detached awareness.

Continue with this detached awareness.

Now a number of things will be named and you should envisage 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,

Full moon,

Your reflection in a mirror,

A foggy morning,

Waiting for results,

Sun shining overhead,

Bouquet of flowers,

A tall tree,

Receiving help from others,

Cool clear water,

A relaxing afternoon,

Laughing with friends,

A warm embrace,

Burning candle,

A temple on a mountain,

Path in the woods,

Vibrating sunset,

Taking a deep breath,

Cat stretching,

Cat stretching,

A beautiful garden path,

Your favourite song,

The sound of my voice,

Your body lying where it is right now.

It is time to repeat your sankalpa,

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

Come back to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils,

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

Your body is relaxed and lying or sitting on the floor or the bed or a chair,

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

Notice the heaviness of your body as it rests on the floor and take your awareness into all the points that are touching the floor,

The back of your heels,

The thighs,

The buttocks,

Shoulder blades,

Arms,

Hands,

Head.

Do not open your eyes yet but visualise 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,

Start by slowly moving your hands and feet and take your time,

Remember there is no hurry.

If you would like to stay here resting in your body for a little longer please feel free to,

Otherwise when you feel ready and are sure that you are fully awake begin to gently open your eyes.

If you are lying down gently start to take in the awareness of what's above you on the ceiling and if you're seated just begin to look around the room each of you blinking your eyes and slowly slowly wake yourselves up.

When you're ready take a big breath in through the nose,

Filling up the lungs,

The belly,

Exhale open the mouth wide and sigh that breath away.

And again deep breath in,

Exhale breathe it out the mouth.

One more time,

Final time to breathe your deepest breath in of the day so far.

Welcoming in that beautiful awareness sensation of the breath and then as you exhale let it all go and from here resting in your seat bring the palms together in front of your chest in front of your heart allow your chin to slightly bow down just take a moment to connect into what it is that you're grateful for today and this could be anything from somebody you love,

A pet,

An object,

A moment in your day,

The weather,

Anything here that fills up your heart and your mind right now just let yourself settle for a moment of gratitude.

Just take one more breath in filling yourself with that gratitude and as you exhale spread that gratitude and love out.

From my heart to yours thank you so much for joining me on this yoga nidra meditation today.

Namaste.