Yoga Nidra For Stillness And Restoration

Hello and welcome.

My name is Jodi and this is Yoga Nidra.

Yoga Nidra is a practice of yogic sleep that guides you to a state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping.

You will be functioning on the levels of hearing and awareness and the only thing that you need to do is get comfortable and follow my voice.

To begin,

Lie on your back with the knees slightly bent.

You may wish to be supported by a pillow or bolster under the knees or behind you.

This will help to relieve tension in the low back and it will help you to remain comfortable and still throughout the practice.

Make sure that you're warm or cool enough and that your position is one that you will be comfortable with for the duration of this practice.

If you wish,

You can use eye pillows for your eyes and hands.

Eye pillows over the eyes can help you move deeper into the experience.

When used in the hands,

They can help you feel more grounded and relaxed.

Try to remain still during this practice so that both your body and brain have a chance to fully relax.

However,

If you become uncomfortable,

Please feel free to change position.

During the practice,

I'll ask you to follow my voice as you rotate your awareness through the various parts of the body.

You'll also be moved through a guided imagery sequence.

If at any point during the practice you feel any unpleasant feelings or sensations,

It is okay to sit up or to open your eyes.

At the end,

I will guide you out of the meditation.

Let us begin.

Adjust your body whether that's your position or even your clothes so that you are as comfortable as possible.

Close your eyes or focus your gaze to a place in front of you.

If the eyes are open,

Try to widen your gaze to your peripheral vision and notice if this helps you to soften the gaze.

Whether your eyes are open or closed,

Take a deep breath in,

Pause,

And as you breathe out,

Allow yourself to put aside the cares and worries of the day.

Do this two or three times.

Take a long slow breath in,

Pause,

And then a long slow breath out.

Again,

Pausing.

Note the feeling of the floor beneath you as you continue.

Allow yourself to be supported or held by the floor or cushions upon which you rest.

In the practice which follows,

You are going to develop the feeling of deep relaxation in the mind and body.

It is not necessary to make movements or to deliberately relax your muscles.

Simply develop and observe the feeling of relaxation,

Much like the feeling you have just before sleep.

During this practice,

You will be functioning on the levels of hearing and awareness.

Do your best not to intellectualize or analyze the instructions as this will disturb the relaxation.

Simply follow my voice with total attention and feeling,

And if thoughts come to disturb you from time to time,

Just try to set them aside and continue the practice by observing my voice.

Let my voice be your anchor.

If you haven't already,

Allow your breath to come back to natural and will bring about an awareness of the whole body.

Notice the whole body.

Now bring your awareness to the bottom of your feet,

The tips of your toes,

Your legs,

Your torso,

The shoulders,

Arms,

And head.

Notice the back of your head,

Your face,

And the top of your head.

Repeat to yourself,

I am calm.

I am calm.

Try to bring complete stillness and complete awareness into your whole body.

Again,

I am calm.

Continue your awareness of the whole body,

The whole body.

Notice your whole body.

Become aware of the fact that you are going to practice Yoga Nidra.

Just repeat to yourself,

I am aware.

I am practicing Yoga Nidra.

I rest deep in the way that's right for me.

The practice of Yoga Nidra begins now.

At this moment,

You may wish to make an intention.

The intention can be very simple.

Try to discover one naturally,

Such as I am peaceful or I am calm.

State your intention quietly to yourself as a short,

Positive statement in simple language,

And repeat it to yourself three times,

With awareness,

With feeling,

And with emphasis.

Now imagine that you place that intention aside.

We will begin with the systematic rotation of awareness through the different parts of the body.

Simply follow my voice as we move from part to part.

Repeat the part in your mind and simultaneously become aware of that part of the body.

Try to be alert,

But do not concentrate too intensely.

We begin by bringing your awareness to the right hand.

Notice the right hand thumb,

Right second finger,

Right third finger,

Right fourth finger,

Right fifth finger,

The palm of the hand.

Become aware of the right palm,

The back of the right hand,

The right wrist,

The right lower arm,

The elbow,

The right upper arm,

Right shoulder,

Right armpit,

Right waist,

Right hip,

Right thigh,

Right kneecap,

The right calf,

The right ankle,

Right heel,

The sole of the right foot,

The top of the right foot,

The right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And fifth toe.

Become aware of the left hand thumb,

Left second finger,

Left third finger,

Left fourth finger,

Left fifth finger,

Palm of the left hand,

Back of the left hand,

The left wrist,

The left lower arm,

The left elbow,

The left upper arm,

The left shoulder,

The left armpit,

The left waist,

The left hip,

The left thigh,

The left kneecap,

Left calf muscle,

Left ankle,

Left heel,

The sole of the left foot,

The top of the left foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And fifth toe.

Now we notice the back.

Become aware of the right shoulder blade,

The left shoulder blade,

The right hip,

The left hip.

Notice the entire spine.

Notice the whole back together.

Now go to the top of the head.

Notice the top of the head,

The forehead,

The right side of the head,

The left side of the head,

The right eyebrow,

The left eyebrow,

The space between the eyebrows,

The right eyelid,

The left eyelid,

The right eye,

The left eye,

The right ear,

The left ear,

The right cheek,

The left cheek,

The nose,

The tip of the nose,

The upper lip,

The lower lip.

Moving down,

Notice the chin,

The throat,

The right front side ribs,

The left front side ribs,

The heart center,

The entire belly space,

And the belly button.

Moving down the body,

Now notice the right leg,

The left leg,

And both legs together.

Notice the right arm,

The left arm,

And both arms together.

Notice the entire backside body,

Both legs,

Hips,

Spine,

Backside ribs,

Shoulder blades,

Arms,

And back of the head.

And now notice the whole front side body,

Both legs,

Hips and groin crease,

Belly space,

Front side ribs,

Arms,

Face,

And again crown of the head.

Now notice the backside and front side together.

Notice the whole body together.

Notice the whole body,

The whole body.

Notice the whole body as it rests.

Become aware of your body lying as it rests.

Your body is resting.

See your body resting perfectly still.

Now return your awareness back into the body and become aware of the breath.

Allow the breath to be natural and automatic and without effort.

Maintain awareness of your breath and continue with complete awareness of breath.

Notice the relationship of movement in the body as you breathe in and out.

Notice how the ribs expand with the inhale,

How the body rests and recedes with the exhale.

Continue to notice the experience of the breath.

Now concentrate your awareness on the movement of your belly area.

Concentrate on the belly.

As you deepen the breath,

Notice the belly rising and falling slightly with every breath.

With each and every breath,

The belly expands and contracts.

Concentrate on this movement.

Now start counting your breaths backwards from 27 to 1 like this.

27 belly rising,

27 belly falling,

26 belly rising,

26 belly falling,

25 belly rising,

25 belly falling and so on.

Say the words and numbers mentally to yourself as you count your breaths.

If you lose count,

Go back to 27 and start again.

With total awareness that you are counting,

Go on counting from 27 to 1.

Keep on with the practice and return to 27 if you lose count.

Now stop counting of the belly breath and shift attention to the chest.

Please shift awareness to the chest.

Your chest is rising and falling with each and every breath.

Be aware of this movement.

As you concentrate on the movement of the chest,

Begin to start counting backwards from 27 to 1 in the same way as before.

27 chest rising,

27 chest falling,

26 chest rising,

26 chest falling,

25 chest rising,

25 chest falling and so on.

Again,

Repeat the words and numbers mentally to yourself as you count.

If you lose count,

Go back to the start again to 27.

Continue counting 27 to 1.

Keep on with the practice,

Counting and awareness,

Awareness and counting.

Now move your awareness to the throat.

Become aware of your breath moving in and out of the throat.

Concentrate on the movement of the breath and start counting backwards from 27 to 1 in the same way as before.

Complete awareness of counting and the breath.

Keep on with the practice,

Continuing counting your breaths in the throat.

Stop counting and go now to the nostrils.

Become aware of the breath moving in and out of the nostrils.

Concentrate on the movement of the breath in and out of the nostrils and start counting as before.

You know this very well now.

27 breathing in,

27 breathing out.

Keep on with the practice as you count down from 27 to 1.

Now wherever you are at,

Allow your breath to come back to natural.

We now begin with visualization.

A number of things will be named.

Try to develop a vision of them on all levels of feeling,

Awareness,

Emotion and imagination as best you can.

Begin by imagining a burning candle,

A burning candle,

A burning candle,

An endless desert,

An endless desert,

An endless desert,

An Egyptian pyramid,

An Egyptian pyramid,

An Egyptian pyramid,

Torrential rain,

Torrential rain,

Torrential rain,

Snow-capped mountains,

Snow-capped mountains,

Snow-capped mountains,

A Greek temple at sunrise,

A Greek temple at sunrise,

A Greek temple at sunrise,

Birds flying across a sunset,

Birds flying across a sunset,

Birds across a sunset,

Red clouds drifting,

Red clouds drifting,

Red clouds drifting,

Stars at night,

Stars at night,

Stars at night,

A full moon,

A full moon,

A full moon,

A smiling child,

A smiling child,

A smiling child,

Wind from the sea,

Wind from the sea,

Wind from the sea,

Waves breaking on a deserted beach,

Waves breaking on a deserted beach,

The restless sea,

The eternal restless sea,

The eternal restless sea,

And now again waves breaking on a deserted beach.

Now allow your mind to pause.

Notice your breath.

Allow the breath to be natural.

Bring your mind back to your intention.

Repeat the same intention that you made at the beginning of the practice.

Repeat the intention three times with full awareness and feeling.

As you complete your intention,

Relax all efforts,

Become aware of your breathing,

And become aware of the natural breath.

Be aware of the whole body and aware of your breath.

Your body is lying totally relaxed on the floor or cushion.

You are breathing quietly and with ease.

Develop awareness of your body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes and say mentally in your mind,

Calm.

Again,

Repeating,

Calm.

Now become aware of the floor or cushions that you rest upon and the position of your body lying on the floor.

Visualize the room around you.

Do not open your eyes yet,

But visualize the entire 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.

Take your time.

Perhaps move your head gently from side to side.

As you're ready,

Allow these small movements to become slightly larger movements.

Perhaps reach for the sky or take a big stretch.

And as you're ready,

Move on to the right side or whatever side feels most comfortable.

Stay here for a few moments.

If you're on your floor,

Use your hands against the floor and the strength of your arms to press yourself up to a seated position.

Find a comfortable seat and pause and notice the sensation of being upright.

As you're ready,

Bring your hands to your heart or together in front of your heart or simply rest them in your lap.

Take a moment to honor yourself for taking this time for your well-being.

Perhaps take a moment to connect with gratitude for someone or something.

Pause to notice whether you experience a physical sensation of gratitude.

There's no judgment if you feel physical gratitude or not.

Just notice.

And then take a deep breath in and a long breath out.

And as you're ready,

Flutter the eyes open.

I thank you for taking the time and resources to be part of this process.

I thank you for being a part of this virtual yoga community.

The goodness in me honors the goodness in you.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.