8 1/2 Hour Blissful Sleep With Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is more than just sleep.

We begin by awakening all of the senses,

Moving beyond the layer of the physical.

We will follow the natural workings of our mind.

The mind is designed to think.

Make no attempt to stop the flow of thoughts.

Instead,

Notice each time you catch yourself drifting off into thoughts,

And lovingly return your awareness back to the gentle rise and fall of the breath.

No judgment.

Simple awareness.

Notice if you can relax and soften a little bit more.

Are you holding on to any tension or tightness?

If so,

Become aware of the place where you tend to store tension in your body.

Allow your body to soften into your bed,

Growing comfortably heavy,

Allowing your body to get more and more comfortable.

Feel the body melting into the support beneath you,

Getting more and more comfortable as the body melts and sinks.

Shift and move a little to let your body settle deeper into the support beneath you.

Be comforted at this time.

Everything is okay.

Nothing else matters right now.

There is nowhere else you need to be,

And there is nothing more you need to do.

Your only job is to simply feel the sensations in the body and remain aware.

Do not worry or become agitated if you do not hear everything I say.

It is natural to flow in and out of conscious hearing.

The deepest part of you,

Your core self,

Is always listening.

Whatever your experience today,

This practice will still work.

There is no way you can do this wrong.

Simply listen without trying too hard.

You are in a safe environment.

Protected space.

Held space.

Come into stillness now and remain still for deep rest.

Deep nourishment.

Observe the natural breath.

Feel the breath flowing through you.

Like the endless ebb and flow of the waves lapping at the beach.

Allow the entire body to become heavy.

Feel the body comfortably heavy and sinking into the support of Mother Earth.

Releasing all the muscles of the body and enjoy the sensation of growing heavy and sinking deeper and deeper.

Remember we are practicing yoga nidra.

No sleeping.

Total awareness as we grow heavier and heavier.

Next as the body rests,

Awaken all of your senses.

Taste,

Notice any flavor inside the mouth.

Hearing,

Listening with ears and whole body.

Smell,

Welcoming the gentle touch of air and aroma inside the nose.

Vision,

Relaxing the eyes from the world of seeing.

Allow your external sight to rest completely.

As you awaken your internal vision,

Feel the skin,

The touch of the air,

The weight of your clothes.

Notice the temperature,

The feel of the ground supporting you.

And actively welcome that support.

No need to be the tower of strength holding up all those around you.

Now is your time to receive.

Be open to receive.

You deserve the gift of your total awareness.

Now is the time to set our intention,

Our sankopa.

This is your deep resolve.

What is your heart's deepest desire?

Make your sankopa a short positive statement that is easy to remember.

Holding on to your resolve,

Move your awareness to the garden of your mind.

Look around and notice every positive thought blooms into a beautiful flower.

And every negative thought grows into an ugly,

Invasive weed.

The weeds hide the beauty of the flowers.

Without judgment,

Notice if you have more weeds or more flowers in your garden.

Being honest with ourselves as to where we are in this moment.

With truth,

We can create the change we desire.

Now move over to a part of the garden that is fresh,

New soil.

Plant your resolve,

Your sankopa into the earth.

See and feel your life with the fulfillment of this desire.

How would your life be transformed if this desire was a reality?

State your resolve three times,

Silently.

Then give thanks and let it go.

Allow your attention to move to the breath.

And feel as if the breath is breathing you.

There is no effort at all.

As we relax into the simplicity of being breathed.

Notice how the body spreads like water.

Feel that within this body of water,

There is a rhythm,

A tide.

Waves of inspiration ebbing and flowing.

Feel how the awareness of your breath rising and falling can increase the awareness of the ebb and flow of everyday life.

Relaxing into the feeling of being breathed.

Now begin to count back on each exhalation until you reach zero.

Beginning at 10.

Inhaling 10.

Exhaling 10.

Inhaling 9.

Exhaling 9.

If you lose track,

That's ok.

Simply rest awareness at the heart center.

Then begin again as if you can shed another layer with each exhalation.

Melting deeper and deeper within.

Sinking below the outside world.

Sinking below all of the senses.

And resting peacefully at the bottom of the ocean.

Allow the breath to connect to the ebb and flow of the tide.

Gently feel the sensation of the breath rocking you back and forth.

Back and forth.

In rhythm with the tide.

Our body is completely relaxed.

And just like a piece of seagrass gently swaying back and forth with the breath.

Allow your awareness to travel through your body now.

On a journey of sensation.

Simply feel each part as it is mentioned.

Without moving.

Remain in stillness.

Welcoming all sensation just as it is.

Begin with the mouth.

Feel sensation in the mouth.

Feel the jaw.

Lips.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Notice where the lips touch.

Feel the inside of the mouth.

Under the tongue.

Upper teeth and gums.

Lower teeth and gums.

Root of the tongue.

Center of the tongue.

Notice sense of taste inside the mouth.

Feel the left inner cheek.

Right inner cheek.

All the parts of the mouth together.

As a whole.

Feel the mouth as sensation.

As energy.

As radiant vibration.

Feel the nose.

Notice the nostrils.

Left nostril.

Right nostril.

Both nostrils.

Notice the breath.

Nasal passages.

Follow nasal passages all the way back into your head.

Become aware of your ears.

Right ear.

Left ear.

Both ears simultaneously.

Feel the wrinkles and folds.

Front of the ears.

Back of the ears.

Ear lobes.

Ear canals.

Follow ear canals into the inner ear.

Notice the ears receiving sound.

Listening.

Feel the ears hearing.

Observe the texture of sound.

Attempt to find sounds far away.

And slowly move from one sound to the next.

As you move closer and closer to the body.

Feel your eyes.

Right eye.

Both eyes together.

Notice eyelids.

Feel each eyelash.

Notice where the eyelids touch.

Become aware of the surface of the eyes.

Center of the eyes.

Back of the eyes.

Feel both eyes as energy.

Radiant glowing embers.

Bring awareness to the crown of the head.

Face.

Forehead.

Eyebrows.

And the space between the eyebrows.

Feel the whole head.

Heavy.

Relaxed.

At ease.

Remember we are not sleeping.

Total awareness as we explore sensation in the neck.

Back of the neck.

Sides of the neck.

Throat.

Notice the right hand.

Right hand thumb.

First finger.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Melting.

Feel the whole hand.

Alive with energy.

Feel the wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Whole shoulder.

Notice the notch at the base of the throat.

Observe the left hand.

Left hand thumb.

First finger.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Feel the whole hand.

Filled with sensation.

Feel the left wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Whole shoulder.

Notice the notch at the base of the throat.

Total awareness on the throat.

Become aware of the upper chest.

Upper back.

Both shoulder blades.

Feel warmth blossoming in the heart center.

Picture a beautiful emerald green color here.

Notice solar plexus.

The abdomen.

Base of the spine radiating ruby red.

Feel the back growing heavy.

Feel the belly.

Pelvis.

Hips.

Notice sensations in the right hip.

Upper leg.

Knee.

Lower leg.

Ankle.

Foot.

Sole of the foot.

Top of the foot.

Toes.

Big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

The whole foot together.

Feel again the belly.

Pelvis.

Left hip.

Ankle.

Foot.

Sole of the foot.

Top of the foot.

Toes.

Big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

The whole foot together.

Notice both feet.

Your root between the sitting bones.

Red.

Navel center.

Orange.

Solar plexus.

Yellow.

Heart center.

Green.

Throat center.

Blue.

Third eye between the eyebrows.

Purple.

Crown of the head.

See a brilliant white lotus floating above.

The crown of the head.

Back body resting on the earth.

Awareness of the whole back body.

As sensation.

Alive with vibration.

Feel now the front body.

Filled with radiant vibration.

Pour the awareness like liquid into the right side of the body.

Feel the entire right side.

Pour the awareness like flowing sensors.

Pour the awareness into the left side.

Feel the entire left side.

Rest your awareness on midline.

Feel the midline of the body.

Feel the body as a whole.

Complete entity.

Feel sensation throughout the entire body.

Come back to the breath.

Observing the natural,

Relaxed breath.

As it flows through you.

Feel the in-breath.

Notice the out-breath.

As you exhale,

Imagine a warm wave passing downward through your body.

Carrying away any last drops of tension.

As you inhale,

A fresh wave flows upward through your whole body.

Bringing a sense of calm to each and every cell.

See or feel every cell illuminated with healing prana.

Healing energy.

Exhaling,

Wave flowing downward through the body.

Carrying away all fear.

Inhaling fresh wave upward.

Bringing peace and joy.

Remember your heart's longing statement.

Repeat it again as the present truth.

Three times silently.

It is the truth.

We will rest here,

Following the breath for a little while longer.

Resting in stillness and silence.

Hearing the breath as it moves gently in and out of the body.

Feeling it rise and fall without any effort at all.

Notice now the back side of the body facing the earth.

Feel all the places where your body touches the ground.

Imagine roots growing from each point of contact deep into the earth.

Notice the front body facing skyward.

Begin to sense the space around you.

Allow the body to expand wider into the space that surrounds you.

Notice your breath.

Feel its rhythm and pace.

Invite the breath to expand into the back of the body.

Cultivating a sense of lightness and openness within.

Take a full breath in and imagine filling up with divine light from the top of the head all the way down to the toes.