Welcome to Yoga Nidra.
I'm Lisa and I'm going to guide you through today's practice.
Come into the pose that we call Savasana.
Lie down straight from your head to your toes with a long spine.
Your feet are slightly apart and your hands are resting next to your body with the palms facing up.
Get completely comfortable and relax.
Allow your face to soften and close your eyes.
Yoga Nidra means yogic sleep.
It is a deeply restorative practice that allows the body to rest while you explore your inner truth and experience your own wisdom.
In this practice you develop the feeling of deep relaxation in your body.
You don't have to do anything,
Simply let go and surrender to the ground you're lying on.
When relaxation becomes deep,
Sleep might come.
Try to stay awake and aware.
In Yoga Nidra you're functioning on the levels of hearing and awareness.
The only thing you need to do is simply follow my voice.
Follow my voice with full awareness.
Now take a deep breath in and let it go through your mouth.
Another deep breath in and with your next exhale completely let go of your day through your mouth.
Now it is time to take your personal resolve.
In Sanskrit we call it Sankalpa which is a positive present tense statement that begins with I am.
A way of being that you would like to manifest in your life.
Maybe you are feeling sick,
Try I am healing.
Maybe you feel restless today,
Then go for I am peaceful.
Whatever positive statement you choose,
Repeat your Sankalpa in your mind three times.
Now we are going on a journey through your body.
Please repeat the name of the body part in your mind after me and become aware of that part of the body.
We begin with the right side.
Become aware of the right side of your body.
Right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Right knee,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Right heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Feel the whole right side of the body.
Now go to the left side of the body.
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Left heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Feel the whole left side of the body.
Now to the back.
Right shoulder,
Left shoulder,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Right lower back,
Left lower back,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Spine,
The whole back together.
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
Top of the head,
Forehead,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Eyebrow center,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Top of the nose,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Broach,
Right side chest,
Left side chest,
Middle of the chest,
Navel,
Lower part of the navel,
Upper part of the navel,
Right side of the navel,
Left side of the navel,
Whole abdomen,
Whole right leg,
Whole left leg,
Both the legs,
Whole right arm,
Whole left arm,
Both arms,
Whole back,
Buttocks,
Spine,
Shoulder blades,
Head,
Both eyes,
Facial muscles,
Throat,
Chest,
Abdomen,
Trunk of the body,
Head and the whole body,
The whole body,
Feel your whole body in perfect stillness and calmness.
Begin to notice your breath,
Your natural breath as it flows through your body.
Feel the breath going in and going out.
As you exhale,
Imagine a wave passing down through your body,
Carrying away all remaining tension.
As you inhale,
A fresh wave flows upward through your whole body,
Bringing relaxation.
As you exhale,
That wave is passing down through your body,
Releasing all your worries.
With the next inhale,
You are breathing in a fresh wave of serenity.
Exhale and feel the wave washing away all your fears.
Inhale deeply and feel the wave filling you up with a feeling of safety and comfort.
Bring your focus to the center of your chest and allow your awareness to rest here.
Now imagine your whole body becoming light,
Resting on the floor.
Your head is light.
Your limbs are light and weightless.
Your torso is light.
The whole body is light and weightless.
You are floating light and weightless.
Imagine your body becoming really heavy.
Feel the heaviness in all parts of your 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.
Now imagine that you are standing outside on a beach.
You feel your bare feet in the powdery,
Warm sand.
You are standing on an open,
Lonely beach surrounded by large palm trees.
Nobody is around.
You tip your face upward to feel the warmth of the sun.
Feel the salt of the sea in the air.
Feel a light breeze going through your hair.
You start walking towards the water over the fine,
Warm sand.
You walk closer to the waves and feel the sand becoming wet and firm.
A wave washes over the sand toward you and touches your toes before receding.
As you step forward,
More waves wash over your feet.
Feel the cool water on your feet.
You look down to your feet and observe how the waves coming toward you and receding back toward the ocean.
Coming up and flowing back.
Enjoy the ever repeating rhythm of the waves.
Once more you return to gazing out over the sea to the point where the water meets the sky.
There you look out and feel your personal resolve becoming true.
Let yourself return to your sankalpa now and notice what you feel.
Repeat it in your mind three times.
Allow yourself to breathe deeply and become aware of your body from the top of your head to the tip of your toes.
Visualize the room around you,
The surface you're lying on and lie quietly for some time with your eyes closed.
Slowly start to bring some gentle movements into your body.
Move your fingers,
Your toes,
Maybe move your head gently from side to side and then hug your knees into your chest and roll onto your favorite side.
And then when you feel ready and completely awake come back up to a seated position.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
