Get ready for Yoga Nidra.
Preferably lie down on your back in Shavasana,
The corpse pose or also known as the dead man's pose.
With your legs slightly apart,
Your arms resting beside you,
Your palms facing up and if you are sitting,
Make sure that your spine is upright and you can rest your hands on your knees with your palms facing upward.
Make sure you are comfortable and supported and adjust your body so that you are completely at ease.
This is your time.
There is nowhere to go.
There is nothing to do.
Let go.
Close your eyes gently and bring your attention to your breath.
Become aware of the air as it enters the body and as it leaves the body.
Simply become aware of your breathing without trying to control the breath.
Breathing is happening on its own,
Without any effort.
Let go of the day behind you.
Let go of the day ahead of you.
Right now,
There is only this breath,
This body,
This moment.
Take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.
Take another deep breath in and exhale slowly.
One more deep breath in and exhale slowly.
We will now take a deep breath in and on the exhale we will recite the mantra OM.
Breathe in.
One more time and one more time.
Let the whole body melt into stillness.
Now bring to mind your Sankalpa,
Your resolve,
Your intention and silently repeat your Sankalpa three times with full belief,
With full attention,
With complete emotion.
Repeat it three times.
This seed of intention will be planted in the deep fertile soil of your subconscious.
Now we begin the rotation of consciousness.
Bring your awareness to different parts of the body as I name them.
Do not move,
Simply become aware of that part of the body.
We begin with the right side.
The forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Right armpit.
Right side waist.
Right hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole.
Top of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Now the left side of the body.
Left hand thumb.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Little finger.
The palm of the hand.
The back of the hand.
The wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Left armpit.
Waist.
Hip.
Thigh.
Knee.
Shin.
Ankle.
Heel.
Sole.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Now the back side of the body.
The back of the head.
The back of the neck.
The back of the shoulders.
The right shoulder blade.
The left shoulder blade.
The spine.
The abdomen.
The upper back.
The middle back.
The lower back.
The buttocks.
The calves.
The heels.
Now the front side of the body.
The forehead.
The temples.
The eyebrows.
The space between the eyebrows.
The eyes.
The eyelids.
The eyelashes.
The cheeks.
The nose.
The tip of the nose.
The lips.
The chin.
The jaw.
The throat.
The right chest.
The left chest.
The center of the chest.
The upper abdomen.
The navel.
The belly.
Now become aware of your whole body.
Feel the entire body lying in perfect stillness.
From head to toe.
From skin to bone.
The body is quiet and at rest.
Now bring your attention to the breath.
Natural.
Effortless.
Feel the breath at the nostrils.
Cool as you inhale.
Warm as you exhale.
Notice the breath at the chest.
Rising.
And falling.
Notice the breath at the belly.
Expanding.
And contracting.
Let your breath become soft.
Rhythmic.
Like the gentle waves of the ocean.
Each breath in is a moment of presence.
Each exhale a release.
And you are the one observing.
Not controlling.
Just witnessing the rhythm of life flowing through you.
And now prepare to journey inward.
Into the realm of inner self-study.
Into the realm of swadhyaya.
A place where awareness blossoms like lotus in still water.
Imagine in your mind's eye that you are walking along a quiet forest path.
It's just before dawn.
The air is cool.
Crisp.
Mist curls low along the earth.
Birds are beginning to stir.
The earth beneath your feet is soft.
Familiar.
This path,
This path is your life's journey.
As you walk,
You come upon a clearing.
A circular space surrounded by ancient trees.
And in the center,
In the center of the clearing stands a beautiful tall mirror made of clear shining crystal.
It's not just a mirror.
It's a mirror of the soul.
You step closer.
You see your deflection.
But this deflection doesn't show your outer self.
It reveals how you feel.
Your thoughts.
Your patterns.
Your emotions.
Your fears.
Your strengths.
Take a few moments to gaze into this mirror.
What do you see?
Not just physically but energetically,
Emotionally,
Spiritually.
Take a few moments to notice what you see.
Perhaps you notice tension you've been holding.
Or maybe an old habit that keeps resurfacing.
A forgotten desire,
Long buried.
A part of yourself you've ignored or denied.
As you gaze,
Imagine each layer of yourself being gently revealed.
Like peeling an onion or opening a book of your own life.
You are not judging.
You are simply noticing,
Simply observing,
Simply witnessing.
And now as you look deeper,
You begin to see not just what you've been through but who you are becoming.
You see resilience.
Wisdom earned through difficulty.
Light that was always there beneath the dust.
You are learning your own language,
Your own rhythm.
This is Swadhyaya,
The sacred study of you.
Suddenly a soft wind comes through the clearing.
The trees whisper.
You hear a quiet voice,
Not outside,
But within.
It says something like,
Everything you seek is already within you.
Or you are not broken,
You are becoming.
What does your inner voice say?
Let yourself receive it.
And now the mirror fades.
And in its place a small glowing book appears.
The book of your life.
Blank pages inside.
You pick it up.
And as you open it you realize you are the author now.
You can write new patterns,
New ways of being.
You can live with greater clarity,
Compassion and choice.
Take a moment to feel that truth sink into your body.
And now the turn to your Sankalpa,
Your dissolve,
Your intention.
And repeat it silently three times with awareness,
Planting it even deeper into the subconscious.
Repeat it three times.
And hear it echo in the spacious stillness of your being.
And begin to draw your awareness back to your body.
Feel the breath moving gently.
Feel the body on the surface it is resting on.
Become aware of your fingers.
Your toes.
Become aware of the space around you.
Slowly begin to move your fingers,
Move your toes.
Gently move your head from side to side.
Take a full breath in.
And sigh it out.
And when you are ready,
When you feel ready,
Roll to one side,
Preferably in the fetal position.
Honor the stillness.
The insight.
The inner work.
And when you are ready,
Gently come up to the seated position with your eyes still closed.
You have practiced Swadhyaya,
The sacred art of self-reflection.
And may you carry its clarity with you in all that you do.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now completed.
You can open your eyes.
Hari Om Tat Sat
