Get ready for Yoga Nidra.
Preferably lie down in Shavasana,
The dead man's pose or the sleeping pose,
Whatever you wish to call it.
Make yourself as comfortable as possible.
Feet apart.
Let them flop sideways.
Arms slightly away from the body,
Palms of the hand facing upward.
If you're sitting,
Sit in a comfortable position.
Keep your back straight.
You can support your back against the chair or against a wall.
And let your hands rest on your knees,
With the palms of your hands facing upward.
If you need to adjust your blanket,
Your clothes,
Your position,
Do it now,
So that there's no movement and no discomfort while you're practicing Yoga Nidra.
Close your eyes and keep them closed.
The only important factors in the practice of Yoga Nidra is hearing and feeling.
In dreams,
We have no control.
In Yoga Nidra,
We are the creator of the dream.
And say to yourself mentally,
I will not sleep.
I shall only listen to the voice.
Give yourself a moment to become calm and steady.
Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out,
Say to yourself mentally,
Relax.
And become aware of sounds.
Any sound you can hear,
The most distant sound you can hear,
To the most nearest sound you can hear.
Let your ears start seeking out sounds like a radar.
Move your attention from sound to sound without trying to identify where it is coming from or what sound it is.
Become aware of the area that you are practicing Yoga Nidra in.
Without opening your eyes,
Visualize your surroundings.
If you are in a room,
Visualize the ceiling,
The floor.
If you are outside,
Outdoors,
Visualize what is in your surroundings.
Become aware of your body in the position that it is practicing Yoga Nidra in.
Become aware of the physical existence of your body.
Complete awareness of your body in total stillness.
And become aware of the physical meeting points between your body and the surface that your body is resting on.
Become aware of your natural breath,
Your deep,
Natural,
Spontaneous breath.
Don't concentrate on it,
Simply be aware of it.
Know that you are breathing.
The practice of Yoga Nidra now begins.
Say mentally to yourself,
I am going to practice Yoga Nidra.
I will not sleep,
I am going to practice Yoga Nidra.
Now is the time to make your resolve,
To state your Sankalpa,
To state your intention.
Repeat your resolve clearly with complete feeling and complete awareness three times.
We now go into the rotation of consciousness.
Awareness of the different centers of the body.
Mentally repeat the name of each part after me and simultaneously become aware of that part.
We start with the right hand.
Right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Now the left side.
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth.
Now go to the back of the body.
The right shoulder,
The left shoulder,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
The spine,
The whole back together.
Now the front side of the body.
Go to the top of the head.
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The eyebrow center,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
The nose,
The tip of the nose,
The right nostril,
Left nostril,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Chin,
Jaw,
Throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right chest,
Left chest,
Middle of the chest,
Navel,
Abdomen,
Lower abdomen.
Now the whole of the right leg,
Whole of the left leg,
Both legs together,
Whole of the right arm,
Whole left arm,
Both arms together.
The whole back,
The whole front,
The whole head,
The legs,
Arms,
Back,
Front,
Head together.
The whole body together,
The whole body together,
The whole body together.
Become aware of the whole body and become aware of the space occupied by the body,
Body and space.
Become aware of the whole body and the surface that it is resting on.
At the same time become aware of the meeting points between the body and the surface that it is resting on.
Feel those meeting points.
Feel the sensation of all those points simultaneously,
Evenly.
Feel those points clearly,
Distinctly.
Move your attention to the eyelids.
Feel the narrow line of meeting between the upper and the lower eyelids.
Feel the sharp points where they meet and then the lips.
Center your attention on the line between the lips,
The space between the lips.
And from the lips we go to the breath.
Become aware of the natural ingoing and outgoing breath.
Feel the breath moving along the passage between the navel and the throat.
On inhalation it rises from the navel to the throat.
On exhalation it descends from the throat to the navel.
Don't force the breath,
Simply become aware.
Navel to throat,
Throat to navel.
Total awareness of breathing.
Slow and relaxed breathing.
Now awaken the feeling of heaviness in the body.
Become aware of heaviness in every single part of the body.
You are feeling so heavy that you are sinking.
Awareness of heaviness.
And now lightness.
Awaken the feeling of lightness.
The feeling of lightness.
A sensation of lightness and weightlessness in all parts of the body.
Awaken this feeling.
Your body feels so light that it is starting to float.
Awareness of lightness.
The experience of pain.
Concentrate and try to remember the experience of pain.
Any pain you have experienced in your life,
Mental or physical.
Recollect the feeling of pain.
Now recollect the feeling of pleasure.
Any kind of pleasure,
Physical or mental.
Recollect this feeling and relive it.
Make it vivid.
Awaken the feeling of pleasure.
And now withdraw your mind and concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyes.
The space in front of your closed eyes.
This space we call Chidakasha.
Imagine before you a transparent screen through which you can see infinite space.
A space that extends as far as the eye can see.
Concentrate on this dark space and become aware of any phenomena that's manifesting in it.
Be aware of the space but do not become involved.
Detached awareness.
And imagine yourself standing at the edge of a river.
This is no ordinary river.
It is the river of your energy.
A glistening,
Golden stream flowing gently through a vast,
Peaceful landscape.
The water is luminous,
Alive,
Pulsing with warmth.
This water represents your life force,
Your creative power,
Your attention,
Your focus,
All flowing through this radiant current.
Notice how the river moves.
It's not rushed.
It's not stagnant.
It moves with graceful intention.
Now take a few slow steps along its bank.
Each step brings clarity.
You see tributaries,
Small streams breaking away from the main current.
One such small stream,
It flows towards a glowing grove,
Where friends laugh,
Share tea and listen deeply.
Another stream meanders into a quiet library filled with books and warm light.
These are places where your energy feels received,
Nourished and expanded.
Take a moment to feel how these streams energize you.
Now notice other streams.
One rushes towards a flashing screen,
Scattered images and noise,
Flickering noise.
Another twists into a thicket of wadi,
News,
Notifications,
Comparison.
One more spills into a pit,
Where you say yes when your body longs to say no.
These are places where your energy leaks,
Where your light dims.
You don't judge.
You simply observe.
And now in your mind's eye,
Gently raise your hand.
In this imagined realm,
You have the power to guide the flow.
With a small movement,
You redirect the stream away from the thicket,
Guiding it back toward the main river,
Toward what replenishes you.
You send it toward creativity,
Stillness,
Purpose,
Presence,
Passion.
Watch as the water brightens.
Watch as the flow strengthens.
You are the caretaker of this river.
You cannot stop the flow,
But you can choose its path.
You can choose to send your energy where it blossoms,
Not where it fades.
Where it roots you deeper,
Not where it scatters you thin.
Step into the center of this flow.
Feel the warmth of the current around your feet.
Take a breath,
And let that breath be a promise.
I honor my energy.
I guide it with care.
I choose what nourishes.
Let that promise echo softly through your heart.
The river continues to flow,
Steady,
Golden,
Wise.
And you are at peace on its shore.
And now remember your resolve,
Your sankalpa,
Your intention,
And repeat the same resolve you made at the beginning of the practice In the same words,
With the same attitude,
Repeat your resolve three times with feeling and emphasis.
And become aware of your breathing.
Become aware of your natural breathing.
Awareness of breathing and awareness of relaxation.
Become aware of your physical existence.
Become aware of your arms,
Your legs,
Your body.
The meeting points between the body and the surface that it is resting on.
Become aware of the surrounding area.
If you are in a room,
The walls,
The ceiling.
If you are outdoors,
Become aware of the area around you.
Take your mind out,
Become completely external.
Start moving your body,
Stretching yourself.
And when you are sure that you are wide awake,
If you are in shavasana,
Sit up slowly and open your eyes.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Hari Om Tat Sat Copyright © 2020 Mooji Media Ltd.
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