45 Minute Yoga Nidra

Welcome to class.

I'll give you a moment to get situated on your back,

Lying down comfortably,

Using any supports needed to get as comfortable as possible here.

Maybe some blankets or bolsters,

Something positioned behind the knees or behind the head.

As you lie back,

Make sure that you are warm enough and that you are comfortable.

It's best that you remain as still as possible during yoga nidra so that both your body and your brain have a chance to fully relax.

But if you become uncomfortable at any time,

Of course feel free to change position.

Allow your eyes to close now.

Relax the facial muscles and become as still as possible.

The practice of yoga nidra is a practice of yogic sleep that will guide you into a deep state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping.

Yoga nidra is yogic sleep and one hour of yoga nidra is said to equate to four hours of sleep.

All that it requires from you is a willingness to stay here,

To try to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice as you are asked to move your awareness to various bodily sensations,

Emotions and images.

Try not to concentrate too intensely as this may prevent you from relaxing.

During this meditation,

Use and absorb what you need in the moment.

And if the mind becomes overactive with thinking and worries,

Just return back to the sound of my voice.

Become aware of any sounds you hear in this moment.

Become aware of nothing else but what you can hear without straining.

Are there sounds in the distance?

Adding your sense of hearing radiate outward,

Searching outward for these distant sounds and just following them for a few moments.

Move your attention from sound to sound now without labeling the source.

Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds.

Without opening your eyes,

Visualize the four walls of this room.

The ceiling,

The floor and your body lying here on the floor.

Visualize your body lying on the floor.

The position of your body.

Your clothes.

Your hair.

Your face.

Become acutely aware of the existence of your physical body lying on the floor.

Become aware of your natural breath.

Become aware of your natural and spontaneous breath moving in and moving out of your body without any effort.

The natural breath flowing in through both nostrils and then out.

Notice there is a sense of coolness as you inhale and a sense of warmth as you exhale.

Breathing in,

Follow this breath into your nose,

Your sinuses,

The back of your throat,

Into your lungs.

Breathing out,

Feel this warmth on your upper lip as you exhale.

The natural breath flowing through both nostrils during the inhale and the exhale.

Allowing your breath to become longer.

Slower.

Taking a slow,

Long inhalation.

Followed by a slow,

Longer exhalation.

A slow,

Long inhalation.

And a slow,

Long exhalation.

As you make your breath even slower,

Notice the slight pause after the inhale.

Notice the slight pause after the exhale.

Feel the urge to breathe in bubbling up inside of you.

And when you need to inhale,

Do so.

Taking this long,

Slow inhalation.

Taking this longer,

Slower exhalation.

Continue breathing this way.

The practice of Yoga Nidra begins now.

At this moment,

Make your sankalpa,

Your resolve,

Your intention.

The sankalpa is a short,

Positive statement in simple language.

Repeat your sankalpa clearly and with awareness three times now.

Your sankalpa during a Yoga Nidra plants a seed in the fertile soil of your mind to bring about transformation and healing.

Also repeat to yourself now,

I am practicing Yoga Nidra.

I am awake and relaxed.

We will now begin a systematic journey of sensory awareness throughout the entire body.

As prompted,

You will move your awareness to different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named.

Please say the name of the part to yourself and feel that part of your body without moving.

The practice begins on the right side.

Right hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Arm pit.

Waist.

Hip.

Thigh.

Knee.

Calf.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sol of the foot.

Top of the foot.

Right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Left hand.

Fifth toe.

Left hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Fifth finger.

Palm of the hand.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Arm pit.

Waist.

Hip.

Thigh.

Knee.

Calf.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sol of the foot.

Top of the foot.

Left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Fifth toe.

Fifth toe.

Fifth toe.

Fifth toe.

Fifth toe.

Now move to the back of the body.

Right heel.

Right calf.

Left calf.

Right thigh.

Left thigh.

Right buttock.

Left buttock.

Lower back.

Middle back.

Upper back.

The entire spine.

Right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Back of the neck.

Back of the head.

Now to the front of the body.

Begin at the top of the head.

Forehead.

Right temple.

Left temple.

Right ear.

Left ear.

Right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

Middle of the eyebrows.

Right eye.

Left eye.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Right cheek.

Left cheek.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Both lips together.

Chin.

Jaw.

Throat.

Right collarbone.

Left collarbone.

Right side of the chest.

Left side of the chest.

Upper abdomen.

Navel.

Lower abdomen.

Right groin.

Left groin.

The pelvic floor.

The whole right leg.

The whole left leg.

The whole right arm.

The whole left arm.

The whole face.

The whole head.

The whole torso.

The whole body.

Now imagine the whole body becoming light.

As though your body could float away from the floor and toward the ceiling.

The head is light and weightless.

The limbs are light and weightless.

The torso is light and weightless.

The whole body is light and weightless.

You are rising higher and higher away from the floor.

Now imagine your body becoming 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.

Your body becoming so heavy that it is sinking down into the floor beneath you.

Now awaken the experience of cold in the body.

The experience of chilly cold.

Imagine being outside in winter without enough clothing on.

You feel this chill permeating your entire body.

Now allow the sensation of warmth to spread throughout the entire body.

Remember the feeling of heat in summer when you are out in the sun and have no shade.

Feel this heat radiating onto your skin.

Feel this heat all around your body.

Begin to concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyelids.

Imagine before you a transparent screen as though you were at the movie theater.

This screen is as high and as wide as your eyes can see.

Focus on this mind screen and become aware of any phenomena that manifest within it.

Colors.

Patterns.

Light or images.

Whatever you see is the manifesting state of your mind.

Continue your awareness of this space but do not become involved.

Practice detached awareness only.

If any images make themselves known,

Simply notice them without directing the images.

If thoughts occur,

Let them come and go.

But continue watching the dark space behind the eyelids.

Continue watching with this detached awareness.

Now,

A number of different things will be called out.

You should visualize them on the level of emotion,

Memory and imagination as best you can.

This part of the practice will be similar to a flip book.

Jump from image to image as soon as you hear the phrase.

We will begin now.

Red desert.

Peacock feather.

Buddha meditating.

A doctor's office.

A good night's rest.

The full moon.

Your reflection in a mirror.

A foggy morning.

Waiting for results.

The sun shining overhead.

A bouquet of flowers.

A tall tree.

Cool clear water.

A relaxing afternoon.

A warm embrace.

A burning candle.

A temple on a mountain.

A path in the woods.

A vibrant sunset.

Taking a deep breath.

A beautiful garden path.

Your favorite song.

The sound of my voice.

Your body lying on the floor.

It's time to repeat your sangkulpa.

Repeat the same statement made at the beginning of your practice three times to yourself now.

Come back to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.

Maintain your awareness of breath and at the same time develop your awareness of your physical body.

Feel your body is relaxed and lying here on the floor.

Feel the container of your skin and clothes and props that are touching you.

Notice the heaviness of your body as it rests on the floor.

And without opening your eyes,

Enjoying your breath and relaxing.

Imagine where you are in this room.

We'll very slowly begin to bring movement back into our bodies starting by slowly moving your hands and your feet.

Taking your time,

There's no hurry.

As you feel ready,

You can roll over to one side,

Staying on that side for a few moments.

As you feel ready,

Press yourself up to find a comfortable seat.

Let the hands seal together in front of your heart.

Take a moment to thank yourself for carving this time out for the practice of yoga nidra.

Namaste.