Yoga Nidra I Meditation & Guided Relaxation | 45 Minutes

It is time for yoga nidra.

You are encouraged to find a comfortable supine position,

Such as lying on your back with your knees slightly bent and supported.

You may find a folded blanket or a thin pillow beneath your head is also helpful.

If you are pregnant or for any reason you prefer,

You may practice sitting upright or lying on your preferred side.

Make sure that you are warm enough and that your position is one that will be comfortable for the duration of this practice.

Ideally you will remain still during yoga nidra so that your body and brain have a chance to fully relax.

However,

If you become uncomfortable,

Please use your discretion.

As required,

Feel free to change position.

Allow your eyes to begin to close.

Keep your eyes closed until the end of the practice.

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

There is a kind of discipline required to stay just above the sleeping state.

While your mind is your own,

You can think or daydream if you choose.

The focus practice is to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice.

You will be asked to move your awareness to various bodily sensations,

Emotions and images.

If any of the suggested images or words trigger unpleasant feelings for you,

Try replacing with an opposite idea or return to your breath and sense of being connected to the floor through your bodily sensations.

Your words and ideas will move along steadily.

The intent is to exercise the mind and not to get stuck on any one idea.

Yoga nidra requires a soft focus.

Try to follow along without making excessive effort as this may prevent you from relaxing.

During this meditation,

Please use and absorb what you need in the moment.

Leave the rest behind.

If the mind becomes overactive with thoughts or worries,

Just come back to the sound of my voice.

Bring awareness to the sounds around you.

Become aware of any sounds you hear in this moment.

Listen out for the most distant sounds that you can hear.

Let your sense of hearing radiate outwards,

Searching out these distant sounds,

Following them for a few moments.

Move your attention from sound to sound without labelling the source.

Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds.

Sounds outside this building.

To sounds inside this building.

And sounds inside the room.

Without opening your eyes,

Visualise the four walls of this room.

The ceiling.

The floor.

Your body lying on the floor.

The position of your body.

Your clothes.

Your hair.

Your face.

Become aware of the existence of your physical body.

Of your physical body lying on the floor.

Bring attention now to your natural breath.

Become aware of your natural breath.

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

The natural breath flowing in through both nostrils.

Maybe you notice one nostril more clearly than the other.

Or perhaps the breath flows through both nostrils equally.

Just observe.

Notice the feeling of the breath as it comes in and out of your nostrils.

There may be a subtle difference in temperature between the inhale and the exhale.

Perhaps a sense of coolness as you inhale the breath.

Follow this feeling into your nose.

Into your sinuses.

The back of your throat.

And down into your lungs.

As you observe the exhalation.

Notice if there is maybe a sense of warmth as you exhale the breath.

Feel this sense of warmth on your upper lip as you breathe out.

As you pay attention to your natural breath flowing through your nostrils passing over the upper lip.

Gently allow your breath to become longer and slower.

Take a long slow inhalation followed by a longer slower exhalation.

If it's comfortable for you make your exhale even slower.

Almost as if you can empty your lungs.

Notice the slight pause after the exhale.

Allow the inhalation to enter slowly however deep it wants to be.

Even slower exhale and pause.

Feel the urge to breathe in inside of you.

When you need to inhale please do.

Long slow inhale.

Longer slower exhale.

Pulse where the body is neither breathing in or out.

Try resting your awareness in those pauses between breaths.

Those moments of not doing.

Without any strain or force continue to breathe in this way.

Long extended out breath.

Pause.

Slow in breath.

Pause.

After a few rounds of slow breathing with pauses.

Driving forcing to stop breathing.

And take a slow sido.

At the end of your next breath out,

Release the focus on the breath.

Listening again to the sounds outside and allowing your breath to find its own way,

Its own rhythm,

Releasing any sense of control over the inhale or the exhale.

The formal practice of Yoga Nidra begins now.

It is traditional to make a sankalpa or a zol.

The creation of a sankalpa is about choosing to shape your mind in the way you want it to be.

It is thought that in the deep rest of Yoga Nidra,

The subconscious is very receptive and the sankalpa is a seed that you want to plant within yourself on purpose.

Your sankalpa should be short,

A positive statement in a simple language.

For example,

I am whole or I am enough.

A statement that reflects your deepest values.

Perhaps you have used one before.

Repetition is powerful,

So keep with that one if you wish.

If you are unsure,

Try to discover one naturally.

Make your sankalpa a simple,

Powerful statement to yourself.

When you decide your sankalpa,

Stick with it.

I invite you now to state your sankalpa clearly to yourself with feeling and full awareness three times.

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

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

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

It helps to say the name of the body part to yourself and feel that part of your body.

Make awareness to that part of the body,

But do not move your physical body.

The practice begins on the right side.

Right hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Little finger.

Palm of the right hand.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Arm pit.

Waist.

Hip.

Back thigh.

Knee.

Carve.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sol of the right foot.

Top of the foot.

Right big toe.

Second toe.

Fourth toe.

Little toe.

Left hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Thumb finger.

Palm of the left hand.

Back of the hand.

Wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Shoulder.

Palm pit.

Waist.

Hip.

Left thigh.

Knee.

Carve.

Ankle.

Heel.

Sol of the left foot.

Top of the foot.

Left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Little toe.

Now bring awareness to the back of the body.

Right heel.

Left heel.

Right calf.

Left calf.

Right thigh.

Left thigh.

Right buttocks.

Left buttocks.

The lower back.

Middle back.

Upper back.

Entire spine.

Right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

Back of the neck.

Back of the head.

Top of the head.

Forehead.

Right temple.

Left temple.

Right earlobe.

Left earlobe.

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.

The 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.

Whole left leg.

Whole right arm.

Whole left arm.

The entire face.

Whole head.

Whole torso.

The entire body.

The entire body.

The entire body.

The entire body.

Start to cultivate sensations using your mind.

Imagine the whole body becoming light.

The sense of contact between your body and the firm surface beneath you becoming more subtle,

Becoming lighter.

Almost as though your body could float away from the floor towards the ceiling.

Head is light,

Weightless.

Limbs are light and weightless.

Torso is light and weightless.

The whole body light and weightless.

We're rising higher and higher away from the floor.

Slowly returning to the floor.

Feel the sensations of contact,

The surfaces that support you.

Imagine your body becoming heavy.

Feel the heaviness in all parts of the body.

Each part is becoming heavier.

And heavier.

And heavier.

The head is heavy,

Limbs are heavy,

Torso is heavy.

The whole body is heavy.

Becoming so heavy that it is sinking down into the floor,

Into the earth.

Return to the feeling of connection between your body and the firm surface that supports you.

Neither light nor heavy,

Just as it is.

Shifting now to cultivate sensation of temperature.

Awaken the experience of cold in the body.

Experience of chilly cold.

Imagine being outside in winter without enough clothing.

Create a sense of feeling this chill permeating your entire body.

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

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

Cultivate the feeling of heat radiating onto your skin.

Heat all around the body.

Return to the sensation of the temperature of the body just as it is.

Begin to concentrate on the space inside your forehead.

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

As if you were seated in the centre of your skull looking towards the screen inside the forehead.

The space known as Chidakash.

The screen is as high and as wide as the eyes can see.

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

Colours,

Patterns and light.

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

Practice detached awareness only.

If any subtle images make themselves known simply notice them without directing the images.

If thoughts occur let them come and let them go.

Continue to watch the dark space.

Continue with this detached awareness.

Now a number of things will be named.

Envision them on a level of emotion,

Memory and imagination as best you can.

Remember you have control of your mind.

If you prefer to skip any images that's okay.

We will move at a steady pace.

Allow your inner vision to jump from image to image when you hear it.

Waves on the ocean.

Red desert.

Pink water lily.

Peacock feather.

Bushfire.

A Buddha meditating.

Ship at sea.

Full moon.

Doctor's office.

Your bedroom.

Chirping birds.

Your reflection in a mirror.

A foggy morning.

Sun shining overhead.

A bouquet of flowers.

A tall eucalyptus tree.

Receiving help from others.

Cool clear waters.

An empty hammock.

Laughing with friends.

A warm embrace.

A burning candle.

A temple on a mountain.

A path in the woods.

Vibrant sunset.

A cat stretching.

A garden path.

The sound of my voice.

Your body lying on the floor.

It is time to repeat your sankapa.

Please repeat the same statement made at the beginning of the practice three times mentally now.

Coming 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 awareness of your physical body.

Your body is relaxed and lying on the floor.

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

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

Take your awareness into all the points that are touching the floor.

The back of your heels.

Sides.

Botox.

Shoulder blades.

Arms.

Hands.

And head.

Do not open your eyes yet but visualize the surrounding room.

Imagine where you are in the room and the other objects that are around you.

Lie quietly until you feel you are ready to move.

Start by slowly moving your hands.

Wriggling your feet.

Take your time.

There is no hurry.

When you are sure that you are fully awake,

Gently allow your eyes to open.

Notice the light and the colours in the line of sight.

As you start to bring some movement to your body,

You might like to stretch out.

Perhaps a yawn or a sigh will come.

Allow it.

You could hug your knees to your chest or armpits.

Perhaps bring a gentle twist,

Following your knees to one side,

Then the other.

When you feel ready,

Prepare to move onto your preferred side.

Stay on your side for a few more moments.

If you are ready,

Use your hands to press yourself up from a floor and find your way to a seated position.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Namaste.