Yoga Nidra – Rotation of Consciousness

In order to prepare for the practice of Yoga Nidra,

Help yourself to create a settled environment.

This could be turning off your cell phone or asking your housemates to leave you undisturbed,

Turning off any alarms,

Setting aside any preoccupations in your mind,

Knowing you can come back to them after the practice if you need to.

Roll out your yoga mat,

Or if you're using the practice for sleep,

You can lie down in your bed.

For most people,

The pose most comfortable for Yoga Nidra is Shavasana.

Lying down on your back,

Arms a comfortable distance away from your sides,

Usually at least a foot.

For most people,

Palms face up is comfortable,

This is anatomically neutral.

But if for any reason it's not comfortable for you,

Feel free to turn your palms face down,

Or you can place one hand on top of the other on your chest,

Or place one hand on your belly,

One hand on your chest.

Legs comfortably separated.

The most important thing is that you feel able to release and relax,

To allow yourself to be held by,

Supported by the floor.

If you'd like a blanket,

Or a pillow,

Or a bolster beneath your knees,

Or a pillow beneath your head.

Take your time making yourself comfortable,

So that while your awareness moves,

Your body can remain still throughout the practice.

Notice if there's any adjustment you could make to allow your body to be 5 or 10% more comfortable.

It could be adjusting your shoulder blades,

Adjusting your hips,

Maybe rolling the toes open.

If there's light,

And you feel you have to close your eyes tight against the light,

You might like to place an eye pillow,

Or a sleeve over your eyes.

And as you begin to feel comfortable,

Allow your weight to be heavy,

Your body to be heavy.

We'll begin the practice with a rotation of consciousness.

In order to do the practice of yoga nidra,

You don't need to do anything in particular.

Just try to remain awake and aware,

And follow the sound of my voice.

If you become distracted,

Or fall asleep,

That's okay.

When you realize it,

Come back to the sound of my voice.

Notice your right thumb.

Become aware of any sensation in your right thumb.

Notice your right index finger,

Your right middle finger,

Your right ring finger,

Right pinky finger.

Notice the back of your right hand,

The palm of your right hand.

Become aware of any sensation in your right wrist.

And draw that awareness of sensation through your right forearm to your right elbow.

Feel your right elbow.

And draw your awareness of sensation from your right elbow through your right upper arm to your right shoulder.

Notice the top of your right shoulder,

The bottom of your right shoulder.

Become aware of any sensation in your right armpit,

Right rib cage,

Right side waist,

Right hip.

Feel your right hip.

Become aware of any sensation in the right hip.

And draw your awareness of sensation from the right hip through the right thigh to the right knee.

Feel the top of the right knee,

The bottom of the right knee,

The sides of the right knee.

Feel inside the right knee.

And draw your awareness of sensation from the right knee through the right shin and calf to the right ankle.

Become aware of any sensation in the right ankle.

Notice the top of the right foot,

The sole of the right foot.

Notice the right big toe,

Right second toe,

Right third toe,

Right fourth toe,

Right fifth toe.

And now release your attention from the right side of the body.

Notice your left thumb.

Become aware of your left thumb as sensation.

It might feel like pulsation,

Vibration,

Radiance,

Heat,

Magnetism.

You don't need to name the sensation.

Simply become aware of it.

Notice your left index finger,

Your left middle finger,

Left ring finger,

Left pinky finger,

Pinky finger.

Notice the back of your left hand,

The palm of your left hand.

Become aware of any sensation in your left wrist.

And draw that awareness of sensation from your left wrist through your left forearm to your left elbow.

Feel your left elbow.

And draw your awareness of sensation from your left elbow through your left upper arm to your left shoulder.

Notice the bottom of your left shoulder,

The top of your left shoulder.

Become aware of any sensation in your left armpit,

Left rib cage,

Left side waist,

Left hip.

Notice your left hip.

Become aware of any sensation in your left hip.

And draw that awareness of sensation from your left hip through your left thigh to your left knee.

Notice the top of your left knee,

The bottom of your left knee,

The sides of your left knee.

Feel inside the left knee.

And draw your awareness of sensation from the left knee through the left shin and calf to the left ankle.

Become aware of any sensation in the left ankle.

Notice the top of the left foot,

The sole of the left foot,

The left big toe,

Left second toe,

Left third toe,

Left fourth toe,

Left fifth toe.

Now release your attention from the left side of the body.

Become aware again of sensation in the hip structure.

Notice any sensation in the hips.

Become aware of the pelvic bowl.

Notice any sensation in the low back,

The middle of the back,

The shoulder blades,

The back of the neck,

The back of the head.

Notice the low belly.

Feel the abdomen and organs,

The rib cage and collarbones,

The front of the throat,

The chin and jaw,

The cheekbones,

The eyebrows,

The center of the forehead,

And the crown of the head.

Become aware of the whole body at once.

The whole body as sensation.

Nothing is left out.

One whole body alive with radiant sensation.

One whole body.

Awareness of the body as radiant sensation.

Notice that you are complete and perfect exactly as you are.

Become aware of your breath.

In order to transition out of yoga nidra,

Gradually begin to lengthen and deepen your breath.

If you like,

You can introduce small movements to your fingers or your toes.

You could move your head from one side to the other.

And in any way that feels comfortable for you,

It could be by reaching your arms long overhead or drawing your knees in.

Make your way onto your right side.

After several strong breaths here on your right side,

Find your way to a seated position.

Draw your hands together in front of your heart and your chin in toward your chest in recognition of yourself as your own truest and highest teacher in all things.

Haryom Om Tat Sat