Yoga Nidra For Gratitude

Welcome!

It's great to have you here.

My name is Stefano and I'll be guiding you through Yoga Nidre,

A meditation that mirrors the physiological process of sleep.

I'll be guiding you through a sequence of meditation,

Mindfulness,

And relaxation techniques that will help you relax at the level of the physical body,

The breath,

The mind,

And through deeper aspects of your being.

Yoga Nidre is a form of NSDR,

Non-sleep deep rest.

It is a practice that will provide many of the same benefits of natural sleep.

The ultimate goal of Yoga Nidre is to reach a state where you can remain conscious even in the deepest levels of non-dreaming sleep,

Where you reach delta brainwaves.

However,

That naturally arises on its own.

You may catch glimpses of it in this practice,

But there's no need to set an expectation.

It will happen by itself.

And the more you practice,

The better you'll be able to maintain awareness during deeper and deeper levels of relaxation,

And you'll be able to carry these benefits throughout your waking life.

Just allow this time to be an opportunity for rest,

Relaxation,

And restoration,

And surrender your body to the surfaces that provide support.

There's nothing to do or achieve now.

Just follow along and allow all tensions and worries to melt away.

All you need to do is find a comfortable position,

Either lying down in shavasana,

Shavasana,

The corpse pose,

Using either a yoga mat or your bed,

Or any comfortable surface,

With support under your knees,

And maybe a pillow for the back of your head.

For the corpse pose,

Simply lie down on your back.

Allow your legs to separate,

And let go of all holding in your legs.

You don't need to keep them straight.

Just allow your feet to fall open to either side.

Bring your arms alongside your body,

And slightly separate them from your torso at a 30 or 60 degree angle,

Whatever feels most comfortable,

And turn your palms to face the sky without trying to keep them open.

Maintain a position that allows your fingers to curl inward.

Tuck your shoulder blades onto your back for support,

Without strain.

Once you have set up your limbs,

Release any effort from holding them in position.

Allow your whole body to relax,

Dropping any expression from the face,

And allow your whole body to feel heavy,

As you surrender your weight to the field of gravity.

It's recommended that you have a blanket,

Maybe an eye pillow,

If it feels more comfortable.

And again,

Don't worry if you fall asleep or if your mind wanders.

The moment that you are able to come back to my voice and listen to the instructions,

Gently guide your attention back and follow the instructions to the best of your abilities.

If you can,

Remain as still as possible,

But if there is any discomfort or pain,

Notice it for a few moments,

And if it goes away,

Continue with the guidance,

And if it doesn't,

Gently readjust yourself so that you can be 10,

5,

Or even 1% more comfortable.

Allow yourself to completely relax during the practice,

And if you need to,

You can always assume a comfortable meditative posture in the seated position,

Making sure that you have a straight spine,

Allowing your neck to be tall,

Keeping your chin tucked in,

Chest forward,

And making sure that your hands are going to be on your lap,

With palms facing upward.

Also,

While maintaining a seated posture,

Make sure that your shoulders are dropped and relaxed,

Allowing yourself to maintain this posture with ease and without strain.

You can even practice yoga nidra while standing up if you have any pain in your spine.

Again,

Choose the position and posture that is most comfortable to you,

And allow yourself to make any adjustments at the beginning so that you can become deeply focused on your inner experience as the practice continues.

Typically,

We practice yoga nidra with the eyes closed,

But if for any reason this is not accessible to you,

Or it produces discomfort,

Know that you can practice with your eyes open while maintaining a very soft gaze to the distance.

No matter what position or posture you assume,

Just make sure that your limbs and extremities are not making contact with other objects in the room.

As you continue to practice yoga nidra,

You will become more and more sensitive to touch,

Especially in your fingers and toes,

So make sure to keep your extremities away from a wall or bedpost.

Just make sure you have enough space to practice comfortably.

Also,

Know that as you practice yoga nidra,

It is common for your body temperature to drop as it mirrors natural sleep.

Have a blanket on the ready in case you need it.

Make sure that you take a few moments to pick a setting where you won't be distracted or disturbed.

Yoga nidra is typically practiced in an environment that mimics sleep,

So a cool,

Dark,

Quiet room would be optimal.

But again,

See what is available to you in the moment and go with that.

We'll be practicing different styles of yoga nidra.

The practice we'll do today will be of the amrit style of yoga nidra.

This is I Am Yoga Nidra,

The integrated amrit method of yoga nidra.

I will give you a reminder of all of these things,

But make sure that you take a few moments now to get ready and you can assume a comfortable position to follow along without interruptions.

And take a mental note of how you're feeling now in body and mind when you're done with the practice.

Notice any changes,

However subtle,

You may experience so that you can begin to assess the impact of yoga nidra on both body and mind.

Now we'll begin the practice.

Any sounds or music in the recording will gently fall away as we begin the practice.

Place the arms on the floor above your head.

Inhale.

Stretch the arms and legs in opposite directions.

Stretch,

Stretch,

And release,

Keeping the arms above the head.

Again,

Inhale,

Stretch,

Stretch,

Stretch,

And release.

Last time,

Stretch,

Stretch,

Stretch,

Now let go completely.

Allow the arms to come to the sides.

Take one last breath in and release the tension in your belly with the outgoing breath.

Feel a blanket of heaviness washing over the face,

The arms,

The weight of the spine,

The legs,

Whole body.

Maintaining this inner awareness,

Gently begin rubbing the palms together.

To the degree that you feel comfortable,

Place your fingertips on your eyelids,

The entire surface of the palms touching your face.

Start now by massaging the face,

The fingers working from the eyebrows up to the hairline,

Moving out to the temples,

Circling the fingers at the temples,

Moving down to the joints of the jaw,

Along the jawline to the chin.

Massage around the parentheses of the mouth,

Up to the bridge of the nose,

Around the orbits of the eyes,

Moving to the ears,

Massaging in front of and behind the ears,

And maybe even a gentle pull on the earlobes,

Feeling tensions and holding melt away.

Squeeze the back of the neck and maybe even the shoulders.

Now place the entire surface of the palms on the face,

Fingertips on the eyelids,

Drop all expression from the face.

Take a deep breath in and let go.

Take another deep breath in and let go even more.

Release your arms to your sides.

You may cover your arms and place an eye pillow over your eyes if you like.

Feel the impact flooding the whole body and the entire being,

Bathed in the sensations.

Close your eyes and allow your attention to turn inward.

Bring your attention to the breath.

Feel the body beginning to relax with each progressive exhalation.

We will chant a continuous OM together.

As you chant,

Let the sound come from deep in your belly.

When you run out of breath,

Take another full breath in and begin again.

We will repeat three times.

Let's begin.

Take a full breath in.

Come to silence.

Sense sound dissolving into silence.

Merge into that silent space.

Close your eyes and quiet your mind.

Be still.

Let go of all thoughts,

Worry,

And tension.

Give yourself fully to a higher power.

Relax,

Trust,

And let go.

Breathe in fully and exhale with a deep sigh.

And again.

Breathe in fully and exhale with a deep sigh and let go even more.

Feel a deep sense of contentment and peace in your heart.

Now allow yourself to receive the following intention as I repeat it.

Let your whole body listen to what I say.

I am grateful for the many gifts of this existence.

Feel yourself in a place you like to be.

A place where you feel peaceful and calm,

Relaxed and quiet.

No concerns about the future or past.

Simply an overwhelming experience of the rightness of things.

Perhaps sitting on a beach,

Watching waves meet the shore,

The scent of salt air,

The sound of seagulls,

Or a mossy green forest with tall trees,

The smell of wildflowers,

A trickling stream.

Trust whatever image arises in your awareness.

Choose a comfortable spot to sit or lie down,

Perhaps a hollow in the sand that holds your shape or a soft bed of moss.

Let go into it.

Surrender the weight of your body,

Completely support it.

No effort or need to hold yourself up.

Breathe in the scent,

Sight,

Sounds of this place.

Let the whole experience permeate your entire being,

Absorbed to each and every cell with each breath in and each breath out,

Feeling through bodily sensations what it is to be safe and at peace,

Surrounded,

Protected in this place where you can deeply rest.

Feel how restful and calm you are,

Feeling more content,

Relaxed,

More grounded than ever before.

Know that you can return to your safe place anytime you want or need to.

Maintaining this inner stillness,

Gently cover yourself,

And if you wish,

Place an eye pillow over your eyes.

As we enter the next phase of Yoga Nidra,

Remain as motionless as possible.

If you need to move or make an adjustment,

Do so mindfully and return to stillness as soon as you're able.

Resolve to remain awake,

Staying in touch with the sound of my voice.

Allow your entire body to respond to my words directly and non-mentally.

Allow any disturbances,

External or internal,

To draw you more deeply within.

In Yoga Nidra,

You enter the subconscious pranic field.

Let your mind merge and melt into the energy body and go beyond the boundaries of body and mind.

Now shift from thinking and doing to feeling and being.

Now shift from thinking and doing to feeling and being.

Now shift from thinking and doing to feeling and being.

Do absolutely nothing from now on.

Simply relax.

Drop into the deepest state of tranquility,

Stillness,

And peace in the third eye.

Drop into the deepest state of tranquility,

Stillness,

And peace in the third eye.

Drop into the deepest state of tranquility,

Stillness,

And peace at the eyebrow center.

Drop into the deepest state of tranquility,

Stillness,

And peace at the brow center.

Now your consciousness is in direct communion with your energy body.

Now your consciousness is in direct communion with your energy body.

Now follow my guidance as we begin the mantra breath.

Breathing in fully,

Let the belly rise on the inhalation.

As you exhale,

Let the belly fall as you complete the outgoing breath.

Continue with long,

Slow,

Steady breath,

Emptying the lungs completely.

So this will be the peace version.

On the next breath in,

Silently breathe in the word peace to yourself three times until the lungs are full.

On the next breath out,

Silently repeat the word peace until the exhalation is complete.

Breathe in peace,

Peace,

Peace.

Breathe out peace,

Peace,

Peace.

Continue until I ask you to stop.

Drop into that silent space where all doing stops.

Experience silence extending everywhere.

Allow yourself to respond directly and non-mentally as we move our attention through different parts of the body.

Allow your attention to move without effort or strain,

Optimizing the flow and release of energy blockages.

Brow center,

Pit of the throat,

Right shoulder,

Elbow,

Wrist,

Thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

And little finger.

Wrist,

Elbow,

Shoulder,

Pit of the throat,

Left shoulder,

Elbow,

Wrist,

Thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

And little finger.

Wrist,

Elbow,

Shoulder,

Pit of the throat,

Middle of the chest,

Right side of the chest,

Middle of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Middle of the chest,

Navel point,

Middle of the pubic bone,

Navel point,

Middle of the chest,

Pit of the throat.

Now gather all of your attention at the brow center.

Observe the vast stillness and silence resting in this vastness.

Allow whatever comes into your field of awareness to be present without comment or judgment.

Witness it as it floats by like clouds in the sky.

Feel yourself open and allowing,

Steady and centered.

Rest back,

Empty like a blue sky,

Pure capacity for experience to move through.

Every cloud that comes eventually goes.

As the sky,

You can let it come and let it go.

You know this place.

It is the part of you that can never be diminished or destroyed,

Pure,

Steady,

Timeless,

Like the sky itself.

Rest here.

Recognize whatever has happened in your life has already gone,

Already passed.

You are here.

Just be here in this moment,

At this time.

Allow the wisdom of the body to release what it no longer needs.

You don't need to hold it anymore.

Give it to the sky to hold for you.

Your life experience has the power to help you become who you were meant to be.

You already have what you need.

Let this knowingness permeate every part of the body,

Sending an ever-expanding sense of peace throughout.

Give yourself the permission to enter into the deepest level of relaxation right now.

Let go.

Nothing to do or achieve.

Dissolve and disappear into stillness.

Open,

Empty of all doing,

All past,

All future.

Merge into this space and be empty.

Sensations,

Thoughts,

Images,

Floating by like clouds on a clear blue sky,

Letting it all gather and dissipate.

Come and go.

Be the space in which it is all happening.

Now allow yourself to receive the following intention as I repeat it.

Feel every cell of your body receiving these words.

I am grateful for the many gifts of this existence.

I am grateful for the many gifts of this existence.

Go deeper into the third eye,

The mysterious command center,

And let it carry out your intentions,

Prayers,

And affirmations.

Hold your intention firmly and clearly with deep feeling and faith.

Notice it at the outer of your heart.

Know that you are established in that part of your being where your intentions are actualized and fulfilled with effortless ease.

In the third eye,

You are empowered to create what you pray for,

Visualize,

And affirm your prayers and intentions are carried out the deepest core of your being.

Feel your intention is now being assimilated and adopted by all levels of your body and your being.

Feel your intention is now being assimilated and adopted by all levels of your body and being.

Feel your intention is now being assimilated and adopted by all levels of your body and your being,

Completely integrated,

Totally digested,

And fully actualized.

At this time,

Feel the presence of any guides,

Mentors,

Teachers,

Or family members you feel connected to.

You may sense this as a universal force or energy surrounding you,

Guiding you.

Know that this presence surrounds you,

Always.

You can draw on this presence at any time.

If there is any guidance to be received at this time,

Either as a felt sense,

Words,

Or images,

Allow yourself to receive it now.

Otherwise,

Simply rest back in the grace and protection of presence.

Begin to become aware of the rising and falling of the breath,

Slowly.

Feel yourself beginning to rise to the surface of awareness.

Sense the body resting on the surface beneath you,

The quality of the air as it touches the skin.

Eventually,

You can move as if you're waking from a restful sleep.

Bend your knees and pull them closer to your chest.

Rock sideways gently.

Take your time.

Do not hurry.

Then just turn onto your right side and curl into fetal position.

Feel the safety,

Comfort,

And protection of the womb of existence.

Bring your intention into your awareness again.

Change nothing.

I am grateful for the many gifts of this existence.

Every time you find yourself in reaction,

You are empowered to replace it with your intention.

Now,

You can gradually move and begin to sit up with your eyes closed.

Continue to stay deep in this deep inner experience,

Regardless of what you consciously recognize but has or has not changed.

Know that something deep within has shifted to connect you with your intention.

Become aware of your body and bring a deep sense of peace and contentment with you as you bring attention back to the body.

Notice how relaxed the body is,

How relaxed the body is,

How soft the breath is,

How silent the mind is,

How quiet the heartbeat is.

Notice how relaxed the body is,

How soft the breath is,

How silent the mind is,

How quiet the heartbeat is.

Be still and be grateful.

Know that you can easily enter here again and again.

Now you may gradually open your eyes.

Thank you for practicing yoga nidra with me today.

I would like to get your feedback either in the comments section or if you wanted to send me an email about your experiences with today's practice.

If you have any questions or if you would like to share your intention for the practice,

Please share below.

Also,

It would be nice to know where and when you started your practice today.

You can check the description of the video for additional information about the practice of yoga nidra as well as this individual recording and you are invited to also check out the other videos in the channel with other yoga nidras depending on what you need most right now.

If you have enjoyed this practice today,

Please consider sharing the video with others who would benefit from it and to receive further notifications,

You can always subscribe to the channel and sign up to receive the notifications.

As the community grows,

I will include more and more styles of yoga nidra for people to explore the different benefits that can be obtained from this practice,

Not just for sleep,

Not just to reduce stress and anxiety,

But also for developing equanimity and self-realization as well as many practical applications to increase focus and energy and vitality.

Thank you again for practicing with me today.

Jai Bhagwan.

May the Spirit be victorious.

Victory to the Spirit.