Yoga Nidra For Deep Relaxation - Floating On Cloud

Welcome to Yoga Nidra.

Begin your practice by finding a comfortable lying position,

Feeling supported by the surface your body is resting upon,

Allowing your eyes to gently close,

Taking time to settle into a position that feels just right.

During Yoga Nidra,

You are guided to notice and feel physical sensations,

The breath,

Emotions,

Sounds,

And feelings,

And to experience yourself as the witness of all these comings and goings.

Whatever you experience,

It's perfect,

Just as it is.

Now simply rest at ease and follow my guidance,

Allowing my voice to become your voice.

As you welcome whatever is arising,

Your body and mind are learning to remain at ease,

While you discover the place within that is always at ease and peaceful,

Experiencing yourself to be unchanging well-being,

Witnessing presence that is welcoming everything.

Now feel your body settling completely into stillness.

Get ready for Yoga Nidra.

Eyes closed and the body still.

Become aware of the body breathing,

The flow of the breath as sensation in the nostrils,

The abdomen gently rising as breath flows in,

And releasing as breath flows out.

No need to change anything,

The body breathing naturally and rhythmically.

In breath,

Abdomen rising.

Out breath,

Abdomen releasing.

No need to change anything,

The body breathing itself.

Now while gently retaining the breath at the top of inhalation,

Bring your attention into the left side of the body,

And while exhaling and inhaling,

Welcome sensation throughout the left side of the body.

Then while gently retaining the breath at the top of inhalation,

Bring attention into the right side of the body,

Exhaling and inhaling,

Welcoming sensation throughout the right side of the body.

Going back and forth from one side to the other at your own breathing speed,

Experiencing sensation first on one side of the body,

Then the other side,

Giving time during breath retention for sensation to completely shift across the midline.

And when you are ready,

While holding the breath,

Sense the entire body simultaneously while allowing the body to return to its own natural breathing rhythm.

At this point,

You will bring to your mind a Sankalpa.

A Sankalpa is a resolution,

An intention.

It is a positive and simple intention that you bring for you.

If you have one specific intention for you already in your mind or in your heart,

Formulate it now mentally.

If not,

Maybe make the intention to deeply relax through this experience.

Formulate a positive Sankalpa at the present tense.

Repeat this Sankalpa clearly three times with your inner voice and remember it.

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

Also say to yourself,

I am practicing Yoga Nidra.

I am awake and relaxed.

Now you are going to focus on yourself,

Bringing attention to your own body.

Direct your attention to each part of the body that I will name one after the other.

Just follow my voice.

Become aware of your right hand thumb and mentally say,

Right hand thumb.

No movement is required.

Only bring your attention to it.

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Palm of the hand,

Right wrist,

Forearm,

Right elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Right side of the ribcage,

Waist,

Hip,

Right thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Right ankle,

Heel,

Top of the right foot,

Sole of the foot,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Now go to your left side.

Become aware of the left hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Left wrist,

Forearm,

Left elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Left side of the ribcage,

Waist,

Hip,

Left thigh,

Knee,

Left lower leg,

Left ankle,

Heel,

Top of the left foot,

Sole of the foot,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe.

Now go to the back of the body,

Back of the head,

Back of the neck,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Right part of the bottom,

Left part of the bottom,

Right hamstring,

Left hamstring,

Right calf muscle,

Left calf muscle,

Right heel,

Left heel.

Now the front of the body,

The crown,

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,

Whole nose,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Both lips together,

Chin,

Neck,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Middle of the chest,

Navel,

Upper abdomen,

Lower abdomen,

Right leg,

Left leg,

Right arm,

Left arm,

The whole of the head,

The whole body,

The whole body,

The whole body.

Become aware of your body lying on the floor in a surrender position.

Feel the points of contact of the body with the floor,

Both heels touching the floor,

The back of the legs touching the floor,

The bottom,

The back,

The shoulders are in contact with the floor.

Notice the points of contact of the head with the cushion or the mat.

Imagine the meeting point of the body and the floor,

The whole body and the floor,

The body supported by the floor.

Become aware of the body perfectly still on the floor.

Become aware of the breath.

Feel the flow of the breath in and out of your lungs.

The breathing is natural,

Instinctive,

Automatic.

Maintain awareness of the breath,

Complete awareness of the breath.

Concentrate on the abdomen and the movement of the navel while inhaling and exhaling.

Keep your attention on the navel,

Rising up and going down with every breath.

With each and every breath,

It expands and contracts.

Concentrate on this movement synchronized with the breath.

Now direct your attention to the movement of the chest.

Continue to concentrate on the chest and the movement created with each and every breath.

Chest rising,

Chest going down and slowly release all your efforts.

Recollect the feeling of pain.

Recollect any pain clearly.

Awaken your will and feel pain.

Awaken your will.

Superimpose your mind there and feel that pain.

Remember the pain.

Feel the pain so intensely that you actually begin to feel it.

Quickly take your mind into that point and feel it.

The feeling of pain.

Deepen your awareness.

Introvert your mind.

Assemble your mind and will and experience the pain.

The feeling of pain in any part of the body or in the whole body is to be felt acutely.

Assemble the energy particles of will and experience the pain.

Then contemplate on the sensation of pleasure and experience the feeling of pleasure.

Any pleasure which you can recollect,

Which you can experience,

Which you can remember with much ease.

Maybe pleasure belonging to the sense of taste.

Pleasure belonging to the senses of hearing and seeing.

Contemplate on any pleasure.

Contemplate so much that the feeling and the experience of pleasure become a truth and actuality to you.

Go deep in your awareness and direct your will to feel the pleasure,

Either experienced or wish to experience.

You can contemplate on it and become one with the experience of pleasure.

You can go deep,

Deepening your awareness by assembling the scattered energy particles of will and by directing the will to feel the pleasure.

Feel it in your breath,

In your limbs,

In your mind,

In your heart.

And slowly release your efforts and relax.

Begin to create a picture in your mind.

Imagine that you are floating on a soft,

Fluffy white cloud.

Feel the surface beneath you becoming softer.

Feel the cloud rising out of the surface you are on,

Surrounding you in its protective support.

You are floating on just the cloud.

Let it rise a little further,

Taking you with it.

See the walls and ceiling around you disappearing as you float into the sunny sky,

Drifting on the cloud.

Feel the cloud beneath you.

It is soft but supportive.

Feel the cloud supporting your whole body.

Notice each place where the body is touching the cloud.

Notice how soft and comfortable the cloud is.

It is almost like floating in the air.

Notice how the cloud feels.

It might be a little bit cool and moist,

Like fog.

The body is warm,

Very warm and heavy,

Sinking into the cloud.

It is a wonderful feeling.

Start to create an image in your mind of where you are.

You might be floating just barely above the ground.

You can choose to float wherever you like.

The sky above you is bright,

Sunny and inviting.

You are warm and comfortable,

Warmed by the sun's rays shining down peacefully.

There are other clouds in the sky,

Floating gently.

See them lazily passing by,

Far above.

Your cloud can float wherever you choose.

If you enjoy being high up,

You can let your cloud rise into the sky.

It is very safe,

Very calming,

Very relaxing.

You are so relaxed,

Floating on a cloud,

Supported gently but firmly by your cloud,

Surrounded by the cloud's protective embrace.

Imagine wherever it is you would like to go.

Your cloud can take you there.

Maybe you want to float above the mountains,

Drifting above their rocky peaks.

Perhaps you would like to drift along the coast of the ocean,

Watching the waves crashing on the shore.

Maybe you would like to float through the city,

Drifting in and out among buildings and watching the cars below.

You can travel everywhere you wish.

You can look down on forests,

Temples,

Fields,

Even your own home.

Float wherever you like.

Enjoy the sights around you.

Enjoy floating on a cloud.

You are so relaxed,

So peaceful.

Now it is the time to return to your day.

Let your cloud take you there.

Feel your cloud flying through the sky,

Back to where you need to go.

Let your cloud lower you down,

Back toward the ground.

Float back to where you were when you started this visualization.

Let the cloud melt with the mat you are on.

Feel the cloud slowly disappear as the real surface becomes more solid beneath you.

Take the time to appreciate this experience.

Slowly bring back to your mind your sankalpa,

The resolve you made at the beginning of the practice.

Repeat mentally the same resolve that you made three times with full awareness and confidence.

Relax all efforts now.

Draw your mind outside and become aware of your natural breath.

Awareness of the whole body.

Awareness of your breath.

Your right hand,

Left hand,

The feet,

The back,

The shoulders,

The head.

The position of the body touching the floor,

Supported by the earth.

Visualize your surroundings.

Become aware of all sounds around you.

Maybe you can feel the sensation of the air on your skin.

You can reconnect with the smells of the room.

Slowly deepen your breath.

Lie quietly and keep your eyes closed.

Start to move the fingers and the toes.

Feel free to make any movement to reconnect with the body,

Keeping the eyes closed.

Take the time to bring back all sensations.

You may want to extend the arms above the head and stretch.

Also bring the knees to your chest and roll slowly onto your preferred side into a fetal position.

When you feel ready,

Slowly make your way to the sitting position,

Eyes closed.

The practice of Yoganidra is now complete.

You can soften your gaze slowly to bring the light little by little in your eyes.

Open your eyes completely whenever you are ready.