And today I'd like to share with you a Durga Yoga Nidra meditation for Goddess Durga.
She's a warrior goddess of protective power and inner strength.
She who fights for what is good astride her sacred vehicle,
A lion or a tiger.
She who supports you and your efforts from behind.
We bow to her who is auspicious beauty.
We make salutations again and again.
To her who is prosperity and attainment.
Salutations again and again to her who is fortune and misfortune of kings.
Salutations always to Durga who takes us through difficulties.
Who is the creator and indwelling essence of all.
Who is right knowledge.
We bow down to her who is at once most gentle and most fierce.
This is quoted from the Devi Matana and this practice is recommended for new moons,
The beginnings of new projects,
For assistance for completion of projects,
For dissolving obstacles on our path and summoning inner strength and willpower to create positive new habits and help in challenging situations and for protection.
So now it's time to get ready for Yoga Nidra.
So lie down on the ground on a mat on a comfortable position on the floor in Shavasana,
A relaxed pose.
With your arms resting alongside your body,
Your palms turned out towards the sky and your legs outstretched and relaxed,
Feet in a comfortable position.
Make any desired adjustments to your clothes and body position.
In this guided meditation,
You will just listen and follow my voice as I guide you.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is the act of hearing and feeling,
These are the only important factors.
Say to yourself mentally now,
I will not sleep,
I will only listen to the voice guiding me.
Take a deep breath in,
Feeling calmness spreading throughout your whole body.
As you breathe out,
Say to yourself mentally,
Relax,
You are relaxing completely and calm and steady.
Now allow a feeling of inner relaxation to filter throughout the whole body.
Concentrate on the body and its stillness.
Now focus your awareness of the body at the top of the head,
Traveling down to the tips of your toes and mentally repeat the mantra,
OM DUM DUGARAYE NAMAHA.
Complete stillness and complete awareness of the whole body,
Again OM DUM DUGARAYE NAMAHA.
Continue your awareness of the whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Now become aware of the fact that you are going to practice Yoga Nidra.
Mentally say to yourself,
I am aware I am going to practice Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra begins now.
Now it's time to make a resolve,
To choose a Sankalpa,
An intention that you plant within yourself and cultivate.
It should be a short and positive statement in simple language.
Now repeat this intention with awareness and feeling and emphasis within yourself three times.
The resolve you make during Yoga Nidra always comes true with time and practice.
So we are now beginning the rotation of consciousness throughout the body,
Visiting each of its parts and as quickly as possible allow your awareness to travel from part to part.
Repeat the body part in your mind and simultaneously become aware of that body part.
Stay alert but don't concentrate too intensely.
Now become aware of the right hand.
Relax your right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth and fifth.
Now become aware of the palm of your hand and the back side of your right hand.
The wrist,
The lower arm,
Your elbow,
Your upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Right side of your waist and your right hip,
The right thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the right foot,
Top of the right foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth and fifth.
Now become aware of your left hand and the thumb,
Second finger,
Third,
Fourth and fifth.
Palm of the left hand,
Back side of the hand.
The wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Left side of the waist,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Kneecap,
Calf muscle,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the left foot,
Top of the left foot,
The big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth and fifth.
Now move your relaxation to your back.
Become aware of your right shoulder blade and left shoulder blade,
Right side of your bottom and the left side,
Your spine and pull back.
Now move your attention to the top of the head.
Relax the top of the head,
Your forehead,
Both sides of your head.
Relax your right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow and the space between the eyebrows.
The right eyelid and left eyelid.
The right eye and left eye.
Relax your right ear and left ear,
Right side of your cheek and the left side.
Relax your nose and the tip of your nose.
Your upper lip and your lower lip.
Relax your chin and throat.
Now the right side of your chest and the left side of your chest and the middle of your chest.
Relax your navel and your abdomen.
Now relax and focus your attention on the whole right leg and the whole left leg.
Now both legs.
Now focus and relax the whole right arm and the whole left arm and both arms.
Now relax your whole back,
Your bottom,
Your spine and your shoulder blades.
The whole front of your body.
Relax your stomach and chest.
The whole back and the whole front of your body together.
Relax the whole of the head,
The whole of the body,
The whole of the body,
The whole of the body.
Please do not sleep.
Total awareness.
No sleeping.
Now with the whole body lying on the floor,
Become aware of the whole body lying on the floor.
Your body is lying on the floor and you see your body lying perfectly still on the floor in this room.
Visualize this image of yourself in your mind.
Now bring your attention to the natural breath.
As you breathe out,
Become aware that you are breathing quietly and calmly,
Conscious of only your breath.
In the darkness of a star-speckled night,
Strong winds at your back,
You walk sure-footed on a high mountain trail of autumn leaves,
Alone.
You can taste the turning of the season and hear the forceful crash of pounding surf far below as you wind your way up.
The path leads you to the mouth of a high mountain cave.
Lying inside with eyes radiating pure love before a fire is Goddess Durga.
Divine self-confidence shimmers from her blue-black skin and from her flowing hair and golden adornments.
She,
The Goddess of Protection and Strength,
Is cloaked in a red sari,
Golden at the hands,
Accompanied by her lion.
Kindly she gestures to you to come in with her eight weapon-wielding arms.
You measure the risks and courageously come before her and sit or lie down.
Your body feels so heavy it sinks into the floor of the cave.
You face out towards the night sky,
The stars,
And the new moon hidden in fertile darkness.
Our ancient Grandmother Moon,
With Grandmother Durga supporting you from behind,
You confide in Durga and ask for her help and support and grace and that of the moon and universes.
Grandmother Moon is wise and watched the endless changes upon earth and universes.
Like Durga,
She is a provider of protection and strength.
In this fertile darkness,
Within and without,
You plant your seeds of intentions,
With Grandmother Moon and Durga listening and hearing and assisting you to realize these intentions.
OM DUM DUGARAYE NAMAHA You are now light in body and open and receptive and completely relaxed.
You then rest peacefully inside the cave,
Lying in the protection and embrace of Durga and her many arms.
And with the great lioness and the universe and Grandmother Moon's blessings entering every cell of your body,
You sense the oncoming moonlight of the new moon above the mouth of the cave,
The new Durga and the lion,
The inklings of the great coming light,
The waxing of the moon as it grows full,
Full light.
You are ready for action,
For awakening,
All-powerful.
You hear the purr of the lion,
And Durga summons you to wake and climb aboard the lion's back as they generously take you forward into the waves of oncoming light.
Resolve,
Resolve,
Resolve.
Now become aware of your resolve,
Your sankalpa,
Your intention,
The one that you made at the beginning of this practice.
Repeat it three times in the same words and with the same intensity of feeling and intention.
Now relax all efforts and bring your attention to the natural flowing breath coming in and out of your nostrils and mouth.
You are maintaining awareness of your breath,
While at the same time you begin to develop the awareness of your physical relaxation.
Awareness of relaxation and awareness of your physical existence,
You are becoming more and more aware of your physical body.
Now develop awareness of your body and visualize your body lying on the floor.
Allowing your mind to visualize the surrounding room,
Let your mind become completely external,
But do not open your eyes.
You are practicing yoga nidra.
Lie quietly until your attention is completely externalized.
Then start making small movements with your hands and your feet.
Stretching your body out,
Please take your time,
There is no hurry.
And when you are sure that you are wide awake,
Turn onto your right side and sit up slowly and open your eyes.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
Om Dum Dugare Namaha Om Dum Dugare Namaha Om Dum Dugare Namaha Om Dum Dugare Namaha Om Dum Dugare Namaha Namaste,
Goddess Blessings
