It is time for yoga nidra.
You should be lying on your back with the knees slightly bent and supported.
Make sure that you are warm enough and that your position is one that will be comfortable for the duration of the practice.
It is best that you remain still during yoga nidra so that both your body and brain have a chance to fully relax.
However,
If you become uncomfortable at any point please feel free to change your position.
Allow your eyes to close down and keep them closed until the practice is complete.
The practice of yoga nidra is a practice of yogic sleep that will guide you to the hypnagogic state,
A state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping.
Try 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.
Try not to concentrate too intensely as this may prevent you from relaxing.
During this meditation please use and absorb what you need in the moment and leave the rest behind.
If the mind becomes overactive with thoughts and worries just come back to the sound of my voice.
Become aware of any sounds you can hear in this moment.
Nothing else but what you can hear without strain or effort.
And begin to focus on the most distant sounds that you can hear,
Allowing your sense of hearing to radiate outwards,
Searching out the most distant sounds and following them for a few moments.
Move your attention to sounds closer to you within this room.
Moving your attention from sound to sound without labeling the source.
Without opening your eyes visualize the four walls of this room.
The ceiling,
The floor.
Visualize the position of your body,
Your clothes,
Your hair,
Your face.
Become acutely aware of the existence of your physical body lying here now.
Become aware of your natural and spontaneous breath that moves in and out of your body without any effort.
The natural breath flows in through both nostrils.
Notice the feeling of the breath as it comes in and then out of your nostrils.
There is a sense of coolness as you breathe in and warmth as you breathe out.
Continue breathing in and out.
Allow your breath to become longer and slower,
Taking a long slow inhalation followed by a longer slower exhalation.
Slow inhale.
Even slower exhale and pause.
Feel the urge to breathe in bubble up inside of you and when you need to do so,
Long slow inhale.
Longer slower exhale and then pause where the body is not breathing in or out.
Again slow breath in.
Slow breath out.
And now come back to the natural easy breath,
Releasing any control of your inhale and your exhale.
The practice of yoga nidra begins now.
At this moment you should make your sankalpa or your intention.
This intention,
This sankalpa should be a short positive statement in simple language.
Try to discover one naturally.
What is your intention?
And then state your sankalpa clearly and with awareness three times internally.
The sankalpa you make during yoga nidra plants a seed in the fertile soil of your mind to bring about transformation and healing.
Say to yourself,
I am practicing yoga nidra,
I am awake and relaxed.
We will now begin a journey of sensory awareness throughout the body.
You will move your awareness to different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named.
Please repeat the name of the part to yourself internally.
Feel that part of the body,
But do not move that part of the body.
So allowing your awareness to land on that part of the body,
Repeating the name of that part of the body,
But do not move that part of the body.
The practice begins on the right side,
Right hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Left hand thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
The back of the body,
Right heel,
Left heel,
Right calf,
Left calf,
Right thigh,
Left thigh,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
The 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 ear,
Left ear,
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,
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,
The whole left leg,
The whole right arm,
The whole left arm,
The whole face,
The whole head,
The whole torso,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Now imagine the whole body becoming light,
As though your body could float away from the floor and towards the ceiling.
The head is light and weightless.
The limbs are light and weightless.
The torso is light and weightless.
The whole body light and weightless.
You are rising higher and higher and higher away from the floor.
Imagine your body becoming heavy.
Feel the heaviness in all parts of your body.
Each part is becoming heavier and heavier and heavier.
The head is heavy.
The limbs are heavy.
The torso is heavy.
The whole body is heavy.
So heavy that it's sinking down into the floor.
Awaken the experience of cold in the body.
The experience of chilly cold.
Imagine being outside in winter without enough clothing.
You feel this chill permeating your entire body.
Now allow the sensation of warmth to spread throughout the entire body.
Remember the feeling of heat in the height of summer when you're outside and there's no shade.
You feel that heat radiating onto your skin.
You feel the heat all around your body.
You're so warm,
So warm,
So warm.
Bring to mind the experience of anxiety.
Intense anxiety and worry.
Feel this stress in your mind and body,
But do not concentrate on its source.
Feel this stress,
Anxiety,
And worry throughout the body,
Creating this experience as clearly as possible.
And now allow the feeling of complete calm to envelop you.
Allow the experience of calm in your mind,
Body,
Emotions.
You are relaxed and aware.
You are completely calm.
Begin to concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyes.
Imagine a huge screen as though you were at the cinema.
It's as high and as wide as the eyes can see.
Concentrate on this mind screen and become aware of any phenomena that manifests within it.
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 attachment.
If thoughts occur,
Let them come and go,
But continue watching this dark space.
Continue with detached awareness.
Now a number of things will be named,
And all you need to do is visualize these as best you can.
Jump from image to image as soon as you hear it.
Red desert.
Peacock feather.
Buddha meditating.
Doctor's office.
A good night's rest.
The full moon.
Your reflection in a mirror.
Foggy morning.
Waiting for results.
Sun shining overhead.
Bouquet of flowers.
A tall tree.
Receiving help from others.
Cool clear water.
Making appointments.
A relaxing afternoon.
Laughing with friends.
A warm embrace.
Burning candle.
Temple on a mountain.
Path in the woods.
Vibrant sunset.
Taking a deep breath.
Cat stretching.
A beautiful garden path.
Your favourite song.
The sound of my voice.
Your body lying on the floor.
It is time to repeat your sankalpa.
Please repeat the same statement made at the beginning of the practice three times mentally now.
Coming back to your breath.
Coming back into the physical body.
Feel the clothes that you're wearing.
Notice the heaviness of the body.
And take your awareness into the parts of the body that are touching the floor.
Without opening your eyes just yet,
Visualize the surrounding room.
Where you are in the room.
Starting to move your fingers and your toes.
Your ankles and your wrists.
And when you're ready,
Take a full stretch.
Roll over to your right side.
Just pausing here.
For three breaths.
And then when you're ready,
Pushing yourself up to a seat.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
And when you feel ready,
You can gently open your eyes.
