Yoga Nidra - Personal Sanctuary

Welcome to the Yoga Nidra.

Start by finding a comfortable position lying on your back in Shavasana,

The corpse pose.

And if lying flat on your back is uncomfortable for any reason,

Please feel free to adjust your position.

You might want to place a cushion or a rolled-up blanket under your head,

Under your neck for support.

Maybe a bolster or a pillow under your knees to ease any pressure in your lower back.

And if your back feels sensitive,

You can also bend your knees and let them fall in towards each other in constructive rest,

With your feet wide,

As wide as the mat.

Feel free to cover yourself with a blanket if you feel even a slight chill as the body temperature tends to drop during deep relaxation.

Making sure you are warm enough to remain completely still and comfortable for the whole duration of the practice.

Allow your arms to rest by your sides,

The palms facing upwards if it's comfortable,

Just slightly away from your body.

Let your legs be comfortably apart allowing your feet to fall to the sides naturally,

And perhaps closing down the eyes if that feels comfortable for you.

Feel free to have a piece of cloth or an eye pillow to cover your eyes,

So you can help to draw your awareness inwards and minimise any external distractions.

And I welcome you to this practice of yoga nidra or yogic sleep.

This is a powerful practice of deep relaxation,

The body deeply resting while the mind remains awake and aware.

There is nothing for you to do but to listen to the sound of my voice and allow yourself to be guided into a state of profound rest.

Feel free to make any final adjustments to your position,

So you can remain still and at ease during the whole practice.

But if at any point if you feel discomfort,

You're always welcome to gently adjust,

But I invite you to try to minimise movement as much as possible.

And begin to bring your awareness to your breath.

Feel,

Notice the natural rhythm of your inhale,

Your exhale.

There's no need to change anything,

You're just observing.

You feel the gentle rise and fall of your abdomen with each and every breath.

Fully letting go of any effort to control your breath.

You simply allow it to flow naturally,

Organically.

Now bring your awareness to your physical body.

Notice any areas of tension or holding.

Simply acknowledging the sensations with no judgment whatsoever.

And with each exhale,

Imagine those areas softening,

Releasing,

Melting into the support beneath you.

Feel the weight of your body sinking deeper into the floor,

Fully supported.

Allowing your entire being to surrender to the earth beneath you.

And now it's the time to set your sankalpa,

Your heartfelt intention,

Which is a short positive statement in the present tense.

Reflecting a deep truth or deep desire within you.

It's a seed that you plant in the fertile ground of your subconscious mind during this state of deep relaxation.

It is not a goal to be achieved,

But more of a truth to be realized.

Your sankalpa is something that truly resonates with you.

Something you wish to cultivate or to bring into your life.

And I'll give you an example.

It can be,

I am healthy,

I am at peace,

I am calm.

Take a moment to formulate your sankalpa or to allow it to arise naturally.

Choosing a statement that feels true and empowering for you.

And try to keep it concise and clear and meaningful to you.

And once you do have your sankalpa,

Your positive statement,

Repeat it silently to yourself three times.

With conviction,

With feeling,

With awareness.

And you plant this seed deeply within your being.

And now we will begin the rotation of consciousness through different parts of the body.

And as I name each body part,

Bring your awareness to that part.

You don't need to move the body part,

But just feel it.

Acknowledge its presence and then move on to the next.

And if your mind wanders,

Gently bring it back to the sound of my voice and the body part that I named.

We'll begin with the right side of the body.

Bring your awareness to the right hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Palm of the right hand,

Back of the right hand,

Right wrist,

Right forearm,

Right elbow,

Right upper arm,

Right shoulder,

Right armpit,

Right side of the chest,

Right waist,

Right hip,

Right thigh,

Right knee,

Right calf,

Right ankle,

Right heel,

Sole of the right foot,

Top of the right foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Little toe.

And now shift your awareness to the left side of the body.

Bring your awareness to the left hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Palm of the left hand,

Back of the left hand,

Left wrist,

Left forearm,

Left elbow,

Left upper arm,

Left shoulder,

Left armpit,

Left side of the chest,

Left waist,

Left hip,

Left thigh,

Left knee,

Left calf,

Left ankle,

Left heel,

Sole of the left foot,

Top of the left foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Little toe.

Now bring your awareness to the back of the body.

Bring your awareness to the right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

The entire back of the head,

The back of the neck,

Upper back,

Middle back,

Lower back,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

The entire spine,

The entire back of the body.

Now bring your awareness to the front of the body.

Bring your awareness to the top of the head,

Forehead,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

The space between the eyebrows,

Right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Nose,

Tip of the nose,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Chin,

Jaw,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right side of the chest,

Left of the chest,

Center of the chest,

Abdomen,

Navel,

Pelvis,

The entire front of the body,

The whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

Both legs together,

The whole right arm,

The whole left arm,

Both arms together,

The whole head,

The whole torso,

The whole body.

Feel your entire body resting peacefully.

Feel your entire body,

The whole body.

Now bring your awareness to your breath without trying to control it in any way.

Simply observe the natural spontaneous flow of your breath.

Notice the gentle movement of your abdomen rising as you breathe in,

Falling as you breathe out.

Feel the cool air entering your nostrils and slightly warmer air leaving them.

Now count the breaths silently to yourself from 10 to 1.

Each time you inhale say to yourself,

I am inhaling 10.

Each time you exhale say to yourself,

I am exhaling 10.

Then I'm inhaling 9.

I'm exhaling 9.

And so on all the way down to 1.

You're not changing the breath,

Simply counting the breath.

And if you lose count or if your mind wanders,

Simply begin again from 10.

There's no judgment,

Just a gentle return to the practice.

Now let go of the counting.

Simply observe your breath once more.

Notice where you feel the breath most prominently in your body.

Maybe it's in the abdomen or the chest,

Maybe the tip of your nostrils.

Just observe the sensation of your breath.

And now we're moving to a guided visualization.

Allow your mind to create images and sensations as I describe them.

There's no need to force anything.

Simply allow the images to unfold naturally in your mind's eye.

And if your mind wanders,

Gently bring it back to the sound of my voice.

Imagine yourself walking along a peaceful winding path.

This path is soft beneath your feet,

Perhaps covered in lush green grass or smooth warm earth.

And on either side of the path there are tall ancient trees,

Their leaves rustling gently in a soft breeze,

Creating a soothing whispering sound.

The air is fresh and clean,

Carrying the scent of damp earth and blooming flowers.

As you walk,

You notice a gentle stream flowing alongside the path.

The water is crystal clear,

Sparkling in the soft sunlight that filters through the trees.

You can hear the gentle gurgle of water as it flows over smooth colorful stones.

This stream represents the flow of life,

Ever moving,

Ever renewing.

And you come to a clearing and in the center you see a beautiful tranquil garden.

And this garden is your personal sanctuary,

A place of complete peace and healing.

The flowers are vibrant in every color imaginable and their fragrance fills the air,

Calming your senses.

There are comfortable benches or soft patches of moss where you can rest.

Find a spot that feels most inviting to you and settle down and feel the deep sense of peace and security in this sacred space.

And as you rest,

Imagine a soft warm golden light descending from above,

Enveloping your entire being.

This light is pure energy washing over you,

Dissolving any remaining tension,

Soothing any discomfort and filling you with a profound sense of peace and well-being.

Feel this golden light permeating every cell of your body,

Bringing deep restoration and balance.

And allow yourself to simply bask in this healing light,

Knowing that you are safe,

Supported,

Completely at peace.

This is your personal sanctuary,

Always available to you.

And now bring your awareness back to your sankalpa,

Your heartfelt intention,

Recalling the positive statements that you created at the beginning of this practice.

Without effort,

Allow your sankalpa to surface in your mind once more.

And repeat it silently to yourself three more times,

With the same feeling,

Same conviction as before.

This seed is deeply planted into the fertile ground of your subconscious mind.

Know that it is already manifesting.

And it's now time to gently begin to return to external awareness.

There's no rush,

Take your time.

Begin by becoming aware of your breath,

Noticing the gentle flow of air in and out of your body.

Perhaps you feel the subtle movements of your chest,

Your abdomen.

You feel your physical body lying relaxed on the floor or the bed.

Notice the point of contact between your body and the surface beneath you.

Feel the weight of your body fully supported.

And you become aware of the sounds around you.

First,

Any distant sounds from outside the room.

Then gradually bring your awareness to the sounds within the room,

Closer to you,

Without identifying You simply observe the vibrations of the sound.

And you bring your awareness back to your skin.

You feel the air touching your skin,

The clothes touching your skin.

And you gently begin to wriggle your fingers and your toes into some circles with your wrists,

Your ankles.

Maybe you gently stretch your arms overhead.

Maybe moving the head from side to side as if you were waking from a long peaceful sleep.

Take your time.

When you feel ready,

Gently roll onto your right side,

Perhaps using your arm as a pillow.

And rest here for a few breaths.

Allow yourself to fully integrate the experience of this deep relaxation.

When you feel ready,

Slowly,

Mindfully,

Press yourself up to a comfortable seated position.

Keeping your eyes closed,

If that feels comfortable for you.

And if you like to,

You can bring your hands together at your heart center in Anjali Mudra.

Taking one more deep breath in.

And as you exhale,

Perhaps gently opening your eyes,

Bringing your full awareness back into the room.

Welcome back.

And thank you for practicing Yoga Nidra together.

May you carry this sense of peace,

Calm and restoration with you throughout the rest of your day.