Yoga Nidra Meditation

Welcome to Yuga Nidra.

The practice of Yuga Nidra is a practice of yogic sleep that will guide you to a state of deep relaxation.

You should be lying on your back with the knees slightly bent and supported.

Find a space where you feel comfortable and where you are not disturbed.

Cover your body with a thin blanket and make sure you are warm enough.

Try to remain still during Yuga Nidra so that both your body and your brain have a chance to fully relax.

However if you become uncomfortable please feel free to change position at any time.

Now allow your eyes to close and keep them closed until the practice has ended.

Try to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice.

During the practice you will be asked to move your awareness to where it is 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 a 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.

Begin to focus on the most distant sounds you can hear.

Let your sense of hearing radiate outward,

Searching out these distant sounds and following them for a few moments.

Move your attention from sound to sound without labeling the source.

Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds,

To sounds outside this building,

To sounds inside this building,

To sounds inside the room.

Visualize your body lying on the floor,

The position of your body,

Your clothes,

Your hair,

Your face.

Become actually aware of the existence of your physical body lying on the floor.

Become aware of your natural breath.

Natural breath flows in and out through your nose.

Notice the feeling of the breath and it comes in and out of your nostrils.

There is a sense of coolness as you inhale and there is a sense of warmth as you exhale.

Now allow your breath to become longer and slower.

Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale completely through the nose.

Take another deep breath in and exhale.

Now go back to the naturally easy breath,

Releasing any control over the inhale or exhale.

The practice of yoga nidra begins now.

It's time to find your sankalpa.

Take a moment and listen what's coming up.

A sankalpa could be a wish,

A goal,

An emotion you want to resolve.

A sankalpa should be a short positive statement in the present tense.

Try to discover more naturally.

Please state your sankalpa now clearly and with awareness three times.

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'm practicing yoga nidra,

I'm awake and aware.

We now begin a systematic journey of sensory awareness throughout the body.

You will move your awareness to different parts of the body as soon you hear them named.

Please say the name of the part to yourself and feel that part of your body but do not move any part.

Practice begins on the right side of the body.

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,

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.

Now bring your awareness to 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 plate,

Left shoulder plate,

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 eyebrow,

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,

Whole right arm,

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 toward the ceiling.

The head is light and weightless,

The limbs are light and weightless,

Torso is light and weightless,

The whole body light and weightless.

You're rising higher and higher away from the floor.

Imagine your body becoming heavy,

Feel the heaviness in all parts of the 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 summer when you are out in the sun with no shade.

You feel heat radiating onto your skin,

Heat all around the body.

Recollect the experience of anxiety,

Intense anxiety and worry.

Feel the stress in your mind and body but do not concentrate on its source.

Create the experience of anxiety as clearly as possible.

Now allow the feeling of complete calm to envelop you.

Manifest the experience of calm in your entire mind,

Body and emotions.

You are relaxed and aware.

You are completely calm.

Begin to concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyelids.

Imagine before you were a transparent screen as though you were at a movie theater.

The screen is 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.

Colors,

Patterns and light.

Whatever you see is the manifestation state of your mind.

Continue your awareness of the space but do not become involved.

Now a number of different things will be named and you should envision them on the level of emotion,

Memory and imagination as best as you can.

Jump from image to image as soon as you hear it.

Red desert,

White feather,

A good night's rest.

Full moon,

Your reflection in the mirror.

Sunny morning,

Bouquet of flowers,

Tall tree,

Receiving help from others.

A cool clear morning,

Relaxing afternoon,

Laughing with friends,

A warm embrace,

Burning candle,

Path in the woods,

Vibrant sunset,

Taking a deep breath,

A cat stretching,

A beautiful garden path.

Your favorite 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.

Come back to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.

Maintain your awareness of breath and at the same time develop your awareness of your physical body.

Your body is relaxed and lying on the floor.

Notice your body as it rests on the floor and take your awareness into all the points that are touching the floor.

The back of your heels,

Thighs,

Buttocks,

Shoulder blades,

Arms,

Hands and head.

Do not open your eyes yet but visualize the surrounding room.

Imagine where you are in the room,

In the other objects that are around you.

Lie quietly until you feel ready to move.

Start slowly by moving your fingers,

Toes,

Hands,

Your feet.

Take your time,

There is no hurry.

When you are sure that you are fully awake,

You can gently open your eyes.

Go over to your right side.

Stay on your right side for a few more moments.

Use your hands to press yourself up from the floor and let your head become up last.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.