Welcome to your practice of Yoga Nidra.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide.
You'll need the following items.
A yoga mat,
One or two blankets,
Pillows or bolsters to support the body,
Something to cover your eyes,
And loose comfortable clothing.
If you'd like to access a natural flow of your subconscious,
Be sure to have your journal nearby for the end of the practice.
You'll want to use the bathroom before a yoga nidra.
We can talk about that another time.
If you need to,
Press pause and come back.
Otherwise,
Let's set up our space to help assist us in our practice.
Your setup should be comfortable and cozy with minimal distractions.
Dim the lights to help create your space,
Or light a candle for a comforting glow.
Use the pillows or bolsters in a way that is most comfortable for you and your body.
What I like is a blanket open on my yoga mat,
Two bolsters under my knees elevating my legs,
A folded blanket under my head,
And a blanket over my body and eye pads.
Your temperature can drop in yoga nidra.
If you have a tendency to run cold,
I'd highly recommend a blanket or two over you.
You'll be in shavasana or corpse pose,
Or simply laying on your back for the entire practice,
With your arms at your sides,
Palms up,
And your legs naturally spread apart.
You want to be comfortable enough to lay here,
Body completely still,
For the duration of this practice.
Get creative.
Using props to accomplish a supported body for your practice,
Your yoga.
Everyone will look different,
And that's OK.
Do what's right for your body in this moment in time,
Practicing your personal now.
Let's turn off one of our most powerful sensory inputs by covering our eyes,
Allowing the brain to stop thinking about what it is seen for just a moment.
Fidget as much as you need to,
To allow your body to settle and relax.
You will know what's right for you and your body.
In the practice of yoga nidra,
We allow the body to relax while the mind remains awake and aware.
When you practice yoga nidra,
It can be difficult to put into words what you are experiencing.
I'd like to lean on to the words of Richard Miller,
Ph.
D.
,
And his book,
Yoga Nidra,
A meditative practice for deep relaxation and healing.
He says,
At its minimum,
Yoga nidra will lead you to experience profound relaxation,
The release of chronic stress,
Restful sleep,
Resolution to many of your life's conundrums,
And a greater sense of harmony in your daily life and relationships.
In its ultimate revelation,
Yoga nidra points directly to your true nature,
To peace that is beyond description and is your birthright.
This peace is not an empty promise or only for a selected few,
But is present and available to you right now.
Let's begin with awareness of our breath.
There is no need to change your breath.
Simply pay attention to it.
Feel the air as it comes in through your nostrils.
Notice.
Notice what it feels like to follow the breath to the back of the throat.
Where does your natural breath travel to?
Your chest?
Your upper belly?
Lower belly?
Or possibly down to your pelvis?
Don't judge how you are breathing.
Only notice how you are breathing.
When you are able to let go and only notice your breath,
Your breath will naturally extend on its own.
There is nothing for you to do,
Only to be.
Witness.
Notice.
Pay attention to your breath for your next six breaths.
Feel your breath traveling within,
Inside of your body.
Your practice of yoga nidra has begun.
As you continue to breathe in naturally,
Start to notice the body parts that are touching the floor.
And imagine those parts begin to root,
Pulling you safely to the ground.
Grounding you,
Steadying you like a strong,
Fruitful tree.
Your foundation.
Now begin to take notice of the parts of your body that are not touching the floor.
Imagine those parts to feel like a balloon,
Slowly lifting into the air,
Floating above you.
All while the roots of your body keep you grounded so you don't float away.
Now notice your breath again and imagine that your breath is like water traveling throughout your body.
Where else can you feel this water?
This life force traveling through your body.
When you inhale,
Perhaps you feel your breath,
Your water travel all the way down to your toes to return to your nostrils as you exhale.
Can you imagine this water,
This breath,
To permeate all of the cells of your body?
We will begin to practice a breath or pranayama called nadi-sodhana or alternate nostril breathing.
You will need to use your imagination for this breath.
There are no right or wrongs.
Simply imagine what I am saying as if it were happening to your breath.
Nadi means channel or flow,
While sotana means purification.
This type of breath helps to calm down your nervous system,
Bringing an intense feeling of relaxation.
Your right and left brain balances out,
Giving you more peace of mind and clarity.
Imagine that you are inhaling only from your left nostril.
Imagine that you are inhaling only from your left nostril.
Now imagine that your breath has drifted to the right side of the body as you exhale from your right nostril.
Breathing in with your right nostril and then drifting back to the left side of the body and exhaling with your left nostril.
Again,
Inhale with your left nostril.
Exhale with your right nostril.
Inhale with your right nostril.
Exhale with your left nostril.
Inhale with your left nostril.
Exhale with your right nostril.
Inhale with your right nostril.
Exhale with your left nostril.
Repeat this breath while paying attention to your breath.
I will leave you for a couple of minutes so that you can tune into yourself and your breath.
When I come back,
Allow me to guide you deeper into your practice.
Continue to breathe with this alternate nostril breath,
Allowing your body to become more relaxed with each exhale.
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Take three more deep breaths,
But this time with both nostrils.
Your body is relaxed while your mind is awake and aware.
If you choose to do so now,
Bring forth your intention or sankopa.
Your sankopa or intention should honor a deep meaning of life for you.
It should speak to your overall purpose for being here and something of your heart's choosing.
You can choose one for yourself,
Like I am evolving or I am radiant or I am worth.
The energy of your sankopa lives within you.
Don't overthink it.
Follow whatever it is that arises,
Even if that is silence.
Or maybe it sounds like I am connected.
Or I am peace.
Or I am grateful.
Maybe you would like to feel something you currently don't.
You can practice that feeling by stating the opposite.
For example,
If you don't feel like you are very deserving right now.
Maybe I am enough.
Or I am love.
Or I am whole feels right for you.
Your intention only needs to come from your heart space.
There are no rights or wrongs.
Make your intention stronger by adding in the emotion of that feeling.
Even if you are just using your imagination.
How would that emotion feel inside of your body?
Allow this feeling to flow within you as you state your intention to yourself three times.
As you do so,
Imagine that you are writing your intention on a tiny piece of paper with a feather pen.
When that's complete for you,
Put the feather down and fold this piece of paper even smaller.
You then put this folded piece of paper into a crystal locket that's hanging from your neck.
Gently clasp this crystal locket knowing that your sankalpa,
Your intention,
Is safe near your heart.
We will begin our rotation of consciousness,
Our anamaya kosha,
Or the physical body.
I will name a body part,
And as I do so,
Imagine that you can feel that part of your body radiate.
Pull all of your attention towards the body part that is mentioned.
Feel its energy.
It's okay if your attention drifts in and out.
You are practicing yoga nidra where your body is asleep and your mind is awake and aware.
Be present with me as we travel along the body.
Start to feel the presence of your third eye,
The space between your eyebrows.
Feel this space radiate as you pay attention to your third eye.
Glide down the bridge of your nose and feel your left nostril.
Notice how spacious your left sinus is.
Feel your left ear.
Glide down the left side of your throat,
All the way down to your collarbone.
Sense your left shoulder,
The top of your left upper arm,
The dip in your elbow,
The top of your forearm.
Feel the center of your left wrist.
Release any tension that's left in the ligaments and tendons of your left hand.
Feeling your left thumb,
Pointer finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger,
The palm of your left hand,
The back of your left hand,
The back center of your left wrist,
The bottom of your forearm,
The pointy bone of your elbow,
The back of your upper arm,
Your left shoulder blade,
Left armpit.
Feel all of your left ribs,
Your left hip,
The top of your left thigh,
The knobby part of your left knee.
Travel down your left shin and land at the center of the top of your left ankle.
Travel with the bones of your foot up to the tips of your toes,
Feeling your left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And fifth toe.
Feel the tips of your toes.
Feel the radiation of the space between your toes.
Travel down the sole of your foot to your left arch.
Feel your left arch.
Then travel from your arch to your left heel.
Feel the roundness of your left heel.
Climbing back up your Achilles tendon,
Notice your left calf and how it hangs.
Feel the lift of the back of your knee,
The length in the back of your left upper leg,
Your hamstrings.
Notice how heavy the muscles are in your left buttocks.
Feel a sense of ease and relief in your left buttocks,
Allowing the muscles to let go from the busyness of the day.
Travel up the left side of your spine,
Starting with your tailbone,
Following the curve of your lower back to the grounding of your upper back.
Feel the curve of your neck.
Follow your spine to the back of your head,
Up to the crown of your head,
And back to your third eye.
Feeling it radiate again.
Feel the whole left side of your body.
The whole left side of your body.
Feel this space radiate as you drift your attention back to your third eye.
Glide down the bridge of your nose and feel your right nostril.
Notice how spacious your right nostril is.
Feel your right ear.
Glide down the right side of your throat,
All the way down to your collarbone.
Sense your right shoulder,
The top of your right upper arm,
The dip in your elbow,
The top of your forearm.
Feel the center of your right wrist,
Releasing all of the ligaments and tendons in your right hand.
Feeling your right thumb,
Pointer finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger.
Feel the palm of your right hand,
The back of the right hand,
The back center of your right wrist,
The bottom of your forearm,
The pointy bone of your elbow,
The back of your upper arm,
Your right shoulder blade,
Right armpit.
Feel all of your right ribs,
Right hip,
The top of your right thigh,
The knobby part of your right knee.
Travel down your right shin and land at the center of the top of your right ankle.
Travel with the bones of your foot up to the tips of your toes,
Feeling your right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And fifth toe.
Feel the very tips of your toes.
Feel the space between your toes radiate.
Travel down the sole of your right foot to your right arch.
Feel your right arch,
Then travel down to your right heel.
Feel the roundness of your right heel,
Climbing back up your Achilles tendon.
Notice your right calf and how it hangs.
Feel the lift of the back of your knee,
The length in the back of your right upper leg,
Your hamstrings.
Notice how heavy the muscles are in your right buttocks,
Feeling a sense of ease and relief in your right buttocks,
Allowing the muscles on this side to also let go from the busyness of the day.
Travel up the right side of your spine,
Starting with your tailbone,
Following the curve of your lower back to the grounding of your upper back.
Feel the curve of your neck.
Follow your spine up to the back of your head,
Up to the crown of your head,
And back to your third eye,
Feeling it radiate once more.
Feel the whole right side of your body,
The whole right side of your body.
Feel your right eyebrow,
Your left eyebrow,
Your right eye,
Your left eye.
See past and through the darkness of your right eyelid,
Your left eyelid,
Allowing whatever arises for you to be without judgment or labels,
Only allowing,
Witnessing.
It's also okay to experience a lack of experience.
You will still reap the benefits of this practice of yoga nidra,
Where the body is asleep,
But the mind is awake and aware.
Feel the radiation of the space between your ears,
The center of your brain.
Allow the membrane that surrounds the brain and spine to relax to let go.
Come back to the center of the brain and allow to be be.
Imagine a bright light beam from the center of your brain to the backside of your third eye.
Feel the connection of these two separate things.
Feel their connection together.
Bring all of these sensations together and feel your whole body laying here on the floor.
Feel your whole body.
Now let's explore our mono Maya kosher,
Our emotional body.
In this space,
We allow ourselves to experience the array of emotions,
One might feel in their lifetime,
Inviting into our awareness that all feelings and emotions are okay,
And are a part of our being human.
With no need to stuff them away or push them down,
But to be wherever that may be in our lives right now.
We will move back and forth with the feelings of opposites.
Noticing the sensation that arises with these words,
While allowing what arises to arise.
We tend to refuse feelings and emotions that we don't want to be with.
What were to happen if you allowed yourself to sit with these feelings and emotions,
A moment longer than you're used to,
Allowing what is in your universe to be in your universe.
By allowing yourself to feel the entire spectrum of what it means to be human,
You allow your true nature to be deconstructed,
Allowing the release of limited beliefs and expectations.
Welcome everything that arises for you,
Knowing that these are all a part of you.
Bring your awareness back to where your body is rooted into the ground,
Feeling the foundation as the top of your body is still floating like balloons,
Light and airy.
Imagine that you can feel all the parts of your body that are moist,
Wet,
Fluid.
What does it feel like to tune into the parts of the body that are dry,
Rigid,
Brittle.
How does your body react to these words?
Empathy.
Indifference.
Confident.
Insecure.
Vital.
Exhausted.
Is there a response from your body when it explores the feelings of connectedness or isolation?
When you think of isolation,
What does that feel like in your body?
Do you sense anything that feels heavy or makes you want to curl in to protect yourself?
What does this feel like to you?
Where do you feel isolation in your body?
Now think about what it feels like to be connected.
How does being connected feel like in your body?
And how does it feel different than isolation?
Does your body feel lighter or lifted?
Does connectedness feel supportive for you?
Like you could open?
Only you have the answers to how this feels for you specifically.
Where do you feel connectedness in your body?
I will mention a series of images.
Allow your body to feel whatever arises for you.
With acceptance of any feeling or emotion that comes up.
You are safe in this space where you are experiencing what it feels like to be human.
In this practice of Yoga Nidra where the body is asleep while the mind is awake and aware.
Imagine a bonfire at the beach.
People shouting.
A cat crawling on the branch of a tree.
Birds flying overhead.
The sun on your skin.
Swimming in cold water.
The blue sky full of white dense clouds.
The dark night sky full of sparkling colored stars.
A dog howling.
A child sleeping.
An endless desert.
A lush thick rainforest.
A sitting person.
The skirt of a ballerina as she dances and twirls.
The soft sands at a beach.
The dense thick rock of a towering mountain.
A friend that is far away.
Holding hands with someone you love.
Being in bed under the heavy covers.
Running.
Glass breaking.
A house being built.
Roots of a large tree.
A sprout pushing through the soft wet ground.
Leaves dancing in the air.
Drift your awareness back to your breath.
Your breath traveling throughout your whole body.
Noticing.
Notice which part of the body rises with your breath.
Enjoying whatever arises for you as you ride the flow of your own breath.
The energy of your own breath.
Your prana.
Your life force.
The life force.
The breath of everything.
Bring in this source of everything into the body with each gentle inhale.
And with each gentle exhale,
Allow yourself to be a part of all that is.
With your body asleep and your mind awake.
Notice that the ground underneath your bare feet.
There is mud.
It is soft and cold.
While the green lush grass is prickly and warm.
Wiggle your toes as you decide that you are going on a walk.
A walk in this field of lush green grass and soft earth.
With your bare feet.
The earth feels good on the soles of your feet.
Supporting you as you explore this lush landscape.
This landscape is both mysterious to you and yet feels like home.
You know that you are safe here.
So your emotions and reactions naturally drift from a fight,
Flight,
Or freeze response.
And into your parasympathetic nervous system.
Where you are calm.
Where you are rested.
And where you are at ease.
As the cool breeze lightly brushes up against your skin.
The sun beams down its yellow rays and warms you.
You are cozy here.
Calm.
Comforted.
Although you have no memory of arriving here.
You instinctively know that you have the power to arrive in this place,
Whenever it is that you want or need.
You raise your face to the sun with your eyes softly closed.
Arms out and open.
Chest wide.
A smile appears on your face as you take a couple of deep breaths.
As you slowly look at your surroundings,
You notice that everything has a new shimmer to it.
Don't judge or label what it is that you see.
Be the witness and quietly watch what arises for you.
There is no good or bad,
Right or wrong.
There just is.
This moment.
You pick a shimmery flower that is near you,
And you realize that this shimmer is being caused by the refraction of light.
Everything in this field has turned into tiny crystals everywhere.
As you are awestruck with wonder,
You put this beautiful crystal flower into your hair.
Suddenly,
You feel a thundering below your feet.
And you witnessed the most beautiful crystal tree emerge from the ground.
Fractaling as it grows.
Creating the most magical tree that you have ever seen.
This magical crystal tree overwhelms you with so much joy.
The feeling that love is abundant is known to you.
Each leaf and branch with its own mini rainbows.
You take a minute to soak this all in what beauty has been made right before your eyes.
You slowly start to walk towards this magnificent crystal tree.
Each step,
Revealing something different as the light refracts differently with each new step.
You feel safe in the presence of this tree.
In fact,
There is a part of you that is curious about this tree.
It feels like you know this tree somehow.
Each change of light,
Bringing you closer to knowing why it is you feel connected to this light bending fractaling crystal tree.
You are drawn to the intricate waves and bends in the pattern of the trunk of this tree.
It is slightly translucent.
With a story to tell behind its veil.
You move in closer to get a better look.
As you do so,
You find your reflection repeating itself indefinitely.
You are not scared by this.
As you move each reflection slowly mirroring you.
You play with this for a while.
As you watch yourself in this reflection,
A bright light flickers,
As if the sun's rays became reflected into your eyes.
You look down at your hands at your own body.
And you realize that you are shimmering.
Like this crystal light bending tree,
You are shimmering.
Casting off millions of refracted rainbows.
It's in this moment,
When you understand why you were drawn to this tree.
You are this tree.
This tree is you.
Both reflecting and refracting the light that is within.
The light that is within all of us,
All things.
Without words to describe it,
You are able to understand.
In the distance,
You hear the words,
Loka Samastah Suki no Bhavan to meaning.
May all beings everywhere be happy and free,
And made the thoughts,
Words,
And actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness,
And to that freedom for all.
You are able to understand this.
The only reason you could never chase a rainbow is all along that rainbow that refraction of light was within you.
You are that rainbow.
The rainbow that is in everything.
All you ever needed to do was to stay connected to the rainbow connection.
This realization fills you,
And you feel a deep love and connection to all things,
But especially to yourself.
Your hand touches your heart.
And you remember your crystal locket.
Your necklace that contains your sankalpa your intention.
You unclass your necklace and hang it on one of the branches of this tree.
As you do so,
You watch as your sankalpa turns into the fruit of this tree.
When the fruit is fully grown.
You pick the fruit and take a bite.
It is delicious and juicy.
The juices running out of the corners of your mouth overflowing.
This juice,
Providing nutrients to your whole body,
Your whole self.
When you finish eating this fruit,
You decide to replant the seeds of this fruit,
So it can multiply in the rich soil here in this beautiful crystal landscape.
As you pack the warm,
Rich soil with your hands.
You are happy to have had this experience,
And now feel more connected to your whole self.
You begin to walk away in the crystal field.
Now full of trees that you have planted.
Slowly shimmers away.
Although you can no longer see this field.
Your heart knows that it is still there.
A reflection,
A refraction of light.
You look down at your feet.
And again the feeling of coolness from the mud and the warmth of the grass fills your soul.
Slowly start to wiggle your toes,
Bringing awareness,
Slowly back into the body.
Beginning with subtle movements like wiggling your fingers and slowly making those movements bigger.
Your practice of yoga ninja is now complete.
When you feel ready,
Roll to one side in the fetal position and stay here until you're ready to move again.
When the moment is right,
Slowly push yourself back up to a seated position,
But be here as long as you like.
Knowing that you can meet us back in the seated position.
When you are ready.
When you do decide to arise.
Feel free to journal.
When I journal after a yoga ninja,
I'm surprised and astounded what arises for me.
I feel like I am able to articulate the rainbow of feeling human more clearly for myself.
I'm able to accept what is as I stay in the state of connection within me.
Enjoy this time for yourself.
If you need help waking up,
Bring back some life into your senses.
Have a piece of fruit or burn something that smells good for you.
Give yourself a moment before driving a car.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide.
Please try all the leaves of yoga until you find something that works specifically for you and make it yours.
You have the answers that bring peace to yourself.
And yes,
It may look different than everyone else's,
But that's also what makes you you.
The divine in me honors the divine in you.
Thank you for practicing with me.
