Yoga Nidra Meditation

Hello and welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is a practice of yogic sleep.

It will guide you into the 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 observe 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.

Now get comfortable.

Let your body sink into the floor.

Shift and move a little to let your body settle deeper into the ground.

Be comforted that at this time everything is okay.

Nothing else matters right now.

Everything is okay.

Nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Here to simply feel your body and listen.

Do not worry or become agitated if you do not hear everything I say.

It is natural to flow in and out of conscious hearing.

The deepest part of you,

Your core self,

Is always listening.

Whatever your experience is today,

This practice will still work.

There is no way to do this wrong.

Simply listen without trying too hard.

Come into stillness now and remain still for deep rest,

Deep nourishment.

Feel your natural breath,

The breath flowing through you.

Allow your bones to become heavy.

Feel your bones heavy and sinking into the earth.

Become aware of any sounds you can hear in this moment.

Begin to focus on the most distant sounds that 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.

Simply bring your attention to closer sounds,

To the sounds outside of this building,

To the sounds inside of this building,

Into the sounds inside of this room.

Go deep inside now,

Deep inside to notice your heart's deepest longing.

What does your heart desire?

Create a sankalpa,

An intention affirmation based on your heart's longing,

A positive statement in the present tense as though it's already happening.

For example,

I flow through life with ease and peace.

I am relaxed.

My body,

Mind and spirit are healing now.

I let the power of love to heal me on all levels of my being.

I am successful in all that I undertake.

If none of these affirmations resonate with you,

Come up with your own intention.

Stayed three times silently as though it is already happening.

Allow your awareness to travel through your body now in a journey of sensation.

Simply feel each part as it is mentioned and without moving remain still.

Welcome all sensations just as they are.

Begin with your mouth.

Feel your mouth.

Feel sensation in your mouth.

Feel your jaw,

Lips,

Upper lip,

Lower lip.

Notice where the lips touch.

Feel the inside of the mouth,

Roof,

Under the tongue,

Upper teeth and gums,

Lower teeth and gums,

Tongue,

Root of the tongue,

Center of the tongue,

Tip.

Notice the sense of taste in your mouth.

Feel the left inner cheek,

Right inner cheek.

Now feel all of the parts together.

Feel your mouth as sensation,

As energy.

Feel your nose.

Notice the nostrils,

Left nostril,

Right nostril,

Both nostrils.

Notice the breath,

Nasal passages.

Follow nasal passages all the way back into your head.

Become aware of your ears.

Right ear,

Left ear.

Both ears simultaneously.

Feel the wrinkles and folds of the ears,

Backs of the ears,

Earlobes,

Ear canals.

Notice your ears receiving sound,

Listening.

Feel your ears hearing.

Feel your eyes,

Left eye,

Right eye.

Both eyes together.

Notice eyelids.

Feel each eyelash.

Notice where the eyelids touch.

Become aware of the surface of the eyes,

Centers of the eyes,

Backs of the eyes.

Feel your eyes now as energy,

Glowing,

Radiant energy.

Bring awareness to your crown,

The forehead,

Face.

Feel your whole head.

Feel your neck,

Back of the neck,

Sides of the neck,

Throat.

Notice your right palm,

Thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger.

Feel your whole hand alive with energy.

Feel your wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Whole shoulder.

Notice the notch at the base of the throat.

Notice your left palm,

Thumb,

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger.

Feel your whole hand alive and filled with sensation.

Feel your left wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Whole shoulder.

Notice the notch at the base of the throat.

Become aware of the upper chest,

Upper back,

Shoulder blades.

Feel your heart center.

Notice your abdomen,

Ribs on the back,

Solar plexus.

Feel your belly,

Navel center,

Pelvis,

Hips.

Feel your right hip,

The thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Calf,

Ankle,

Foot,

Toes,

Spine,

Chest,

Sole,

Whole foot.

Notice both feet.

Feel your roots between your sitting bones,

Navel center,

Solar plexus,

Heart center,

Throat center,

Mouth,

Third eye between the brows,

The crown of the head.

Feel now the back body resting on the earth.

Bring awareness of your whole back body as sensation alive with vibration.

Feel now the front body filled with radiant vibration.

Pour your awareness like liquid into the right side of your body.

Feel the right side.

Pour your awareness like flowing sensors into the left side.

Feel your left side.

Feel the midline.

Feel your body as a whole,

Complete entity.

Feel sensation throughout your entire body.

Let yourself be guided now on a visual journey.

Imagine that you are standing on a white sandy beach.

It's early in the morning and a light hazy mist surrounds you.

The sun is rising slowly.

You can feel the warm orange light on your face and your body.

You are feeling content,

At ease,

And relaxed.

The sand beneath your bare feet is soft and warm.

A light breeze touches your face.

This beach is deserted.

You have it all to yourself and you have all the time in the world.

Listen to the relaxing sound of the ocean.

Its waves are breaking gently onto the shore.

Begin to walk slowly through the mist towards the water.

A small boat is waiting for you.

The boat is comfortable and steady.

Notice that it is tied to the shore with a strong rope.

Walk to the water's edge and step into the boat.

You are feeling completely at peace,

Completely safe,

And completely relaxed.

When you are ready,

Untie the rope and let it go.

Relax and allow the natural currents of the ocean to guide you away from the beach.

Your boat drifts smoothly.

It rocks ever so gently in the water.

This rocking motion relaxes you even more deeply.

The sun is now higher in the sky.

Its light has gathered strength.

Notice that the mist that surrounds you is beginning to evaporate.

You can see the air becoming clearer and clearer.

Watch as the sun's rays dissolve all of the mist.

Now you can see clearly in all directions.

It's as though a veil has been lifted.

Sparkling ocean water surrounds you on all sides and in front of you.

A small island comes into view.

Your boat moves closer and closer to the island,

Gliding slowly and effortlessly through the water.

The island is drenched in sunlight.

It is covered in tropical palm trees that sway gently in the breeze.

Your boat glides slowly forward and comes to rest on the shore.

You have arrived.

Step out of the boat and take a moment to appreciate this place of sublime beauty.

Exotic birds dance from tree to tree and colored flowers grow in abundance.

The air itself seems to shimmer and vibrate with pure luminous energy.

You can hear the soothing sound of the wind as it passes through the trees.

In this place,

You are free from all memories of the past.

You are free from all concerns about the future.

You are free from all responsibilities.

This is a place of total peace and it is all yours.

You notice an opening between the palm trees.

In the center of this opening,

There is a narrow path that leads deep into a rich green forest.

Begin your journey into the heart of the forest.

Follow the path.

This forest seems familiar to you,

Like the memory of a pleasant dream or a place you visited as a child.

Walk deeper into the forest.

You are guided by a force that you trust,

That makes you feel safe,

Nurtured and still.

Now you have reached the very heart of the forest.

Before you,

There is a shimmering pond of crystal clear water,

A pond of perfect stillness.

The pond is round and it brims with pure spring water.

Notice that the water is perfectly still,

Like a mirror,

Free from even the slightest ripple.

A ladder with three steps leads down into the water.

You decide to bathe in this magical pond and you undress.

As you take the first step down into the pond,

You notice that the wind has eased.

All the trees have become motionless.

As each moment passes,

The world around you becomes more and more calm and you yourself become more and more still.

As you lower yourself onto the second step,

All the birds in the forest become quiet.

Their silence is deep.

And now lower yourself onto the third and final step and you glide into the water.

Feel yourself sliding into a deep state of relaxation.

In this pond,

Your thoughts simply melt away.

All is still and silent.

The only sound that remains is the sound of the waves far off in the distance.

Your mind seems to expand.

You feel timeless,

Vast and relaxed.

For this little while,

Enjoy this experience of solitude and inner stillness.

When thoughts arise,

Simply let them go.

When it's time to return,

I will guide you home.

Slowly bring your awareness back to the pond.

You are deeply relaxed and refreshed.

Now it's time to make your way back home.

Slowly begin to climb the ladder.

As your foot touches the lowest rung,

Notice how wonderful your body feels.

You feel light,

Clear and happy.

As you step up,

The sound of birdsong returns.

Now you step up to the first rung on the ladder.

As your foot touches the step,

The breeze returns and the trees begin to sway again.

Dress yourself and follow the path back to your boat.

You arrive back at the entrance to the forest.

Your boat is waiting for you,

Just where you left it.

Walk to the water's edge and climb into the boat.

You feel relaxed and secure.

You know that your boat will bring you home safely.

Your journey is effortless and calm.

Like all of the moments in your life,

Effortless and calm.

Relax and allow the current to guide you.

Now you arrive at the beach,

Step out of the boat and onto the sand.

You are home.

Begin to notice your breath,

Your natural breath as it flows through you.

Feel the in-breath and note the out-breath.

As you exhale,

Imagine a wave passing downward through your body,

Carrying away all the tension.

As you inhale,

A fresh wave flows upward through your whole body,

Bringing a sense of calm to every single cell.

Exhale,

Wave flowing downward.

Inhale the wave coming upward.

Now remember your heart's longing statement.

Repeat it again three times as the present truth.

Three times to yourself.

It is the truth.

Feel it with all of your heart.

Feel how it travels all around your body and slowly turns into a very bright and warm light.

Now breathe into your belly and feel that light moving out and coming in.

Feel your belly ballooning out and in.

You are wonderful,

Special and the world needs your light.

Notice your backside of the body facing the earth.

Feel all the places where you touch the ground.

Notice the front body facing skyward.

Notice all of the space surrounding you.

Let your body expand wider into the space that surrounds you.

Notice your breath.

Feel its rhythm and pace.

We are now completing our relaxation practice.

Before moving,

Sense your fingers and just imagine them moving.

Now begin to wiggle your fingers,

Feeling every sensation as you do.

Notice your toes.

Begin to wiggle your toes.

Gently rock your head side to side,

A slow awakening.

Draw a deeper breath into your belly,

Into your chest.

Rock slowly over to your right side.

Imagine that you are water and pressing your left palm into the floor,

Flow like a river up to a comfortable seated position.

Lengthen your spine.

Take a full breath in and a full breath out.

Bring your hands onto your face.

Notice how you feel right now.

Notice the effects of your relaxation practice.

And whenever you feel ready,

Slowly open your eyes.