- Preparation/Introduction
- Relaxation
- Sankalpa/Resolve
- Rotation of Consciousness
- Breathe Awareness
- Feeling of Sensations
- Image visualization
- Sankalpa/Resolve
- Finish
3. Yoga Nidra Practice
3.1. Introduction
3.1. Commencement
It’s time for Yoga Nidra. Assume a supine posture, lying flat on your back with a slight bend in your knees, ensuring you have support underneath them. Verify that you are adequately warm and that your chosen position will remain comfortable throughout the session. Maintaining stillness during Yoga Nidra is ideal, as it allows both your physical form and brain optimum opportunity for deep relaxation; nevertheless, do feel free to adjust your posture if discomfort arises. Let your eyelids gently close, and keep them shut until the guided exercise is complete.
This Yoga Nidra experience is a form of yogic rest designed to lead you into a hypnotic state, a conscious awareness poised between being fully awake and asleep. Endeavor to remain attentive by focusing on the sound of my voice. You will be invited to direct your attention towards various physical sensations, inner feelings, and mental imagery. Avoid focusing too intensely, as excessive concentration can impede full relaxation. During this meditation, take only what you require in the present moment and let the remainder pass by. Should your mind become overly busy with thoughts or concerns, gently redirect your attention back to my voice.
3.2. Easing into Rest
Become conscious of any sounds perceptible to you right now. Start by directing your focus toward the most distant auditory inputs you can detect. Allow your sense of hearing to expand outwards, seeking out these faraway sounds and holding your attention on them briefly. Shift your focus from one sound to the next without needing to identify their origins. Slowly draw your awareness inward, noting sounds outside this enclosure, then sounds within this space, finally settling on sounds present within this very room.
Without opening your eyes, create a mental picture of the four boundaries of this space, the overhead surface, the ground beneath you, and your physical form in its resting position. Visualize your body lying down, noting its arrangement, the clothing covering it, your hair, and your face. Acknowledge the simple presence of your physical body resting on the floor.
3.3. Intention Setting
The Yoga Nidra technique commences at this juncture. This is the moment to establish your Sankalpa, or personal resolution. Your Sankalpa should be articulated as a brief, affirmative declaration using straightforward language; strive to let one arise naturally. Articulate your Sankalpa clearly and with full attention three times. The intention set during Yoga Nidra acts as a seed planted in the receptive ground of your subconscious, fostering positive shifts and recovery.
Concurrently, affirm to yourself: “I am engaging in yoga nidra; I am attentive and at ease.”
3.4. Consciousness Traversal
We shall now embark on a methodical exploration of sensory awareness across the entire body. You will guide your awareness to specific body parts instantaneously upon hearing them named. Silently repeat the name of the part to yourself while feeling that area, but refrain from making any physical movement. The sequence initiates on the right side.
Right hand thumb … second digit … third digit … fourth digit … fifth digit … the palm … the back of the hand … the wrist … the lower arm … the elbow … the upper arm … the shoulder … the armpit area … the waist … the hip … the thigh … the knee … the calf muscle.
… the ankle … the heel … the sole of the foot … the top of the foot … the right big toe … the second toe … the third toe … the fourth toe … the fifth toe.
Left hand thumb … second digit … third digit … fourth digit … fifth digit … the palm … the back of the hand … the wrist … the lower arm … the elbow … the upper arm … the shoulder … the armpit area … the waist … the hip … the thigh … the knee … the calf muscle.
… the ankle … the heel … the sole of the foot … the top of the foot … the left big toe … the second toe … the third toe … the fourth toe … the fifth toe.
Now, bring your focus to the posterior aspect of the body … right heel … left heel … right calf … left calf … right thigh … left thigh … right buttock … left buttock … the lower back region … the middle back … the upper back … the entirety of the spine … the right shoulder blade … the left shoulder blade … the nape of the neck … the back of the head.
The crown of the head … the forehead … right temple … left temple … right ear … left ear … right eyebrow … left eyebrow … the center point between the brows (the third eye area) … the right eye … the left eye … the right nostril … the left nostril … the right cheek area … the left cheek area … the upper lip … the lower lip … both lips together … the chin … the jaw joint … the throat area … the right clavicle … the left clavicle … the right side of the chest … the left side of the chest … the upper abdominal area … the navel … the lower abdomen… the right groin area … the left groin area … the pelvic floor.
The entire right leg … the entire left leg … the entire right arm … the entire left arm … the entire facial region … the entire head … the entire trunk … the complete physical form … the complete physical form … the complete physical form.
3.5. Breathing Observation
Become receptive to your inherent respiration, noticing the natural, autonomous rhythm of air entering and leaving your body without any conscious effort. Your spontaneous breath moves inward through both nostrils. Note the physical sensation of the air as it enters and exits your nasal passages. As you inhale, perceive a sensation of coolness. Trace this cool feeling inward to your nose, the back of your throat, and down into your lungs. Conversely, as you exhale, sense a feeling of warmth. Register this warmth upon your upper lip as the breath leaves.
Your natural breath traverses both nostrils during the intake and the outflow. Permit your breathing pattern to extend and slow down. Execute a long, slow inhalation, followed by an even longer, slower exhalation. Make the outward breath progressively more drawn out—observe the slight, momentary cessation following the exhale. Slow inhale, an even slower exhale, and then a pause where little is happening. Sense the internal prompting to draw breath welling up within you. When the need to inhale arises, simply allow it. Long, slow inhale, an extended, slower exhale, followed by a pause where the body is neither taking in nor releasing air. Continue breathing in this self-regulated manner. Now, release any deliberate control and revert to the easy, natural rhythm of your breath.
3.6. Balancing Sensations
3.7. Lightness versus Heaviness:
Now, visualize your entire physical structure commencing to feel light. Imagine your body possessing the capability to lift away from the floor and drift toward the ceiling. Your head feels light and unburdened; your limbs are light and weightless; your torso is light and without substance; the whole body feels buoyant and weightless. Visualize yourself ascending higher and higher, distancing yourself from the surface beneath you.
Conversely, picture your body accumulating significant mass. Experience a deep sense of heaviness permeating all your body parts, each section becoming progressively heavier, denser, and more weighted. The head feels leaden, the extremities are heavy, the core is weighty, the entire physical presence is sinking. So substantial that it is deeply settling into the floor below.
3.8. Cold versus Heat:
Activate the bodily awareness of cold, the sensation of a distinct chill. Envision yourself exposed outdoors in wintry conditions without sufficient covering. Feel this cold sensation permeating every part of your being.
Now, invite the experience of warmth to disseminate throughout your entire body. Recall the intense, radiant heat of summer when you are exposed to the sun in an open area. Feel the heat radiating onto your skin, enveloping your entire form in warmth.
3.9. Distress versus Serenity:
Bring to mind a past experience of distress, acute worry, and apprehension. Allow yourself to sense this strain within your mind and body, but actively choose not to dwell on the initial reason for it. Cultivate the sensation of anxiety as vividly as possible.
Following this, allow an all-encompassing feeling of profound tranquility to wash over you. Generate this experience of calm throughout your entire mental sphere, physical being, and emotional landscape. You are relaxed and aware; you possess absolute serenity.
3.10. Internal Landscape Projection
Begin to focus your concentration on the dark expanse situated before your closed eyelids. Visualize before you a translucent surface, similar to a cinema screen. This screen extends as tall and as wide as your vision permits. Direct your focus onto this mental canvas and observe any visual phenomena that naturally emerge upon it; this may include hues, forming designs, or points of light. Whatever appears reflects the current activity of your mind. Maintain your steady awareness of this inner space but avoid engagement; practice simple, objective observation. Should any faint, fleeting images present themselves, merely acknowledge their presence without attempting to control or guide them. If thoughts arise, permit them to enter your awareness and then depart, while you persist in watching the dark backdrop, maintaining this stance of detached observation.
3.11. Swift Visual Recall Exercise
You are now going to be presented with a series of items. Your task is to conjure these images in your mind, engaging with them on the levels of feeling, stored recollections, and creative fancy to the fullest extent possible. Transition immediately from one visual concept to the next upon hearing it.
•a crimson arid expanse …
•a single plume from a peafowl …
•the serene posture of a meditating Buddha …
•a night of perfect, restorative slumber …
•the celestial orb at its fullest phase …
•your own likeness as seen in a looking glass …
•a morning obscured by mist …
•the suspense preceding vital disclosures …
•intense solar rays streaming down …
•an arrangement of cute blossoms …
•an imposing, lofty tree …
•receiving support from fellow beings …
•water that is purely cool and transparent …
•a tranquil, unhurried afternoon…
•shared mirth with companions…
•the comfort of a tight, warm hug…
•a wick consuming itself in flame …
•a sanctuary set high upon elevated terrain …
•a winding track through wooded areas …
•the dramatic conclusion of the day’s light …
• the act of drawing a substantial breath …
•a feline extending its limbs …
•a meticulously maintained lane within a garden…
•the melody that resonates most deeply with you…
•the modulation of my speech…
•the physical form of your body resting prone on the ground …
3.12. Methods for Mental Picturing
1. A Field of High Grass
Picture in your mind a wide grassland, tall stalks waving, interspersed with colorful blossoms. The sky is bright with sunshine, and a light, airy movement passes through, causing the vegetation to sway rhythmically back and forth. You perceive the chirping of small insects and inhale the delicate fragrance of the flowers. Slowly, the breeze subsides, and silence settles over the clearing. All motion ceases. Absolute stillness takes hold, as though in expectation. Your thoughts, mirroring the grass, become quiet, and you become conscious of a profound sensation of tranquility and contentment. Allow the sun’s gentle, warm caress to dissolve all remaining traces of unease. Immerse yourself fully in this sensation for as long as you are able.
2. Golden Radiance Within the Forehead
Bring forth the image of a richly golden light situated at your brow area. Once this luminescence is distinct, allow yourself to feel it expanding to permeate your entire brain, slowly diffusing to saturate every single cell throughout your physique. Conceive of this light as possessing awareness and profound wisdom, operating autonomously without the need for your direction. Simply permit it to permeate every constituent part of your existence. Next, facilitate the outward expansion of this brilliance beyond the confines of your physical form. Envision it enveloping the immediate space, establishing a link with every other individual present. Feel as though this light is energizing every atom it encounters, sparking vitality into every particle of matter. Guide this radiance outward to encompass your vicinity, gradually extending across your region, the nation, and ultimately the entire globe, inspiring elevation and mending everything it reaches. Now, observe the light broadening beyond this terrestrial sphere into the solar system and the wider galaxy, ultimately bathing the totality of existence in its luminescence. Drift within the immense expanse of this light, letting go of all perception of separation until you and the light merge into singularity. Experience your physical self as boundless expanse, without beginning or conclusion. Dwell within this enlarged state for the maximum duration achievable.
3. The Unfettered Water Body
Conceptualize the emotional currents of your core being as a lake without apparent edges. Endeavor to observe the full moon suspended in the heavens above perfectly mirrored on that water’s surface. Surface disturbances, like tiny waves, and deeper, swirling currents beneath muddy the mirrored image. This unrest originates from fluctuations in your inner feelings, both those from the past and those currently active. Bring calmness to this motion—not through forceful suppression, but by locating the true, undisturbed reflection of the overhead moon at the very core of every ripple and eddy. One does not need to strive to cultivate divine affection. The more placid this internal sea of feeling becomes, the more clearly and spontaneously will adoration and dedication manifest, mirrored within the heart. Love itself constitutes the fundamental nature of reality.
4. The Heart as a Blooming Lotus Flower
Turn your contemplation toward your heart center. Picture it as a lotus bloom, its petals resembling conduits of energy directed upward towards the mind. Visualize each petal representing a distinct facet of your inner life: affection, ambition, zeal, deep yearning, gentle care, fervent commitment, self-dedication, the willingness to forgo lesser life objectives. Channel all these energies upward, toward awareness beyond the ordinary. Now, bring to mind the earth or matter from which the lotus emerges, as it lifts itself high into the air to drink in the sun’s energy. The lotus gazes skyward, deliberately away from the mire of its origins. However, it cannot disown that source, or it would wither. Regard it as being nourished by those origins—turning away not out of scorn, but with sincere gratitude, in its pursuit of loftier realities. Do not mentally discard your prior experiences. Discern the presence of the Divine even within the base substance of your human beginnings. Perceive the Divine ascending through protracted, difficult striving to reclaim Himself within the Ultimate Self; perceive God in the sunlight; perceive God as the Sun, eternally radiant and perpetually blissful.
5. The Ascending Moon
It is now evening. Picture in your mind the moon ascending over an immense, limitless lake. Small waves lap against other small waves, a restless interplay of rhythms in endless counterpoint. Watch how, momentarily, some crests merge, and these tiny swells proudly grow into actual waves. But their brief grandeur quickly fades! Observe closely: See the waves reach skyward, only to swiftly descend and form modest troughs! The bobbing water whispers this truth: “Everything is in flux.”
Bright reflections of the moon shimmer upon the water’s surface, much like joyful, laughing youngsters. They dart merrily across a luminous ripple, or momentarily pause in shining victory atop a wave’s peak before melting back into shadow, awaiting renewed vitality on the next surge. Here too, these ever-shifting lunar images declare: “Everything is in flux.” Now, envision your own consciousness held within these vast, dark waters. The surface ripples represent your ceaseless thoughts—both those you recognize and those hidden—your fluctuating feelings and sentiments, playing, surfacing with hope, or dipping into dejection, proud one moment, humbled the next. Once more, the water conveys its message: “Everything is in flux.”
Yet, the overhead moonlight, faintly grasped by the water’s surface, remains perfectly calm, serene, and constant. This is the luminescence of Spirit. How faintly and how marred do we reflect it through our agitated minds! Now, sense the tranquil sky condensed into one single, brilliant bead of liquid peace. This droplet descends, impacting the water. Radiating waves of serenity spread in every direction, gently quieting the agitated pulsation of your thoughts. Layer upon layer of peace washes over you until, gradually, the surface of your mind shows not a single ripple. Far, far into the boundless night, not a quiver disturbs the calm! And everywhere, the moonlight on the water gleams—almost as still as it appears in the heavens above. Look up; release your mind from its watery burden. You are now the sky! Rays of your peaceful moonlight quietly unfurl across the expanse, their tranquil light reaching toward eternity. You possess no limits, no physical or mental weight, no cause for anxiety, striving, or rivalry. You *are* the infinite sky! With the cool beams of your inner composure, you have claimed the universe, making it intrinsically yours. You and the endless divine light have finally merged into oneness.
6. A Vast Sojourn in Nature
Picture yourself taking an extensive walk immersed in the natural world… you walk and walk, keenly sensing the presence of nature all around you… vividly imagine a verdant meadow… rendered in the deepest shade of green that resonates most deeply with you… envision this carpet of green grass stretching out to meet a bordering forest… you perceive the vibrant green expanse… the sun casting brilliant green highlights across the meadow floor.
Direct your gaze toward the woods, and observe leaves displaying the entire spectrum of green tones… it induces relaxation… profound relaxation. The sunlight reflects off the foliage of the trees, creating a kaleidoscope of subtle green hues that mirror one another, building a three-dimensional depth of green space… it is gorgeous, and you savor the vision.
Breathe smoothly… inhale the pristine air, rich with the oxygen generated by the forest trees; feel yourself breathing in an air that is verdant and deeply calming… with every inhale, deeper tranquility settles within you… attend to the sounds of the wilderness, a subtle current moving through the branches, exquisitely soothing… intensely soothing…
You discern the whisper of the breeze rustling the leaves and drift further into relaxation… ever deeper. Pause briefly to contemplate the expanse of the emerald meadow, the ancient, towering trees, their magnificent leaves…
Now, a sound reaches you… as you continue walking, the sound grows nearer… it is deeply comforting, relaxing… it is the sound of moving water.
A channel comes into view before you. Become aware of your pace, synchronized with the water’s continuous movement… the water is flawlessly transparent, flowing… endlessly cycling onward… you follow the edge of the stream, moving in accord with its natural current.
Watch the canal boats silently drifting and passing by…. They gently soothe your spirit, as you imagine they represent your burdens, your anxieties, now steadily receding…
Imagine yourself stepping into the river, not to swim, but to allow yourself to be submerged, letting your body drift passively, making no effort to move. Permit the river to transport you in your mind’s eye…
Notice how the river’s momentum naturally ebbs and flows, sometimes quickening, sometimes slowing. Remain completely still regardless of the shifting velocity of the stream.
Focus on maintaining your breath, endeavouring to keep it deep and steady, even as the imaginary river rushes ever faster.
Remain suspended in this state for a few minutes, then gradually draw your awareness back to your physical form.
Ahead on the horizon, you perceive a stretch of beach, and you walk toward it… following the stream’s path, matching its steady rhythm, you arrive at your destination…
Visualize the small beach nestled beside the canal… the deep blue of the ocean… the warmth of golden sand… you recline upon the sand, and the sensation is exquisite… the sun’s stored energy permeates the grains of sand, sinking into your back, bringing deep release…
Feel that warmth spreading across your back… it’s profoundly relaxing… an utterly lovely sensation… the vast blue ocean… the cloudless, azure sky… the sound of the air moving the nearby tree leaves…
The sun warms your arms, and you feel the heat intensify… ever stronger… the sun bathes your chest and legs in warmth… your legs… they sink deeper, heavier into the sand… allowing for greater and greater relaxation… you hear the steady, balanced pulse of the waves, seemingly rocking this tranquil blue expanse under this cherished blue firmament… you hear the wind’s murmur, sensing the merger of the canal water with the sea… perceiving its onward movement and expanding energy… you become aware of your entire being—mind and body—resting in deep repose… profoundly relaxed.
3.13. Reaffirming the Resolution
It is now time to reiterate your personal resolution. Silently repeat the exact affirmation you established at the commencement of this practice three times.
3.14. Concluding the Session
Return your attention to the sensation of air entering and leaving your nostrils. While holding onto this breath awareness, begin to expand your consciousness to encompass your physical vehicle. Your body is at rest, lying flat upon the surface beneath you. Sense the tactile connection between your skin, your clothing, and any supports touching you.
Acknowledge the grounded feeling of your mass resting against the floor; focus your awareness on every point making contact—the heels, the back of your thighs, your seat, your shoulder blades, your arms, hands, and head. Resist opening your eyes for now, but instead, conjure a mental image of the room surrounding you. Picture your precise location within it and the other objects nearby. Remain still until you inherently feel prepared to stir. Initiate movement gently, starting with your fingers and toes; take your leisure; there is absolutely no need for haste. Once you are certain you are fully alert, softly open your eyes. Carefully pivot onto your right side. Remain resting on your right side for a few more moments. Employ your hands to gently push yourself upward from the floor, allowing your head to be the last part to rise.
The practice of Yoga Nidra has now successfully concluded.