HOW TO DO YOGA NIDRA PRACTICE?
PREPARATION YOGA NIDRA STEP
Relax and lie down on your mat in shavasana, prepare yourself for Yogic Sleep (yoga nidra) feet apart and palms facing upwards. We will close our day with Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep).
Close your eyes consciously and become motionless. Now take your awareness inside and bring about a feeling of inner relaxation in the whole body. Become aware of the importance of complete stillness.
Develop your awareness of the body from the top of the head to the tips of your toes. Complete stillness and complete awareness of the whole body, the whole body, the whole body.
Forget all your worries and cares and let Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep) happen to you. Take a deep breath and feel yourself.
RELAXATION YOGA NIDRA STEP
Become aware of the outside sounds from the building. Move from sound to sound with the attitude of a witness Allow your sense of hearing to range into the distance and then gradually withdraw it back into this building, back into the yoga hall.
Develop your awareness of this room and you lying on the floor. Become aware of your body lying on the floor. Become aware of your breathing ..just be conscious that you are breathing, do not concentrate. Awareness of your breath and awareness of your body.
Say to yourself – I am going to practice Yoga Nidra. Repeat three times only.
ROTATION YOGA NIDRA STEP
Relax your whole body. Breathe out all your tension and weariness.
Feel that your body is becoming very heavy…
Become aware of the parts of the body I am naming, just feel the parts and follow my voice.
Start aware of the right side – The right-hand thumb, second finger, third finger, fourth finger little finger, whole right hand, whole arm, shoulder, right side of the chest, waist, hip, whole right leg, right foot, the toes, one toe, two, three, four, five, all five toes together.
Now go to the left side – The left-hand thumb, second finger, third, fourth, little finger, whole left hand, whole arm, shoulder, the left side of the chest, waist, hip, whole left leg, left foot, the toes, one toe, two, three, four, five, all five toes together.
Feel the two feet together – the two legs together, the buttocks, stomach, chest, back, the two shoulder blades, the two arms, the neck, head, scalp, forehead, eyes, right ear, left ear, nose, right cheek, left cheek, mouth, lips, tongue, teeth, chin, the whole face, the whole head, the whole neck, the whole back, the four limbs. The whole body, the whole body, the whole body together.
Feel the contact between your body and the floor. Be aware of the back of your head, where it touches the floor. Be aware of your shoulders, back of your arms, buttocks, calf muscles, and heels.
BREATH AWARENESS YOGA NIDRA STEP
Feel that you are breathing. Feel breathing in a lovely, transparent bubble inside your body. Every time you inhale the bubble expands, every time you breathe out the bubble contracts. Now count the number of breaths backward from 10 to 0. Be careful not to lose count or miss a breath.
10 I am breathing in,
10 I am breathing out,
9 I am breathing in,
9 I am breathing out.
The breathing is slow and relaxed.
Please continue counting.
VISUALIZATION YOGA NIDRA (YOGIC SLEEP) STEP
Imagine you are on the ceiling, and you see below you, your body lying in Shavasana on the floor beside your colleagues.
Now see your body slowly stand up and tiptoe to the door, quietly open it, and go outside, closing the door softly behind you.
See your body walking down the stairs, see the familiar things around you. There is no sense of effort, only lightness You meet some people that you know… see them, but they can`t see you. Watch them as they walk past, perhaps they are making their usual conversation.
Suddenly you find that your body is flying. Flying over the waters of the ocean, the infinite ocean… become aware of this. See the blue sea glistening below, across its surface, a ship is steaming. Your body is flying… wherever the wind blows the cloud, your body is also blown… wisps of cloud brush past your face. Below you, the sunlight reflects off banks of white clouds… above you puff of cloud scurry across a blue sky.
Now your body is lifted by currents of air. Suddenly an island is appearing on the horizon. You are flying closer and closer, and you can see a golden beach. a golden beach on the shore of an infinite ocean of peace and bliss. Your body is now directly over the island, flying over land. Hear the waves breaking on the golden beach. Hear the rhythm.
On the ground below you can see beautiful vegetation, flowers, thick forests of palm trees, and a winding river that reflects the sun.
Pause a moment and look closely at yourself. your body is relaxed and on your face is an expression of peace and happiness. See your body suddenly immerse in colour as it passes through a rainbow. Feel yourself washed and purified in subtle colours. Yellow, green, blue, violet, red, orange, and golden yellow. Feel the colours penetrating your whole body, nourishing, and invigorating you at some deep level. Colours penetrating your whole body, every cell of your whole body.
Feel the purification.
Feel the peace.
Feel the bliss.
Then slowly make your return. see your body return to the outside of the building… see again the familiar objects again. Quietly open the door of the Yoga Hall, walk inside, and close it after you. You lie down on the floor on your mat, taking care not to disturb your friends.
FINISHING YOGA NIDRA ( YOGIC SLEEP) STEP
Relax and become aware of the whole body.
The whole body Now bring your attention to the natural breath, the quiet breath… develop your awareness of the quiet breath. Maintain your awareness of the breath and gradually deepen it. make it stronger…
Aware of your physical existence… become aware of the physical existence of your body and your state of physical relaxation. … at the same time your breath is growing stronger, take a long, slow, deep breath in…. and let it out. Develop awareness of your body. deeply relaxed lying on the floor… visualizing the surrounding room. let your mind become completely external.
Now bring your awareness to your fingers and toes and gently start to move them. Slowly raise your arms above your head and gently stretch your body. Take a few deep breaths with your arms above your head. Take your time, there is no hurry. Now slowly bend the left knee and turn to the right-hand side.
Slowly come up into any meditative posture. Keep your eyes closed.
Now we will chant OM OM OM.
Bring your palms in your heart center.
And chant SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI.
Gently rub your palms and place them over your eyes. Feel the energy being absorbed by the eyes.
Gently rub your palms and place them over your eyes. Open your eyes. Slowly move the palms away from your face and look at them.