Longer Yoga Nidra

Please get ready for Yoga Nidra by lying down on your back and making sure you're perfectly comfortable. Make any adjustments necessary to your clothing or your body position so that you can maintain perfect stillness throughout the practice of Yoga Nidra. You might place a small pillow underneath your head, as when you relax, your body will release more deeply into the floor. Close your eyes. Turn the palms of the hands to face up in a gesture of receptivity. Make sure nothing is touching the fingertips. Remember, there should be no physical movement throughout the practice of Yoga Nidra. Keep your eyes closed. Take a deep breath in, feeling calmness and coolness spreading throughout the physical body. As you breathe out, feel all the cares and worries of the day flow out of you. In the following practice, you're going to develop the feeling of relaxation throughout the body. It's not necessary to make any movements or even try to relax. Simply develop the feeling of relaxation throughout the body. It is much like that feeling of deep relaxation just before you fall asleep. In this practice, you might fall asleep, but it is important that you try not to fall asleep. Remain awake and aware. Make a resolution to yourself now: I will not fall asleep. I will remain awake throughout the practice of Yoga Nidra. In this practice, you are functioning at the level of hearing and the level of awareness. The only thing required of you is to follow my voice. Try not to analyze any of the instructions, as this will interfere with your mental relaxation. Simply follow my voice with total attention and feeling. Don't try to relax. Simply develop the feeling of relaxation. If thoughts arise, don't worry about it. Just continue with the practice. Allow yourself to be calm and steady. Bring about a feeling of inner relaxation in the whole body. Concentrate on the body and become aware of the importance of complete stillness. Develop your awareness of your body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, and mentally repeat the mantra Om. Complete stillness and complete awareness of the whole body. And again repeat the mantra Om. Continue your awareness of the whole body. The whole body. The whole body. Become aware of the fact that you are going to practice Yoga Nidra. Say mentally to yourself: I am aware I am going to practice Yoga Nidra. Repeat this to yourself again. The practice of Yoga Nidra begins now. Now is the time for you to make your Sankalpa—your simple, short, positive statement in simple language. Please repeat your Sankalpa to yourself three times with total feeling and conviction and gratitude for its fruition. Now begin with a rotation of consciousness. I will name different body parts and you will repeat that name to yourself while you simultaneously bring awareness to that part. Bring your attention to the right hand and mentally repeat after me: Right hand, thumb, second finger, third finger, fourth finger, fifth finger, palm of the hand, back of the hand, wrist, lower arm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, armpit, right waist, right hip, right thigh, kneecap, calf, ankle, heel, sole of the right foot, top of the foot, big toe, second toe, third toe, fourth toe, fifth toe. Become aware of the left hand: thumb, second finger, third finger, fourth finger, fifth finger, palm of the hand, back of the hand, wrist, lower arm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, armpit, left waist, left hip, left thigh, kneecap, calf, ankle, heel, sole of the left foot, top of the left foot, big toe, second toe, third toe, fourth toe, fifth toe. Now go to the back: right shoulder blade, left shoulder blade, right buttock, left buttock, the spine, the whole back together. Now to the top of the head: top of the head, the forehead, right eyebrow, left eyebrow, the space between the eyebrows, right eyelid, left eyelid, right eye, left eye, right ear, left ear, right cheek, left cheek, the nose, the tip of the nose, the upper lip, the lower lip, the chin, the throat, right chest, left chest, middle of the chest, navel, abdomen. The whole of the right leg. The whole of the left leg. Both legs together. The whole of the right arm. The whole of the left arm. Both arms together. The whole of the back: buttocks, spine, shoulder blades. The whole of the front: abdomen, chest. The whole of the back and front together. The whole of the head. The whole body together. The whole body together. The whole body together. Please do not sleep. Total awareness. No sleeping. No movement. Effortless awareness. The whole body is on the floor. Become aware of your body lying on the floor. Your body is lying on the floor. See your body lying on the floor in your room. Visualize this image in your mind. Feel the flow in and out of your lungs. Do not try to change the rhythm. The breath is natural and automatic. There is no effort. You are not doing it. Maintain awareness of your breath. Complete awareness of breath. Now concentrate your awareness on the movement of your navel area. Concentrate on your navel movement. Your navel is rising and falling slightly with every breath. With each and every breath, it expands and contracts. Concentrate on this movement in synchronization with your breath. Awareness of breathing. Breathing and awareness. Now start counting your breaths backwards from 27 to 1, like this: 27 navel rising, 27 navel falling. 26 navel rising, 26 navel falling. 25 navel rising, 25 navel falling. And so on. Say the words and numbers mentally to yourself as you count your breaths. If you make a mistake, simply return to 27 and begin again. Effortless awareness. Effortless awareness. If you make a mistake, simply return to 27 and start again. Now stop your counting of the navel breath and shift your attention to your chest. Your chest is rising and falling with each breath. Become aware of this. Continue concentrating on the movement of the chest and start counting from 27 to 1 as you did before: 27 chest rising, 27 chest falling. 26 chest rising, 26 chest falling. 25 chest rising, 25 chest falling. And so on. Try not to make mistakes. If you do, return to 27 and begin again. Awareness of breathing. Awareness of counting. Doesn’t matter if you don’t reach one. Just continue with the practice. Cease your counting of the chest breathing and move your awareness to your throat. Become aware of your breath moving in and out of the throat. Concentrate on the movement of the breath and continue counting: 27 breathing in, 27 breathing out. 26 breathing in, 26 breathing out. Complete awareness of the counting and of the breath. Continue the practice. Counting and breathing. Breathing and counting. No movement. No sleeping. Stop counting and go to the nostrils. Become aware of the breath moving in and out of the nostrils. Concentrate on the movement of the breath: 27 breathing in, 27 breathing out. 26 breathing in, 26 breathing out. Complete awareness. Effortless awareness. Continue—breathing and counting. Counting and breathing. No movement. No sleeping. Stop your counting now. It doesn’t matter if you came to one. Leave your breathing. We now go to visualization. I will name objects; as I say them, develop an image of them on all levels—feeling, awareness, emotion—as best you can. Burning candle. Burning candle. Burning candle. Endless desert. Endless desert. Endless desert. Egyptian pyramid. Egyptian pyramid. Egyptian pyramid. Torrential rain. Torrential rain. Torrential rain. Snow-capped mountains. Snow-capped mountains. Snow-capped mountains. Greek temple at sunrise. Greek temple at sunrise. Greek temple at sunrise. Coffin beside a grave. Coffin beside a grave. Coffin beside a grave. Birds flying across a sunset. Birds flying across a sunset. Birds flying across a sunset. Red clouds drifting across above a church. Red clouds drifting across above a church. Stars at night. Stars at night. Stars at night. Full moon. Full moon. Full moon. Smiling Buddha. Smiling Buddha. Smiling Buddha. Wind from the sea. Wind from the sea. Wind from the sea. Waves breaking on a deserted beach. Waves breaking on a deserted beach. Waves breaking on a deserted beach. The eternal restless sea. Eternal restless sea. Eternal restless sea. Waves breaking on a deserted beach. Now is the time to repeat your Sankalpa—your resolution—the same Sankalpa you repeated at the beginning, with the same feeling and gratitude. Repeat your Sankalpa three times to yourself. Now relax all efforts and become aware of the whole body. Awareness of your body. You are breathing quietly and slowly. Develop awareness of your body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes and say mentally to yourself Om. Repeat the mantra Om mentally two more times. Become aware of the floor and the position of your body lying on the floor. Visualize the room around you. Become aware of your surroundings. Lie quietly for a few more moments and keep your eyes closed. Begin moving your body slowly. Please take your time. There is no hurry. When you are sure you are wide awake, sit up slowly and open your eyes. The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.