Yoga Nidra Script

Yoga Nidra is a form of what you might, at first glance, call guided meditation that seeks to desensitize you to extremes, polar opposites, and the conditions that can stem from focusing on polarization such as PTSD, anxiety, and fear. It takes you on a fast paced journey through the body, the breath and then the mind. There is a deep design in why exactly Nidra moves through this specific sequence and it’s worth researching if you have time. Nidra is, at the same time, nothing like guided meditation because it drives the mind so quickly through so many instructions that the mind does not have an opportunity to wander or to become quiet. Unlike meditation, in Nidra, you are not practicing quieting the mind. You are not practicing stillness in the mind. You are not seeking divine contact or any of the other things you might practice meditation for. In Nidra, you are driving the mind to condition it in a certain way. So in that way, Nidra is its own distinct category.

This is a yoga Nidra script that I developed for those with language processing issues that would otherwise find yoga Nidra stressful. Unlike typical yoga Nidra, this script has built in three second pauses to allow for the processing and carrying out of instructions. It still keeps the mind very busy, as is key for some purposes but without the stress of too many instructions too quickly detracting from the experience.

Now we prepare for yoga nidra. Laying down on the floor. The body is straight. Maybe a pillow or bolster under the knees and head for comfort. Arms relaxed to the sides. Palms turned upwards.

Take a moment to adjust your position, your pillows, your clothes… be as comforts possible. During yoga Nidra, we will remain absolutely still.

Close your eyes. We will keep our eyes closed until the end. Take a deep breath. Let it out like a sigh of relief. Let the worries of the day exhale away. Take another deep breath, exhaling long and slow, sending away any cares you may have. We are here now.

Yoga Nidra is a yogic sleep. We will journey to a place between sleep and wakefulness. Listen to my voice to stay awake. You might affirm to yourself now, “I am practicing yoga Nidra. I will stay awake.”

You will be guided on a journey of awareness moving from sensations to emotions and images. Focus only enough to stay awake. There is no need to catch every little thing. See what comes to you, and leave the rest. As thoughts enter the mind, just notice them, and let them go. Return to the sound of my voice.

Turn your awareness to the sounds around you. Try not to label them. Just listen. Maybe distant sounds. … sounds inside the room… sounds inside yourself… without opening your eyes, imagine this room. How it looks. The lights, walls, ceiling, floor. Your body, lying on the floor. Sense your whole body on the floor. Your face, hair, clothes. Your whole body on the floor in this room. Here and now. Your whole body on the floor in this room.

At this moment, make your resolve, or sankalpa. A short, simple positive statement. See what comes up for you today. What you resolve today during yoga Nidra will come to be. What transformation, what healing do you want today? Say it to yourself now three times, with feeling, with emphasis and certainty.

We now rotate our consciousness through the body, by bringing awareness to each and every part, systematically. As we name each part, say it to yourself, and be aware of that part, but do not move. Let’s start on the right side.

Right hand thumb … 2nd finger … 3rd finger … 4th finger … 5th finger … palm of the hand … back of the hand …wrist … forearm … elbow … upper arm … shoulder … armpit … waist …hip … thigh … knee … calf … ankle … heel … sole of the foot … top of the foot … right big toe … 2nd toe … 3rd toe … 4th toe … 5th toe. Left hand thumb … 2nd finger … 3rd finger … 4th finger … 5th finger … palm of the hand … back of the hand … wrist … forearm … elbow … upper arm … shoulder … armpit … waist … hip … thigh … knee … calf … ankle … heel … sole of the foot … top of the foot … left big toe … 2nd toe … 3rd toe … 4th toe … 5th toe. No go to the back of the body … right heel … left heel … right calf … left calf … right thigh … left thigh … right buttock … left buttock … lower back … middle back … upper back … the entire spine … right shoulder blade … left shoulder blade … back of the neck … back of the head. Top of the head … forehead … right temple … left temple … right ear … left ear … right eyebrow … left eyebrow … middle of the eyebrows … right eye … left eye … right nostril … left nostril … right cheek … left cheek … upper lip … lower lip … both lip together … chin … jaw … throat … right collarbone … left collarbone … right side of the chest … left side of the chest … upper abdomen … navel … lower abdomen … right groin … left groin … the pelvic floor. The whole right leg … whole left leg … whole right arm … whole left arm … the whole face … the whole head … the whole torso … the whole body … the whole body … the whole body.

Move your awareness to your breath. Breathing naturally. Make no special effort. Notice how the air moves into your nose and out of your nose… into your throat, and back out of your throat… into your lungs, and out of your lungs…. into the belly and out of the belly… now the whole process, follow the air into the nose, down the throat, into the lungs and belly… just noticing… keep following…

Notice how your whole being expands as you inhale, contracts as you exhale…expands… and contracts…. keep noticing. Focused on your breath and how it feels.

Notice the pause at the top of an inhale…. notice the pause at the bottom of the exhale…

Return to breathing naturally.

[Lightness/Heaviness]

Imagine your body is heavy. Feel the earth pulling your down. Grounding you. Head heavy. Arms and legs heavy. Torso heavy. Sinking down… Now Imagine your body is so light you could float up. Head light, torso light, arms and legs weightless. Return now to the ground. It is just an experience.

[Cold/Hot]

Feel the heat of a summer day. The sun on your skin. Warmth through your entire being. Heat radiating within you. The air is hot as your breathe it. Surrounded in warmth. … Now cold. A winter day. Snow on the ground. The wind is cold. The sensation of cold on your skin. The air is cold as your breathe it in. Crisp chill all around you. Coldness within. It is just an experience.

[Anxiety/Calm]

Remember now the feeling of stress, or anxiety. Intense worry. Deep anxiety. Feel it. Don’t create a reason for it. Just create the experience as completely as you can…. Now create the experience of peaceful calm awareness. Anxiety and worry wash away. Peace and calm comes over you. Recall experiencing calm awareness and peace. Recall it fully. Feel it. Exist as the experience of peace through your entire body and mind. Relaxed joy. Relaxed joy. Relaxed joy. Experiences.

We will now move through a rapid visualization. Many things will be listed. Visualize them, notice emotions, pictures… just noticing, at a distance, like watching a movie. Detached. Just noticing. Some will stand out to you more than others. Allow this. Some will go by unnoticed. Allow this. Let’s begin…

Candle flame…candle flame… candle flame… (repeat each of the following three times)

Red desert

Lotus flower

Heavy Thunderstorm

Lightening

Smiling Buddha

Flock of birds, flowing around in the sky

Asking for help

Stars at night

Full moon

Waiting for news

Light breezes from the ocean

Temples at sunrise

Your face in the mirror

Laughing with your friends

Connection

Waves in the ocean

Stormy sea

Calm waters

Tranquil river

You, here, now

Now is the time to repeat your resolve… the same resolve that you made at the beginning repeat it three times with full feeling. (pause)

Return your awareness to the breath. In and out. To the body. The arms and legs. The floor. The room. Presence… when you are ready, wiggle your fingers and toes. Begin to move your arms and legs.

When you are fully awake, slowly open your eyes. Look around a little.

Roll over to your right side for a few moments. Use your hands to press yourself up from the floor and let your head come up last. Sitting up easily.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.