Yoga Nidra script 1

Original sequence by Swami Satyananda Saraswati from book: Yoga Nidra.

You can download and print this Yoga Nidra script in PDF format.

Practice

Preparation: Please get ready for yoga nidra. Lie down on your back on the floor and adopt the pose called shavasana. In this position the body should be straight from head to toe, the legs slightly apart and the arms a little away from the body, with the palms of the hands turned upwards. (pause) Adjust everything, your body position and clothes, until you are completely comfortable During yoga nidra there should be no physical movement. (pause) Close your eyes and keep them strictly closed until you are told to open them. Take a deep breath and as you breathe out feel the cares and worries of the day flow out of you. (pause)

In the practice which follows you are going to develop the feeling of relaxation in the body. It is not necessary to make movements or deliberately relax your muscles, simply develop the feeling of relaxation. (pause) It is like the feeling you have just before sleep . . . when relaxation becomes deep, sleep does come but you should try to keep yourself completely awake, this is very important. Make a resolution to yourself now that ‘I will not sleep, I will remain awake throughout the practice.’ (pause)

During yoga nidra you are functioning on the levels of hearing and awareness, and the only important thing is to follow the voice of the instructor. (pause) You must not try to intellectualize or analyze the instructions as this will disturb your mental relaxation. Simply follow the voice with total attention and feeling, and if thoughts come to disturb you from time to time, do not worry, just continue the practice. (pause) Allow yourself to become calm and steady . . . when you are doing the practice yourself, allow five minutes for this. Do not start too suddenly. (pause)

Relaxation: Now bring about a feeling of inner relaxation in the whole body . . . concentrate on the body and become aware of the importance of complete stillness. (pause) Develop your awareness of the body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes and mentally repeat the mantra O-o-o-m-m-m. (pause) Complete stillness and complete awareness of the whole body . . . again O-o-o-m-m-m. (pause) Continue your awareness of the whole body . . . the whole body . . . the whole body. (long pause) Become aware of the fact that you are going to practise yoga nidra . . . say mentally to yourself, ‘I am aware . . . I am going to practice yoga nidra . . . repeat this to yourself again. (pause)

The practice of yoga nidra begins now.

Resolve: At this moment you should make your resolve. (pause) The resolve will have to be very simple . . . try to discover one naturally. You must develop a resolve to say at this time (pause) It should be a short, positive statement in simple language . . . stated three times with awareness, feeling and emphasis. (pause) The resolve you make during yoga nidra is bound to come true in your life. (pause)

Rotation of consciousness: We now begin rotation of consciousness, rotation of awareness by taking a trip through the different parts of the body. As quickly as possible the awareness is to go from part to part. Repeat the part in your mind and simultaneously become aware of that part of the body. Keep yourself alert but do not concentrate too intensely. Become aware of the right hand. (pause)

Right side: Right hand thumb, second finger, third finger, fourth finger, fifth finger, palm of the hand, become aware of your palm, back of the hand, the wrist, the lower arm, the elbow, the upper arm, the shoulder, the armpit, the right waist, the right hip, the right thigh, the keecap, the calf muscle, the ankle, the heel, the sole of the right foot, the top of the foot, the big toe, second toe, third toe, fourth toe, fifth toe . . .

Left side: Become aware of the left hand thumb, seond finger, third finger, fourth finger, fifth finger, palm of the hand, back of the hand, the wrist, the lower arm, the elbow, the upper arm, the shoulder, the armpit, the left waist, the left hip, the left thigh, the kneecap, the calf muscle, the ankle, the heel, the sole of the left foot, the top of the foot, the big toe, second toe, third toe, fourth toe, fifth toe . . .

Back: Now to the back. Become aware of the right shoulder blade, the left shoulder blade . . . the right buttock, the left buttock . . . the spine . . . the whole back together . . .

Front: Now go to the top of the head. The top of the head, the forehead, both sides of the head, the right eyebrow, the left eyebrow, the space between the eyebrows, the right eyelid, the left eyelid, the right eye, the left eye, the right ear, the left ear, the right cheek, the left cheek, the nose, the tip of the nose, the upper lip, the lower lip, the chin, the throat, the right chest, the left chest, the middle of the chest, the navel, the abdomen . . .

Major parts: The whole of the right leg . . . the whole of the left leg . . . both legs together. (pause) The whole of the right arm . . . the whole of the left arm . . . both arms together. (pause) 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.

Repeat one or two rounds, gradually decreasing speed.

Please do not sleep . . . total awareness . . . no sleeping . . . no movement. (pause) The whole body on the floor, become aware of your body lying on the floor. (pause) Your body is lying on the floor, see your body lying perfectly still on the floor in this room. (pause) Visualize this image in your mind. (long pause)

Breathing: Become aware of your breath. (pause) Feel the flow of your breath in and out of your lungs. (pause) Do not try to change the rhythm, the breathing is natural, automatic . . . you are not doing it, there is no effort. (pause) Maintain awareness of your breath, continue . . . complete awareness of breath. (long pause)

Now concentrate your awareness on the movement of your navel area . . . concentrate on your navel movements. (pause) 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. (pause) Go on practising, but be sure that you are aware. (long pause) Now start counting your breath 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. (pause) Be sure that you don’t make a mistake; if you do, you must go back to 27 and start again. (long pause) With total awareness that you are counting, go on counting from 27 to 1. (long pause) Keep on with the practice . . . no mistakes. (long pause)

Now stop your counting of the navel breath and shift your attention to the chest, please shift to the chest. (pause) Your chest is rising and falling slightly with each and every breath, become aware of this. (pause) Continue concentrating on the movement of the chest and start counting backwards from 27 to 1, in the same way as before . . . 27 chest rising, 27 chest falling, 26 chest rising, 26 chest falling, 25 chest rising, 25 chest falling, and so on. Again repeat the words and numbers mentally to yourself as you count. (long pause) No mistakes, if you make a mistake you must go back to the start again, to 27. (long pause) Continue counting, 27 to 1, keep on with the practice, counting and awareness, awareness and counting. (long pause)

Cease your counting of the chest breaths and move your awareness to the throat, please move to the throat. (pause) Become aware of your breath moving in and out of the throat . . . become aware of this. (pause) Concentrate on the movement of the breath and start counting backwards from 27 to 1 in the same way as before . . . complete awareness of counting and the breath. (long pause) No sleeping please, just total awareness that you are counting. (long pause) Keep on with the practice, continue counting your breaths in the throat. (long pause) Stop counting and go now to the nostrils . . . become aware of the breath moving in and out of the nostrils. (pause) Concentrate on the movement of the breath in and out of the nostrils and start counting as before, you know it very well by now, 27 breathing in, 27 breathing out. (long pause) Complete awareness please, continue counting, no mistakes. (long pause) Keep on with the practice, continue. (long pause)

Image visualization: Stop your counting and leave your breathing . . . we now come to visualization. (pause) A number of different things will be named and you should try to develop a vision of them on all levels . . . feeling, awareness, emotion, imagination, as best you can . . . (pause) If you are able to find this vision your relaxation is complete for the time being . . . and if you are not able to, then you need a little more practice. (pause) 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 . . .red clouds drifting . . . red clouds drifting . . . a cross above a church . . . a cross above a church . . . a cross 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 . . . the restless sea . . . eternal restless sea . . . eternal restless sea . . . waves breaking on a deserted beach . . . (long pause)

Resolve: Now is the time to repeat your resolve . . . repeat the same resolve that you made at the beginning of the practice, do not change it . . . repeat the resolve three times with full awareness and feeling. (pause)

Finish: Relax all efforts, draw your mind outside and become aware of your breathing . . . become aware of the natural breath. (pause) Awareness of the whole body, and awareness of breathing. (pause) Your body is lying totally relaxed on the floor . . . you are breathing quietly and slowly. (pause) Develop awareness of your body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes and say mentally in your mind O-o-o-m-m-m. (pause) Repeat O-o-o-m-m-m mentally to yourself twice more. (pause) 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. (pause) Lie quietly for some time and keep your eyes closed. (pause) Start moving your body and stretching yourself. Please take your time, do not hurry. (pause) When you are sure that you are wide awake, sit up slowly and open your eyes. The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

Hari Om Tat Sat