Yogic Relaxation Techniques – Yoga Nidra

1. Travel up into the neck…relax. The jaw, tongue and the lips…relax.
2. Travel up into the cheeks and nose…eyes and ears…relax. The forehead, sides of the head, back of the head…relax. (Count of three).
3. Observe the entire body and allow it to relax completely (30 seconds).
4. Observe the breath, witnessing its gentle flow in and out. Notice how calm the breath has become (one minute).
5. Now observe the mind and any thoughts passing through. Remain a witness. Simply watch the thoughts and images come and go without becoming involved in the passing drama (one minute).
6. Become aware of the peace within. Peace, this peace is your true nature, your true self. Feel the peace, rest in the peace, enjoy the peace (five minutes).
7. Coming out of the practice if you are recording, make a gentle humming sound to signal the end of the rest period. start softly, getting a little louder. Or you can chant “Om”.
8. Bring the awareness back to the breath, watching its gentle flow once again (30 seconds).
9. Deepen the breathing a little and imagine you’re breathing in a white, energizing light, prana, the vital life force.
10. Breathe in, revitalizing the spine.
11. Breathe in, energizing the vital organs, the lungs and heart.
12. Breathe in, sending the prana down through the arms and legs.
13. Deepen the breath some more to energise the body and mind and begin to bring movement back into the body.
14. Wiggle the fingers and toes. Gently move the face.
15. Keep the breath deep and gently roll the arms and legs in and out.
16. Gently roll the head from side to side.
17. Still breathing deeply, revitalize and rejuvenate the entire system.
18. If you want, you can gently stretch the body. Then, if you like, roll over onto your side as if you were curled up in bed. Giving yourself a little hug, know that all is well.
19. Feeling peaceful, calm and refreshed, carefully sit up when you are ready.
20. There is no rush. Take your time and come into a comfortable seated position. Finish recording.
21. Don’t jump up to get on with ‘things’ straight away. Take a few moments to sit quietly. Feel how calm and centred you have become.

The complete yoga Nidra session should take about 15 minutes. Do it any time of the day. Work out a practice that you can stick to regularly. After doing so, you will feel so great that you will want to lengthen the time which will get rid of tension, increase your energy and calm your mind.