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Yoga
Nidra Method #1
by
Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
SwamiJ.com
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"Methods" on Yoga Nidra page
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Yoga
Nidra Method #1
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Complete
relaxation
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61-points
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Spinal
breath
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Chakras
awareness
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Yoga
Nidra
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First,
do Complete Relaxation |
- Lie on your back, in
shavasana, the corpse posture. Lie in such a way that your
spine is aligned, and your feet and arms are a comfortable
distance to your sides. It is best to have a thin pillow
under your head and a shawl or blanket over your body so you
do not become cold.
- Allow your attention to move
through your head and face, including the top of the head,
forehead, eyebrows, eyes, cheekbones, and nostrils.
- Be aware of the breath at
the nostrils for several breaths.
- Continues to survey mouth,
jaws and chin.
- Then survey the neck and
throat, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, and
fingertips.
- Feel as though you are
inhaling from the tips of the fingers up to the shoulders,
and then exhaling back to the finger tips. Do this several
times.
- Then move your attention
from the fingers, back through the hands, wrists, lower
arms, upper arms, shoulders, upper back and chest.
- Concentrate at the center of
the chest, and exhale and inhale completely several times.
- Be aware of the stomach,
abdomen, lower back, hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles,
feet, and toes.
- Exhale as if your whole body
is exhaling, and inhale as if your whole body is inhaling.
As you exhale, let go of all tension, worries, and
anxieties. Inhale as if you are inhaling new energy, as well
as a sense of peace and relaxation. Exhale and inhale
several times.
- Then move your attention
from the toes to the feet, ankles, calves, thighs, knees,
hips, lower back, abdomen, stomach and chest.
- Concentrate at the center of
the chest, and exhale and inhale completely several times.
- Survey the upper back,
shoulders, upper arms, lower arms, wrists, hands, fingers,
and fingertips.
- Feel as though you are
inhaling from the tips of the fingers up to the shoulders,
and then exhaling back to the finger tips. Do this several
times.
- Then move your attention
from the fingers, back through the hands, wrists, lower
arms, upper arms, shoulders, neck, throat, chin, jaws,
mouth, and nostrils.
- Be aware of the breath at
the nostrils for several breaths.
- Move your attention to the
cheekbones, eyes, eyebrows, forehead and the top of the
head.
- For about one minute, allow
your attention to be aware of the smooth, slow, serene flow
of the breath. Let your mind make a gentle, conscious effort
to guide the breath so that it is smooth, calm, deep, and
without any noise or jerkiness.
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Next, do 61-Points
exercise (click for
details) |
- Systematically move your
attention through each of the points below.
- Forehead, throat
- Right shoulder, right elbow,
right wrist, tip of right thumb, tip of right index finger,
tip of right middle finger, tip of right ring finger, tip of
right little finger, right wrist, right elbow, right
shoulder, throat
- Left shoulder, left elbow,
left wrist, tip of left thumb, tip of left index finger, tip
of left middle finger, tip of left ring finger, tip of left
little finger, left wrist, left elbow, left shoulder
- Throat, space between the
breasts, right breast, space between the breasts, left
breast, space between the breasts, navel, lower abdomen
- Right hip, right knee, right
ankle, tip of the right big toe, tip of the right second
toe, tip of the right middle toe, tip of the right fourth
toe, tip of the right little toe, right ankle, right knee,
right hip, lower abdomen
- Left hip, left knee, left
ankle, tip of the left big toe, tip of the left second toe,
tip of the left middle toe, tip of the left fourth toe, tip
of the left little toe, left ankle, left knee, left hip
- Lower abdomen, navel, space
between the breasts, throat, forehead
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Next, do Spinal
breath practice |
- Exhale as though you are
breathing from the top of the head down to the perineum at
the base of the spine.
- Inhale as though you are
breathing from the perineum at the base of the spine, up to
the top of the head.
- Exhale and inhale many times
in this way, exhaling down and inhaling up.
- Imagine that the breath is
flowing in a thin, milky white stream from top to bottom,
and bottom to top. It does not matter whether or not you
literally see the stream with your inner eye, but know that
this stream of energy is actually there in the subtle body,
and will someday be experienced directly.
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Next, enter into
Yoga Nidra through chakras
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- Bring your attention to the
space between the eyebrows. Remain in that space for several
breaths, or up to a couple minutes.
- Bring your attention to the
throat center and visual there a moon. Remain in that space
for up to a couple minutes.
- Bring your attention to the
space between the breasts, the heart center, and allow your
awareness to empty completely of any images, impressions,
thoughts, sensations, or other experiences. Just go deep
into the stillness and silence.
- Remain in that deep
stillness and silence for up to 10 minutes, but no more
initially. With practice, the length of time may lengthen
some, though this is not too important.
- After remaining in the
stillness and silence for some period, there will likely
come a moment when thoughts, impressions, or sensations
return. They may return smoothly and gradually, or there may
be a sudden jolt. When this happens, it is a natural sign
that this session of Yoga Nidra is completed.
- Systematically bring your
attention back outward from the stillness and silence,
through the awareness of the relative quietness of the mind,
the awareness of the smoothness of the breath, and this
stillness of the physical body.
- Bring the deep stillness and
silence with you, as you gently wiggle your fingers and
toes, then gradually move as you wish, and open your
eyes.
- After the Yoga Nidra, you
might quietly return to your daily activities, or take a few
minutes for meditation, contemplation, or prayer.
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This site is devoted to
presenting the ancient Self-Realization path of
the Tradition of the Himalayan masters in simple, understandable and
beneficial ways, while not compromising quality or depth. The goal of
our sadhana or practices is the highest
Joy that comes from the Realization in direct experience of the
center of consciousness, the Self, the Atman or Purusha, which is
one and the same with the Absolute Reality.
This Self-Realization comes through Yoga meditation of the Yoga
Sutras, the contemplative insight of Advaita Vedanta, and the
intense devotion of Samaya Sri Vidya Tantra, the three of which
complement one another like fingers on a hand.
We employ the classical approaches of Raja, Jnana, Karma, and Bhakti
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finally converge into a unified force directed towards the final
stage, piercing the pearl of wisdom called bindu, leading to the
Absolute.
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