Yoga Nidra on the 61 Points - For Sleep and Relaxation

There are many different ways of using Yogan Nidra's to relax. This session I'm going to use a common method involving a guided meditation through 61 points on the body in order to guide you into a deep relaxation for sleeping. The purpose of the 61 points is simply like the purpose of breath meditation. It's to give the mind something to focus attention on and to shift this attention slowly and gently from point to point. This allows the mind to slow down and be able to follow my voice from point to point. It's just one simple instruction after another. And there will come a stage when the mind registers that it's okay to relax and nothing more is going to happen. It knows what's coming next and there's no need to go anywhere so it's fine and safe to let go and relax. So we'll begin with the relaxation and then move to the 61 points meditation and some breathing to move us into the Yogan Nidra meditation itself. Make yourself comfortable lying on the floor or on a bed. Make sure that your knees are supported if it's not comfortable for you to lie perfectly flat. So you can put your knees over a bolster or a pillow and put your head on a pillow and just take whatever time you need to feel comfortable. And we'll begin by taking three conscious deep breaths, breathing deeply through the nostrils and out through the nostrils all the mouth if you prefer. As you breathe out, consciously note the intention to exhale any tension or stress in the body and mind. And now make a fist with your right hand, tense your fist as well as the entire right forearm, upper arm and shoulder as you breathe in. And as you breathe out, open and relax your hand and let go. [Music] And now make a fist with your left hand doing the same, tense the fist of your left hand as you breathe in the upper arm, shoulder and lower arm. And as you breathe out, open and allow the tension to dissolve. And do these three times as well. [Music] And now just let your breaths soften. Listen to the sound of your breath. Thoughts arise and drift away. You let them arise and you let them drift away. Let yourself relax more deeply. Let your feet relax, your ankles release and your calves. Let your knees release and the whole bottom part of your legs. Let go into the earth. Let your thighs relax and melt your buttocks, your belly, your hips, everything melting into the support of the earth. Nothing to hold yourself apart from. Nothing to hold yourself away from. Just let go. Let your spine relax. All the muscles up and down your spine. The muscles of your back, your shoulder blades, your shoulders, your arms and elbows. Ryss, thumbs, hands, nothing to be. Or do nothing to carry or protect. Just rest. Let your heart relax. And your neck, the back of your neck, the base of your skull. Let your jaw release and drop. Your mouth, your lips, your cheeks. Your eyes and eyelids. And forehead. And scalp. And as we go through the 61 points, you may experience them physically as bone or muscle. Or as sensation. Or as a sense of feeling awareness. Or you may experience darkness like a cave or light or a point of light like a star. However you experience the points is fine. And will just be unique to you. So let your attention rest on your forehead. Be aware of your forehead. Bring your awareness to your throat. To your right shoulder. Your right elbow. Your right wrist. The tip of your right thumb. The tip of your right index finger. The right middle finger. The tip of the right ring finger. And of the right little finger. The right wrist. The right elbow. The right shoulder. The throat. Bring your awareness to your left shoulder. Your left elbow. Your left wrist. The tip of your left thumb. The tip of your left index finger. The tip of the left middle finger. The left ring finger. And the tip of the left little finger. Your left wrist. Your left elbow. Your left shoulder. Your throat. Bring your awareness to the space between the breaths. To the right breast. To the space between the breaths. To the left breast. And back again to the space between the breaths. To your navel. To your lower abdomen. Bring your awareness to your right hip. Your right knee. Your right ankle. The tip of the right big toe. The tip of the right second toe. The tip of the right middle toe. The right fourth toe. And the tip of the right little toe. Bring your awareness to the right ankle. The right knee. The right hip. The lower abdomen. Bring your awareness to the left hip. Your left knee. Your left ankle. The tip of the left big toe. The tip of the left second toe. The tip of the left middle toe. the tip of the left fourth toe and the tip of the left little toe. Back into the left ankle, the left knee, the left hip, bring the awareness to the lower abdomen, to the navel, to the space between the breath, bring your awareness to the throat, and back into the forehead. Now breathe as though your whole body is breathing, inhaling from the base of your spine, to the crown of your head, exhaling from the crown of your head, down to the base of your spine. Inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, exhaling down, inhaling up, exhaling down, exhaling down. Inhale from the bottom of your feet, to the crown of your head, and exhale from the crown of your head, to the bottoms of your feet. Inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, Now be aware of the breath at the hot center. Go deep into the space at the hot center. Go deep into the silence, emptying. Just allow yourself to go deep and deep into the stillness. Into the silence at the hot center. Emptying. Emptying. Emptying. Emptying. Allow your awareness to rest in the deep stillness at the hot center. Be aware of the quietness of your mind and the deep stillness and silence. Emptying. Emptying. Allow yourself to just rest and drift knowing that the body is relaxed. The mind is quiet. Be aware of the quietness of your mind and the deep stillness at the hot center. As you drift off into a deep, peaceful and rejuvenating sleep. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]