Thank you for being here. My name is Ayla Nova and it is truly an honor to share the practice of Yoga Nidra with you. This particular session... is the 108th offering of Yoga Nidra and beyond. The number 108 is a sacred number across many traditions, symbolizing completeness, unity, and the infinite cycle of existence. May you discover whole and complete rest as you are guided through the liminal space between wakefulness and dreaming.
before we begin i have a special gift for those of you tuning in if you would like to skip ahead feel free to start at the chapter titled the practice begins now For those still here, thank you. With my heartfelt joy and gratitude, I share with you that starting on December 12th, 2024. I will be offering a 10-day rest and restore Nova Nidra series. This will be designed to replenish your energy and restore your nervous system.
in as little as 20 minutes each day. Each session is a recorded session so you can access it whenever it's suitable for you. The series will be complete. just in time for the winter solstice, the darkest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. A potent and rich time to call in your most heartfelt intentions. By joining this series you can gain exclusive access to my winter solstice nidra live session and the nova nidra community where you can connect with like-minded individuals who
Value deep rest as much as you. My hope is to support you during this holiday season. And in the nature of giving, all I ask for is your presence. You can discover your invitation in the session notes. Now, let's prepare for rest. Please make yourself comfortable with all the supports you need. And wherever you may choose to practice, please lie down on your back with your spine in alignment.
Legs comfortably apart, allowing your hips to soften. Arms naturally by your sides, allowing your shoulders to soften. and your palms to be placed skyward or onto your heart or belly. Ensure your forehead is slightly above the chin, elongating and aligning the back of the neck. Now allow your awareness to move inward by closing your eyes if you feel comfortable doing so. Shavasana.
Welcome all sensations as a messenger. Allow these messages to move through you, experiencing sensations without attachment. During all states of consciousness, the benefits of yoga nidra will be received. The practice of remaining awake is your choice and strongly encouraged. Make the conscious choice now to remain rested, yet aware for the practice of yoga nidra. You are supported by the earth beneath you. held by the space around you and accepted just as you are. The practice begins now.
of your body as you rest at ease within the space you have created. Begin to place your awareness onto the movement of breath that flows in and out of the body. that as you breathe, you are here in the now. In this moment, there is nothing that you need to fix. No problems you need to solve. You are supported as you observe the natural rhythm of your breath. Let your breath become an anchor, rounding you even deeper into this moment. Begin to shift your senses.
Noticing all of your senses, perhaps the weight of your clothes, the density of this moment. Perhaps even the sounds around you. Aware of the distant sounds without labeling or judging. and observing these sounds as they move all the way closer towards your ears of the flavor of this moment, noticing any subtle taste in the mouth, perhaps the aroma of this moment. It could be clarity, more distinct notes in the air. Moving even further into your senses. Connecting to your inner vision.
begin to imagine a warm, radiant light at the center of your chest. And without changing your breath, allow that as you inhale, You can begin to observe this light expanding, illuminating your inner world. And as you exhale, this light draws all the energy back towards your heart. Expanding with your inhales. Drawing in with your exhales, allowing for you to tune in even deeper to the sensations that are experienced within yourself.
Connecting with your feelings and any insights that may arise, trust this guidance of your inner senses. within your heart. Listen deeply. What is your most heartfelt, deep-rooted intention for this practice? and beyond. Take a few moments to allow your sankalpa to emerge. This I or I am declaration to self that resonates. deeply. If your sankalpa remains unclear, continue to connect with the openness of this moment.
Travel your awareness to the mind's eye. And consider one of the following Sankalpa's heartfelt intentions. Until your truest sankalpa connects with you either during this practice or at a later time. I am whole. I am one. I am complete. I am connected to the universe. Or simply I am. Surrender into the vastness within you as you declare internally, And eternally, your Sankalpa three times.
Allow the vibration of your sankalpa to expand to all of the edges of your body and for those waves of vibration to eventually settle. into complete stillness. Stillness that lends your awareness to the edges of your body. With my voice carrying you through these channels of your awareness, you'll begin to connect to different parts of your body through anamaya kosha. The rotation of consciousness. As you rest here, feel that you are still as a glass of water.
You are relaxing. Sensing pure sensation. Do not change anything. If you cannot sense parts of yourself, imagine it. Imagine the sensations. As you begin to rest fully into the awareness of your right hand. Beginning at the right hand thumb. Index finger. Middle finger. Ring finger. Little finger. Back of the hand. Palm of the hand. Moving your awareness swiftly to your wrist and your whole right arm. Shoulder. Pit of the throat. Center of the chest. Navel.
Space below the navel. Pubic bone. Right hip. Right hip. Right hip. Awareness traveling down the leg, past the knee. to your ankle. Aware of the sole of the foot, top of the foot, and the right big toe. Second toe. Third toe. Fourth toe. Little toe. Your whole right foot, right leg, right side of the torso, arm and hand. Noticing the weight, the density, the lightness of the whole right side.
Rotate your consciousness now to your left hand. Beginning at the left hand thumb. Moving your way towards your index finger. Middle finger. Ring finger. Little finger. The back of the hand. palm of the hand. The whole left hand. Swiftly moving your awareness up. your left arm from your wrist past your elbow to your left shoulder Armpit. The pit of your throat. Center of the chest. Navel. The space below the navel. The pubic bone. Left hip. Left hip. Left hip.
Awareness traveling down the left leg. Past the knee. And the ankle. and the sole of the foot, and the top of the foot, and the left big toe. Second toe. Third toe. Fourth toe. Little toe. Aware of the whole left foot. Left leg. Torso, arm, and left hand. Sensing into the left side of the body. into the weight, the lightness, the density. Observing all of the sensations in the left side. of the body. Awareness now moves to the crown of the head. Complete stillness at the crown of the head.
washing over the forehead the eyebrows eyelids orbs of the eyes cheekbones, lips, jawline. the point of the chin, the tip of the nose, both ears, and the space between the ears. The right side of the brain. The left side of the brain. The whole brain. aware of the senses traveling down your neck, your throat, your collarbones, standing. through both shoulders and arms. Sensing both hands and all the way to the tips of the fingers and thumb.
Sensation traveling down your chest, your belly, and your hips. experiencing your whole torso and descending your awareness down your legs to your feet to the tips of your toes Feeling the points of contact of your body that rest on the surface beneath you. Your heels, calves, glutes. Aware of your whole spine and back body towards your shoulder blades. The back of your arms. in both of your hands. Awareness continues up the back of the neck to the base of the skull. Returning to the stillness.
at the crown of the head. Allow for this awareness to wash over your whole body. Sensing deeply into your whole body. Your whole being. Your whole self. You are aware. Completely aware. With no effort, you are aware. Aware of your whole body. At rest. As you begin to connect to Pranamaya Kosha. In your breath. Aware as you breathe in. Nowhere as you breathe out. Do not try and change your breathing. Let it be totally organic.
Really seeing any desire to manipulate or create effort. Only observe. Be encompassed. complete awareness of your breath. Begin to notice the subtle pause between your inhales and your exhales. As you connect deeply to the space in between. Start. to count downward. From the number 108. Inhale. 108. Exhale 108. Inhale 107. exhale 107 inhale 106 exhale 106 inhale 105 Exhale, 105. Continue to count down your breath from 108.
All the way down to zero. Release any desire to land at a particular destination. And focus primarily on your ability to remain present and aware as you count down your breath. Continue counting and I will call you back in a few moments. On your next exhale, begin to release. Let go of whatever number you may have landed on. And return to my voice as you move through Manamai Kosha, the mental and emotional layer of your being.
This is a fluid space of equanimity where you harmonize within all opposing forces. Exploring contrasting sensations. feelings, and emotions as you rest in stillness. Begin to connect with gentleness. Notice within yourself where you can experience a gentle nature, feeling or sensation. And allow for this gentle nature within yourself to connect with a color, an orb of light. Allow this gentle light to shine over your whole being. Illuminating what messages remain for you.
within your gentle nature. Allow for this gentleness to be as light as a feather. Explore within yourself gentleness. Gentleness. Gentleness. As you observe this gentleness within yourself, deeply rest. until eventually you return to a space of neutrality releasing any of what you may have experienced and returning to a place of balance. From the seat of the observer, Now begin to observe within yourself a feeling or sensation of sturdiness.
Noticing, observing where you may feel sturdiness. Perhaps it becomes an orb of sensation. with its own color and invite your awareness to open up to any messages that you may receive from sturdiness This unshakable strength like a mountain. Explore your experience with sturdiness. sturdiness sturdiness Now begin to return to place of neutrality and invite in the gentle nature. turn to the sturdy nature. And notice if you can waver back and forth between sturdy and gentle.
Until eventually, they begin to blend into one felt experience. Sturdy and gentle. coexisting as one felt experience. Allow for your awareness to soften. Coming back to a place of neutrality, equanimity. And travel your attention now to the clearing between the brows as you explore vijanamaya kosha. This is a space that connects you to your limitless creativity, evoking connection with your intuitive nature. Soften your inner gaze as you begin to move through a rapid visualization.
Exploring your ability to let go of attachment and focus purely on the presence of what arises in each moment. on the still surface of a pond. The scent of balsam fur. The distant sound of a bell ringing. The flutter of a butterfly's wings. A feather floating in the sky. A strong handshake. A baby's laugh. a dozen roses, a dozen roses, a dozen roses The dawn of a new day. The skipping of a smooth pebble. An infinite... and expansive horizon. A warm teacup in your hands.
The sparkle of frost. An echo in a cave. A sea of stars. A sea of stars. A sea of stars. As you rest in full body awareness, experience peace in your current form. Envision yourself standing in a vast open field under a starlit night. as you gaze skyward. Notice the stars twinkling against the dark canvas of the night. gentle glowing light descends from the cosmos connecting each star with a luminous thread and you can begin to see before you the celestial mala begins to form.
As it touches onto each star, it begins to create a complete circle in the sky. As you gaze upon it, You are invited to reflect on the powerful unity of all existence. Notice if you can draw in the light from this string of stars. Feeling your being with the pure essence of wholeness. and peace. Feel into a profound sense of alignment with this bright and beautiful show of lights. As you continue to gaze into the cosmos, let the realization settle in like the stars.
You are a vital part of the infinite, the interconnected universe. You are both a witness. and a participant in the infinite dance of life. Take a moment. to rest into your complete, infinite wholeness. Allow in this vastness for your sankalpa to return. Silently repeat your sankalpa. declaring it with the same or more conviction than you did at the beginning of your practice. You are in the liminal space to receive. Embrace your Sankalpa now.
As you feel into this vibration. Invited into every moment. Here. Now. and beyond. This is your gift, your truth, to share with the world. Gently return to your physical form. In this plane of existence, coming back to your body as you feel your breath return. Noticing the surface beneath you. And sensing your skin, how the air rests on it. In your face, how peace is placed on it. In your heart, how it beats life and love and acceptance.
You are loved just as you are. The practice is complete. Haryam Tat Sat. Hari Om Tat Sat. Hari Om Tat Sat. and let your first movements be gentle. And if you wish to sleep, you may drift off to sleep. Otherwise, begin to flutter your fingers. and your toes, rotating your ankles and your wrists. Trust your intuition. by closing your practice with gratitude, meditation, reflection, or free flow journaling.
Until we rest again, please subscribe, like, and share. To learn more about these practices, sign up for the newsletter. at alanova.com, where you can join the Nova Nidra community. Rest well, be well.