Twenty-five minutes in the traditional sequence. The rotation of consciousness is fast and unbroken — that pace is the technique, not a stylistic choice.
Settling and sankalpa
4 min[even and unhurried; the sankalpa is repeated three times and should sound the same all three]
Welcome to yoga nidra. Lie down on your back, arms a little away from your sides, palms turned up, feet falling open. Put something under your head and under your knees if that helps you stay still. Cover yourself — the body cools when it stops moving. [pause for 30 seconds — they are genuinely arranging themselves]
From here on, try to stay physically still. Yoga nidra sits on the edge between waking and sleeping, and stillness is what holds you there. If you do fall asleep, that's alright.
Now the sankalpa — your resolve. A short sentence, in the present tense, as if it were already true. Something like: I am at ease. Or: I meet my life as it is. Choose yours now, and keep it. [pause for 25 seconds]
Repeat it silently, three times, with all the conviction you have. [pause for 20 seconds]
Rotation of consciousness
8 min[steady and quick — roughly one part per second, no gaps between parts; the speed is what stops the mind commentating]
Now we move the attention through the body. Don't move the part, and don't think about it. Just hear the word and let awareness land there, then move on.
Right hand. Thumb. Second finger. Third finger. Fourth finger. Fifth finger. Palm. Back of the hand. Wrist. Forearm. Elbow. Upper arm. Shoulder. Armpit. Right side of the waist. Right hip. Thigh. Knee. Calf. Ankle. Heel. Sole. Top of the foot. Big toe. Second toe. Third toe. Fourth toe. Fifth toe.
Left hand. Thumb. Second finger. Third finger. Fourth finger. Fifth finger. Palm. Back of the hand. Wrist. Forearm. Elbow. Upper arm. Shoulder. Armpit. Left side of the waist. Left hip. Thigh. Knee. Calf. Ankle. Heel. Sole. Top of the foot. Big toe. Second toe. Third toe. Fourth toe. Fifth toe.
Now the back. Right shoulder blade. Left shoulder blade. Right buttock. Left buttock. The whole spine. The whole back together.
The front. Crown of the head. Forehead. Right eyebrow. Left eyebrow. The space between the eyebrows. Right eyelid. Left eyelid. Right cheek. Left cheek. Nose. Upper lip. Lower lip. Chin. Throat. Right collarbone. Left collarbone. Chest. Navel. Abdomen.
And now the whole body together. The whole body, lying still. [pause for 30 seconds — the first real silence since the rotation began]
Breath and counting
4 min[slower again after the rotation; do not count for them]
Become aware of the breath at the navel. Feel the abdomen rising, and falling. Don't change it. [pause for 25 seconds]
Now count the breaths backwards from twenty-seven. Silently. Twenty-seven, I am breathing in. Twenty-seven, I am breathing out. Twenty-six, I am breathing in. Twenty-six, I am breathing out. And on, down towards one.
If you lose the count, start again at twenty-seven. Losing it is part of it. [long pause — 2 minutes of silence; this is the longest gap in the session]
Pairs of opposites
4 min[name each sensation, wait, then name its opposite — the pairing does the work]
Now feel heaviness. The whole body heavy, sinking down, too heavy to lift. [pause for 30 seconds]
And now lightness. The whole body light, weightless, barely touching the floor. [pause for 30 seconds]
Now warmth. Warmth in the palms, the face, the belly. [pause for 25 seconds]
And coolness. Cool air at the nostrils, coolness on the forehead. [pause for 25 seconds]
And now let both go.
Imagery
3 min[name each image once and move on — do not describe; the listener supplies the picture]
Images will come and go. Don't hold any of them. Just let each one appear and pass.
A candle flame. [pause 8 seconds between each image]
A red flower. An empty road. Rain on a window. A wooden door. Still water. A bird crossing the sky. Snow on a hillside. An open field at dawn.
And the space between the eyebrows. Rest there. [pause for 40 seconds]
Sankalpa and returning
2 min[the same conviction as the first time; then bring the voice up gradually over the last three lines]
Now repeat your sankalpa. The same sentence you chose at the beginning, three times, with the same conviction. [pause for 25 seconds]
Become aware of the room again. The floor under you. The sounds in the building, and outside it. [pause for 20 seconds, then begin lifting the voice]
Start to move the fingers and toes. Take a deeper breath. Stretch if you want to.
Roll onto your right side and rest there for a moment before you sit up. Yoga nidra is complete.