Rhia Cataldo
Aloha Yogis!
A few months ago I was blessed to study with Saul David Raye. He guided us through a Yoga Nidra Meditation which means "yogic sleep". In Yoga Nidra you are rotating your consciousness through 61 meridian points in the body. During this meditation, your body enters into "yogic sleep" to a place where the parasympathetic nervous system activates and your mind, body, and spirit can find healing within deep rest.
I recommend practicing Yoga Nidra anytime, but especially before bed, or after a long flight, or when your spirit is feeling exhauseted but you don't have enough time for a nap or a full nights rest.
Here is how you would practice: YOGA NIDRA
1. Find a comfortable place to lay (you can use a bolster or blanket under your knees or shoulder blades if you want. Just find a resting place where you feel completely at ease)
2. Turn off any distractions (cell phone, computer, music)
3. Begin deep breathing. Take a few minutes to just focus on your breath. Feel how it feels to move in, out, and through your body. Feel any emotions or energies that come to your awareness. Feel free to give anything that is no longer serving your highest self permission to let go. Breathe into any places in your emotional/energetic/heart/physical body that are holding onto any tension, anxiety or stress. Fill yourself with Love.
4. Set your intention
5. Begin Yoga Nidra - You can say the points in your mind or you can chant a mantra as you go to each point. Don't stay too long at each point, just long enough to bring your awareness to the area and then move on.
6. When you finish, try to stay in a meditative state and bring awareness back to your breath before getting up. Give yourself time to absorb and recieve the benefits of the Yoga Nidra.
61 Points
1 – center of forehead
2 – base of the front of the neck
3 – right shoulder
4 – right elbow
5 – right wrist
6 – right thumb
7 – right index finger
8 – right middle finger
9 – right ring finger
10 – right little finger
11 – right wrist
12 – right elbow
13 – right shoulder
14 – base of the front of the neck
15 – left shoulder
16 – left elbow
17 – left wrist
18 – left thumb
19 – left index finger
20 – left middle finger
21 – left ring finger
22 – left little finger
23 – left wrist
24 – left elbow
25 – left shoulder
26 – base of the front of the neck
27 – center of chest
28 – right of chest
29 – center of chest
30 – left of chest
31 – center of chest
32 – navel
33 – pubis
34 – right hip
35 – right knee
36 – right ankle
37 – right big toe
38 – right second toe
39 – right third toe
40 – right fourth toe
41 – right little toe
42 – right ankle
43 – right knee
44 – right hip
45 – pubis
46 – left hip
47 – left knee
48 – left ankle
49 – left big toe
50 – left second toe
51 – left third toe
52 – left fourth toe
53 – left little toe
54 – left ankle
55 – left knee
56 – left hip
57 – pubis
58 – navel
59 – center of chest
60 – base of the front of the neck
61 – center of forehead
May this year be a year to let LOVE be the ESSENCE of your BEING!
Always choose love.
It's why we are here...
Blessings to all, my wish for you is to choose love, always.
In your service,
Rhia