The Dove at Dawn

A 15-Minute Yoga Nidra for Radiant Freedom

I found this practice tucked away in the pages of my teaching journals this morning, a brief practice I've rerturned to many times over the years. It serves as a gentle reminder that peace isn’t something we must laboriously build; it is a steady state we simply come home to.

So often, we approach consistency as a struggle of will. But true consistency is found in the quiet intervals, the intentinal act of yielding to the stillness that already exists within us.

This practice is a journey from the weight of the day into the infinite sky of the heart. I hope it brings you the same sense of lightness and radiant freedom it has offered my students for so long.

Arriving

Let us now prepare for the practice of Yoga Nidra, the yogi’s sleep.

This is a time of deep relaxation and self-care, so please make yourself completely comfortable.

You may choose the back-lying position of Savasana.

To do so, lie flat on your back with your arms and legs positioned a bit away from your body, resting loosely.

Adjust your body, clothing, and props so you feel completely effortless.

If it is right for you, you can close your eyes.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and then let it go out through the mouth with a long soft sigh…ahhh…

Try this one more time.

Feel any tensions dissolving from your mind…dissolving from your body.

Let your breath flow naturally now.

Feel yourself relaxing more and more with each effortless breath.

Let’s now begin the practice of Yoga Nidra.

Feel your body comfortable and motionless.

In your mind’s eye, visualize a small white dove.

See the small white dove perching on a branch in the light of dawn.

A small white dove basking in the light of dawn.

Sankalpa, the Heartfelt Vow

Now is the time to make your resolve, your Sankalpa.

Sankalpa is a brief positive statement that reflects your heart’s highest aspirations.

Examples could be: I am love, I live in freedom, I am happy. I already have everything I need within me. I am open to grace.

Say your Sankalpa to yourself three times with confidence and full feeling, trusting that it is coming into fruition even as you speak it. (long pause)

Rotation of Awareness

We’ll now take a mental tour through the body.

As each part is named, let your attention move to that part and mentally repeat the name of that part to yourself.

Try to keep your attention moving quickly from part to part as it is named.  

Become aware of the right foot…

Right foot

Right calf

The knee

The thigh

The hip

The whole of the right leg, at once

Left foot

Left calf

Left knee

Thigh

Hip

The whole of the left leg, at once

Abdomen

Navel

Right chest

Left chest

Center of chest

Right shoulder

Right arm

Right palm

The whole right arm, at once

Left shoulder

Left arm

Left palm

The whole left arm, at once

Throat

Jaw

Cheeks

Eyes

Forehead

The whole face, at once

Top of the head

Back of the head

Neck

Right shoulder blade

Left shoulder blade

Spine

The whole back, at once

The whole body from the top of the head to the toes…

The whole body from the toes to the top of the head…

The whole body, all at once

Awareness of the Breath

Now become aware of the breath, the spontaneous breath, as it flows in and out through the nose.

Trace the flow of the breath as it moves itself into and out of the nose, without any effort on your part. (pause)

Perhaps you count the breaths backward from 27 to 1, like this:

Breathing in, 27…Breathing out, 27…

Breathing in, 26…Breathing out, 26…

And so on…

If you lose track or reach 1, do not worry. Simply start again at 27. (long pause)

No sleeping please (long pause)

It’s time to stop counting.

Let your breath be natural and become aware of yourself lying completely at ease on the floor.

Imagery & Visualization and Resting in the Joy of Being

Bring your awareness to the dark warm space in the front of your forehead, to the space of Chidakasha. (pause)

In chidakasha, visualize the small white dove taking flight into the vast blue sky (long pause)

Watch the dove soar gracefully across the infinite blue sky (long pause)

White dove soaring through the sky (pause)

White dove soaring (pause)

Sense a peaceful, deep calm arising within you. Infinite calm, infinite peace.

Sense infinite peace, feel yourself one with the infinite universe, one with all that is

Remembering the Heart's Vow

Remember now the Sankalpa you made at the start of your practice.

Say it to yourself with utmost confidence, repeating it three times. (long pause)

Let your heart be full, knowing that your Sankalpa is already making itself known in your life. (pause)

Reawakening into Life - Carrying the Practice Forward

Become aware of your breath, your natural breath.

Trace the flow of the breath as it comes into your body…and then goes out. (pause)

Become aware of your body lying peacefully in Savasana.

Feel where your body is touching the surface beneath you. (pause)

Visualize any walls or windows surrounding you in this place.

Listen for any sounds coming from outside of or from within your space. (pause)

Create slow, gentle movements to begin to wake your body further. (pause)

Roll to your right side and rest a moment to enjoy this deep sense of peace and calm. (pause)

Slowly open your eyes.

Here we complete this practice of Yoga Nidra.

Teacher’s Note: The Architecture of Flight

When I first drafted The Dove at Dawn, I wanted to capture that precise moment of transition, the interval where the weight of the physical body yields to the expansive lightness of the heart. In my own practice, I’ve found that the most profound shifts happen not in the 'doing' but in simply being.

This script is designed to guide you into that stillness, using the imagery of the dove at dawn to evoke a peaceful, easeful state of being. Whether you are practicing this for yourself or studying it to help refine your own voice in script development, remember that the power of Nidra lies in the intentional act of yielding to what is already there.

Find Your Own Voice

For those who feel called to share this peace with others, the book also includes the "why" behind the "how." I’ve included dedicated guidance on script development, sharing the techniques I use to weave together imagery, rhythm, and silence to create your own unique offerings.

Order Your Copy of The Heart of Yoga Nidra. Available now on Amazon.

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