Welcome friends,
This is Kelsey with Life Alchemy and this is a Yoga Nidra meditation,
Also called non-sleep deep rest,
Intended to promote a sense of groundedness.
In this practice,
You will be guided on a journey where you'll be invited to sense into what it would be like to be the size of an ant,
Delving into a colony below the Earth's surface.
This journey will have options for your exploration and is meant to call upon your own inner wisdom,
Which can be more easily accessed after moving through the initial stages of a Yoga Nidra,
Also known as the Koshas or layers of self.
Please think of my guidance throughout as suggestions.
Feel very welcome to make modifications and always do what feels right for you.
I invite you now to take the time to nestle into a space and position that will best support your Yoga Nidra practice today.
Whatever shape you choose,
Make sure that your body is supported,
Whether that's laying down,
Reclining,
Or propped up.
Do whatever's possible to minimize distractions,
Keep the body warm,
And make yourself as comfortable as you can.
Maybe you'd like to use a blanket,
Or a pillow,
Or an eye covering,
And make any adjustments to the body that might feel supportive,
Lending special care to the head,
The neck,
The shoulders,
And the hips.
Begin to notice the surface beneath you and all of the contact points where you are held.
Notice the air on your skin,
Its temperature,
And dryness or humidity.
Notice any sounds in the space around you,
Sounds that are far away,
Sounds that are close,
The sound of my voice.
Welcome a full breath in,
And a long,
Slow breath out,
Maybe sighing,
Repeating this cycle a few more times at your own pace.
On the exhalations,
See if you can release any tension in the body,
Sinking into the surface below,
Shifting into sensing,
Noticing,
Resting,
Could you release effort and doing,
And welcome simply being.
Allow the attention to come to the heart space now,
And notice what's present.
If you have a sankalpa or heart's intention that you're working with,
Welcome it in,
Or you might like to use the phrase,
I am grounded through life's ups and downs.
If that feels like a stretch,
You might instead use,
I am cultivating groundedness,
Or any other phrase,
Image,
Or somatic feeling that resonates.
I invite you now to bring attention to each part of the body as it's named,
Noticing whatever sensations are present or not present,
And seeing if you can welcome whatever arises into kind,
Curious awareness.
If the sensation becomes overwhelming,
You can always switch the attention somewhere it feels neutral or pleasant.
Begin by bringing attention to the tongue,
The mouth,
Tip of the nose,
Between the eyebrows,
Crown of the head,
The eyes,
Ears,
The whole face and head.
The neck and the throat,
Center of the chest,
Both shoulders left and right,
Both elbows,
Wrists,
Both hands and all of the fingers,
Noticing sensations from the inside out.
Back to the chest,
The navel,
Belly,
The pelvic bowl,
Both hips left and right,
Both knees,
Ankles,
Both feet and all the toes,
Noticing sensations from the inside out.
The whole body now,
Noticing sensation in the whole body,
The front of the body and the back of the body,
The inner tissues of the body and the outer edges of the body,
The whole body held in kind awareness.
Now bring the attention to the breath,
No need to change anything,
Simply noticing the natural inhalations and the natural exhalations.
You might notice the breath at the nostrils,
Throat,
Chest or belly.
Feel how the body breathes itself,
The body's innate wisdom breathing in and out all on its own.
And now bring awareness to the sensation of heaviness in the body.
Notice where the body feels dense,
Solid or grounded and allow that to dissolve.
Now bring awareness to the sensation of lightness in the body.
Notice where the body feels buoyant,
Airy or weightless.
And allow that to dissolve.
On your own now,
Alternate the attention back and forth between the sensations of heaviness and lightness.
Could you bring awareness to the sensations of both heaviness and lightness in the body?
Can you feel both sensations at the same time?
What part of you is observing the sensations of heaviness and lightness?
I invite you now to imagine you are shrinking smaller and smaller until you are the size of a grain of sand.
Notice how close you are to the earth,
Closer perhaps than you've ever been before.
Notice the change in your center of gravity and notice where your body is making contact with the surface below.
How does this feel?
Grounded?
Steady?
Dense?
Something else?
Look around you from this new perspective.
Perhaps you notice a blade of grass tall as a tree.
Perhaps you notice the sky like an ocean,
Blue and wide as far as the eye can see.
As you gently and slowly look around you in all directions,
You notice a black ant about the same size as you.
The ant radiates vibrations of love and kindness,
Making you feel at ease.
They seemingly smile and beckon you to follow.
Feeling the kinship between you,
The connection,
You follow with openness and curiosity to witness what they'd like to show you.
You reach a sandy hill together and you realize it's the entryway to their colony,
Their home.
You crest the peak and enter.
And while you can't see what's before you with your eyes,
You find that you know your way.
You can intuit your direction and sense the energy of your new friend.
You are also guided by your other senses,
Which are amplified here.
Which one is calling to you?
Sound?
Smell?
Taste?
Maybe a combination?
What's it like exploring beneath the Earth's surface in this way?
What's it like following the sense of knowing,
This inner compass?
Where does it take you?
Perhaps a tunnel to the left?
Or maybe to the right?
Or maybe straight down further into the Earth?
As you traverse this land beneath the surface,
What qualities do you notice in this environment?
And what qualities do you notice among your new ant friends?
Perhaps abundance?
Cooperation?
Purpose?
Or maybe adaptability?
What lesson,
What wisdom might be here for you?
Take a moment to observe,
To witness,
To soak it all in.
Now follow your senses back to the entryway of the colony.
Perhaps as you approach,
You see a small speck of sunlight beckoning you back to the surface.
As you emerge,
You find that you have returned to regular size.
You bask in the sun and rest on the ground,
Taking a moment to integrate the experience you've just had.
Begin to witness the stillness and quiet here,
Resting as pure awareness itself.
And in this state of pure awareness,
Recall your sankalpa,
Whispering it inwardly three times.
You may have chosen,
I am grounded through life's ups and downs.
I am cultivating groundedness.
Or perhaps something else.
What does the truth of this sankalpa feel like in your body?
When you're ready,
Begin to notice the edges of your body and the surface beneath you.
Start to take in the space around you,
Maybe noticing sounds or smells.
And take a deep breath in and a long slow breath out.
One more time.
Take notice of how you feel right now.
And if there's anything from this experience you might like to take with you for the remainder of your day,
You might set that intention now.
Please feel welcome to rest here a while longer.
And in your own time,
Slowly and gently,
Awaken the body with small movements.
Thank you for practicing with me.
I wish you much peace and ease.
