Yoga Nidra For Female Cancer Warriors

I prepared this meditation while I was supporting a friend who has gone through various cancer treatment procedures for both her breast and uterine cancer. She, like every other woman who has gone through an experience of dealing with cancer, is exceptionally resilient, brave, and an outright inspiration to me. Of course, the meditation is not limited to cancer warriors and can be used for any condition that has taken you or your loved ones through difficult months or years of treatment.

I hope it helps you reconnect and feel your power and bravery as you walk your healing path.

The cover photo is courtesy of Miguel Bruna.

Transcript

Hi and welcome to your yoga nidra practice a journey into deep relaxation and inner peace yoga nidra often called yogic sleep is a practice that allows the body and mind to slip effortlessly into a state of profound rest bridging the conscious and subconscious mind a place in which you can plant new beliefs that nourish you your wholeness and your state of well-being this practice is created especially for you a woman whose body and heart have walked a courageous path a path that has required strength surrender and the kind of resilience that can only be born through facing challenge I sincerely hope that you find this practice helpful and that it reminds you of your resilience your wholeness and your right to be here and belong here you begin your yoga nidra by finding a comfortable lying position allowing the body to be fully supported use any blankets bolsters cushions or anything you need to create a nest of ease for the duration of the practice you can keep the eyes open but relaxed or closed and you may choose to place an eye mask over your eyes if it helps you turn inward pause here if needed to find a position that feels not only comfortable but also nourishing like a gentle embrace for your whole well-being indulge yourself during yoga nidra you may drift in and out of awareness know that this is completely natural you do not need to stay alert or focused trust that even when the conscious mind rests the body and the subconscious mind are still listening your only task is to welcome what arises without needing to fix or change anything let your body settle into stillness and allow my voice to guide you I will guide you to notice and feel physical sensations your breath your thoughts or emotions and the most important thing is to remain curious and welcome every experience as it is so let us begin you bring your attention to the space you are lying in noticing how the surface beneath you supports you fully and effortlessly feel the points of contact your body makes with the surface you are lying on you your body completely held let yourself soften into this feeling of being held being safe being exactly where you need to be you begin to gradually connect with your breath notice your breath without trying to change it or control it just observe breath flowing in breath flowing out natural gentle like a wave rising and falling breath flowing and receding with each inhale sense spaciousness with each exhale sense surrender surrender a little bit more into the embrace of the earth beneath you inhale and let the air stream freely through your body's space exhale and let the earth gently hold your body's weight being in this moment breathing in this moment your breath always with you your breath like a companion sustaining you through highs and lows trust your breath allow your breath to enter through your heart space and let it land there with this awareness of your breath in your heart notice how the breath expands and softens the center of your being the place where strength and tenderness coexist the place that has carried you through in this state of ease and relaxation allow your heart's deepest desire an intention or an affirmation that feels right for you in this moment to come up from your heart into your mind and if nothing in particular comes up ask yourself the following question how would I like to feel during and as a result of this practice perhaps a sense of inner peace restoration faith or trust perhaps relief from physical discomfort habitual patterns or emotional pain trust whatever comes and repeat it to yourself three to five times in the present tense with every repetition letting it settle deep into your being now set your positive intention aside and notice how it returns at the end of the practice let the sound of my voice be your guide and support you in experiencing sensations and relaxation throughout your body bring your awareness to your tongue your lips your cheeks your ears your eyes your eyebrows and the space between the eyebrows the nose the jaw your forehead crown of the head back of the head feel the front of your neck back of the neck the throat bring your awareness to sensations in your upper back meet back lower back tailbone your whole back resting on the ground feel your right shoulder and the right shoulder blade right elbow wrist palm thumb feel the space between the palm little finger ring finger middle finger index finger thumb feel the space between each finger now slowly draw your attention to the left arm left shoulder left shoulder blade left elbow wrist left palm feel the space above the palm little finger ring finger middle finger index finger thumb notice space between each finger feel both of your arms now draw your attention and feel the upper chest the area in between the chest the area of the heart and the back of the heart left waist right waist belly button feel your right hip buttock right thigh and back of the right thigh the knee calf ankle heel sole of the foot feel each toe on the right foot feel the space between each toe now feel your left hip buttock left thigh and back of the left thigh left knee calf ankle heel sole of the foot feel each toe of the left foot and the space between each toe feel both of your legs feel your whole body now feeling the whole of the physical body resting on the ground aware now of your whole body sensing what is present in your body experiencing yourself as any sensation comes up and slowly leaves the body now become aware of the body breathing the flow of the breath as a sensation in the nostrils the abdomen gently rising as breath flows in and releasing as breath flows out no need to change anything the body breathing naturally and rhythmically in-breath chest and abdomen rising out-breath,

Chest and abdomen releasing without the need to change anything the body breathing itself now begin counting each breath silently backward from 7 to 1 in the following manner in-breath,

Abdomen rising,

7 out-breath,

Abdomen releasing,

7 in-breath,

Abdomen rising,

6 out-breath,

Abdomen releasing,

6 continuing counting and breathing in your body's own natural rhythm now let go of counting without the need to reach one and just be aware of the fields or flows of sensation throughout your body now bring your attention to the right side of your body inhaling and exhaling welcoming sensation throughout the right side of your body now bring your attention to the left side of your body inhaling and exhaling welcome sensation throughout the left side of your body alternate between the two sides at your own breathing speed experiencing the sensation first on one side of the body and then the other side give all of your attention to the sensation and slowly experience a sensation of warmth in your body your whole body warm experience a sensation of warmth now experience a sensation of coolness in your body your whole body cool experience a sensation of coolness alternate between the two sensations at your own breathing speed cool on the exhalation and warm on the inhalation inhaling warmth exhaling coolness be aware of coolness and warmth at the same time together and slowly experience a sensation of heaviness in your body your whole body heavy experience a sensation of heaviness in your whole body now experience a sensation of lightness your whole body light experience a sensation of lightness in your whole body alternate between the two sensations at your own breathing speed heaviness on the exhalation and lightness on the inhalation inhaling lightness exhaling heaviness be aware of heavy and light at the same time together staying aware of your yoga nidra practice remember that there is no right or wrong way of doing any of this and that you are always able to tap into feeling safe,

Supported and held now welcome a thought or belief that you sometimes hold about yourself as truth a thought or belief that you take to be true about yourself and if no belief is arising simply being with whatever is present if there is a belief present as you hold this belief about yourself to be true where and how do you feel it in your body sense how this belief shows up and affects your body notice any images,

Emotions or thoughts that co-arise with this belief without trying to change anything if it's helpful bring to mind the opposite of this belief and as you hold this opposite belief about yourself to be true how does it affect your body where does it show up in your body being present to your experience just as it is without trying to change or fix anything as you welcome thoughts or beliefs about yourself remember you have gone through an experience that has asked you to redefine who you are beyond the physical to find worth,

Identity and power in places deeper than form you have chosen to fight you have chosen to surrender you have chosen to heal even in the moments you may have felt alone you held yourself you sustained yourself that strength lives in you still remember your resilience be aware of your resilience and with this awareness allow a sense of inner peace or joy to emerge feel the peace or joy of simply being here of breathing here the celebration of your presence the honoring of what you have gone through and all that you continue to go through perhaps experience the sensation of peace or joy as an inner smile that radiates from your heart how it shows up in your heart on an inhale and how it spreads throughout your body on an exhale feeling whole feeling held trusting in your inner resource of well-being with a sense of being okay just as you are and with this awareness and in this state of ease,

Peace or joy listen to your heart and recall its message from the beginning of your practice heart's deepest desire,

An intention or an affirmation and repeat it mentally three to five times perhaps with even more conviction than at the beginning of your practice and let it echo in your heart and slowly release that intention knowing that it now resides in the deepest realms of your body and mind and take your time to come back to the state of wakefulness first sensing your body,

Then the room around you perhaps wiggling your fingers and toes moving your body in any way it needs reorienting to where you are and where you are going and as you slowly bring this practice to an end bring your attention to the strength,

To the resilience you hold to the woman you are today know that you are whole and you are held thank you for sharing your time with me may your rest be peaceful and your heart full namaste