Lunar Eclipse Yoga Nidra

This Yoga Nidra practice invites you into the portal of a new Eclipse cycle, which begins with the full moon in Pisces and a partial lunar eclipse on Sept. 17, 2024, and will continue to ripple for the next 6 months. As we prepare for a new energy cycle and eclipse season in Pisces & Virgo (2025-2027), we are being called to let go of what is no longer in alignment. In doing so, we are clearing and creating space in order for our dreams to land, and for the abundance that is to come.

To set yourself up in your Nidra nest, gather any props that would support you (pillows, blankets, bolsters, an eyemask) and lay down on a yoga mat or in bed. Keep a journal nearby and write down your insights at the end of the practice. I recommend listening through headphones or in a quiet space where you will not be disturbed.

Transcript

As you settle into your nidra nest,

You may wish to close down your eyes or soften your gaze.

Turning your focus within,

Begin to become curious and aware of your inner world.

Notice what is present here.

Notice with your breath.

On your next inhale,

Imagine your breath flowing in through the crown of your head.

As you exhale,

Invite your breath to cleanse your energy and the field around you,

From your crown all the way down to your feet.

Follow this wave of breath and take time to scan over your body,

Inviting each part to let go and relax,

Moving down from your crown to your toes,

Clearing space inside and around you.

Continue with this cleansing breath and begin to count down from ten.

Exhaling on ten,

Inhaling.

Exhaling on nine,

Clearing your body-mind.

If you lose track,

Come back to ten and begin again.

With nothing else to do,

Give yourself permission to rest now and receive my words through each cell of your body.

The practice of Yoga Nidra invites us to dive beneath the surface of our awareness.

As we swim through the watershed of our memory and imagination,

We illuminate the undercurrents of our conscious realms.

The moon represents our shadow side and rules our intuition,

Dreams,

And subconscious.

As we approach this lunar eclipse,

We may call upon the wisdom of Grandmother Moon to guide us through this practice and through our journey over the next six months as her tides continue to ripple through our inner and outer worlds.

As we cross this threshold and step into the eclipse portal and into this practice,

Stay connected and tethered to my voice and resolve to remain awake and aware.

Silently affirm to yourself now,

I am awake,

I am aware,

And I am practicing Yoga Nidra.

I am awake,

I am aware,

And I am practicing Yoga Nidra.

During an eclipse,

The full moon passes through the Earth's shadow,

Stirring the pools of our deep tides.

Unconscious patterns may arise and come to surface.

This allows us to see where we are blocked,

To cleanse our emotional body,

And to set intentions for change and renewal.

By remaining open and surrendering to the cosmic force of this lunation,

We can attune to our heart's deepest desire.

This desire,

This intention,

Is our Sankalpa.

Like an arrowhead,

It points us in the direction of our highest truth,

Piercing through any obstacles that may be standing in the way of embodying our full luminescence.

For this practice,

I will offer a Sankalpa.

Listen with your heart and silently repeat after me.

I trust the universe and my own divine unfolding.

I trust the universe and my own divine unfolding.

I trust the universe and my own divine unfolding.

Now begin to imagine a sewing needle,

Threaded with your Sankalpa.

Your Sankalpa is laced through a sewing needle,

Pointing you in the direction you need to go.

Allow the needle to pierce a tiny hole in the center of your chest and begin to breathe through this space.

As you breathe,

Visualize a stream of light flowing from the back of your heart all the way to the front and out through the center of your chest.

See this light traveling upwards now,

Straight into the sky above.

This thread of light pierces through any clouds,

Darkness,

Or karmic matter and creates a direct line between your heart and the moon.

This thread,

Your Sankalpa,

Illuminates the space that stands between you and your highest potential.

Breathe this in and allow this image and feeling to grow brighter.

Feeling the strength of this connection,

Silently repeat to yourself once more,

I trust the universe and my own divine unfolding.

On your next exhale,

Surrender your Sankalpa and invite your awareness to rest on the point between your eyebrows.

As you inhale into this space,

Notice your chest rising in unison.

As you breathe out,

Feel your forehead and heart relaxing together,

Softening into your inner knowing.

On your next inhale,

Begin to visualize the full moon again.

Allow her radiant face to fill the dark screen behind your eyelids.

Follow my voice and invite the moon to illuminate each body part I call upon,

Shining awareness through and upon your earthly,

Cosmic body.

Starting in your right hand thumb,

Moonlight beaming through your right hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Moonlight in all five of your right fingers,

The palm of your hand,

The back of your hand,

Your whole right hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Collarbone,

The right side of your chest,

The center of your chest,

Moonlight beaming through the center of your chest,

Left hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

The palm of your hand,

The back of your hand,

Your whole left hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Collarbone,

The left side of your chest,

The center of your chest,

The center of your chest,

Navel center,

Pelvic center,

Right hip bone,

Top of your right thigh,

Kneecap,

Shin,

Ankle,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

Moonlight shining through all five of your right toes,

Traveling down your left side now,

Left hip bone,

Top of your left thigh,

Kneecap,

Shin,

Ankle,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

Moonlight in all five of your left toes,

Your front side shining in the moon's light,

Traveling up the backside of the body,

Both heels,

Calves,

Backs of your knees,

Backs of your thighs,

Buttocks,

Sacrum,

Spine,

Back of your heart,

Both shoulder blades,

Neck,

The back of your head,

The top of your head,

Forehead,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

The space between your lips,

The inside of your mouth,

The inside of your mouth filled with moonlight,

Throat,

The center of your chest,

Your heart,

Mind,

And whole body is basking in moonlight,

Moonlight radiating through your whole body,

Whole body awareness,

Whole body awareness,

Whole body awareness.

As you rest here,

Imagine yourself floating under the dark night sky.

Your body is glowing like a lantern on the water's edge.

Without changing anything,

Begin to notice your body breathing itself.

Allow your awareness to follow the wave of your in-breath and your out-breath.

Follow this for a few moments now.

In order to initiate change,

We first become aware of our feelings that feed our desire for this change.

By remaining curious,

Open,

And aware,

We can honor these emotions and begin to let go of what is no longer serving us.

If something is ready to be released from your life,

The eclipse can help you bring it towards completion.

Journeying deeper beneath the surface now,

We move into the realm of the manomaya kosha.

Here,

We invite opposite sensations and emotions to rise up to meet us.

As we illuminate them with our awareness,

We can begin to neutralize their hold and return to a state of equanimity.

As you conjure up the feelings and sensations I name,

Give yourself permission to feel them in their entirety and then let them go,

Knowing you are in full control.

Recall the experience of pain.

Allow your body-mind to remember this painful experience.

It can be any pain you have experienced in your life—physical,

Emotional,

Or psychological pain.

Now breathe that out and invite in the experience of pleasure—any form of pleasure—pleasure rippling through your whole body.

Awaken to this full,

Embodied experience of pleasure.

Begin to explore pain and pleasure on your own time now,

Pendulating between these two opposite experiences for a few moments.

Now let that go and recall the feeling of attachment.

Conjure up the body-memory of attachment.

You are connected and attached to something or someone.

Experience attachment with your whole physical and mental body.

Now let that go.

Now begin to unplug yourself from this experience of attachment.

You are disconnected and detached from this experience—completely and fully detached.

Notice where this feeling of detachment resides in your body.

Pendulate between these two experiences now,

Shifting from detachment to attachment and back again on your own time.

Surrendering any and all attachments,

Begin to recall fear with your whole awareness—fear consuming your whole mind-body.

You are enveloped and consumed by this fear.

Notice how you contract around this fear.

Now invite in the experience of safety—safety expanding through your whole body.

You are at ease and relaxed.

You are totally and completely at ease.

On your own time,

Begin to flip between the experience of safety and fear.

Now let that all go and invite your awareness to rest on the point between your eyebrows—Chidakash.

In this space,

Imagine the moon beaming out a projector screen from your third eye.

As I call upon sacred objects and images,

Allow them to float across this screen and to dissolve just as quickly.

Feel into the resonance they hold and then let them go.

Ocean waves at night.

A silver coin.

Bengali's tiger.

Match being struck.

Rain on the rooftop.

Hands touching the earth.

Starfish in the tidal pool.

Moon reflecting on water.

An old photograph.

Walking stick.

Thunderclouds.

Black sand.

Black sand.

Moon reflecting on water.

Zen garden.

Bengali's tiger.

Now imagine you are walking down a long black sandy beach.

The sky is misty and the air is damp and cool,

Sweeping across your face.

The dark earth is juxtaposed by the silver waters.

You are walking amongst large volcanic rock forms,

Which stand stoically in the water and are scattered along the beach.

The wind presses your ears and waves crash into the rocks along the shoreline,

Spraying you with drops of salt water.

Through the gray fog,

You see a small houseboat out on the sea.

It is being tossed around by the waves and yet somehow it remains afloat.

Fishing trap lines are embedded in the sand beneath your feet and you are diligent as you step over them one after another.

As the waves wash up,

They lap at your footprints and erase them in the sand.

You carry down the beach in other ways,

Taking in the strength and power of these ancient cliffs and rocks.

Up a ways ahead stands a natural archway.

Though there is still some light to the day,

The moon is out and she hangs low in the sky.

Framed by the arch,

She rests calmly above the choppy waters.

She is so full,

You feel you could almost reach out and touch her from this lookout point.

Drawn to the moon's energy,

You continue your approach and begin to come up around a bend where you encounter a tidal pool.

The water is calmer here,

Quietly skimming the base of the rocks.

The beach lays quite barren,

But as you peek around a boulder,

You come to notice a brilliant red starfish.

Crouching down,

You admire its beauty as it dances tenderly in the waters.

You pick it up momentarily and hold the dancing creature in your hand,

Feeling it wiggle in your palm.

As you hold it and feel it in your palm,

Notice your heart beating in unison as it opens to this magnificent wonder.

Taking in this quiet,

But striking presence.

Laying the starfish back in the water,

You carry on your way and walk further around the cliffs.

As you come around the corner,

You can see now that the archway rests upon a sandbar slightly out from shore.

The sky has begun to grow darker now,

But the moon illuminates your path.

You take off your shoes,

Gather your pant legs and your hands,

And begin to venture into the sea,

The waves breaking against your legs.

As you push through the current,

The light begins to change,

And a dark shadow crosses over the moon's face.

Almost all of the light has disappeared from the sky.

You are walking through the dark waters now,

And can just barely see the archway.

As the tide pulls out,

It draws you closer into the sandbar,

And you are able to climb onto the shore.

You cannot see much,

But you feel for the rock and make contact with the stone.

Following the natural curve of its form,

You feel yourself standing beneath the bridge,

And you come back to face the lunar eclipse.

Concealed by the earth's shadow,

She shines a thin ring of silver light right in front of you.

As you step closer towards her and through the archway,

You begin to walk down the other side of the beach into the water.

The moon begins to peer out from behind the earth's shadow,

And the sky once again becomes lighter.

Suddenly the air is warmer,

And the waters are quiet and calm.

You can even see the houseboat off in the distance,

Gently cradled by the waves.

You begin to undress from your wet clothes and submerge your body into the ocean.

The waters feel cleansing and rejuvenating.

As you dip your head back into the water,

The tide gently lifts your legs,

And you begin to float effortlessly like a starfish.

As you drift here,

The full moon beams down upon you.

Feel yourself opening to her luminescence,

And notice the unconditional support of the waters along your back.

Floating in this space,

Begin to recall your Sankalpa now,

Silently repeating to yourself three times,

I trust the universe and my own divine unfolding.

Rest here and bathe in the vibration of bliss.

Allow the healing light of the moon to fill every cell of your body.

Every cell of your being,

And every level of consciousness.

You are divinely nurtured and supported.

Slowly begin to deepen your breath,

And wiggle your toes and fingers.

Following your breath,

Allow it to guide you onto one side,

And rest here for a few moments longer.

Welcome yourself into a new becoming.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Hari Om Tat Sat.

Hari Om Tat Sat.

Hari Om Tat Sat.

The seen and the unseen are one.

Reviews

An amazing Yoga Nidra journey!!! Well guided and beatiful!
Thank you so much 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻