Nurturance Yoga Nidra

In this collection of Yoga Nidra + meditative practices, Katelyn utilizes breath awareness, body scanning, and soothing visualizations rooted in nature to guide the listener into a space of deep internal quiet, nurturing on all levels of being. Let this practice hold you in its gentle and healing embrace. Enhance your self care, release emotional blockages, and old beliefs keeping you from nurturing yourself whole. Inspired by the spirit medicine of the Blue Heron and the poetry of Mary Oliver.

Transcript

Welcome here.

Today's practice centers around the theme of nurturance,

Tending to our mind,

Body,

And spirit through breath and relaxing visualization.

Take a few moments to get comfortable,

Whether lying or sitting,

Grabbing a few comfortable and supportive items,

A blanket,

Bolster,

Eye pillow,

Whatever feels nurturing.

If you opted to lay down today,

Let your forehead rest just slightly higher than your chin.

The palms of your hands can either face up on the sides of your body,

Or you can take one hand to your belly and the other to your chest.

If choosing to sit,

Really lean back into the support of whatever is behind you.

And while I encourage you to close your eyes for this practice,

Know that at any point in time you can blink them open if you need to.

You can go through this entire practice with your eyes open if that feels more peaceful to you.

So with your eyes closed or eyes open,

Breathe in and feel the sensations that exist on the surface of your skin.

Now you'll listen for the sounds in the space that surrounds you.

Allow your awareness to drift from sound to sound,

Like a feather drifting in the soft wind.

Allow your attention to touch on each sound,

Hearing and acknowledging it before moving on to the next,

And moving on to the next,

And moving on to the next.

Allow your awareness to continuously move through all of these external sounds.

And from that awareness of external sounds,

Begin to refine your circle of focus,

As if you could zoom your attention into your own body and listen for just the sounds you hear inside yourself.

Let your awareness move from sound to sound to sound.

Listen for every sound you hear internally.

From that awareness of internal sounds,

You will become even more familiar and attuned to the feeling of your own breath.

Focusing in on the sound and the feeling of breath as it travels up and down those two parallel channels in your nose.

Feel your entire right side body now,

And imagine it relaxing over to the right,

As if your entire right side body could just very gently fall away from center.

Imagine your entire left side body relaxing entirely over to the left,

As if the whole left side body could fall away from center.

And as you soften into this physical relaxation,

Imagine that your entire right side body could inhale,

As if every single cell on your right side body could breathe in.

And when you get to the top of your inhale,

Shift your awareness to your left side body,

And imagine that your entire left side body can exhale.

When you get to the bottom of that exhale,

Imagine that left side body can breathe in.

Imagine your right side body could breathe out.

Entire right side body inhales.

Entire left side body exhales.

Inhale left side.

Exhale right.

Inhale right side.

Exhale left.

Inhale left.

Exhale right.

Inhale right.

Exhale left.

Continue on with the same pattern of breathing for just a few more moments on your own.

And each time you move through a cycle of inhale to exhale,

Begin counting down backwards,

Starting at the number 11,

And counting each cycle of breath until you finally reach 1.

So you'll inhale right side.

Exhale left side.

11.

Inhale left side.

Exhale right side.

10.

You'll count your breath backwards just like that from 11 all the way down to 1.

If you lose count or finish your count before I do,

Go ahead and start over again at the number 11.

Begin.

Let go of your count wherever you are.

Bring your awareness now into your heart space.

Ask yourself,

What do I desire most of all to nurture within?

What do I desire most of all to nurture within?

This is your intention or mantra based on your heart's longing.

Create your intention now in a positive statement form in the present tense as though it is already your truth.

Now silently in your mind or out loud,

Repeat your own intention three times.

Your breath in is now an invitation for the vital energy of your intention to support and nourish you.

Your out breath is the acknowledgement of that longing.

Your breath reaches far and wide.

You embody this intention now.

It is already happening and it already exists.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Envision now the light of your intention above you.

It glows like the sun.

Feel your entire body illuminating with its glow.

This glow flows down over the crown of your head.

Notice the sensation of the light against your scalp,

Warm,

Maybe tingly.

This light moves its way down over your forehead,

Your eyebrows,

The space between your eyebrows releasing any tension there,

Eyelids and eyes relaxing and softening.

Now this light flows down over your nose.

Breathe in and feel this light enter into your nostrils and to the back of your head.

Notice the sensation it brings,

Warm,

Loving,

Radiant.

On your next exhale,

This light journeys on to relax and soften your ears,

Cheeks,

Lips,

Chin and jaw.

Notice your tongue,

Roof of your mouth and throat.

Swallow now to feel all the sides of your throat.

This warm radiant light rolls down your neck and flows over your shoulders,

Just hugging your shoulders for a moment.

Now this light reaches down both of your arms,

Elbows,

Forearms,

Encircles both of your wrists and moves all the way to the tips of your fingertips.

This warm,

Tingly sensation it brings.

Imagine now this light becomes a ball in the palms of your hands.

It radiates brightly as it moves from your palms to the backside of both of your hands.

Feel your hands completely.

This light shoots its way back up your arms,

Over your shoulders again,

And pauses to nestle in your chest.

Imagine the bud of a lotus flower in your heart.

On every inhale,

This ball of light grows larger and larger,

Shining brightly out into the world.

Let your heart be filled with light,

Lightness,

Warmth,

Love and joy.

On your next out-breath,

This light gently and lovingly moves down your belly and hips,

Releasing any tension.

It continues on by wrapping around the backside of your pelvis,

Lower back,

Middle back,

And shoulder blades.

Breathe in this light through the center of your shoulder blades.

Breathe out this light and watch as it washes over your front side again,

Down your thighs,

Both of your knees,

Shins,

Encircling your ankles,

And reaching both of your big toes,

Second toes,

Third toes,

Fourth toes,

And pinky toes.

Finally wrapping around the heels of your feet and shining back down into the earth.

Breathe in and watch as this light flows back up through the earth,

Through your body,

And all the way back to the crown of your head.

Breathe out and allow this light to flow all the way back down,

Connecting to the earth,

Held,

Nurtured in this light.

From this place envision a forest,

Soft silk,

The taste of dark chocolate,

Crunching leaves,

A beautiful waterfall,

A blue heron,

Sun shining through the trees,

Your favorite song,

The smell of lavender,

A starry night sky,

Paint on a canvas,

The laughter of a loved one,

The feeling of the earth beneath your feet,

The feeling of the earth beneath your feet,

The feeling of the earth beneath your feet,

Feet in the cool mud,

Standing in front of an old oak tree,

It is a beautiful sunny day,

The sun peeking through its leaves,

Kissing your cheeks,

Laying your hand upon its bark,

The tree feels alive and sparks something within you.

At the foot of this old oak,

Your heartbeat sinks with that of the tree,

It feels a part of you,

Like an organ,

Feeling as if you are made of its leaves and its bark,

Like your laugh lines and imperfections,

Signs of a life well lived.

Slowly running your gaze along its bark,

You notice a knot resembling a doorknob.

Curious,

You lay your hand upon it and try to turn it.

It turns,

Open the door of this tree and step inside now.

The forest has gone and a sandy path leading to a pond lays before you.

The sun welcomes you again in this sacred space.

How relaxed and easy it floats toward the horizon now.

It reaches out and warms you.

You dig your toes into the warm gritty sand.

Above you,

You spot a blue heron flying towards the pond.

Its presence feels familiar,

Like home.

You decide to follow its path toward the pond as well.

As you arrive at the water's edge,

You notice that the exact spot where the sun meets the water,

A single feather has fallen from the blue heron into the water and it begins floating towards you.

Drop your hand into the water now,

Reaching for the feather and grab it.

This feather is a gift for you and it holds a message.

Receive that message now.

You smile at the blue heron,

Which has now landed on the other side of the pond,

Accepting its gift.

And with the setting sun,

You head back to where you began along the sandy path,

Opening the door of the old oak tree and stepping through.

Standing tall at the foot of the old oak,

Taking a moment to thank it for the journey it has given you today.

Welcome a more expansive breath into your body now.

Slowly coming back to awareness.

Maybe wiggle your fingers,

Your toes whenever you're ready.

And just take a moment here to take another deep breath,

Thinking about your gift or your message that you receive today in this nurturing practice.

And if you feel called to sit up,

Go ahead and do so now.

Lay your hands over your heart.

I wake up finally thinking how wonderful to be who I am,

Made out of earth and water,

My own thoughts and my own fingerprints.

And I take the time to love and nurture all parts of me.

Namaste.