Yoga Nidrā: Inner Listening To The Heart

Recorded live on retreat in Tuscany, this soothing guided rest journey invites a quality of inner listening for deep renewal and self-connection. Calm, clear guidance with minimal background sound. Prepare a comfortable space with an eye cover, a blanket over you and perhaps cushioning under the backs of the knees. Then, lie back and be guided into deep rest. Enjoy.

Transcript

Sense your whole body resting on the ground. And as we begin our practice of yoga nidra. Acknowledge that relaxation is a process. We give it plenty of time. And if there's restlessness and noise, It's totally normal. We have time to slow down here. Begin by finding a general sense of your whole body resting. My whole body. Beginning to rest. Visualize internally the landscape all around us. The green of the fields. The blue of the sky. A movement of nature. And come closer to visualize this building. This room that we're in. The people resting around. And the feeling of the mat underneath you. Sense the places held by a cushion, A blanket, A support. Feel your body resting on this part of the earth. And remind yourself, I'm awake and practicing yoga nidra. Now bring your attention to the feeling of the breath as it moves around the heart area. The simple rise and fall of your chest as the breath flows effortlessly. And come closer to what might feel deeper than the physical heart. The quality of awareness around the heart. And we'll invite now into that heart space, A sankalpa. Which is a short positive statement of intent. In your own language. You can explore a theme that for you is meaningful. I'll give some suggestions. For example, I accept myself as I am. Or I am connected to my heart. I am grounded. I invite deep rest. I'm open to receive. I'm healthy and whole. Choose any of these or find your own that speaks to you. Present tense, Starting with I. And repeat that in the heart space a couple of times. And then let it go. I'll now guide the awareness around the body. If the mind drifts, It's okay. Simply return to the guidance when you remember. Sense the inside of the mouth. Root of the tongue. The teeth. Lips, Jaw. Nothing to interpret, But purely to sense. The cheeks and temples. The nostrils, Right and left. Both eyes, Right and left. Eyebrows. Forehead. Top of the head. Back of the head. Is in our ears. I'm awake and practicing yoga nidra. Back of the neck. The upper back. Feel awareness sweeping down the back of the body. The backs of the shoulders. Backs of the upper arms. Elbows. Lower arms. Wrists. Backs of the hands. Fingers and thumb. Tips of fingers and thumbs. Sweep awareness back up. To the upper middle back. Sides of the body. Off of the low back. The back of the pelvis. Sacrum. Backs of the thighs. Backs of the knees. Effects of the low legs. Ankles. The soles of the feet. Souls of the faith. Present. The tips of all of the toes. All of the toes. The tops of the feet. Feel awareness now begin to sweep up the front side of the body. Fronts of the ankle. Lower leg. Knees. Upper legs. Front of the pelvis. My belly. The chest. Fronts of both shoulders. For um. . . The eyes of the elbows. Lower arms. Wrists. Palms of the hands. The palms of the hands present. All fingers and thumbs. Tips of fingers and thumbs. Awareness sweeps back up to the centre of the neck. The whole of the face. Top of the head. The whole body. The whole body. One complete whole. Sense the flow of the breath. And visualize the breath flowing in through the left nostril. Rise up to the point between the eyebrow. And flow out through the right nostril. And through right up to the point between the eyebrow. And out through left. The breath natural, Simply visualize. That rhythm And now let that go. Imagine that the natural waves of breath can flow through your whole body. Inhaling down to the feet. Exhaling, Sweeping back up. Like waves on a shore. Bring awareness now into your right foot. And visualize a point of light. In the center of the right foot. The points of light on the tip of each toe of the right foot. Point of light at the right ankle joint. The right knee, Join. The center of the pelvis. A point of light at the centre of the left foot. At the tips of the toes of the left foot. Point of light at the left ankle joint. Left knee join. Center of the pelvis. A point of light at the center of the belly. The center of the heart space. Point of light at the center of the throat. Point of light in the palm of the right hand. At the tips of the fingers and thumb of the right hand. Right wrist. Right elbow join. Right shoulder. Center of the throat. Point of light at the centre of the left hand. At the tips of the fingers and thumb of the left hand. Point of light at the center of the left wrist joint. Elbow join. Left shoulder. Center of the throat. Point of light at the very center of the brain. And at the top of the head. Travel down now through the body from the top of the head to the feet. Remembering all of those points of life. And feel each point starting to expand. So that that warm quality of light begins to illuminate your whole body from within. A light that feels nurturing. Healing. Until that presence can expand beyond the limits of the body into the space around. I'll leave you now to rest in that space of presence. For a short while. Simply to rest or to listen. So what might want to be heard in that space? Return to awareness of the heart. Imagine that breath can flow directly into the center of the chest. And directly out. And as you feel the heart breathing. Bring back your sankalpa. Your short statement. And repeat it a few times around the heart space with full feeling, Full intent. And let that go. Return now to the feeling of your body resting on this part of the earth. Sense the touch of the blanket. The mats, The cushions. Sense that the body is breathing. And begin to widen your awareness once again to this room. The people resting around you. To this building. Into the landscape outside. The green of nature, The blue of the wide open sky. Notice how it feels for your body to be at rest. We will now embark on a very slow and sweet gradual return. Gradual process of reawakening. Allow yourself to really savor the presence of rest. Of self-connection. Remember the clothes that your body is wearing. Notice the touch of meeting your skin. Take a couple of slightly longer breaths. Slow, Nurturing, Long waves of breath. And exhale through the nose, All the lips. You have plenty of time to come around. There is no rush. Our practice is now complete.