Yoga Nidra To Connect With Your Authentic Self
This yoga nidra practice is intended to help you to release what no longer serves you as you step into your most authentic self. There is a short introduction that explains the practice and forming a sankalpa. I hope you enjoy!
Transcript
This Yoga Nidra practice will help to release what no longer serves you,
To allow you to step into your most authentic self.
Now,
Traditionally,
Yoga Nidra is done in Shavasana,
But you can certainly do this lying in a bed,
Lying on a sofa.
You can set yourself up in a restorative posture.
You can also do this practice seated as well.
Please know that in Yoga Nidra,
As we are working with the subconscious and unconscious,
Stuff can come up in the practice that maybe hasn't been examined or looked at.
And it is for those reasons that some people can find this maybe triggering or activating.
If you are unsure of how this may impact you,
I do recommend that you skip this practice.
I do want to explain at the end what I mean by forming a sankalpa.
A sankalpa is a short positive phrase of intention.
You can think of it as an affirmation.
And we form it at the end so that it is coming from the heart and a place of consciousness and not from the mind or the ego.
So some examples of sankalpas are,
I am grounded.
My creativity flows with ease.
I am balanced.
I am calm.
Please know that a fully fleshed out sankalpa doesn't always come in the first practice.
So allow it to manifest in its own time.
But hold on to any feeling or image that may arise,
As that is a wonderful jumping off point of forming your sankalpa.
If you are actively working with a sankalpa,
I will invite you to plant it in at the top of the practice before we move into the rotation of consciousness.
So with that said,
I invite you to find your comfortable posture for this practice.
Also knowing you can make any adjustments in your body throughout the practice to facilitate a sense of comfort throughout.
And as you're finding your setup,
I do want to explain that the purpose of yoga nidra is not to fall asleep.
Though this is very likely to happen if you are new to the practice and or if you are currently tired.
So while the purpose is to stay somewhat alert as we enter into the hypnagogic state,
That state between sleep and wake.
But also know that if you do fall asleep,
You do receive all of the benefits of the practice.
Just like Alexa,
The unconscious and subconscious are always listening.
So before we begin the practice,
I do invite you to check in with yourself and notice are you truly comfortable in this posture that you found.
And even if you are comfortable,
Can you make any adjustments to support yourself in this practice?
Maybe covering the eyes,
Dimming the lights,
Closing the blinds.
Maybe covering yourself over with a blanket.
Whatever it is that you may need to allow yourself to surrender into this practice.
This time I do invite you to close your eyes,
But if that's not comfortable,
I do invite you to turn off the lights and find a soft gaze on a point of focus.
The intention here is to remove any sensory input that will keep you in the external world as we move within to do this inner work.
And now our yoga nidra practice has begun.
I invite you to rest your awareness on any sounds that you hear outside of the room in which you are in.
Just as a butterfly moves from flower to flower,
Allow your awareness to move from sound to sound.
Move your awareness to any sounds that you hear coming from the room in which you are in.
With a gentle,
Compassionate awareness,
Notice the sounds coming from or around your physical body.
Invite that gentle,
Compassionate awareness within and just take notice of whatever is present for you in this moment.
Without a right or wrong way to be,
Just cultivating an awareness of your inner landscape.
Then find a soft inner gaze into the mind's eye.
And if you are actively working with a sankalpa,
I do invite you to plant it into the practice at this time.
We're going to move on to rotation of consciousness.
There's no need to do or move anything.
Just simply bring your awareness to the body parts that are being named.
If the mind wanders,
There's no need to make it up.
Just simply return to whatever body part is being named at that time.
And if you don't have access physically or emotionally to any of the body parts,
You can just simply bypass them.
Imagine that a warm,
Healing oil begins to tap down at the center of the forehead.
Move this warm,
Healing oil over the top of your head,
The back of your head,
And the sides of your head.
Move this warm,
Healing oil down the forehead and temples.
Allow it to wash over the eyes,
The nose,
The top lip,
And the bottom lip.
Move this warm,
Healing oil across the cheeks.
Allow it to delicately wrap around the ears.
Allow this warm,
Healing oil to massage the jaw from the ears all the way down to the chin.
Allow this warm,
Healing oil to wash over your entire neck,
The front,
Back,
And sides all being bathed in this warm,
Healing oil.
Imagine that this warm,
Healing oil begins to tap down at the center of both palms of the hands.
Move this warm,
Healing oil across the palms of both hands.
Allow it to delicately wrap around the thumbs,
The index fingers,
Middle fingers,
Ring fingers,
And pinky fingers.
Allow it to wash over the backs of the hands and delicately wrap around the wrists.
Allow this warm,
Healing oil to massage up the forearms and delicately wrap around the elbows.
Move this warm,
Healing oil up the upper arms and allow it to massage the shoulders.
Allow this oil to wrap around the underarms and spread down the sides of the torso.
Allow this oil to delicately wrap around the hips,
Inviting a sense of grounding into the body and the mind.
Move this warm,
Healing oil across the tops and the sides of the thighs,
The knees,
The shins,
Tops of the ankles,
Tops of the feet.
Allow it to delicately wrap around the big toes and second toes,
Third toes,
Fourth toes,
And fifth toes.
Allow this warm,
Healing oil to massage the soles of both feet.
Allow it to spread over the heels and backs of the ankles.
Allow it to massage the calves and spread across the backs of the knees,
Backs of the thighs.
Allow it to wash over the buttocks.
Allow this warm,
Healing oil to massage the lower back,
The middle back,
And the upper back.
Move this warm,
Healing oil over the tops of the shoulders and allow it to spread across the chest and bathe the entire abdomen.
So your whole body is being bathed in this warm,
Healing oil.
As you inhale,
Notice any warmth from your being.
And as you exhale,
Invite a sense of softening in the body and the mind.
Inhale warmth.
Exhale softening.
Imagine on your next inhale that warmth turns into radiance.
And as you exhale,
That warm,
Healing oil permeates every cell,
Healing you at the cellular level.
Inhale radiance.
Exhale healing.
Letting the visualization go,
But maintain your awareness on your breath.
Notice any subtle rise and fall of the abdomen as you inhale and exhale.
Holding your awareness here,
We'll count backwards from 18.
One breath is one inhale and one exhale.
So when we start,
It'll sound like this.
18,
Inhale.
18,
Exhale.
17,
Inhale.
17,
Exhale.
So go ahead and take a natural breath on your own.
And on your next inhale,
It'll be 18,
Inhale.
18,
Exhale.
And continue at your own pace.
If you lose your place or reach one,
Simply start over from 18.
Wherever you are in the count,
Allow yourself to let the count go.
As we move on to the pairing of opposites,
Imagine that your body begins to feel heavy.
Every breath,
The body gets heavier and heavier and heavier.
Rest your awareness on the sensation of heaviness in the body.
And now imagine that the body begins to feel light.
Every breath,
The body gets lighter and lighter and lighter.
Rest your awareness on the sensation of lightness in the body.
And inviting back in that sense of heaviness,
As if the body were made of stone.
Every breath is as if the body almost begins to sink into the earth.
Rest your awareness on the sensation of heaviness in the body,
Feeling heavy and relaxed.
And now invite back in that sense of lightness,
As if the body were as light as a feather.
Every breath is as if the body almost begins to lift up off of the earth.
Rest your awareness on the sensation of lightness in the body,
Feeling light and free.
And inviting back in that sense of heaviness into the body,
Feeling heavy and relaxed.
Now moving back into that space of lightness in the body,
Feeling light and free.
And now can you feel both heavy and light at the same time?
Feeling heavy and relaxed and light and free simultaneously in the body and the mind.
And letting that go as we move on to the fast moving visuals.
I'll be naming different images and just simply see what appears on the screen of your mind.
Notice whatever thoughts,
Memories,
Or emotions arise,
But try not to get stuck on any one image,
Thought,
Memory,
Or emotion.
If you do,
Simply notice that and return to the image that's being named.
The sun rising over the horizon.
A field of lavender.
A white orchid.
A golden square.
An amethyst crystal.
The sun setting over the horizon.
Snow-capped mountains.
A palm tree.
A single flame on a long white candle.
A turtle crossing the road.
Leaves gently blowing in the breeze.
Starry night.
A white fluffy cloud in the shape of a heart.
Full moon.
A still lake.
The reflection of the full moon on the still lake.
Your reflection smiling back at you on the still lake.
Now imagine that in the room in which you are in,
A magical blue door begins to appear.
And as you gaze upon this door,
You notice that a beautiful golden light begins to shimmer and shine from the door.
And feeling very connected to this door,
You realize that with every breath you take,
This golden light grows bigger and brighter.
Imagine that you get up and you begin to mindfully walk step by step towards this magical blue door.
And with every breath and with every step,
That golden light begins to shine bigger and brighter.
And as you approach the magical blue door,
You realize that there are symbols beginning to appear,
Shining in that beautiful golden light.
See these symbols and notice if they mean anything to you.
And as you stand there with your feet firmly planted on the earth,
You notice a sense of energy flowing from the soles of your feet all the way up to the crown of your head.
Noticing this deep sense of connectedness to this door,
Feeling completely safe and protected,
You see that the knob begins to glow in that golden light.
As you go to open the door,
The door opens for you,
Welcoming you,
Inviting you in.
And as the door opens,
All you see is that beautiful golden light.
As you step over the threshold,
All you can see around you is this golden light.
And you realize that in this light,
You can move in any way that you choose.
You can run,
You can skip,
You can fly,
You can float.
Allow yourself to have fun and move in whatever way will bring you joy in this moment.
Notice how you're moving through this light.
And as you move,
It feels like an eternity and yet a moment,
As if time and space ceases to exist in this golden light.
And all of a sudden,
This golden light ahead of you begins to turn into a golden mist.
And you begin hearing the soft,
Gentle sounds of waves.
As you move towards this golden mist,
You begin to see the image of a beach in front of you.
You move through the golden mist and in front of you is the most beautiful,
Pristine,
White beach you've ever seen.
For miles and miles and miles,
All you see is white sand,
Palm trees,
And crystal clear blue water.
Above you is nothing but blue sky,
The sun shining ever so brightly down upon you.
You can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and the warmth of the sand on the soles of your feet.
You begin to mindfully walk step by step towards the crystal clear blue water,
With every step feeling more and more connected to the land.
And you begin to realize the land is communicating to you,
Telling you that this sea,
This beautiful sea before you,
Can help release what no longer serves you,
So that you can step into your most authentic self.
And as you make your way down the beach towards the sea,
You begin to stand there just watching the waves gently move in and out.
And you realize that these waves are synced with your breath.
As you inhale,
The waves move in,
And as you exhale,
The waves move out.
Noticing this deep sense of connectedness to all that is around you,
You intuitively know exactly what to do.
As you begin to walk mindfully towards the waves,
Resting your feet on the wet sand,
As you inhale,
The cool sea water covers the tops of your feet.
And as you exhale,
The waves move out and your feet gently sink a little bit deeper into the sand.
And you realize that every wave,
Every breath,
Is releasing something that no longer serves you.
A thought,
A belief,
A habit,
A pattern.
False narratives,
False beliefs,
Conditioning,
Worries.
All of it being released from you.
As you inhale,
The sea moves in.
It connects to what no longer serves you,
And as you exhale,
This sea removes it from your mind,
From your body,
From your spirit,
And your soul.
Every wave,
Every breath,
Releasing something that no longer serves you.
And as you continue releasing what no longer serves you,
You begin to realize that you are stepping into your most authentic self.
After a few more breath cycles,
You realize that you are fully embodying who you truly are.
You are standing in your power,
Standing in your truth.
Standing,
Living,
Breathing as your truest self.
See how you stand as your truest self.
How do you breathe?
How do you move?
How do you connect with all that is around you?
And as you fully embody and embrace who you truly are in this world,
Notice how you feel.
Notice how it is to be the person you are meant to be.
With full knowing that you can always return back to this space.
Deepening your sense of connection to who you truly are and all that is around you.
Knowing it is always available to you.
The magical blue door once again appears.
Shining and shimmering in that beautiful golden light.
And as you connect with the door in this golden light,
You realize that this golden light is also emanating from you.
You,
The door,
And all around you are glowing in that beautiful golden light.
Deepening your connection to your truest self.
And deepening your connection to all that is around you.
Knowing that you can return to this space at any time,
You begin to move mindfully,
Step by step,
Towards the magical blue door.
Once again,
The symbols begin to appear in that beautiful golden light.
See these symbols as your most authentic self.
And notice if there is any message for you in these symbols.
The doorknob begins to glow in that beautiful golden light.
You go to open the door,
Thinking it will open for you,
But this time,
This time your hand connects as you and the door and all that is around you are one.
You open the magical blue door and find yourself back in the room in which you are in.
You gently walk over towards your physical body.
You offer your physical body appreciation and gratitude.
You hover both hands above your physical body.
And from the palms of your hand,
That beautiful golden light flows into every cell of your being.
You begin to integrate back into your physical body.
And once again,
You find a soft inner gaze into the mind's eye.
And it is here that you see your sankalpa glowing in that golden light.
Whether it's in words,
An image,
A feeling,
See your sankalpa.
And as you connect with it,
It begins to move a little bit farther and farther away.
And you realize that your sankalpa is being turned into a star in our solar system.
So that every time you look up at the starry night,
You'll be reminded of your sankalpa.
And you'll be reminded of who you truly are.
Slowly begin to deepen your breath.
Invite some gentle movement into the fingers and the toes.
Allowing your body to guide you,
Make any movements that the body is asking for in this moment.
Whether they're subtle movements or big stretches in the body.
Feel ready if you're lying down,
You can roll to one side.
Pausing in the transition here.
Allowing for the integration of the journey and the work that you've done to inform you in your waking life.
When you're ready,
Press the hand that's on top into the earth to press yourself up into a seated posture.
The head being the last to rise.
Keeping the eyes closed,
If that feels comfortable,
To keep your awareness within.
If that's not available,
You can find a soft gaze and a point of focus.
And as you come into your seated posture,
Again taking a few mindful breaths here.
And bring the palms together in the center of the chest.
Bring the chin in towards the chest,
Bringing your mind's eye towards your heart center.
And repeat your sankalpa three times,
Mentally or out loud.
If nothing came up for you,
You can set an intention for yourself based on your practice.
And say to yourself mentally or out loud,
Three times.
And whenever you finish in your own time,
Allow the hands to fall into the lap.
With the chin in towards the chest,
Very softly if the eyes are closed,
Begin to flutter them open.
As you begin to integrate your inner and your outer worlds as one.
Take as much time as you need to allow the eyes to refocus back into the space.
As you ground back into your body.
Whenever you feel grounded in your body,
Grounded on the point of focus,
You can return your awareness to the space in which you are in.
Integrating the work that you've done now into your waking life.
So that you can live and breathe and thrive as your most authentic self.
