Yoga Nidra: Ocean Treasure

This practice blends Yoga Nidra with story-telling. You will focus on the image and sensations of an ocean beach to relax physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetically. Later in the practice, you are invited to dive into the water to discover a magical treasure chest. To deepen your experience, the practice contains gentle background music and ocean wave sound effects. The meditation contains an ending bell. Music credit: Rebecca Reads; Sound effects credit: Zapsplat.

Transcript

Welcome.

Thank you for choosing this meditation.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is a pathway to potentially experience a state of connectedness and bliss.

Layer by layer,

We let go of our typical state of alertness and thinking and remove distractions.

This letting go creates space for relaxation and room for connection with the subtle layers of yourself.

When you connect inward,

You can tap into your intuition and the subconscious mind to receive messages and nurture positive intentions.

The practice also provides rest to body and to mind as you let go of outside stimuli and daily stressors.

The mind becomes more and more relaxed throughout the stages of the practice.

This practice blends Yoga Nidra and storytelling.

You will focus on the image and sensations of an ocean beach.

Later in the practice,

You are invited to dive into the water to discover a magical treasure chest.

The practice will end with the bell.

Make any adjustments to become fully comfortable in your position.

Offer permission to yourself now to fully take in this time of self-care.

Knowing the time that you take to soothe your body,

Mind,

And spirit will help you be your best self in all your other endeavors and roles.

You may say to yourself,

I choose to remain still.

I choose to remain aware of the speaker's voice.

And I choose to follow my own inner guidance and wisdom.

If outside or internal distractions such as thoughts and emotions arise during the practice,

Greet them with a calm and non-judgmental awareness.

Be aware of any reactions you may have to these stimuli and then allow them to pass through your conscious mind until you are ready to come back to the speaker's voice.

Now the practice of Yoga Nidra begins.

Following your breath,

Take a deep inhale and a full exhale.

Allow your body to release tension as you take the next breath in and out.

Let go of busyness in the mind with another breath.

Take another breath,

Releasing a little bit deeper.

Relax now even further.

Turning inwards,

Imagine your inner being like a pool of water,

Still,

Or maybe observing tiny ripples on the surface.

Out of this pool,

Allow your sankalpa to arise.

A sankalpa is a desire that comes from your heart or from your spirit.

Let it arise as a word,

A shape,

Light,

Or any way that it appears to you.

You may see your sankalpa,

You may hear it,

Know it,

Or feel it.

Allow a few breaths to acknowledge what arises.

If what arises does not make sense right away,

That's okay.

If nothing arises,

That's okay.

Be with the space and intention to allow your sankalpa to appear when you are ready.

Notice if ego tries to step in to change,

Reject,

Or edit your sankalpa.

If that happens,

Thank your thinking mind for trying to help,

But choose to accept and acknowledge your sankalpa in its original form.

Now make a simple,

Positive,

And present tense sentence from your sankalpa.

Some examples are I trust myself and my path.

I am abundant and successful.

I am happy.

In your mind,

Confidently repeat your sankalpa sentence three times.

This plants and nurtures the seed of your sankalpa in your awareness.

Relax into the surface you are resting upon.

Relax your body.

Relax your whole body.

Allow back body to feel held and weighted.

Allow back body to feel gravity.

Allow front body to feel gravity.

Whole body relaxed.

Bring attention to your left foot.

Feel left foot weighted,

Heavy.

Feel left leg sinking and relaxed.

Feel right foot weighted,

Heavy.

Feel right leg weighted,

Sinking.

Sense your hips.

Feel your glutes,

Pelvis relaxed and weighted.

Feel low back released.

Sense gravity releasing mid back and upper back.

Gravity at your lower abdominals,

Middle belly,

And feeling release at your rib cage and chest.

Upper chest relaxed and released.

Aware of left hand heavy.

Left arm held by the surface beneath you.

Right hand relaxed.

Right arm weighted and releasing.

Focussedness in your shoulders,

Your throat.

Back of head very,

Very heavy.

Jaw released and melting.

Chin,

Lips,

And mouth experience gravity.

Cheeks,

Temples,

Eyes heavy and relaxed.

Your head releasing and melting.

Top of head connected.

Whole back body gravity.

Whole front body gravity.

Whole body feeling weighted,

Feeling held.

Now imagine your inner sanctuary.

Please imagine a place where you feel serene and comfortable.

A place where you can experience your whole self.

See this place.

It's colors,

Shapes,

Movement.

Perhaps there is nature in your sanctuary or it could be a place that is home to you.

Invite in the experience of any sounds,

Smells,

Tastes,

And physical touch.

Feel the radiance of this place and be awareness.

Aware of the contentment of this place.

At any time during this practice,

You may return to your inner sanctuary.

Notice that there is a door in your sanctuary that calls your attention.

It feels inviting,

Safe,

And with curiosity you step towards this door.

Notice the features of the door.

It's textures,

Shapes,

Colors,

Materials.

Press the door and it opens.

On the other side is a path.

You step forward onto the path and it brings you to the edge of a sand dune.

A hill of sand with blades of green and yellow grass swaying in the breeze.

You see a glimmer of ocean water over the dunes.

Notice the color of the sky and if it is night or day,

Notice if there are clouds and the temperature of the air.

Step closer towards the dunes and see a wooden plank path to lead you over the dune and to the beach.

The beach is an extension of your inner sanctuary and you continue to feel the connection to radiance and peace.

As you step onto the beach,

Become keenly aware of your senses.

There are the traditional five senses of the body,

But there are actually many more senses that humans have and we will explore some of those as well.

Starting now with the familiar five senses,

Notice which is the most prominent right now to you as you step onto the beach.

Sight,

Sound,

Smell,

Taste or touch.

Soaking in that first sense of awareness.

Now focus on the sense of sight.

Is the water moving fast or slow?

Are there waves and are they small,

Medium or large?

What is the color of the water?

Look at what is beneath your feet.

Sand,

Pebbles,

Maybe stones or shells,

Rocks,

Sea grass,

Maybe seaweed,

Anything else.

What other features can you see?

Now move attention to the senses of smell and taste.

What sense can you pick up on your beach?

Do those sense carry over to tastes as you breathe them in?

Perhaps you pick up on additional smells and tastes.

Now begin to move down the beach.

You can imagine having shoes on and hear the crunch of the pebbles and shells and sand as you take each step.

How does the sensation feel as you step?

Perhaps you choose to remove your shoes and feel the sensation of sand on your feet as you walk.

You can also walk along the edge of the water and hear the sounds of the water and the sensations on your skin.

What else can you feel?

Breeze,

The mist of water droplets spraying from the waves.

What else can you hear?

Birds,

The sound of wind in the dune grass.

Now we will focus on some of the additional senses,

Starting with the sense of energy.

Can you locate the energy sources on this beach?

Perhaps you sense the power and movement of the ocean.

The energy of the dune grass or other plants growing and living on your beach.

The sun's radiance or the pull of gravity.

Focus back on the energy source that you first noticed.

What does this energy feel like?

What would it look like,

Sound like and smell like if it was detectable in such waves?

Let your awareness rest on this energy.

Now let yourself be fully connected with this energy as if you were a part of it,

A stream of energy.

What does that feel like to you?

Now release the focus on the energy source and connect with the sense of time.

When in time are you?

If it is right now,

What does that mean?

Notice that the sand and pebbles have had a long journey in time,

Ground down from larger rocks and boulders and mountains and earth over time.

Standing on the earth,

In the galaxy,

In the universe,

Can you detect time?

Spend a moment in connection with time or timelessness.

Now release the focus on time and tune into your sense of where you are in space.

Notice the space around the beach.

Notice you are standing on a beach.

Perhaps you can feel a sense of being on an edge of a mass of land.

Observing the ocean water,

Its vastness,

Think about where it traveled from and where it will travel to.

At some point these ocean water molecules took the shape of rivers,

Lakes and streams in other places.

The water has undertaken cycles of evaporation and rain.

The vast sea water made of many single drops.

The water made of hydrogen and oxygen.

Reach into the ocean and cup some water in your hands.

Focus on the small volume of water you hold compared to the ocean.

Notice that although it is vast,

It can slip through your fingers so easily.

Holding the water in your hand,

Think of the water droplets and remember what raindrops feel like.

Now focus into the molecules of water and their smallness.

Go even deeper,

Right into the oxygen and hydrogen atoms.

Shrinking yourself so small that you can travel in the space between the electrons of the atoms.

If you were small as an electron,

A hydrogen proton would seem so far away in space.

Now begin to bring your mind back from the concept of space and back into where you are on the beach.

Feel all the sensations you have felt.

Feel your emotions and identify them.

Where do you feel it in your body?

Allow the emotion to fill your body and truly feel it with your whole being.

Still standing at the edge of the ocean water,

Feel the temperature and touch of the lapping waves mixed in with the sensation of the wet sand.

Gazing out over the ocean water,

You see and hear the rhythm of the waves.

You notice the crests of the waves far out ahead,

Perhaps breaking on a sand bar.

Notice what emotions you feel as you see these large and distant waves crashing.

Now looking just a few steps in front of you,

See the crests of the smaller waves in front of you.

See the foam and the shapes that they make.

Feel the emotions that arise with the waves.

Looking down where you stand,

See the white foam of the water approaching and receding with each incoming and outgoing wave.

Again noting the emotions that come and go.

Just like the crests of the waves,

Your emotions are fluid and moving.

As awareness,

You tap into what is deeper than the tips of the waves.

Awareness runs as deep as the farthest depths of the ocean.

Be the awareness.

You can continue standing at the edge of the water or you could sit down in the gentle waves of the ocean.

Your eyes look out as far as the horizon,

Far away,

But barely the extent of the full ocean or sea.

Your mind begins to travel beyond that horizon,

Thinking of the salt water as it reaches hundreds or thousands of miles away to the next piece of land.

Your mind keeps traveling and you realize that the water wraps around the land,

Hugging its curves and its jagged edges,

Embracing places that are hot,

Freezing cold,

And everywhere in between.

Tracing the water with your mind and exploring into the adjacent sea or ocean on the globe,

Connecting water and life all throughout.

Your mind dives into one of the seas and you know that the ocean is providing home for many animals,

Fish,

Tiny creatures,

And plants.

You wonder if there are species with which we share this earth whom we have yet to meet.

Your mind keeps circling around the globe,

Experiencing warm and cold,

Currents,

And stillness.

Your mind wanders back to the beach where your body is resting and returns to your body.

But upon returning,

You sense something different.

Having traveled all this way,

Your breath is now one and the same with the ocean's waves,

Feeling her rhythm as your own heartbeat.

Rest for a moment in this connectedness.

Still embodying an expansive awareness,

Bring your attention back to your body at the edge of the water.

With the confidence that comes with being one with the ocean,

You step further into the water and begin to swim.

We will go on a journey through the sea,

Diving to explore.

You may imagine anything that keeps you at ease during this journey.

You will be able to breathe easily under the water.

You could also imagine yourself in a wetsuit with diving gear.

You can turn yourself into a fish,

A dolphin,

Whale,

A seal.

Perhaps you travel with a school of fish or a pod of dolphins or whales so that you have friends accompanying you along the way.

Remember that at any time,

You may return to your inner sanctuary.

The water will be safe for you and remember that your breaths are one with the ocean's breaths.

Begin now to swim and dive into the ocean.

You swim easily,

Never tiring and the water feels comforting.

You can see the bottom of the ocean,

The sand,

Seaweed and colorful plants.

You may even see coral.

Allow yourself to explore,

Scanning with your eyes and feel the peaceful energy of this underwater world.

After swimming for some time,

A shiny object poking up from the sand draws your attention.

You swim over and as you get closer,

It looks to be a gold coin.

You pick it up and look at it,

Feeling it in the palm of your hand.

As you inspect it,

You see that the coin is engraved with the profile of your face and it is marked with the year of your birth.

Holding the coin,

Notice the emotions and thoughts that flow in and out of mind with this discovery.

Peering down again at the sand,

You notice an edge of wood sticking up through the sand.

You swim closer and brush the sand off.

It is the top of a wooden box,

Covered in sand and some seaweed.

Your hand sweeps across the top of the box and grabs hold of the corners.

It easily lifts up out of the sand and as you place it down,

You see that this is a closed treasure chest.

Take a moment to inspect the outside of the treasure chest and be with thoughts or emotions you feel with the anticipation of what might be contained within it.

Having connected back with awareness,

You now feel ready to open the treasure box.

You open the lid,

However the contents are not yet revealed.

There is a cloth placed on top of whatever is inside.

There is also an envelope affixed to the inside of the lid.

You reach for the envelope amazed that the paper appears not to be wet despite being well underwater.

Opening the envelope,

There is a note inside,

The ink of the writing remarkably intact.

The note reads,

Dear Friend,

This treasure chest contains something more valuable than coins,

Pearls or jewels.

Within this box is something that is a token of your higher purpose,

Your path.

You may find a message or a reminder.

It could be something that you are grateful for in your life.

The note is not signed,

Further adding to your curiosity.

You insert the note back into the envelope and place the envelope where you found it on the inside of the chest lid.

You now look more closely at the cloth that is covering the contents of the box.

Although still eager to find out what is inside,

You pause to examine this cloth as you have a sense that the cloth is part of the message.

Notice the color and texture of the cloth.

Is it a solid color or patterned?

Is it made of one or multiple types of materials?

Is it silk,

Cotton,

Yarn or another composition?

Feel the cloth with your hands,

Amazingly,

Like the note,

Not wet.

Maybe there is a scent to this cloth as well.

Spend a moment with it.

As awareness,

Feel the gentle currents of the water around you,

Clearing space to allow for presence.

You feel open,

Peaceful and ready to reveal the remaining contents of the treasure chest and gently you pull back the cloth.

You now see,

Know,

Hear or sense the message or reminder.

Spend a moment allowing the message to arise.

Staying present to the gift of the box,

Feel the warmth,

Peace,

Gratitude,

Happiness,

Ease or other emotions that come along with the message.

Your heart filled with gratitude,

You know you can recall this message anytime you like.

What was in the treasure chest has transferred to your heart and soul.

You are vibrating high and you gaze down into the box again and notice that there is a second envelope at the bottom with a different note.

You open it and it reads,

Friend,

You are seen,

You are supported and you are loved.

Take the blank gold coin and toss it nearby so that another explorer drawn to this place by their heart will find this magic treasure chest.

Keep the coin with your image as a reminder that you are the greatest treasure there could be.

As you read the note,

A blank gold coin has appeared in the palm of your hand.

You glance at your other hand seeing that you still hold the coin with your image.

Re-sealing the second note and placing it back,

You close the lid of the treasure chest.

It sinks on its own back into the sand,

Seaweed moving to cover it just like you found it.

You close your eyes and let your hand drop the blank coin intuitively into the sand near the chest.

You begin to swim back to shore,

Taking a glance back and seeing the shine of the coin and the edge of the box,

Feeling happiness and joy that someone else will one day find it and also receive a magical message.

Swimming and swimming along,

You reach the shore.

You stand up and walk out of the water to the beach,

Feeling each step along the way.

Standing again at the edge of the water,

You wonder at how far you swam.

You ponder again the expansiveness of the ocean and your connection of your breath to her tide.

You understand emotions as the crests of the waves and you remember your treasure is much deeper than any surface.

Walking back along the beach,

Back towards the pathway that leads to the door of your inner sanctuary.

Pass through the door and re-enter your sanctuary.

Feel the contentment and harmony.

Feel the energy of your breath.

Remind yourself of your sankalpa.

Say your sankalpa to yourself three times.

Remember the message of the underwater treasure chest.

Feel gratitude.

Bring awareness to your body in the position it is in.

You may continue to rest here in your body and drift off to deep sleep.

If you are choosing to arise,

Slowly move fingers,

Then toes.

Adding wrists and ankles.

Adding movement as slowly as you like.

When you hear the sound of the bell,

It will signal the end of the yoga nidra practice.

You will awaken refreshed and renewed.

The yoga nidra practice is complete.

Thank you and be well.

Reviews

Stunning meditation Cindy, fealty settled me .
Namasta
🙏🏻

Love the ocean metaphor

Amazing thankyou x

Fell asleep. Was awesome 👍🙏⭐️

A beautiful restorative journey.

Lovely. I love anything ocean and beach. Relaxing and centering. Thank you. ☮️💖🙏⛱️