The Light Of Tara - Yoga Nidra

This practice is inspired by the Tantric Mahavidya Goddess, Tara. The root meaning of her name is 'star,' and she is considered our 'guiding light' - back to ourselves and to the truth of who we are. This practice is particularly potent during times of confusion or when you're feeling a lack of clarity.

You'll be guided through a gentle yoga nidra that invokes the remembrance of Tara's guiding light and that you're the light that you're looking for.

Transcript

Welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.

I'm Shea with Curate Soul and today's practice is inspired by the Dasha Mahavidya Tara.

The root of Tara's name,

Thra,

Means star.

Tara is the one who guides us through the darkness and into the light.

She guides us back to the truth of ourselves.

So take these next few moments to establish a restful shape in your body.

Maybe that is a supine position.

Maybe you are slightly reclined.

You can also find a side lying position or use the wall in some way.

But find a shape that allows you to feel supported,

To be comfortable for these next 15 to 20 minutes.

You're welcome to use any props,

Any support,

Any nesting materials,

Blankets,

Pillows,

Cushions,

Towels.

Also,

Make sure that you will be warm.

As your body begins to relax,

Your temperature may drop and you may find yourself becoming a little bit chilly.

So things like socks,

A sweater,

Or even a light blanket to cover yourself may be needed here.

Consider all of the places where your body is touching the earth or touching a solid surface and notice if those places would like any more propping,

Any more support,

Any more cushioning.

So if your elbows are resting on the earth,

A solid surface,

Maybe you place a blanket beneath you,

Possibly a blanket behind your head or beneath your heels.

And if you're in a supine shape,

Take a moment to notice your low back here.

Make sure that your low back is resting gently on the earth.

And if you notice that your back is lifting away from the earth,

You can place a bolster or a blanket or pillows behind your knees,

Gently lifting the legs and resolving that curve of the spine so that your low back and sacrum begin to sink into the earth.

Please continue to settle and even as your physical body may still be adjusting and moving and settling.

Begin to welcome in this energy,

This quality of stillness and rest.

Begin to shift your awareness from the outer world towards your inner world.

Eventually allow your physical body to come into stillness knowing that at any moment if you need to adjust,

To move,

To shift,

That is available.

Now for this practice,

You are welcome to gaze softly or just close the eyes.

If you are in a brightly lit space,

You may find it helpful to cover your eyes with a blanket or a cloth or a light scarf.

This just allows your awareness to turn inward with more ease.

Now once again,

Begin to sense those places that are touching the earth or touching a surface and let those places become heavy with gravity.

If you are in a place where you can breathe,

Take a deep breath in through your nose and as you exhale,

Release the breath out through the mouth and let the body sink into the earth beneath you.

Do that twice more.

Breathing in,

Exhaling out and once more,

Finding spaciousness as you inhale and sinking into the support of the earth beneath you as you exhale.

Now this time as you breathe in through your nose,

You'll expand once again but on your exhale,

You're going to purse your lips and slowly breathe out through your pursed lips as you were trying to breathe through a straw.

Now do that twice more.

Breathing in through your nose and slowly breathing out through the pursed lips like you're breathing out through a straw.

Final one.

Breathing in,

Allowing the body to settle.

Now as you exhale,

Let the breath out through your nose again to notice the sounds off in the distance and allow your awareness to move from sound to sound.

Now allow those sounds to dissolve and begin to notice the sounds within the space around you.

Finally,

Allow those sounds to dissolve and allow your awareness to move off and begin to hear the sound that is closest to you,

The sound of your own breath.

And just listening,

Listening to the volume of the breath,

The texture of your breath.

Notice what qualities are present.

There's no need to change or control the breath in any way just yet.

You're just noticing how your body is breathing.

Now continue to listen to the sound of your breath and refine the breath so that if there's any hitches in your breath or hitches or breaks,

You begin to smooth any of those hitches or breaks.

And see if you can begin to bring the breath into a balanced rhythm.

So maybe your inhale is for four counts and your exhale is for four counts.

The breath moving easily in and out through the nose,

Balancing the rhythm.

And you can adjust this rhythm.

You can make it shorter or longer.

Find that rhythm that is appropriate for you today.

And finally,

With this smooth and balanced breath,

Continue to turn your awareness inward,

Listening,

Sensing the breath.

Begin to dissolve any pause between your inhale and exhale.

Now beginning to shape the breath,

Refine the breath just a bit more.

You're going to begin to extend your exhale.

So if you are breathing in for four counts,

Exhale for six.

If you are breathing out for five counts,

Breathing in for four and exhaling for six.

If you're inhaling for three,

Exhale for five.

If you're inhaling for five or six,

You're going to exhale for seven or eight.

So you're basically just extending the exhale breath for two counts longer than your inhale.

Please continue.

Now you'll begin to extend the exhale just a little bit longer,

As long as that's comfortable for you.

You can stay with the current breath ratio or you can move into a one to two ratio.

So your exhale is twice as long as your inhale.

If you're breathing in for four,

You'll exhale for eight.

If you're breathing in for three,

You'll exhale for six.

So find your inhale.

Find your exhale.

Find your inhale.

Find your exhale.

Find your exhale.

And allow your exhale to be twice as long.

After your next exhale,

Dissolve this breath rhythm and allow the breath to just flow effortlessly.

Once again,

You're just receiving the inhale and releasing the exhale.

You're sensing or feeling your body breathe.

Maybe now you begin to notice that as the breath comes and goes,

The belly is rising and falling.

The belly expands on the inhale and the belly softens on the exhale.

Just continue to watch your body breathe for the next few breaths.

Now we'll begin a rotation of consciousness.

Here,

All you have to do is just listen to the sound of my voice and let my voice guide your awareness to different areas of your body.

Placing your awareness in that area,

Begin to notice or observe or sense any sensation that may arise or already be present.

Remembering there's no need to change anything.

So bring your awareness to your right-hand thumb.

Awareness moves to the right-hand thumb.

Awareness moves to the tip of the index finger,

Tip of the middle finger,

Tip of the ring finger,

Tip of the little finger,

Tip of the middle finger,

Awareness,

All five fingers,

Palm of the right hand,

Back of the right hand,

Right wrist,

Right elbow,

Right shoulder,

Cave of the right armpit,

Right side of the chest,

Right waist,

Right hip,

Right thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Right ankle,

Top of the foot,

Sole of the foot,

Tip of the right big toe,

Tip of the second toe,

Tip of the third toe,

Tip of the fourth toe,

Tip of the little toe.

Move awareness to the tip of the left thumb.

Awareness at the tip of the left thumb,

Tip of the index finger,

Tip of the middle finger,

Tip of the ring finger,

Tip of the little finger.

Awareness of all five fingers.

Palm of the left hand,

Back of the left hand,

Left wrist,

Left elbow,

Left shoulder,

Cave of the left armpit,

Left side of the chest,

Left waist,

Left hip,

Left thigh,

Right ankle,

Knee,

Shin,

Ankle,

Top of the foot,

Sole of the foot,

Tip of the left big toe,

Tip of the second toe,

Tip of the third toe,

Tip of the fourth toe,

Tip of the little toe.

Awareness moves to the back of the body.

Sense the back of the body.

Awareness moves to the left heel,

The right heel,

Back of the left knee,

Back of the right knee,

Left buttocks,

Right buttocks,

Tailbone,

Sacrum,

Left side of the waist,

Right side of the waist,

Back of the middle of the waist,

Left shoulder blade,

Right shoulder blade,

Back of the left shoulder,

Back of the right shoulder,

Back of the neck,

Back of the head,

Crown of the head,

Space between the eyebrows.

Now with awareness at the space between your eyebrows,

Begin to see,

Sense or imagine a point of starlight,

Point of starlight at the space between the eyebrows.

Now shift awareness to the base of the throat.

See,

Sense or imagine a point of starlight at the base of the throat.

Now move awareness to the center of your chest,

The space of the spiritual heart and see,

Sense or imagine a point of starlight at the center of your chest.

Now continuing to sense or see or imagine that starlight at the center of your chest.

Begin to sense that as you breathe in,

The starlight expands outward.

And as you exhale,

The starlight grows back to that point of concentrated light at the heart center.

Inhale,

The light expands.

Exhale,

Contracting back into a point of starlight.

Please continue.

The next time you inhale,

Move awareness back to the base of the throat.

Exhale,

Letting awareness settle on that point of starlight at the base of your throat.

And your next inhale,

Sense that starlight expand outward.

And exhaling,

Drawing back to that point of starlight.

Please continue.

Awareness remains at the base of the throat.

On your next inhale,

Allow awareness to move to the place between your eyebrows,

Space of the third eye.

Exhaling awareness settles into the space,

Into the point of starlight.

Breathing in,

The starlight expands.

And breathing out,

The starlight once again becomes a concentrated point.

Please continue.

Now allow your awareness to settle once again on that point of starlight at the space between your eyebrows,

That steady point of light at the third eye.

Now allow that point of starlight to dissolve,

Allowing yourself to let go of any efforting.

And as you exhale,

Allow awareness to move inward,

Deep into that space of the midbrain.

And here allow yourself to be absorbed.

Absorbed in rest and effortless and silence for the next two minutes.

Now gently begin to deepen your breath.

Begin to hear the sound of your breath once again.

And as you deepen your breath,

Sense your body pressing into the earth or into the surface you are resting upon.

Notice those places once again that are held and supported.

Now continue to cast your awareness outward and notice the sounds within the space.

And then sounds off in the distance.

As you continue to slowly and gently bring yourself back,

Allow your senses to come back online,

Maybe swallowing and noticing any tastes in your mouth.

Or taking a breath in through your nose and noticing any scent in the space around you.

Finally begin to remember the space that you are in.

Visualize it.

Recall colors and textures and shapes.

Remember where you are in the space.

See yourself in the space.

And eventually allow some spontaneous movement to arise.

Let that movement grow and expand into different areas of your body.

Gently bringing you back.

Finally that movement may shift into a deep stretch or curling into a ball.

You can even roll to one side if that feels appropriate.

But here,

Take your time.

There's no hurry to come back.

And as you come back,

If you would like to take a few moments to free write about your experience,

To draw or to color or to dance,

Just find a way that will allow you to embody your experience.

Of Tara's guiding light today.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

I thank you for joining me and I hope you'll join again soon.