Yoga Nidra | Return To Center

Yoga Nidra is an ancient healing practice shown to help us ease anxiety, restore energy, and instill ease by helping us connect to our deepest sense of self. Before you begin, take some time to get comfortable, laying down or seated, using blankets and pillows for support to really allow you to settle in for deep nourishment and healing. Anecdotally, 30-minutes of Yoga Nidra has been likened to receiving 3 hours of restorative sleep. Try it out for yourself.

Transcript

Hello and welcome.

My name is Dr.

Caitlin Clark and it's an honor to hold this space for you today to practice rest rejuvenation to find some steadiness with the practice of yoga nidra.

Settling into silence and stillness.

Sensing and moving your body a little to feel even a five or ten percent more comfortable.

Allowing your breath to settle in.

Perhaps even lengthening the breath just slightly maybe a count of three or four for every inhale.

And maybe even a longer exhale to four or six.

Breathing this way naturally turns on our parasympathetic nervous system allowing our being to settle into a state of rest with more ease.

Bring your awareness to your eyes now.

Inviting your eyes to soften.

Maybe even close.

If closing your eyes does not feel okay to you today that is perfectly fine.

Honor yourself.

Keeping your eyes open.

Perhaps explore with what it feels like to soften your gaze looking downward slightly and not at any one thing in particular.

Notice the brow soften.

The space between the eyebrows soften.

Jaw gently unhinging.

Tongue settling back away from the roof of your mouth.

Softening in the neck and shoulders.

Arms.

Torso.

And legs.

Your entire body and mind settling into this moment.

Allowing all things that came before this moment to fade away into the past.

And all things yet to come hold their place gently in the future.

Allowing yourself to step into this moment of just being.

And throughout this practice of yoga nidra I'll invite you to witness all experiences you have.

As objects floating in and out of your conscious awareness.

Every emotion,

Sound,

Sensation,

Image or thought.

As an object floating in and out of your conscious awareness you a steady presence witnessing these experiences coming and going.

Everything just as it is.

Welcome every experience you have as a messenger,

As an opportunity to move closer towards healing and health and wholeness.

To a greater clarity of your soul's purpose in this lifetime.

And it's okay if you do not hear everything that I say.

Your mind naturally wanders in and out of conscious hearing.

And yoga nidra also called divine sleep.

Falling asleep is welcome.

And maybe even encouraged.

And when you notice that your mind has wandered away gently guide it back to the sound of my voice.

Allowing my voice to become your voice.

Knowing that the deepest part of you is always listening.

Always hearing.

Bringing attention now to sound in your environment.

Noticing all the places where your body is touching the surface that's supporting it.

And allowing your body to settle in more fully into those places of support into the earth.

The air,

The notice,

Air touching your skin.

And the feeling of letting go and being at ease throughout all levels of your body and mind.

Settling in now for deep rest and deep nourishment.

Into the silence and stillness of the practice of yoga nidra.

Allowing into this open space.

Your deepest heartfelt desire to spontaneously bubble up from deep within.

Connecting in with your heart space.

And asking what do I want more than anything else in this lifetime?

Whatever arises,

Hold this in your awareness.

With curiosity and openness.

And if nothing arises in this moment,

That too is your experience and it is perfect.

Hold whatever arises just as it is.

And now invite into your consciousness your intention for your practice today.

What brought you into this time and space?

Perhaps it was for deep rest and nourishment.

To cut the momentum of the forward leaning pace of busy doing lives.

To find some clarity in the ongoing uncertainty that we're all experiencing right now.

Whatever your intention,

Hold it in your awareness.

Knowing that some say if we can think it,

It is already true.

What if your intention was already happening?

And now connect in with your inner resource.

The place within your being where you already feel a sense of calm and ease.

Perhaps inviting the image of a particular place,

Person or experience that evokes the sense of calm and ease throughout your entire body and mind.

Using all five senses to enhance your experience.

Notice sights,

Sounds,

Sensations,

Smells and tastes.

Then invite a sense of calm and ease to every aspect of your being and beyond.

Yogi's liken this to an inner light,

A flame that while it may dim never diminishes,

Never extinguishes.

And so affirm that you always return to this inner resource at any time,

Day or night,

Whenever you feel the need to take a momentary time out to rest,

To restore and to feel totally secure and at ease.

Rotate your awareness now through your body,

Noticing and welcoming sensation.

You may feel something or little at all.

Whatever your experience is perfect,

Just as it is.

Bring awareness to sensation in your mouth.

Feel your mouth.

Tongue.

Roof of the mouth.

Teeth.

Lips and gums.

The entire mouth,

The field of radiant vibration.

Bring awareness to sensation of the left nostril,

Right nostril.

The flow of air and sensation inside both nostrils.

Exercises sensation of the right eye,

Eyebrow,

Temple,

Cheekbone.

Sensation of the entire right eye.

Left eye,

Eyebrow,

Temple,

Cheekbone.

Sensation of the entire left eye.

Both eyes together now.

Both eyes radiant and glowing.

Following sensation to the inside of your left ear.

Feel your left ear hearing.

Sensation now into your right ear.

Feeling your right ear hearing.

Both ears together now at the same time.

Both ears picking up raw sensation of sound in your awareness.

From the inside out feeling sensation of your forehead.

Scalp.

Back of the head.

Neck.

Your entire face,

Head and neck.

A field of radiant vibration.

Bringing awareness to sensation of the left shoulder.

Left upper arm.

Forearm.

Riffs.

Palm.

Thumb.

First finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger.

The flow of sensation,

The entire left arm and hand.

Feeling sensation of the right shoulder.

Right upper arm.

Forearm.

Riffs.

Palm.

Thumb.

First finger.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

The flow of air and sensation,

The entire right arm and hand.

Facing both arms at the same time.

A field of radiant sensation.

Bring awareness to the upper back.

Mid-back.

Lower back.

Top of the chest.

Solar plexus.

Belly.

Pelvis.

The entire back of the torso.

The entire front of the torso.

The entire torso,

Front and back,

Inside and outside,

Radiant with vibration.

Notice sensation of the left hip.

Left upper leg.

Knee.

Lower leg.

Ankle and foot.

Sensation of the entire left leg and foot.

Right hip.

Right upper leg.

Knee.

Lower leg.

Ankle and foot.

Sensation of the entire right leg and foot.

Both hips,

Legs and feet,

All together now.

A field of radiant vibration.

Notice the entire back of your body,

A field of sensation.

Front of the body.

Left side of the body.

Right side of the body.

Inside the body.

Outside the body.

The entire body now in your awareness.

A field of radiant vibration.

And feel this body breathing itself.

The natural flow of energy as breath enters and leaves the nostrils.

The gentle rise and fall of the abdomen and chest already happening.

Silently affirm to yourself,

My body is deeply at rest,

Perhaps even asleep,

And I'm aware.

Awake,

Attentive,

And at ease.

Beginning to gently lengthen the already breathing breath.

Gentle lengthening of each inhale and exhale.

And begin counting the breath from 1 to 11,

Noticing and welcoming sensation like this.

Inhaling,

Filling the belly with air,

1.

Exhaling,

Emptying the belly of air,

1.

Inhaling,

Filling the belly with air,

2.

Inhaling,

Filling the belly with air,

1.

Inhaling,

Filling the belly with air,

2.

And so on.

Tension releasing throughout your entire body with each exhalation.

Softening edges.

Smooth and easy.

If you arrive at 11 or happen to lose count,

Simply begin again at 1 with no need to reach 11.

Allowing the breath to guide you into a deeper state of rest and nourishment already happening.

Releasing brow,

Space between your eyebrows.

Eyes relaxed,

Casting downward slightly.

Cheeks,

Jaw.

Neck,

Shoulder.

Arms,

Hands.

Torso,

Legs.

Your entire being settling into deep breaths.

De-nourishment.

Now letting go of any control you have over your breathing.

Allowing counting to fall away.

Allowing your breath to settle back into its natural rhythm and pace.

Noticing with a gentle curiosity the impact of this breathing practice on your body and mind.

And perhaps noticing a deeper connection with something even deeper than the body and mind itself.

Now setting aside thinking,

Memory,

And settle into just being.

Affirming that in this moment you have nowhere to go.

Nothing to do.

Settling into the delightful feeling of just being.

Experiences as objects floating in and out of your conscious awareness.

You,

The place deeper than mind and body.

The gentle and steady witness of all experiences coming and going.

Everything just as it is.

And beginning to come back now.

Coming back feeling grounded and connected to yourself and the world around you.

And the feeling of life living you.

Life living you as one of its unique and perfect expressions.

Already happening.

Silently affirm to yourself,

I walk through this life.

With peace,

Ease,

And clarity.

That I contain within me the perfect response.

The perfect response to each and every moment.

Bring your awareness now to all of the places where your body is touching a surface that's supporting it.

Noticing your breath already happening in your body.

Notice light and color behind your eyelids.

When you feel ready,

Taking your time.

Come fully back to your wide awake and eyes open state.

Grateful,

Deeply grateful.

For taking this time to give yourself this tremendous gift.

And consider that this gift that you have just given to yourself.

You too are giving to everyone you encounter.

As you continue to walk through your coming moments and days.

With a greater sense of peace,

Patience,

And authenticity.

Thank you for joining me in this practice.

It's been an honor.

I look forward to holding space for you again in whatever way that manifests in the coming days and months ahead.

Until then,

Be well.