Welcome to this yoga nidra practice for self-love.
Self-love or love alone can mean so many different things to different people at different times.
For this practice,
You can think of love as a quality or texture of attention.
When we care about something,
We devote our attention to it.
And in a world that's full of distractions and dissociation,
Being present and attentive is an act of love.
Like any relationship or friendship,
Self-love is not a destination that we arrive at one day.
It's a continual process of discovery and a continual effort of checking in,
Offering attention and care.
So to set up,
Create a comfortable space to lie down in or find a supported seat,
Meaning you have back support.
Make any adjustments to the position of your body that will allow you to relax more deeply and become even more present with yourself.
If you feel safe to do so,
Close your eyes and begin to use your inner sense of perception to feel the room you're in right now.
Feel to the right of you.
Feel to the left of you.
Feel above and below you.
And then feel your body in relation to the space you're in.
Feel the front of your body and the back of your body.
Feel your entire body.
Feel the way your breath gently moves you and rolls in and out like a wave.
With each inhale,
Feel your brain and your body nourished by the air,
Allowing your breathing to follow a natural rhythm,
Following the wisdom of your body,
Who breathes for you all the time,
Without you having to ask or do or be anything.
Take this moment to acknowledge and thank your wise body for all the autonomic and automatic functions it does for you in every moment.
Recognize the embodied support,
The loving presence of your body,
Of your breath,
Of your heart beating,
And all the other microscopic yet utterly important tasks your body is carrying out at this very moment,
All in support of you.
We'll now travel through the body,
Exploring what it feels like to be present with each part of your body,
As I name it,
Remembering that our presence and attention is an offering of love.
We'll start on the right side of the body.
Bring your attention to your right hand.
Feel and sense the entire right side of your body,
Left side of the ribcage and lung.
Now feel your entire face,
Your whole face,
All together,
That you're feeling and sensing your entire body.
Bring your attention to your heart space now.
With the creative powers of your imagination,
Start to visualize the color green.
So we'll use it as a visual representation of your heart's energy.
You're spreading paint across a canvas.
Feel this channel of energy up to the neural structures of your eyes,
Like electricity creating a feedback loop through your eyes and back down to your heart.
And with this connection from your heart to your eyes,
Point the gaze of your awareness back at yourself,
Body through the eyes of love,
Mind through the eyes of love.
From this perspective,
Infused with heart energy,
What does self-love feel like for me?
What kind of love is my body craving from me?
And ask yourself,
What does my heart need more of?
Let's take a moment to honor and acknowledge our brave hearts for beating with strength and for courageously extending their love.
Let's also acknowledge our beautiful eyes and their willingness to look at all that exists in this world.
Let's dedicate the energetic benefits received from doing this practice today to all the human beings who feel unable to give themselves love right now,
Energetically sharing what we've cultivated here with them.
With that,
We'll complete this practice.
Start to feel into your body once more.
Take any gentle movements that feel good for you.
Feel into the space around you.
Notice what you hear.
When you're ready,
Opening your eyes,
Bringing with you the eyes of love that see yourself and others around you while remaining connected to your heart.
