Yoga Nidra: Tend To Yourself

Yoga Nidra. A guided relaxation practice that guides you through your body and invites you to tend to yourself with whatever quality of attention you need. Includes a short talk about yoga nidra at the beginning and a slow re-emerging back into the world.

Transcript

Welcome to this yoga nidra practice.

My name is Emma Baker.

So yoga nidra is also called yogic sleep.

And typically,

It is a practice that helps us to get really in touch with our body and enter a state of rest that feels something between being asleep and being awake.

So you're very deeply resting,

But at the same time,

There's a real depth of awareness to what's going on in your inner world,

Perhaps what's going on in your outer world and letting those two integrate.

Often in a yoga nidra practice,

We're guiding you through your body and you may drift in and out.

So you might be following along for a while and then you drift off into some other part of your inner adventures and then all of a sudden we're further down the body than you remember being and that's fine.

What I'd like you to consider is that rather than having to really force yourself to stay with me and pay attention to each point in your body,

Because that can cause actually more mental strain and tension is to think about this particular yoga nidra practice as an opportunity to tend to yourself,

To tend to any sensations that are arising in your body,

To tend to any tension that's arising in your body.

Background tension will naturally want to rise to the foreground as you settle into relaxation.

Emotions and feelings might arise and you can take that opportunity to tend to those as well as you move through your practice,

As you move through your body.

You might also be tending to any thoughts that arise and you might also be tending to whatever is in your heart today.

Please know that you can linger in any part of your body for as long as you like and yoga nidra is typically this idea of paying attention in your body,

Moving through your body,

Paying particular attention to different points in the body as I call them out.

But instead of this idea of attention being this real harsh focus,

I'd like to introduce you to the root of the word attention,

Which is ten,

T-E-N,

Like the number ten.

And the same root word gives us the words tender and to tend.

So rather than attention feeling like this very harsh,

Forward brow,

You're in trouble for daydreaming at school kind of attention,

I want you to feel that your attention is tender and that as you are moving through your body,

Following along as best you can,

But knowing that drifting is part of the process,

That you are tending to yourself during this time,

Tending to sensations,

Tending to tension,

Tending to thoughts and feelings and tending to your heart.

So please go ahead and make yourself luxuriously comfortable.

Yoga nidra is typically done laying down with your body nice and stretched out,

But you may like to have something supporting underneath your knees.

You might like to be semi reclined if laying flat on your back for a prolonged period of time doesn't feel right for you today.

You could also set up in a comfortable position laying on your side if that feels better for you today.

But typically you want to have your body stretched out.

So as you're moving through your body,

It's a little easier to locate those places.

And there's a feeling of spaciousness in your body.

So go ahead and make yourself comfortable.

Taking your time to do that and knowing that you can adjust as needed.

And know that throughout this practice,

There will be prolonged periods of silence at times.

And that I'm still here with you.

You may drift off to sleep and not even hear the end of the practice.

That's fine too.

This is your time,

Your space,

Your practice,

Let it be what you need it to be.

So as you get nice and comfortable,

Take a few nice full deep breaths,

Just however feels good.

Maybe taking a sigh out as you let the weight of your bones and your muscles settle a little more into the support that you've created for yourself.

Beginning to claim this time and space for yourself as an opportunity to tend to yourself just like a gardener might tend to their garden.

The way a mother holds their baby tending to it.

The way a musician tunes their instrument as they tend to it.

You are tending to yourself.

Let's take a couple of tense to relax breaths.

So tensing the upper body,

Forming fists with your hands,

You might shrug your shoulders,

Holding that tension for a moment,

Holding that tension,

See if you can get a little bit more tense.

And then big sigh out as you release.

See if you can release those muscles just a little bit more with your next exhale.

And lower body.

So tensing the big muscles of your legs,

Curling your toes,

Tensing your belly,

Squeezing your hips,

Holding that tension in your body,

Tensing maybe a little bit tighter and holding that tension,

Holding that tension.

And then big sigh out as you release.

With the next couple of exhalations,

See if you can find a new layer of softness,

A new layer of releasing for your belly and your hips and your legs and your feet.

And then whole body now.

So tensing your legs,

Your feet,

Your belly,

Your hips,

Your shoulders,

Your arms,

Your fists,

And even your jaw and your face now.

Holding that tension in your body,

Holding that tension.

Think about anything that's caused you tension from the day,

You're holding it for a moment,

Really feeling that tension in your body.

And with a big sigh out,

Release.

And with your next few exhalations,

See if you can find those new layers of softness,

New layers of releasing through your face,

Your shoulders,

Your arms,

Your belly,

Your legs,

Your feet.

And if there's anything from the day so far that you feel that you need to make peace with,

You might take another tense to relax breath.

Or you might just keep that in mind and see if you can soften,

Sigh it out.

What do you need to make peace with within yourself,

Within your day,

Within your life in order to find a new layer of softness,

New layer of trusting the support beneath you.

And then beginning to let your breath settle into a nice,

Easy,

Spontaneous,

Casual rhythm.

So that might mean that it's fairly smooth and easy for the most part.

But then every now and then there's a sigh or yawn or gasping breath as your body recalibrates to relaxation and to unwinding and uncoiling.

And as you feel your breath moving tenderly and freely inside of you,

Consider with what quality of attention do you want to tend to yourself with today?

You might want to welcome a quality of peace or trust or love,

Support,

Soothing quality,

Caring quality,

Softness,

And encouraging quality.

As you consider how you'd like to use this time to tend to yourself,

Your mind,

Your body,

Your heart,

What particular quality of attention would you like to cultivate and meet yourself with?

And take a few moments to see if you can get that quality to reflect in the way that you are breathing.

So a softness to your breath or a soothing rhythm to your breath or to feel the support of your breath.

Or a tender breath,

Compassionate breath,

And energizing breath.

So anytime you drift away from feeling into your body or away from my voice,

Explore for as long as is needed.

And when you recognize that you are welcoming yourself back into my voice and back into your body,

You can remember this quality,

The way you want to tend to yourself,

The way you want to meet yourself.

And take a breath with it.

Find where in your body you would like to land,

Where in your body needs a little more tending,

Or maybe you just join in where my voice is leading you into your body.

So as you keep that quality of attention to your breathing,

Begin to move around your body now.

Listening to any information that's arising in the form of thoughts and sensations and tension.

Receiving and gathering information so that you can tend to yourself.

So beginning in your head,

Letting your attention land lightly and move through your head and your face from the top of your head.

And you're tending to anything that you find along the way.

Smoothing out across your forehead and your brow.

Tending to any tension and sensation in your eyes by softening there.

Remember that you can linger in any point in your body where it feels necessary or nourishing to stay and tend for a little while longer.

Just like some plants in the garden need a little more tending,

Parts of your body might need a little more tending too.

Softening through your eyes.

And as your attention moves through your face to your cheekbones,

Your ears tending there.

And to your nose.

Perhaps for a couple breaths you can feel the breeze of your breath at your nostrils.

And continuing as you tend to your jaw or your mouth.

If there's a lot of tension being stored there,

You might stretch your jaw wide open.

And let it soften back into place.

Another way that you can tend to that tension,

Tend to that space.

Maybe sigh out through your mouth a couple of times.

And continuing to survey down through your neck and your throat.

Seeing what needs to be tended to.

If there's any tension in your throat,

Consider if there's anything that you need to give voice to.

Within the safety and the sanctuary of your meditation,

There's anything that you've been needing to say,

Needing to express,

You might say it out loud or whisper it to yourself.

Just free it from that space around your throat.

Or maybe gently rock your head from side to side.

Inviting that same quality of attention that you chose at the beginning.

And then tending there as long as you like or moving down to your shoulders,

Left and right.

Your upper arms.

Your elbows.

Your lower arms.

Your wrists.

Your hands.

Your fingers.

And your fingertips.

Just taking a moment to tend to any sensations in your arms.

And perhaps feeling as though you can breathe from the tips of your fingers all the way up to your shoulders.

And then exhale,

Pouring your breath back down through your arms,

Out through your fingertips.

So you're inviting nourishment and energy in from the tips of your fingers all the way up your arms into your shoulders.

And then pouring that energy back down.

And then moving your attention from your fingers back through your hands.

Your wrists.

And lower arms.

Your elbows.

And upper arms.

And shoulders.

And to your upper back.

And your chest.

And meeting yourself right here at your chest and your heart,

This feeling center of you and feel what is in your heart today.

Might take a few fuller breaths and feel the massage of your breath in and around your heart space.

Tending to your heart.

Back of your heart.

Your upper back.

Space all around your heart and your chest.

Welcoming that quality of attention into your heart.

That quality of love or peace or support.

How would you like to meet and tend to whatever is in your heart today?

Taking a few more breaths here.

Feeling your breath massaging in and around your heart and your fingertips in your eyes.

And you may stay and tend to whatever is in your heart for a little while longer.

You might like to start to move your attention down to your belly,

Your upper belly,

Your lower belly and then to your lower back,

Beginning to sense whatever is going on in this space of your body and if there's any tending required here with your breath,

With your attention,

Feeling your breath,

Moving in your belly,

Expanding that space and softening that space.

And serving your hips and your thighs as you walk your way down your legs left and right.

Surveying to see what needs to be tended to in your body today.

Down to your knees left and right.

Your calves,

Your ankles,

Your feet and your toes.

Scanning,

Surveying,

Tending to any sensations in your legs.

Anything that's arising as you survey the lower part of your body from your hips to your thighs,

Your knees,

Your lower legs,

Ankles,

Feet and toes.

Feeling that same quality of attention that you've been craving.

Pour through your legs.

American And seeing if you can get a sense of your whole physical form,

Just keeping your attention nice and soft.

Take a few breaths,

Imagining that your whole body is inhaling and your whole body is exhaling.

Meeting yourself,

Breathing with this quality,

Infusing your body with this quality of peace or soothing or energy.

Inhaling as though your whole body,

Every single cell of you is inhaling.

And exhaling as though your whole body is exhaling,

Sighing,

Yawning,

Releasing.

Finding new layers of softness and relaxation with every exhalation.

Exhaling as though your whole body is inhaling.

You get to go back through your body again,

Tending as you go.

This time starting at your toes,

The soles of your feet,

Your ankles,

Your calves,

Your knees,

Thighs,

Your knees,

Your hips,

Gathering information and tending as you go into your lower back,

Your lower belly,

Your upper belly,

And your chest and your heart again.

Feel again that massage from your breath in and around your heart,

Tending to whatever is in your heart again or anywhere else in your body you feel needs some tending.

Feel your breath gathering in and out from your heart and your chest.

That quality gathering in to the center and then rippling out from the center.

And then moving your attention gently to your upper back,

That space behind your heart,

Into your shoulders,

Your upper arms,

Your lower arms,

Your wrists,

And hands,

And your fingers and fingertips.

Letting your attention pour through your arms.

Sometimes just the attention is all the tending that is needed to find a new layer of relaxation.

Once again,

Feel as though you're inhaling from the tips of your fingers all the way up to your shoulders and then exhaling back out through your fingertips,

Drawing that quality in as you inhale and pouring it down through your arms and out through your fingertips as you breathe out.

Letting your attention pour through your arms and out through your hips.

And gently as you go moving your attention from your fingertips back through your hands,

Your wrists,

Lower arms,

Upper arms,

Your shoulders,

Your neck and your throat.

Sometimes again the opportunity to give voice to anything that is still feeling stuck there even if the words are just for you.

We're making a sound or a sigh there.

Letting your attention pour through your hands and your wrists and your hips.

Back to your nose,

Feeling the breeze of your breath at your nostrils for a few leisurely breaths.

Moving your attention to your cheekbones and eyes and eyebrows again.

See if you can find a new layer of softness and releasing there.

To your forehead,

Tending to any ideas or thoughts or tension there.

And to the top of your head.

And again,

Seeing if you can feel the breeze.

And again,

Seeing if you can sense your whole physical form.

Inhaling as though your whole body is inhaling.

And exhaling as though your whole body is exhaling.

For the next few minutes of quiet you are invited to move around your body,

Land anywhere in your body or your mind that needs a little more tending.

And this may look different for each person on a different day.

To tend to yourself might mean to set your mind free to wander.

To tend to a thought or an idea.

How lucky to have the time and space to do so from a place of relaxation and ease.

It might mean to welcome a little bit of movement into your body for an area in your body that is really asking for your attention through some aches or pains or tension.

Just keeping this very soft approach to whatever you do in this time.

So whether you're tending to a sensation in your body just with your attention or your breathing or whether you're welcoming some movement or whether you are tending to an idea,

A plan or tending to something that's in your heart.

Be with it in your own way.

Thank you.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

You might feel ready to emerge for whatever is next in your day.

See if you can make this transition nice and smooth.

So rather than feeling like you are disconnecting from yourself now and from your inner world and your practice,

That there's an integration that happens as you prepare to move out into the world again.

Can you bring some of this quality of attention you've been tending to yourself with into your actions and interactions?

You might like to move or stretch.

You might use this time of transition to make a little mental note of ways that you can continue to tend to yourself in your outer life in action.

Make a nourishing meal or to take a walk or a bath or to call a friend.

All of these ways that we can continue to tend to ourselves off the mat.

If you are concluding your practice here with me today,

Then make your way slowly and easily upright.

Sometimes this just helps to feel a sense of readiness again for the day.

You might even stretch your arms up and out and take up some space and explore the space around you as you sit up.

And you can place your hands in Anjali Mudra with the palms of your hands together and your thumbs to your sternum.

Or you might like to place one hand to your heart and one hand to your belly.

And this act of listening and continuing to tend both of these mudras,

Anjali Mudra or hands to heart and belly.

A way to communicate to yourself that you're still here,

You're still listening.

A moment of appreciation for yourself for carving out this chunk of time to restore,

Renew and tend to yourself.

Thank you so much for sharing your practice.