Yoga Nidra For Self-Compassion
by Emma Gwillim
A trauma-informed yoga Nidra practice to explore the themes of loving kindness and self-compassion, with a focus on anahata - the heart chakra. Anahata is translated as 'unhurt' or 'unstuck' - it describes pure and unconditional love. This 25-minute practice begins by cultivating a sense of safety before we begin a gently guided body scan, breath awareness, and visualization. An inner resource will act as your safe haven to return to at any point. The yoga Nidra meditation is accompanied by soft, ambient music. As always, please take responsibility for your own well-being and listen to your body’s wisdom. Make any adjustments you need and adapt the practice for any contraindications. Music by Pond5.
Transcript
This is a short guided practice of yoga nidra for self compassion and acceptance.
I'll share a trauma informed practice that will begin with cultivating a sense of safety before we begin a gently guided body scan,
Breath awareness and visualisation.
An inner resource will act as your safe haven that you can choose to return to at any point.
We'll be exploring the themes of loving kindness and self compassion with a focus on anahata,
The heart chakra.
Anahata is translated as unhurt or unstuck.
It describes pure unconditional love.
The practice will last around 20 minutes and I'll let you know when it's complete.
There's nothing for you to do or be,
Just arriving exactly as you are,
Honouring yourself for this compassionate act of making time for this practice,
Making time for your well-being.
So to prepare for the practice,
Gather what you need to feel warm and cosy and begin to settle into a space that feels quiet and safe so that you can fully relax.
Let your eyes gaze around the room and notice something that feels comforting to you.
It may be a colour or shape or texture,
Allowing your awareness to settle here for a moment.
Then bring your attention to sounds around you,
Letting your attention drift from one sound to the next until you find one that is soft or soothing or simply neutral.
Maybe you explore a gentle rocking movement from side to side.
So if you're sitting,
A gentle rock from one sitting bone to the other.
Or if you're lying down,
Maybe drawing the knees towards the chest into a cocoon and then slowly rocking side to side,
A slow gentle movement like rocking a baby.
When that feels complete,
Come to find a centre point where you can begin to settle,
Soften and find stillness.
You may like to,
For a moment,
Open the arms out to the sides,
Like spreading your wings into the space around you.
Then slowly begin to draw your arms in,
Crossing them over the body to reach towards the opposite shoulder or upper arm or anywhere they rest.
Just like giving yourself a hug.
Be aware of the sense of touch or warmth as your hands rest here,
With gentle compassionate touch.
Allow your hands to softly sweep down your arms and then let them come to settle.
Take the time now to be completely comfortable,
Attending to any small adjustments that will help to settle your body and find stillness.
As we move into the practice of Yoga Nidra now,
You may like to close your eyes or soften the gaze down.
Bring your awareness to your breath,
Maybe noticing the cooler air as you breathe in and the warmer air as you breathe out.
You may like to lengthen the exhale,
Breathing in and slowly,
Softly breathing out.
You can breathe in filling the lungs and exhale through an open mouth with a deep sigh out.
Once again,
Inhale deeply and exhaling with a sigh.
Each breath out,
Allowing a deep relaxation to settle into your body.
Feel the body sinking deeper and effortless breath.
Bring to mind a place where you feel well being,
A place where you feel secure,
Peaceful and at ease.
It might be a place in nature,
Or being around someone you love,
An animal,
An object or an imagined image of something that nourishes you with feelings of being safe and secure.
This is your inner resource,
Your safe haven,
Your refuge.
You may notice that sense of well being in your body.
You can return to this space,
This inner resource at any time throughout this practice when you need to feel that sense of security and ease.
As you bring your awareness to the heart space,
Anahata,
You can invite now a heart's desire or sankalpa for this practice.
It can be a short phrase,
A wish or maybe even an image of a loving intention.
Allow your heart's desire,
Your sankalpa,
To arise now without analysing.
If nothing arises,
I offer the following phrase for you to use as your sankalpa.
I allow myself to experience loving kindness.
You can phrase your sankalpa in the present tense,
Repeating it to yourself like a mantra.
Repeat that three times internally now,
Affirming and imagining this as a felt experience in your body,
A warm glow,
As true in this moment.
As I begin to guide your awareness through different parts of the body now,
Just listen and imagine it illuminated with a compassionate touch,
A warm glow of your awareness on each part and move onto the next part when I name it.
Give your awareness to your mouth,
Gums,
Floor of the mouth,
Walls of cheeks,
Your tongue,
The lower row of teeth,
Upper row of teeth,
Both lips,
Tip of the nose,
Both cheeks,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
Whole forehead,
Both temples,
Top of the head,
Back of the head,
The whole head a field of radiant sensation,
Right hand,
Right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Right shoulder,
Underarm,
Right side ribs,
Waist,
Right hip,
Right groin,
Right thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Right ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
The right side of the body,
Feel into the right side of the body,
Left hand,
Left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Left wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Underarm,
Left side ribs,
Waist,
Hip,
Left groin,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Left ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Feel into the left side of the body,
The whole of the left side,
Now the back body,
Back of the head,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Whole spine,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Back of the thighs,
Back of the knees,
Both heels,
The back of the body,
Bringing awareness to the forehead,
Both temples,
Right inner ear,
Left inner ear,
Back of the throat,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Right chest,
Left chest,
Upper abdomen,
Lower abdomen,
Right hip,
Left hip,
Right knee,
Left knee,
Top of the right foot,
Left leg,
Left leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Left leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg,
Right leg top of the right foot,
Top of the left foot,
The front of the body,
The front of the body right arm,
Left arm,
Both arms right leg,
Left leg,
Both legs,
The head,
The torso,
Both arms,
Both legs,
The whole body be aware of the whole body alive as vibrant sensation,
The whole body bathed in the glow of compassion welcoming every experience that's present,
Interweave your inner resource of wellbeing throughout your body,
Feeling secure and at ease sense with gratitude the body breathing itself,
The miracle of this life force energy moving through the body a natural flow of sensation as breath enters and leaves the body,
Through the nostrils,
Walls of the throat,
The gentle rise and release of the chest and abdomen breathing in a sense of loving kindness,
Nourishing every cell of the body,
Body breathing itself start counting backwards on each exhalation,
Starting at 33 as you exhale,
Inhale and exhale 32 and so on carry on counting downwards on each exhale,
If you lose count or get to zero then start again at 33 invite your awareness back to the heart space,
To anahata,
Maybe you can imagine a soft light glowing here,
A soft green or warm pink a soft warm light beginning to bathe every cell of your being,
Imagine a sense of kindness and compassion,
Pure and unconditional love,
The unhurt now notice the hurt part,
Maybe a more hardened sense of loneliness or grief or sadness then come back to the warmth of compassion,
Let your awareness flow between the two states of love and compassion,
To grief and hurt and back to compassion the hurt and the unhurt,
The imperfect and the perfect allow both states to be in your awareness together,
Honouring both the fierce and bravery and courage of compassion,
As well as the tenderness of compassion welcoming every experience that's present,
Interweave again your inner resource of wellbeing throughout your body,
Feeling secure,
Safe and at ease turn your attention back to the heart space,
Back to anahata,
The unhurt,
Sense the glow emanating from this space,
A glow that invites you into the sanctuary of your own heart imagine a brighter glowing light at the centre of this space,
Sensing its significance and its power,
Its wisdom,
The wisdom of your heart maybe you receive guidance here from this wisdom,
Resting in the sanctuary of your heart,
Embodying a peaceful sense of kindness and compassion in your whole self recall your heart's desire or intention for this practice or for your life,
Repeating three times the phrases or imagery exactly as used earlier internally now affirming and experiencing this as a felt sense in your body,
As true in this moment sense all that you're now aware of,
The sounds around you,
Sensations of your body,
The floor or chair beneath you,
The room around you,
The body breathing remind yourself of your inner resource of wellbeing,
All is well keeping your eyes closed,
Deepen the breath,
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes,
You may like to once again open your arms wide and then cross them over your body to give yourself a hug sweeping your hands down your arms,
Bringing awareness back into the here and now when you're ready,
Coming to rest on one side,
Slowly opening your eyes and adjusting to the light the practice of yoga nidra is now complete
