You Are The Light Yoga Nidra Meditation

Relax and return home to yourself, with this tender yoga nidra meditation. This deep rest practice is created to remind you of your brilliance and support you in connecting to your inner light. Using intention, breath work, body scan, and visualization we hone our inner knowing, deepen our self-love and trust, and rise rested, shining like the brilliant light that we are.

May you find peace in this practice, and may it help you embody your truest and highest self.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Erica and it is an honor to guide you in this yoga nidra practice.

Please find a comfortable place to lie down or sit in a relaxed way and when you finally settle,

Take a moment to tenderly arrive.

Invite your body to be exactly as it wants to be.

How could you support yourself more?

A pillow under your head and your knees?

An extra blanket?

Something to cover your eyes?

Feel yourself supremely cared for,

Held,

Nurtured.

As we begin to settle in here,

Can you feel into the land upon which you are resting?

May we acknowledge the original peoples of this land and may we all be advocates and stewards for the land and its indigenous peoples.

May we also feel into the history of the practice of yoga nidra.

Let's honor and recognize its ancient roots originating in South India.

It is through a long history of teachings and oral history that the practice reaches us today.

I would also like to express my gratitude for the teachers and mentors who have supported and inspired me.

And now,

My dear one,

Our final yoga nidra practice begins.

If you haven't already done so,

I welcome you to soften your gaze or close your eyes.

Surrender here and give into gravity and feel yourself completely supported.

Let yourself be held by what you are resting upon,

By the earth,

By the air,

By love and the invisible web of people who care for you here and beyond.

This is your loving reminder that during this practice there is nothing to do.

You cannot get anything wrong.

Allow everything to unfold.

See if you can simply witness it all.

And during this practice you have the choice to follow the guidance of my voice.

But everything is optional.

If you do not want to follow any instruction during yoga nidra,

You might find comfort in following your breath.

If you need to change position during the practice,

Please do so mindfully and slowly before resting in stillness once more.

And if you find yourself falling asleep,

You can bring your attention back to my voice or you can give yourself permission to fall asleep.

Perhaps sleep is what you need right now.

Remember,

There is no correct way to do this.

There is simply a conversation and connection within.

If you are choosing to use a touchstone,

You may wish to hold it in your left hand.

Connect to the energy of your touchstone now.

Become aware of its texture,

Shape and temperature.

Where would it feel best to rest your touchstone?

To keep it in your hand or to place it somewhere on your body,

Your heart,

Your belly or even off the body?

Now I welcome you to take a few conscious breaths into your heart.

Come back to that flame inside your heart.

With these in and out breaths,

Can you stoke this light in your heart?

Feel your inhale feed the flame and with the exhale it burns brighter.

Observe this.

As your heart flame burns,

Sense the rhythm of your heart.

What is it beating for today?

What is your heart's deepest longing?

Allow your intention to arise from this place.

Feel this deep desire throughout your entire body.

I welcome you to repeat your intention three times.

Now awareness returns to the light in your heart.

At the same time,

Can you tune in to a sense of darkness?

Where does the darkness fall?

Is it within you or a cloak around you?

Feel the breath support how you relax into this.

Welcome these opposites within you now.

Hold the light and the dark for a few breaths.

Let's continue in this way,

Holding the light and the dark as we journey with breath through our body.

Imagine yourself lying down underneath a vast night sky.

It is dusk and the sunlight is waning.

With each part of the body that I mention,

You may wish to picture a star emerging in the night sky.

With each body part,

A new star.

Building a constellation of stars that is you.

I will also invite you to breathe through the part of that body,

As if your breath will illuminate the star.

Remember that everything is a choice.

Beginning at the space between the eyebrows,

Breathe a twinkling star in the space between the eyebrows.

Exhale the back of the neck,

Where the skull and the top of the vertebrae meet.

Inhale,

Throat center.

Exhale,

Center of the collarbones.

Inhale,

Right shoulder.

Exhale,

Right elbow.

Inhale,

Right wrist.

Exhale,

The tip of each of the fingers.

Breathing in stars along the whole right arm.

Exhale,

Glowing.

Inhale,

The tip of the right hand.

Exhale,

Glowing.

Inhale,

Left shoulder.

Exhale,

Left elbow.

Inhale,

Left wrist.

Exhale,

The tip of each of the fingers.

Breath,

Moving up the arm.

Exhaling,

Shimmering stars in the whole upper torso.

Coming to the brilliant star in your heart.

Inhale here.

Exhale through your radiant heart center.

Breathe in through the solar plexus.

Exhale,

Navel point.

Breathing in to your glimmering pelvis.

Exhale,

Pelvic floor.

Inhale,

Right hip.

Exhale,

Right knee.

Inhale,

Right ankle.

Exhale,

Top of the right foot.

Inhale,

The tip of each of the toes.

Exhale,

Through the sole of the right foot.

Trace your breath along the line of stars.

Up the leg.

And exhale,

Back through the pelvis.

Inhale,

Left hip.

Exhale,

Left knee.

Inhale,

Left ankle.

Exhale,

The top of the left foot.

Inhale,

The tip of each of the toes.

Exhale,

Through the sole of the left foot.

Breathing up,

The starry leg.

And exhale,

Through your glowing pelvis.

Breath draws in from the navel point.

Can you exhale and release through the lower back?

Inhaling through your upper back.

Exhaling through your solar plexus.

Inhaling through your shining heart.

Exhaling through the back of the neck.

Now can we breathe and illuminate the face.

Breathing in the lips and the nose.

And tip of the tongue.

Exhale,

Tip of the nose.

Breathe in right and left ear.

Exhale,

Both ears.

Breathe in right,

Left eye.

Exhale,

Both eyes.

Returning to the shimmering star in the space between the eyebrows.

Release the breath and simply be.

Resting in the space between the eyebrows.

Shining brightly.

Now see the whole body.

Sense into the whole body.

Become aware of the light emanating from all of the stars along your entire being.

See the constellation of you.

Picture once more the vast sky above you.

Your body calm and peaceful.

Like water so still it is glass.

Reflecting the stars above.

Witness the lustrous celestial sky above you.

See the multitude of stars,

Each shining brilliantly.

And become aware of the immensity of the sky,

The stars,

The galaxy.

And feel this vastness in your body now.

Expand outward.

Your body reflecting all of the constellations in the night sky.

What does it feel like to hold the entire sky within you?

Release that and find the brightest star in the sky.

See its strength,

Its brilliance,

Its power.

Breathe into your heart center and its bright light.

Notice what it feels like to shine this brightly.

Inner rejuvenation.

Sense into this radiance.

Where do you feel it in your body?

How does it make you feel?

Now can you hold this single star and the entire sky at the same time?

Feel into the vast openness,

The infinite expansion.

And the inward space.

Expansion and the inward singular luminosity and inner glowing.

Try holding both sensations at the same time.

Now let this go and return to your heart.

Breathing through your heart here.

Let's continue on our journey,

My friend.

See yourself get up and slowly walk into a nearby clearing.

As you enter,

You notice a circle of people gathering.

And you become aware that these people are your wise counsel.

They are the ancestors,

Guides,

Spirits,

Even animals.

Real or imagined,

Present or passed on.

They bring out your truest self.

Greet them now.

As you join the circle,

You see a single candle flame.

You observe one of the wise ones take their candle,

Turn and illuminate the candle of the next person.

This continues throughout the circle.

Watch the flame being passed.

This continues until it is your turn.

Witness now the flame of your candle as it comes ablaze.

Take a breath in and exhale.

Turn and share your fire with the next person.

Watch this until everyone is standing together,

All candles aglow.

All around you,

The light burns brightly.

The vibrant candles in front of you.

The brilliant stars above and the dazzling light inside your own heart.

Bask in the light.

Let it fill you up.

Rest like this for a few moments of quiet.

Shine,

Bright one.

In this place of deep peace,

You are very receptive to your heart's desires.

Tune into this light of your heart and speak to it once more.

Repeat your intention three times now.

Notice how lighting another candle did not diminish your light.

It simply made the whole group more radiant.

Just as a single star in the night sky is part of a greater whole and together they are more brilliant.

Powerful,

Dazzling as one.

Strong and luminous together.

Powerful,

Dazzling as one.

Strong and luminous together.

Stand here with your mentors and loved ones.

Feel the power and wisdom in this group.

And listen with your heart to the messages and gifts they bring you today.

It is now time to say goodbye to your wise counsel.

You may wish to thank them.

You watch them slowly blow out their candles and leave this space.

As this meditation draws to a close,

Can you yourself take a breath in?

And then as if blowing out through a straw,

I invite you to blow out the candle in your mind now as you exhale.

Continue breathing in this way for a few more breaths.

Inhale through the nose and slowly and deeply exhale through pursed lips as if you are blowing out the candle's flame again.

Two more cycles like this.

Inhale.

Exhale,

Blowing out.

Feel into your body now.

Let your awareness return to your heart.

Can you listen to the whisper of your own heart?

Is there something that it wants to tell you?

Perhaps there is an image,

A phrase,

Or a felt sense that emerges from the heart.

As you begin this time of rest,

Please be open to whatever arises,

Even if that is nothing.

Know that the messages will come to you in their own time and that simply being here is enough.

As we slowly begin to emerge from this place of rest,

Please allow the words of Marianne Williamson to land in you.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light,

Not our darkness,

That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves,

Who am I to be brilliant,

Gorgeous,

Talented,

Fabulous?

Actually,

Who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine,

As children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some,

It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.

Please,

Dear one,

Begin to draw your awareness back into your body.

Bring back the messages and medicine of this rest practice.

Linger in this liminal space.

You may even wish to stay resting here.

Or drift off to sleep,

If you haven't already.

If you choose to wake up now with a sense of deep listening and reverence,

Notice which part of the body desires to move first.

And then,

Taking as much time as you can,

Begin to follow the desire of that place.

I invite you to slowly bring your hands to your heart and rest them there.

One more time together,

We'll close our practice in the air a couple of times.

Tenderly embrace your heart and gently trace a figure eight.

Expressing gratitude and appreciation for taking this time to be good to yourself.

You can let your hands rest on your shoulders.

And when it feels good,

Open your eyes.

Imprint these sensations into every cell.

Carry this power into your day,

Your sleep,

And your life.

Your light is always within you.

Come back to your heart,

Your breath,

Your wise counsel,

And even this practice,

To remind you of your brilliance.

You can let your hands rest on your shoulders.

And when it feels good,

Open your eyes.

You are the light.

This concludes your Yoga Nidra meditation.

Thank you for this time together.

May you continue to listen to your truth and deep knowing and to make time for yourself and the healing medicine of rest.

My infinite love and deep gratitude is with you.

Thank you.

Reviews

So beautiful. Deeply healing to begin my day. Thank you.

Beautiful,unique nidra 💫💫💫loved the visualization of stars shining! Bookmarked and recommended!Ty💓

Nice practice, relaxing. The guided breathing was a little too difficult or fast for me.

Beautifuly creative practice. Calming and uplifting. Thank you and Blessings 🕊️💜🌟

Thank you so much!
That was so beautiful, the imagery and I love the symbol at the end, that is my scared symbol 🤍
Just gorgeous Erika
Xo
Karen

Thank you for this deeply inspiring and heart centered Yoga Nidra meditation. It was so unique and creative, and I was happy to reconnect with so many of my dear mentors and loved ones. 💫🙏✨

Thank you🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻Absolutely LOVED/LOVE it, reflecting back to me who I really am🙏🏻🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🙏🏻

Love the guided ways to spread light, absorb and release light, and brining in the wise counsel was heart warming.