Yoga Nidra's Inner Resource

A short, deep relaxation practice that will encourage the state of Yoga Nidra. This practice gently guides you into a place of inner refuge where you experience security and ease. You can keep this place with you as a resource to return to any time you need the experience of safety, security, ease, and well-being.

Transcript

Welcome to this practice of yoga nidra,

Also known as a yogic sleep or effortless relaxation My name is Beth and I will be your guide today,

Taking you through this yoga nidra for your inner resource I'm going to start by getting yourself into a comfortable position You are welcome to lie on your back,

Maybe with a bolster or pillow under the knees Or you might prefer to lie on your side today But making yourself as comfortable as you possibly can Maybe choosing to tuck yourself in with a blanket We're going to be here for the next 20 minutes Of course during this time if you do need to adjust or move,

Feel free to do so As I guide you through the practice,

If anything I say doesn't resonate with you today Know that that is okay and you can ignore the words in themselves and allow yourself to drift Letting my voice be a safe sound in the background as you drift into the nidra state A place between wakefulness and sleep Through this nidra we'll start to calm the nervous system,

Inviting in deep relaxation But I want you to let go of any expectations,

Knowing that there is no such thing as failure in yoga nidra That whatever you are experiencing today is enough The theme of this nidra is on your inner resource Your inner resource is a personal safe haven A place where you feel secure and at ease A place where you can experience a sense of well-being and peace of mind And a place that you can come back to at any point both today and in the future During the practice we will reach a point where I'll invite you to bring to mind this inner resource It can be a real or imagined place,

A person,

An animal Or it can even just be as you are right now,

Resting safe We're going to start our practice by bringing the awareness to your body Noticing how you are feeling Are there any areas that you are holding onto tension?

Anywhere that you can soften and release And maybe you take a few deep breaths here Allowing the body to settle that little bit more Releasing any tension with each exhale And then bringing your awareness to your breath's natural rhythm Allowing it to be effortless and flowing With no need to change or control it But noticing where you can feel the breath How does this breath feel in your body?

And see if you can allow each exhale to be an invitation to soften that little bit more We are now going to guide the awareness around the body When I mention a body part,

Simply bring your awareness there Giving yourself a moment to drop down into your body and to listen to it Welcoming any sensations that might enter And knowing there is nothing to change,

Nothing to fix You are simply just observing,

Perfect just as you are So starting at the top of the head The forehead The right eye The left eye The left eye The nose The mouth The right cheek The left cheek The whole face The right ear The left ear Both ears together The back of the head The neck The throat The right shoulder The upper arm Elbow Forearm Wrist Back of the hand Palm of the hand Thumb Second finger Third Fourth And fifth All five fingers The whole right hand The whole right arm The right armpit The outside of the ribs The waist The right hip The right hip Thigh Knee Lower leg Ankle and foot The whole right leg The right side of the pelvis The lower back Middle of the back And upper back The whole right side of the body And noticing if there is any difference between the sensations in the right and the left side And then bringing the awareness to the left shoulder The upper arm Elbow Forearm Wrist Back of the hand Palm of the hand Thumb Second finger Third Fourth And fifth All five fingers The whole left hand The whole left arm The left armpit The outside of the ribs and the waist The left hip Thigh Knee Lower leg Ankle and foot The whole left leg The left side of the pelvis Lower back Middle of the back And upper back The whole left side of the body And then aware of the whole body together Feeling yourself as an observer As the spacious awareness in which all these sensations are coming and going Sensing your breath Your heartbeat Your entire body and mind at ease And then letting your awareness come to rest at the soles of your feet Just observe how this feels If there's no sensations at all,

That's also an observation If you want,

As you breathe in,

You can imagine drawing energy up through the soles of the feet Along your legs,

Hips,

Upper body and all the way up to your shoulders As you exhale,

The energy moves in the opposite direction From the shoulders all the way down through the soles of the feet Inhale from the soles of the feet to your shoulders Exhale from the shoulders to the soles of the feet Going at your own pace Like a soft wave that gives you energy And allowing it to wash away anything that you don't need And then letting go of the awareness of the breath And we'll begin to explore opposite through the body Noticing if any parts of the body feel a little warmer than the rest If you can't feel anything special,

You can choose to focus on your heart Imagining a nurturing,

Warm light glowing there And then see if you can feel any parts of the body that feel a little cooler If you can't feel anything,

Maybe choose to focus on the sensations between your upper lip and nose Perhaps the air is slightly cooler as you inhale And then bringing the awareness back to where it feels warm Then back to where it feels cool And back to the feelings of warmth Begin to imagine that the warmth is expanding in the body And when the warmth reaches that area that feels cool The two begin to merge Warmth meeting the coolness And creating a perfect temperature,

Creating balance Now I invite you to allow your inner resource to emerge Your safe haven where you feel secure and at ease Your inner resource can be a real or imagined place Or even just as you are right now You may include people,

Animals,

Your favourite things,

Scenes in nature Or simply the feeling of well-being As you begin to develop and put your inner resource into place Knowing there is no right or wrong,

Your inner resource is unique to you Whatever your inner resource is,

Imagine it using all of your senses Noticing sounds,

Smells,

Tastes,

Colours,

Even shapes that may be present And as you focus on the senses of your inner resource Just note in your body where you feel these sensations Allowing your inner resource to bring you a sense of security,

Ease and well-being And as you spend time focusing on this inner resource Feel it blooming into a powerful and effective tool that you can always come back to Somewhere you feel secure,

Calm and at ease And taking some time in silence to just enjoy this space Welcoming whatever comes without judgement If you find your mind wanders off at any point Compassionately and gently bring your awareness back to your body To your breath,

To your sensations Or come back to that inner resource,

Come back to your safe haven And welcoming any mental images,

Colours,

Sensations And enjoy the flow,

Allowing yourself to just be Now beginning your slow and gentle return Starting to come out of this practice of yoga nidra You may start to listen to the sounds around you Noticing what you can hear Maybe noticing what you can feel And gently beginning to move through your hands and your feet You may want to stretch your arms overhead or draw your knees into your chest Giving yourself a hug and showing your body some love And when you are ready you can roll over onto one side And you can stay resting here Or in your own time coming to sit up And the practice of yoga nidra is now over Know that you can come back to your inner resource at any point Whenever you need some comfort or security Your inner resource is there