Water Element Yoga Nidra: Transform Fear To Trust (Live)

Transform Fear to Trust and connect with your intuition, and receive insight from the collective subconscious in this calming practice. This is recorded live from the Qigong Yoga Nidra Circle on 23 July 2023. There is also a recorded studio version of this with soothing background music, as well as within the course, 'The Power of the Creative Cycle'. In the Creative Cycle, the Water Element is the source of life-force and will. When in balance, it manifests in the form of strong willpower and endurance. When imbalanced it manifests as fear, such as fear of making decisions, moving forward. In this Water-themed Yoga Nidra to embody and harness the energy of Water.

Transcript

Yoga nidra can be practiced lying down on any kind of surface,

Usually either a yoga mat,

It could be on the ground,

It might even be on the sofa,

Typically not on the bed because that makes it very easy for us to fall asleep.

And I love to have a bolster right underneath my knees to release the last part of the lower back connected to the sacrum,

This flat part of the hip that is between the two gluteal muscles that we call the buttocks.

So if you experience lower back pain that will be very helpful for you.

And how we come to lie down is you bend both knees and if you have a bolster you can slot it right underneath the knees and if you don't have a bolster you can also use some cushions to support this area.

Then have the palms right underneath your shoulders,

The knees bent,

Feet on the ground,

Your chest facing your knees and slowly bend one or both elbows to come down on the forearms and then very gently lower yourself to the ground,

Supporting the back of your head,

Your neck to rest down and adjust the positioning of your legs,

Your feet so that it feels supportive and good for you.

And your arms can come down by the sides,

They can be on your body if it feels more assuring,

Whatever feels good for you.

You are also welcome to lie on your side especially for example if you are pregnant or if lying on your back is not accessible or comfortable for you,

On the side is definitely always an option.

And I love to have the bolster between my legs while I lie on the side.

So you might do the same and also have a cushion for your head if you're lying on the side.

Let's take the next couple of moments to prepare yourself as we transition into yoga nidra.

As you transition into yoga nidra,

I want to invite you to find the shape that feels right for you,

That will be holding you,

This vessel that is your practice of yoga nidra.

Take the next couple of moments to find that shape,

That space.

If you've just joined us,

Welcome to our circle,

Welcome to our Sigong Yoga Nidra Meditators Circle.

All of you are welcome here.

With your next exhale,

Imagine you could release all the points of contact of your body down to the earth.

And with your next inhale,

From that release,

Feel a feeling of spaciousness,

Feel a feeling of letting go so that you can create space to welcome in.

If it feels good for you,

You can close your eyes and guide your awareness to your breath without changing your breath.

Notice it.

Notice the rise and fall of your breath at your belly.

Notice the sacred,

Natural,

Effortless rhythm of your breath.

Natural,

Effortless rhythm,

Unhurried,

Unrestricted.

And you stay with this ebb and flow of your breath.

Witness it.

Witness how your inhale releases into your exhale and your exhale surrenders into your inhale.

In Yoga Nidra,

We work with a Sankalpa.

A Sankalpa is a positive I am statement that is true at the core of who you are.

It is the essence of you,

Simplified into a short and concise positive I am statement.

Over the next couple of breaths,

Allow your Sankalpa to surface in the center of your being.

Once it has formed,

You may wish to repeat it quietly and internally to yourself three times.

If no Sankalpa comes to surface,

Then allow an openness to whatever guidance your inner teacher,

Your heart,

Has to offer you.

Remain aware of my voice as you linger in stillness for the rest of this practice.

Let the sound of my voice and these sounds support you to transition from an everyday state of consciousness into the vessel that is your practice of Yoga Nidra.

And at the end of this practice,

These sounds will be your meditation.

And at the end of this practice,

These same sounds and the sound of my voice will support you to transition back into a more everyday state of consciousness.

The practice of Yoga Nidra begins now.

Guide your awareness to your breath.

Experience your breath as it is.

Follow the natural tide of your breath without changing it.

With each cycle of your breath,

Feel crystal clear water flowing in and out.

These waves of sparkling water washing over you with each inhale and falling away with each exhale.

Each inhale,

Feel it peaking like a wave cresting.

And with each exhale,

It gently giving away,

Releasing.

Experience the peaks and valleys of your breath like the waves of an ocean.

Become aware of your breath as a dear friend.

This dear friend you've known for so long.

This dear friend you've known since the moment you were born.

For the next nine breaths,

Count each of your exhalations from nine to zero.

If you lose track of the counting,

It doesn't matter.

What matters is you let your mind rest with each exhale.

Let's begin.

Begin.

Wherever you are with the counting,

Now gently let go of this technique.

And we begin now to guide your mental awareness around your physical body as if the light of conscious awareness is like little drops of rain falling on the earth.

Moistening,

Nourishing and watering the earth,

The fertile soil and land of the earth that is you.

We begin at the root of your tongue.

Let a little drop of rain descend and moisten the root of your tongue,

The tip of your tongue,

The roof of your mouth.

The bottom of your mouth,

The inside of your left cheek,

The inside of your right cheek,

Your left ear,

The lobe of the ear,

The shell of the ear,

All around the ear,

Your right ear,

The lobe of the ear,

The shell of the ear,

Inside and all around your right ear.

The back of your head,

Let a little drop of rain moisten the soil there,

The crown of your head,

Your right eyebrow,

Your left eyebrow,

The space between your eyebrows,

Your right eye,

Left eye,

The bridge of your nose,

The tip of your nose,

Your right nostril,

Your right nostril,

Left nostril,

Your right cheek and your left cheek,

Your upper lip,

Your lower lip and all along your jawline,

Little droplets of rain moisten the soil there,

The center of your throat,

The space between your collarbones,

Your right collarbone,

Your left collarbone,

Your right shoulder and your left shoulder,

Your right arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Center of the palm and all five of the fingers of your right hand,

Your thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger and your little finger,

Your left arm,

Elbow,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Center of the palm and all five of the fingers of your left hand,

Your thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger and your little finger,

Ring finger and your little finger,

Your right lung,

Your left lung,

The center of your heart,

Let a little drop of rain moisten the soil there,

The center of your navel,

Three fingers below your navel,

Your right hip,

Your left hip,

Your right thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Shin,

Ankle,

Heel,

Rainbow arch of your right foot,

The ball of your right foot and all five of the toes of your right foot,

The big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and your little toe,

Your left thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Shin,

Ankle,

Heel,

Rainbow arch of your left foot,

The ball of your left foot and all five of the toes of your left foot,

Your big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and your little toe,

From head to toe,

From toes to head,

The fertile soil and land that is your body is now nourished and moist with droplets of rain.

Guide your awareness to your breath,

Noticing your inhale and your exhale.

As you exhale,

Feel heavy like the rain pouring down to the ground.

As you inhale,

Feel light like water vapor floating up towards the sky.

Towards the sky,

Every exhale is a feeling of heaviness like rain pouring down on the earth.

Every inhale is a sense of lightness like water vapor floating effortlessly up to the sky.

Continue to alternate between these extremes,

A feeling of heaviness as you exhale and a feeling of lightness as you inhale for the next five breaths.

Wherever you are now,

Invite both extremes,

A feeling that you are both as heavy as the rain pouring down on the earth and at the same time as light,

As a little droplet of water vapor floating up towards the heavens,

Towards the sky.

Feel both of these experiences simultaneously in your consciousness.

Gently let go of this practice and notice the natural weight,

Shape and form of your physical body.

As you notice the natural weight,

Shape and form of your physical body,

Feel held by the earth herself.

Guide your awareness to the center of your heart.

See and feel in the center of your heart,

A shimmering well of light.

With your next breath in,

Allow this light to gather inwards and with your next breath out,

With your next breath out,

Allow this light to radiate outwards.

Every inhale is a gathering in.

Every exhale is a shining outwards.

Continue to alternate between these experiences,

Gathering light in and radiating light out.

For the next five breaths.

And now wherever you are,

Invite both of these extremes,

A feeling that you are both gathering light into the center of you and at the same time from the center of you,

You allow this light that is you to shine out into the world.

Feel both of these experiences in your consciousness at the same time.

Now gently let go of this practice and notice the natural texture,

Quality and length of your breath.

I will now describe some images to you.

Experience them without attachment.

Allow them to wash over you like your breath.

The vast,

Limitless,

Dark night sky.

You see a meandering path lit by the tiny shimmering stars.

Someone's footsteps line the trail.

You follow the footsteps towards the sound of the ocean.

You see the ocean's glimmering waves that emerge beyond the horizon.

The surface of the ocean is calm.

You walk closer and see a wide stretch of sand.

The faint starlight dances off the crest of each wave.

Your breath is in sync with the rhythmic pulse of the ocean.

You approach the edge of the water and with each gentle and patient step,

Little hermit crabs scurry away.

You stop and take off your shoes.

The ocean water flows over all of your toes.

A sense of ease washes over you.

A conch shell the size of your palm washes up to your feet.

You reach down and pick it up and admire its beauty.

Your fingers trace the sharp edges and the contours of the shell and you gently place the shell against your ears and close your eyes.

From the shell,

You hear the echoes of some words.

It's your sankalpa.

Now repeat your sankalpa internally to yourself.

Speak it to the deepest layers of your being with meaning and intention.

Allow your awareness to reside in the space of your heart and let your sankalpa resonate with the breath of your heart.

Become open to whatever guidance your heart,

Your inner teacher,

Has to offer you and allow an embodied experience of this heartfelt wisdom and guidance as your lived reality.

As your lived reality.

Sense it.

Feel it.

As you are here now.

You are welcome to linger here,

Communing,

Receiving with your heartfelt wisdom.

Stay for as long as you wish.

Perhaps allow yourself to drift into the realm of the dreams.

If,

However,

You feel you would like to gradually awaken,

Allow the sound of my voice and these sounds to support you to gradually transition from your present state to your future state.

Let your breath become more audible.

Let your body move and stretch with your breath.

The practice of yuga nidra is now complete.

You may gently rise and stretch and take a couple of moments to settle in if you are joining us in a seated position.

We return to the same gesture that we had at the beginning.

A small gesture that perhaps symbolizes something much more.

And this is the theme of our circle today.

I invite you,

As we transition to the last part of our circle,

To share,

To connect with this idea of the small things,

The little things,

To connect with this idea of the small things,

The little things in life that we sometimes forget,

We sometimes ignore,

We sometimes feel are mundane.

In one hand,

This is the left hand,

Perhaps you hold the past,

Which we cannot change but we can rewrite the past to empower the present.

In your right hand,

An open palm,

But it could also symbolize your future,

Which is unknown and we can choose how we want to embrace the future.

We connect your left and right palm through the thumbs,

Forming a bird in front of you.

Open palms expressed outwards towards the world and we intertwine them,

Forming a bird.

Now with your right palm behind your left or left behind your right,

Whichever feels right for you,

The thumbs gently connect and interlace and you rest this bird that transcends time across past,

Present and future.

Future,

Present,

Past.

This is you.

This is us as we move through memories into the uncertain future and back into the present moment.

Connect and receive in this present and now we take three breaths,

Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth to acknowledge the three levels of existence.

Inhaling through your nose,

Exhale,

Send the breath to the heart,

Ah through the heart,

Let the breath descend down into the up,

Feel the ah,

Know the ah and trust the ah.

In this moment,

You are saved,

You are held and all is well.

Second round,

Connecting with the heart space,

Inhale through your nose,

Exhale,

Send the breath to the well of your heart.

Receiving the wisdom of your heart,

Letting your actions resonate with your heart.

And the last round,

Deep breath in through your nose,

Long breath out through the mouth,

Send your breath to the heavens,

Aligning with your higher self,

Letting the light of your higher self be your guiding light as you transition and continue with the rest of your day and the rest of your life.

Slowly,

We bring both palms together from the bird,

We let the palms meet,

Forming a gesture.

In yoga,

We call this Anjali Mudra and rest the back of the thumbs close to the sternum,

Which frames the heart and bow your head slightly down towards your heart,

Sending this gladness and gratitude to everyone and everything that made it possible for you to be here today.

As you reside in this space,

Allow three words to surface in your being,

Three words that may describe the richness of your current experience,

The richness of whatever saturates your consciousness and being.

Let them arise and witness these words,

Witness the energy that you are made of.

And slowly and gently,

If your eyes are closed,

Let them blink open.

Reviews

I do enjoyed your guidance through this practice. Many thanks your way.