
Release The Weight Of Responsibility With Yoga Nidra
by Danielle Was
This deeply relaxing Yoga Nidra session helps you let go of the burden of overgiving and constantly needing to be the 'responsible one,' guiding you towards inner peace. Embark on a meditative journey to release the pressures and expectations that weigh you down. More than just physical relaxation, this experience is designed to free your mind from feeling like you need to be everything to everyone but yourself. Ideal for those feeling stressed, on the verge of burnout, overwhelmed by life's demands, or caught in the cycle of people-pleasing, it provides a sanctuary to discover balance and serenity in less than 30 minutes.
Transcript
As we begin this yoga nidra practice I invite you to get as comfortable as possible adjusting your body in any way that feels a little bit more comfortable and taking a moment to connect to your breath.
Inhaling deeply allowing your belly to expand and as you exhale feeling your belly contract I invite you to take a deep breath to the count of four holding to the count of four and then exhaling to the count of four.
Let's begin inhaling deeply two three four hold two three four and exhale two three four and one more time inhaling deeply hold and exhale I invite you to allow your breath to just go back to its natural rhythm and at this moment let's agree that from here on in nothing is supposed to happen or not supposed to happen and our role for today's practice is just to relax to be present to have a moment for us taking care of ourselves no responsibilities so whatever comes into your awareness today I just invite you to just to be acknowledging it for whatever it is no more no less nothing's good or bad right or wrong giving it a name that sensation that's a sound that's an emotion that's a feeling knowing that there's nothing for you to do nothing for you to fix nothing for you to be responsible for just allowing yourself to just observe and there's some times where there may be a point where you may need to respond but our main job in this moment today in this experience is just to welcome recognize and witness whatever comes up without any expectations let's see if we could just be a witness and go through this experience together and as someone who's often used to being the responsible one always going and giving sometimes our mind needs us to get offline so if you happen to fall asleep or feel like you're drifting away just want you to know that it's okay you're doing exactly what the body needs at this moment to be able to hear this message knowing that there's nothing for you to knowing that the part that i'm speaking to today is always paying attention so you're not going to miss anything if you allow your body and your mind to go offline as you go through today's experience let's take a moment right now and open up to broad awareness meaning what are you aware of most right now allowing that experience to be that roadmap into getting to understand and know yourself better knowing that there's nothing you need to fix or do nothing to change in this moment simply be aware paying attention to what you notice the most it could be the sound of my voice it could be your breath and emotion and thought i invite you just to name it right now that's a sensation that's a thought that's a sound and it's allowing yourself to practice being an observer nothing to analyze nothing to fix allowing this to be a gift of a moment of just being able to do nothing but be just be not having to be responsible for anything or anyone just a moment for you to just be an opportunity to be present knowing what's coming up for you in this moment is for your highest good now choose something external from you it could be the sound of my voice the sound in the room whatever it is i invite you to just notice it notice what you're experiencing no need to analyze or fix anything just see how you can be curious allowing yourself to be allowing yourself to be able to experience and become aware allowing you to be just be in this moment now shift to the focus on your internal emotions maybe it's your breath your heart beating or your thoughts and just begin to recognize it acknowledging it for whatever it is with no judgment and simply be a witness remembering there's nothing good or bad right or wrong nothing to change we're just allowing ourselves to be to be present to be here to be now taking a moment to relax and if you have a purpose or attention for today's practice as sankalpa something you need in your life right now and state it as a positive statement of truth not something that you're striving for but something that it's already in you you already have making sure to use like an i am statement like i am on the road to fill in the blank i have everything i need to blank the universe wants to gift me with fill in the blank acknowledging where you are now in that relationship to where you'd like to be making sure it's both realistic and positive maybe your attention today is i am learning how to release the weight of being everything to everyone else whatever your statement is i invite you to say it in your head a few times and really a few times and really embody that statement allowing it to be the fertilization of that intention of that desire as we water that intention today allowing it to grow and before we go further in our experience let's create our inner sanctuary that place that you love that feels relaxing and calm it could be real or imagined a place you've been to before or something place that you'd like to go at one point in time in your life begin to bring this place alive through your senses filling in all the details like what do you see are you outside or inside noticing the colors around you what do you smell what do you hear are there people around you are you by yourself taking in the sounds the smells the sights what do you feel what emotionally is coming up really taking a moment to connect with this space knowing that this is always within you it's not anything external this is an internal place you can always come to at any time at any place whenever you need a moment to kind of just reconnect with yourself the sanctuary lies within you it's a part of you it's actually the part of you that is your true natural self that lies within you below the layers of being responsible that lies within you below the layers of being responsible needing to be needing to do the space is always here so throughout today's practice if you feel like you need to come back to your sanctuary i invite you to come back as often as you feel like you need to and as we go deeper into our awareness take a moment to become aware of your face become aware of your eyes no need to judge them change anything or fix anything move just just be awareness itself being aware in this moment become aware of the sensations of your mouth become aware of the sensations of your crown become aware of the sensations of the back of your head and just noticing your full head and being aware noticing any sensations of heat tingling or relaxation are all things that you can be aware of at this moment and i invite you to become aware of your neck and your shoulders tracing your arm down from your shoulders to your fingers being aware of your chest noticing how your breath is coming in and out noticing your belly as it expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale become aware of the sensations in your hips and your thighs become aware of the sensations in your knees all the way down to your ankles and your toes noticing the sensations in your feet and shifting to noticing sensations in your right big toe all the feelings whether it's tingling tension pleasure just really being aware of that right toe and then shift your attention to your left big toe becoming aware of the energy sensations at this moment bring nothing to fix nothing that's right or wrong just focusing in on the left toe now go back to noticing the right big toe and from here become aware and notice both the left big toe and the right big toe at the same time noticing them as as one you may be noticing that you are becoming aware what you're becoming aware of is changing but being awareness itself is never changing i want you to be that unchanging awareness knowing yourself as awareness itself noticing what you're aware of experiencing itself as a physical body waking up to knowing that you are awareness and in this moment i invite you to consider all the ways you're feeling overwhelmed from being the responsible one are there any emotions or physical pain emotions or physical pain mental thoughts that come up with feeling like you have to be the responsible one and seeing if you can just for a moment welcome all the challenges and the feelings of being overwhelmed that come with being that responsible person at this moment without needing to fix anything or do anything welcome them in taking a moment to acknowledge them for how they're affecting you now and your day-to-day life how does this affect your physical body your mental well-being your beliefs noticing what's coming up for you right now and just being a witness no need to respond or react just allowing yourself to welcome and witness just allowing yourself to welcome and witness what it means to you to feel the overwhelm of being the responsible one and taking a moment to see if there is a way where you can open yourself up just 10% more up to the possibilities about what it would feel like to not be responsible for others what would it feel like just to focus in on your own happiness and your own joy without the guilt visualize how your life would look how would you think how would you move how would you feel now i invite you to open up to a deeper wisdom that lies within you it's your future self from five years from now they've gone through a couple different things they're a little bit wiser they've experienced things they've seen where you are now and they're better equipped to handle the situation where you are this version of you is wiser has come here today to give you some words of wisdom from their experiences to let you know that it's okay to put yourself first it's okay to release some of the responsibilities and the weight that you carry right now so i invite you to visualize you are sitting with the you from five years from now so i invite you to visualize you are sitting with the you from five years from now they're happier relaxed just an ease of movement with them so if you're you of five years from now can come back and talk to you about always feeling like you needed to be the responsible one and give you some words of encouragement what would they say right now what's the first thing that comes to mind the you of five years from now is speaking to you and giving you words of wisdom of how they've shifted from feeling like they had to always be always be the responsible one always be there for other people and have been able to take care of themselves in a way that the you of right now never thought imagine what would that you of five years of now tell you in this very moment what would they say to encourage you to help ease your mind and your body and even if it can't come to you right now maybe the thoughts and the messages will come in a meditation a dream a thought that comes out of nowhere feeling i just didn't ask you to invite you right now to allow yourself to be open to it open yourself to the awareness that you are open to receiving this wisdom from your self of five years from now just know that you made it you were able to find a way to let go of the weight of being everything to everyone else yourself of five years is here as living proof that you will get to this point in your life to where you don't have to be there for everyone you can make yourself a priority at this moment i invite you to just connect back into the energy of your body connecting back to the sensations connecting back to your breath noticing the inhale and exhale and hearing the sound of my voice again and if you can remember your seat of intention your prayer if you can remember your seat of intention your purpose for today's practice your sankalpa repeat that in your mind a few times again right now and in a moment i'm going to begin to count down from five which will be a signal of the end of our practice today and because we were able to practice in such a deep form of just being being present connecting with our future self we'll know ourselves in a deeper way of knowing that yes i can take more moments for myself without feeling guilty we'll understand i have a better sense of what's going on i have a better sense of our awareness that we don't have to be there for everyone that we can make ourselves a priority having that self-awareness and knowledge to be able to move in a space that doesn't feel guilty that fills with ease and with this openness to our true nature our sanctuary the place that feels comfortable and cozy that lies within each and every one of us that we could always come back to this space at any time this place of peace of calmness and relaxation of peace of calmness and relaxation of knowingness that we can put our self-care first and it's okay five four three two one yoga nidra practice is over you
