Soul Restoration 1.0

This yoga nidra is designed to gently guide the practitioner into a deep state of rest and relaxation by using a variety of techniques. Working with an intention or Sankalpa of their choice, one is invited to begin manifesting positive changes towards stress reduction and overall well-being.

Transcript

Welcome to the practice of Yoga Nidra.

My name is Mary Catherine.

Prepare yourself by gently nestling down onto and into your yoga mat,

Bed,

Beach towel.

Make a rest nest wherever you find yourself.

And then without forcing anything,

Align your spine as best as you can to allow the free flow of energetic information along the channel which feeds your entire body.

Make yourself as comfortable as possible.

Eye pillow if needed to block light and external stimulation.

A blanket for dropping body temperature.

A thin pillow or folded blanket underneath the head to allow the chin to drop towards the chest just a bit.

Perhaps using a bolster or pillow underneath the knees to support the low back.

Whatever you need to let yourself be totally at ease.

Whatever you need to let your body fully relax into the experience of Yoga Nidra.

When settled,

Allow your eyes to gently drift closed.

Take a deep breath in and exhale,

Expelling all the air from within the belly softly,

Gently letting it go.

One more time.

Deep breath in and deep breath out.

Feel free to make sounds as you exhale.

It might seem awkward at first,

But just let the hinge of the jaw open and then notice what comes out.

Something,

Nothing,

Doesn't matter.

There is no way to do this practice wrong.

Release your entire body into the surface below,

Letting it receive you,

Swathing you in peace and contentment.

Feel as your heart center opens and expands,

Breath and light moving in.

The presence of life asserting itself and awareness.

Now bring your sun kalpa,

Your intention or most heartfelt desire into your awareness.

A short positive statement which resonates with your soul.

It can also be an I-verb statement such as I radiate,

Manifest,

Embody peace or I sleep easily at night.

This is a desire to be manifested,

A truth to be compelled.

When it comes to you,

Repeat it to yourself three times,

Embedding it in your heart.

Now release this intention into the loving embrace of your advocate,

The source who has already incorporated it into your reality.

The will of the spirit will be done.

Trust that your intention is being manifested on your behalf.

You do not have to do anything other than ask.

No doing,

Working,

Trying,

Managing or controlling.

It's all being done for you.

You can let go now.

Open your heart even wider to accept this truth and release any effort or doing.

Where your attention goes,

Energy flows.

We'll now move our focus into the body to liberate trapped energy,

Moving deeper and deeper into relaxation.

When relaxed,

The body accepts and allows healing energy to flow more freely.

So tighten and tense the entire right side of your body,

Starting at your toes and working up all the way through your right hand and arm,

All the way to your shoulder,

Even the right side of your face,

Tightening and tensing,

Squeezing and then relaxing,

Letting go.

On your next exhalation,

Let go a little bit more.

Now tighten and tense the left side of your body,

Starting from the tips of your toes,

Working all the way up the left side of your body,

Including the face,

Squeezing,

Holding and now relax.

Let go.

Feel the impact of released energy as it flows through the left side of the body.

Now tighten and tense your entire lower body,

Both feet,

Both legs,

All the way to the hips,

Squeezing,

Tightening,

Holding and now relax.

Let go.

On your next exhalation,

Release even more tension.

Now tighten and tense your entire upper body,

Fingers,

Fists,

Arms,

Shoulders,

Face,

Tightening and squeezing,

Holding everything in before you release and let it go.

Relax.

Feel into the sensations released in your upper body.

Now tighten and tense the entire body,

Starting with the toes and working all the way to the crown of your head,

Squeezing,

Holding,

Tightening,

Even your face,

Pulling everything in and up and then exhale and let it all go,

Feeling as your entire body melts into the surface below.

Now bring attention to the face,

Softening all the muscles with each exhalation,

Long,

Slow,

Steady breaths.

Feel the crown of the head loosen from the scalp,

The hair follicles stimulated and alive,

Prickling.

Perhaps you can even sense the fontanelle,

That space at the top of your head that was soft and open when you were a baby,

Allowing you to more easily enter this world,

A space to receive,

Sensing the forehead broad and open,

The lines smoothing and easing,

Any grooves or furrows erased,

Eyelids becoming heavy,

Weighted,

Soft blankets swaddling the orbs of the eyes.

Notice how they are cradled in the sockets,

Nose sensing the air moving through each nostril,

Awakening sense of smell,

Receiving aromas which float by,

Tubes of the ears opening,

Widening.

The better to attune oneself to the unfolding of the universe.

Those who have ears,

Let them hear.

Hinge of the jaw slackening,

Releasing towards the earth,

The nerves along the back of the joint opening and accommodating down into the neck,

Muscles of the neck melting into the front of the shoulder and the back of the shoulder,

Joints lubricated by the shoulder blades,

Gently loosening any stored tension.

Now relax back and trust this present moment.

No thinking,

Just feeling and sensing the neural pathways opening and expanding throughout your body.

Go with this flow.

Feel the connection to spirit,

Thoughts suspended from personal bias,

Ego released and detached.

For this next phase of yoga nidra,

Be still.

No.

If you need to move,

That's okay.

Just do so calmly with grace,

Returning to quiet in the body as soon as you can.

Let any disturbances,

Within or without,

Pull you further into silence.

Silence is the home of awareness,

Of higher awakening.

So reaffirm your intention to remain attentive,

The sound of my voice guiding you and instructing you to a place of utter stillness.

There's nothing to do here.

No need to perform or achieve.

Just plop into peace,

Unifying heart and mind in the third eye,

That space between your eyebrows.

Home of the pineal and pituitary glands,

It's tucked into the fold of the middle brain,

Regulating,

Balancing,

And harmonizing.

It offers wisdom,

Perception,

And discernment.

Connect with this part of yourself.

Now return your mind to your breath.

Draw a breath in from deep in the belly,

One as light as a feather on the breath of God.

Feel it rise up into the chest,

All the way up to the collarbones,

Inflating the ribcage like a balloon.

And then feel it sink down,

Deflating,

Waiting the spine and anchoring in the belly.

Continue like this,

Perhaps counting to four if that helps as you inhale and exhale.

Feel as your body relaxes with each inhalation and each exhalation,

The breath reaching into the space at the top of the clavicle,

Into the side of the neck,

And then down to that space where the shoulder blades rest on the lower ribcage.

Spine,

Weighted by the breath,

Fused to the earth below,

Connected to the energy force humming.

Begin to draw this energy up along the spine on your next inhalation.

And then gently let it rest back down with the exhalation,

Tailbone to back of the head,

The earth giving the breath and receiving it.

Breathe like this for a few rounds of breath.

Inhaling,

Tailbone to back of skull,

Exhaling,

Back of skull to tailbone.

Now return to your normal breath and bring your attention to the third eye.

Breathe here at the point between your eyebrows.

Comforted by the earth below,

You are sustained.

You don't have to do anything but let the breath breathe you.

Do what it was made to do for you.

The first and the last,

The alpha and the omega.

Give yourself full permission to rest back as your true self,

Your highest expression.

We're now going to move from point to point in the body,

Releasing trapped energy.

Listen attentively to my voice as we travel the body,

Sensation arising in each point as I name it.

Beginning with the right thumb,

Right index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

All fingers on the right hand.

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Whole right hand,

Right wrist,

Elbow,

Shoulder,

Right side of the neck,

Right ear,

Crown of the head,

Left ear,

Left side of the neck,

Shoulder,

Elbow,

Wrist,

Left thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

All fingers on the left hand.

Palm of the left hand,

Back of the hand,

Whole left hand,

Left inner elbow,

Left armpit,

Left side of the ribcage,

Hip,

Knee,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot,

Left big toe,

Index toe,

Middle toe,

Ring toe,

Little toe,

All the toes together,

Whole left foot,

Left inside of knee,

Groin,

Bridge between the legs,

Right groin,

Inside of right knee,

Right big toe,

Index toe,

Middle toe,

Ring toe,

Little toe,

All the toes together,

Sole of the foot,

Heel,

Knee,

Hip,

Right side of the ribcage,

Right armpit,

Right inner elbow,

Heart center,

Third eye,

Whole body,

Feel your entire body and being opening and expanding,

Capacity enlarging,

Broadening and accommodating from the tips of your toes to the ends of your hair,

Body balanced,

Whole,

Complete,

And healed,

The memory of wholeness restored coming to the forefront of your third eye.

Imagine you are arrayed like the sun,

Standing before a throne.

Look down at your feet.

Are they bare,

Clothed in ruby slippers or glass or sturdy sandals?

Do giant lotuses encase them?

These are feet of peace.

Notice your torso.

Is it plain,

Naked,

Or clothed with dignity?

Wrapped in silk,

Fine linen,

Or homespun,

Just notice your torso.

Observe the belt of truth at your waist.

Feel at the top of your head for the crown.

Is it made of stars,

Flowers,

Olive branches,

Gemstones,

Or butterflies?

Is it fixed or vibrating?

Be aware of the crown resting on your head.

It fits perfectly,

Made just for you.

The crown lifts up to the universe,

Connecting to source.

Step back and observe yourself from a distance.

See the totality of yourself undistorted by your own perceptions.

This is how your maker observes you.

Arrayed like the sun,

Decked out in glory,

Radiating light,

Love,

Peace,

And joy.

Imprint this image of yourself on your soul.

Now take off whatever is on your feet.

You are on holy ground,

Sacred territory within yourself.

Feel the holy of holies root you firmly in this feeling.

In this domain of grace and mercy,

You are completely safe and secure.

Relax in perfect peace and wellness in knowing.

Recall your intention now and repeat it to yourself silently three times.

Allow this intention to penetrate your soul at the core of your being.

Here it will be assimilated,

Integrated,

And digested.

And then it will give life,

Producing fruit whether you are aware of it or not.

You can always call on this intention.

It is now being incorporated into the very fiber of your being.

It is now incorporated into the very fiber of your being.

Radically trust that your higher power will act on your behalf.

Give thanks and let it go.

At this time,

Invite in any guides,

Angels,

Saints,

Mentors,

Friends or family members.

Ask them to hold your intention for you as well,

Amplifying the power of the presence,

A chorus of loving affirmation.

Allow them to send you a message of hope right now.

It can be an image,

Thought,

Or sensation,

Assuring you that all manner of things shall be well.

Now begin to tune your ears to the sounds inside your body.

Listening to the oxygen as it flows throughout.

Listening to the breath and the blood as it courses to the farthest regions of your body.

Listening to your heartbeat.

Breath and blood working in perfect synchronicity to deliver nutrients to your body.

Expand this attunement from inside your body to outside.

Listening for sounds close to your heart and breath and then gradually widening the space of sound,

Rippling out.

And then attune your ears to the space behind your forehead,

Noticing the absence of activity.

Coming back into the body,

Gently resurfacing into awareness,

The memory of wholeness lingering,

Energy reclaimed from external sources.

You may remain in stillness or begin to move the body in any way that seems organic,

Honoring the body however that shows up.

Taking your time,

There's no rush.

You can roll onto your right side when you're ready,

Taking a sacred pause before repeating your intention to yourself one more time.

Let this be your touchstone,

The stored memory of it arising to guide you from reaction to right response.

Stay connected to the sense of peace as you begin to move and sit up.

Remaining in stillness is always an option.

Allow the body to choose for you.

Held in love,

Grounded in love,

Rejoice and give thanks for the healing shifts and transformation that have taken place within your body,

Mind and spirit.

Feast on this knowledge as peace pervades your breath,

Soft and easy,

Your heartbeat calm and steady and your mind uncluttered and free.

Welcome home.

Love never ever fails.

This ends the yoga nidra practice.

Namaste,

Chai Bhagwan and Amen.

Reviews

Thank you for your guidance to peace

Wow! What a wonderful yoga nidra. I have never experienced one quite like this. The imagery was beautiful and subtle. I truly feel my soul restored. Thank you M-K.