Full Moon Yoga Nidra, Discover Your Unique Gift
In this Full Moon Yoga Nidra meditation you will be guided to connect with the moon to help discover your unique gift to bring into the world. This Full Moon Yoga Nidra was recorded during a live class held to honor the full moon, May 2024.
Transcript
Any wiggles,
Jiggles,
Movements that invite you to settle into this time of comfort and rest.
And notice if there's anything else that you can bring into your practice.
Pillow for your head,
A blanket across your belly.
Traditionally this practice is done laying on the back,
But for some that's not comfortable.
So maybe you choose to roll onto your side or even find a seat.
If you do choose to be in this practice seated,
I would encourage that you have a back against a wall or a pillow in some way that you are supported and that your body doesn't have to work to hold you up.
So as we move into the practice of yoga nidra,
Just making sure that you are comfortable.
Your eyes can either be closed,
Covered with an eye pillow or blanket,
Or even just keeping a soft gaze.
This is a guided meditation where we will move into a deeper dreamlike state.
Moving into the subconscious and unconscious mind.
Trusting and allowing that whatever arises or surfaces is the exact right thing.
There is no need to try to do anything.
Just allow yourself to receive.
And as we're moving into this dreamlike state,
Begin by telling yourself you will stay awake.
Though if you lose me at any time,
That's okay.
There's nothing to remember or catch up and there's no right or wrong way to do this practice.
So as we begin our practice of yoga nidra,
Begin to bring your awareness to the sounds that you can hear just outside of the room.
And allowing your hearing to radiate outward,
To hear the furthest sound away.
Begin to notice sounds as they come closer.
Begin to bring your awareness to the sounds you hear inside of the room.
Begin to bring your awareness to the sounds you hear inside of the room.
Inside of your own body.
The sound as you breathe.
The sound as you swallow.
Keeping your awareness on your physical body and your breath.
As I move through a rotation of awareness in the body,
I'm going to name a body part.
And all you need to do is bring your awareness to that part.
If you lose me,
That's okay.
Come back whenever you're ready.
You do not actually need to move that body part.
Just become aware of it.
Noticing any sensation.
So bring in your awareness to the palms of both hands.
Feel and become aware of the palms of both hands at the same time.
Feel your awareness slide down into the thumbs,
Next fingers,
Middle fingers,
Middle fingers,
Next fingers,
Baby fingers,
To the backs of both hands,
Wrists,
Up to the elbows,
Upper arms,
Shoulders,
Armpits,
To the waist,
Both sides,
The left waist and the right waist,
To both hips,
The right hip,
Left hip,
Down through both thighs,
Down through both thighs,
Circling both knees,
Shins,
Calves,
Both ankles,
Heels,
Tops of both feet,
Bottoms of both feet,
All 10 toes,
Both big toes,
Next toes,
Middle toes,
Next toes,
Baby toes.
Moving your awareness to the top of your head,
Down through the back of your head,
Down through the back of your head,
Right side of your head,
Left side of your head,
The whole of the right side of your face,
The whole of the left side of your face,
To the right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Right eyebrow,
Right eyeball,
Left eyeball,
To the right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right ear,
Left ear,
To both of your lips,
The top lip,
Bottom lip,
To your teeth,
Tongue,
From the tip of the tongue to the root of the tongue,
To the whole of your jaw,
To the tip of your chin,
The back of the neck,
Front of the throat,
Front of the throat,
The whole of the right shoulder and shoulder blade,
The whole of the left shoulder and shoulder blade,
The right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
The notch in the center of the collarbones,
Right side of your chest,
Left side of your chest,
Through both sides of the ribcage,
Right and left,
Front and back.
And back.
Awareness to your diaphragm and organs,
To the right buttock,
Left buttock,
To the whole of the pelvic bowl,
To the belly,
Feeling the rise and the fall of your belly,
And bringing the awareness from the belly to the ribcage,
To the heart center,
To the center of the throat,
To the center of the forehead,
Between the eyebrows,
To the crown of the head.
Bringing your awareness from the crown of the head down through the whole of the right side of your body,
From the crown of the head all the way down to the whole of the right side of your all the way down to the whole of the left side of your body.
Awareness from the crown of the head through the whole of the front of the body,
The whole of the back of the body,
And the whole body.
Awareness of your whole body.
Your whole body.
Bringing the awareness back to the belly and feeling the belly rise and the fall with your breath and leaving your awareness on your belly with your breath and begin counting back 22 breaths.
So it's inhale 22,
Exhale 22.
If you lose count,
That's okay.
Starting back at 22.
If you reach one,
Go back to 22 and begin again.
Awareness of breath and counting backwards from 22 to one.
And leaving the count wherever you are.
Again,
Begin to feel your feet,
Both feet,
Heavy on the ground.
Your legs,
Heavy.
Hips,
Heavy.
Your torso and shoulders,
Heavy.
Arms and hands,
Heavy.
Head,
Heavy.
Whole body,
Heavy.
Feel a heaviness in the whole body.
Your whole body is so heavy.
It's like a rock sinking down into the ground.
Now feel your feet light.
Legs,
Light.
Hips,
Light.
Torso,
Light.
Shoulders,
Arms,
Light.
Hands,
Light.
Your head,
Light.
Your whole body is light.
So light and weightless.
It's as though so light and weightless.
It's as though you've turned into a feather,
Floating,
Flying,
Weightless,
Effortless,
Off the ground.
Whole body,
Light as a feather,
Floating,
Drifting,
Light.
Now return to the feeling of heaviness in the whole body.
Whole body,
Heavy.
Now light.
Feel a sense of lightness in the whole body.
Whole body is light,
Weightless,
Like a feather.
Now heavy,
Like a rock.
Whole body,
Heavy.
Light,
Light,
Heavy,
Light.
And letting that go,
Bringing to mind a moment where you felt focused.
Feel in all the details of that moment of focus.
Notice any moment.
Notice how focus feels in your body.
Now move to a moment where you felt scattered.
Feel in all the details of that scattered moment.
Notice how you feel.
Notice how scattered feels in your body.
Returning to that moment of focus.
Feeling what focus feels like in your body.
Moving back to the moment of feeling scattered.
Feeling the sensation of scattered in your body.
Focused.
Scattered.
Focused.
Scattered.
Scattered.
Focused.
Reminding yourself,
I am awake.
I am aware.
Relaxed.
Practicing yoga nidra.
Bringing your breath and your awareness to the center of the forehead,
To your mind's eye.
And imagining there a large screen,
As though it's your own private movie theater.
As I move through some images,
Just allow whatever comes up onto the screen of your mind.
There's no need to create an image.
Just see and allow what shows up.
If an image doesn't come to you,
That's okay.
And if you lose me,
That's okay.
Imagine a wolf howling at the full moon.
A wide open field,
Tall grass,
Wildflowers,
A waterfall,
Sledding down a snow-covered hill.
Purple crocuses blooming in the springtime.
Snowflakes floating down from the clear blue sky.
A full moon.
Ocean waves upon a pink,
Sandy beach.
Starry sky.
A friend's smile.
The taste of a teardrop.
The feeling of a hug.
A friend's smile.
The taste of a hug.
A friend's smile.
A friend's smile.
The feeling of a hug.
A ladybug flitting by.
Fireflies in the dark of night.
Flickering across a large open field.
The warmth of a campfire.
A loved one's eyes.
The full moon.
And remind yourself,
You will stay awake.
You will stay awake.
Beginning to see a golden door at the center of your forehead.
You open the door and step through.
And find yourself in a beautiful,
Wide open field.
Tall grass,
Wildflowers.
You take in a deep breath and feel the cool earth beneath your feet.
And smell the freshness of the evening.
You gaze up to the sky and see the full moon overhead.
It's so big,
It fills most of the sky.
You notice the space between you and the moon starts to move closer.
And a bridge appears in front of you.
As you cross the bridge,
There's a staircase that leads into the sky.
And as you climb,
It connects you to the moon.
Walking up,
Across the bridge,
Up the staircase,
Through space.
Up the staircase,
Through space.
Until you walk all the way up and onto the surface of the moon.
You touch the surface of the moon with your hands.
You feel what it feels like.
Taking that deep breath in.
And then you smell and taste what it's like to be on the surface of the moon.
In front of you appears another golden door.
And as you turn the doorknob and open the secret door,
You step through and start to float down a tunnel.
Floating down,
Down,
Down the tunnel.
Floating inside the moon.
Until you arrive at another door.
And you open the door and step through and you notice there a scroll.
And you open the scroll and on it appears one word describing the unique gift you have.
The unique gift you have to share with the world.
The gift that only you can bring.
The gift that only you can share and give.
Taking in this word with your eyes.
With your mind.
Allowing it to be a felt sense in your body.
You close the scroll and look up.
And there is a long hallway.
And you begin to move back down the hallway.
Floating.
Floating slowly down this long hallway.
This hallway begins to lift you back up to the surface of the moon.
And as you arrive back to the surface of the moon,
You take another gaze around.
And then you walk across the bridge.
Coming back to the staircase.
Coming all the way back through space.
Once again crossing the bridge to reach earth.
Coming back to that beautiful grassy field.
Seeing the fireflies dance in the sky.
And gazing back up to that beautiful full moon.
Appreciating the time and the message that it had to share.
And as you're ready,
You open that final golden door.
Stepping back into your body.
Back into your breath.
Back into yourself.
Begin to deepen your breath.
Feeling the whole of your back body back here now.
In your space.
In your space.
Visualizing the ceiling,
The walls,
The windows,
The floor.
Feeling all the points of contact where your body is resting.
As though the earth has come to cradle and hold your body.
And as you deepen your breath,
Begin to find some movement.
Maybe gently moving your head from side to side.
Wiggling fingers and toes.
Circling ankles,
Wrists.
Reaching arms up and overhead.
Taking a stretch.
Reaching a little to the right,
To the left.
Coming back to center.
Maybe one at a time,
Bending the knees.
Either hugging them into your chest.
Gently rocking from side to side.
Maybe planting your feet on the floor.
Feeling that sense of grounding and support.
Bringing yourself fully present.
Into this present time.
Into your body,
Into your space.
And as you're ready,
Perhaps rolling on to your favorite side.
And taking a moment to pause there.
Keeping your head heavy.
Your eyes soft or closed.
Using your hands to press yourself up to a seat.
Keeping that softness,
That awareness inward.
There's no pressure.
There's no rush to arrive,
To sit.
As you arrive into your seat,
Begin to bring the back of your right hand into the palm of your left.
And let the hands rest on your body,
Just below your belly button.
And in the palms of your hands,
Begin to see a crystal ball.
Within that crystal ball,
Start to imagine and see one thing you can do to bring your unique gift into the world.
And allow that crystal ball to float up through the ceiling,
Into the sky,
Out into the world.
Out into the world.
Gently making a fist with the right hand and leaving the left hand where it is.
Let that left hand just wrap around the right fist.
Gently leaning forward.
Breathing into your hands.
Providing that sense of grounding,
Centering.
Begin to come back up to center and let your hands connect to your heart.
One hand on the chest and the other hand on the back of it.
For the palms to touch,
Thumbs resting on the sternum.
Our practice of Yoga Nidra is complete.
From my heart to yours,
Thank you for joining tonight.
For sharing your time,
Your presence this evening.
From my heart to yours,
I wish you much love and happiness and many blessings.
Until next time,
Thank you.
