Well,
The theme of today is soft,
And I will share that poem at the end of the practice.
But before we begin,
I want to take a moment to welcome each of you,
And to say that you are welcome here in any shape or form.
Margot already said it,
But I want to emphasize that really,
And that there is no need to present yourself in any way.
And I also want to acknowledge the fact that you took this time for yourself,
And especially in the midst of this bussy season,
It's difficult to stop and rest.
But when you do that,
You are not only giving yourself a present,
But also the people around you.
So thank you for honoring yourself today.
And before I offer you this yoga nidra practice,
I want to start with a very short practice of gentle movement.
And we're going to explore how it is to touch yourself with soft hands and fingers.
So take a position which is easy and nice for you and comfortable.
And then if you're ready,
Gently close your eyes.
And in a very,
Very slowly way,
Start to move your hands towards your cheeks.
And when your hands are right there at your cheeks,
With soft fingers,
Feel how your hand palm and cheeks are touching each other.
And maybe you can soften your hands a little more.
And follow your own intuition and explore the rest of your head and body in this same slow and soft way.
And if you feel the need to sigh it out,
Please do so.
When we move in a very slow way,
We give our nervous system cues to settle down,
To come into a state of rest.
And now very slowly,
Allow your hands to rest in your lap and to receive the effects of this simple practice.
And you may slowly open your eyes now.
And if you're ready,
Take your time to transition into a comfortable position for the yoga nidra practice.
And try to do this in a very mindful and slow way.
Really make yourself super comfortable and create a little cocoon where you can ease in.
And I want to emphasize that everything I share in this practice is an invitation.
So if you feel,
For example,
That you need to move your body during the practice or to explore something else that I offer,
You're very welcome to do so.
Really listen and honor your own needs.
So settle down.
Settle yourself into your position,
Allowing your body to fully relax and be held by the surface beneath you.
Let your arms and legs rest gently,
Feeling no need to hold or support anything.
And if you haven't done so already,
Slowly close your eyes and begin to turn your awareness inward.
And I want to remind you that there is no right or wrong way to practice yoga nidra.
There is nothing you need to achieve.
Simply allow yourself to rest into whatever naturally unfolds.
And bring your awareness to your senses.
Perhaps there is a taste lingering in your mouth.
Feel the texture of your clothing against your skin.
The gentle touch of air brushing over you.
And notice the contact points where your body meets the surface below.
And the spaces where your body doesn't touch the earth.
Sense how the surface beneath you spread itself in all directions.
A vast,
Expansive surface that supports and holds you.
Feel how the earth is gently rising up to meet you,
Offering unwavering support.
Allow yourself to pour all of your attention into this moment,
Letting everything else fade away.
You might begin to notice your breath.
How it is flowing in and out of the body,
All on its own.
And for a moment,
Simply follow its natural rhythm.
No need to control or change it.
Nothing to do.
Allow your breath to flow like a gentle,
Soft breeze moving in and out of your body.
With each exhale,
Feel a sense of softening,
Releasing any tightness or tension in the body.
As a way of deepening this practice,
Take a moment of welcoming.
Welcoming your whole self,
Exactly as you are in this moment.
In any form,
Shape,
Mood,
Sensation or emotion.
Welcoming the moment just as it is.
There's nothing you need to change,
Nothing to fix or get rid of.
And even welcoming an urge to push parts of your experience away.
Simply allow the inner and outer worlds to be just as they are.
Now,
Imagine greeting yourself with open arms,
As if you were embracing a long lost past.
As if you were embracing a long lost friend.
How does it feel to hold yourself in this way?
Begin by taking a moment to reflect on what has brought you here today.
Allow an intention to arise naturally,
Without any effort or expectation.
Perhaps you wish to give yourself permission to rest,
To be gentle and kind with yourself,
Or to explore something new.
And if no clear intention comes to mind,
That's perfectly fine,
And simply rest in the openness of this moment,
Trusting that whatever unfolds is exactly what you need.
Let whatever resonates with you to settle gently within,
Like a quiet whisper of peace.
And now we will gently guide awareness through the body,
Moving softly from one point to the next,
Like a nurturing presence touching each place.
And begin by bringing your attention to the crown of your head.
Soften this area,
Allowing any tension to melt away.
Move your attention to your forehead,
Letting go of any expression or holding here.
Releasing any tightness.
Gently soften around your eyes,
And feeling them relax deeply into their sockets.
Feel your jaw,
Letting go of any tension or holding here.
Feel your entire face soften,
Releasing any expression or tightness.
Now bring your attention to your shoulders,
Allowing them to release and drop away from your ears.
Travel slowly with your awareness through your arms,
All the way down to your fingers.
Becoming soft and relaxed,
As if letting go of any weight they might have been carrying.
And now feel into your chest and heart space.
You may sense this space as if a nurturing hand is resting there.
Move your awareness down to your abdomen,
And softening here,
Letting the belly be at ease.
And slowly sense down into your legs,
Noticing a sense of softness in your thighs,
Your knees,
Calves,
And finally your feet.
Feel your entire body now,
Lying here,
Effortlessly supported by the ground.
Aware,
And yet completely at rest.
Now bring awareness to your breath.
Let it be soft and natural,
Flowing easily without any force.
Notice the rise and fall of your abdomen,
Like gentle waves on a calm sea.
With each exhale,
Feel any tension or resistance melting away.
And with each inhale,
You might welcome in a sense of kindness,
A feeling of being held and supported by life itself.
Now I invite you to imagine a nurturing mother figure,
Cradling you in a gentle embrace,
Her presence full of love and kindness.
And this might be Mother Earth herself,
Perhaps a memory of your own mother,
Or someone else in your life who represents warmth,
Care,
And gentleness.
And feel this presence surrounding you,
Offering you a sweet smile of acceptance.
And in this presence,
You are completely safe and held.
Allowing yourself to soften even more.
As you rest in this presence,
Invite any feelings that arise to be here with you.
Allow any emotion to sit with you like a welcome guest.
Feel the space within you,
Vast and open,
Able to hold whatever emotions arise.
Feel that you are an open field of awareness,
Boundless,
Soft,
And gentle.
And within this field,
Everything that comes and goes is welcomed with tenderness.
There is nothing to change,
Nothing to do,
Just a quiet,
Gentle witnessing.
And if it feels right,
You might explore the idea of forgiveness,
Not as a demand,
But as a gentle possibility.
And if forgiveness doesn't resonate,
You may instead focus on a sense of spaciousness or simply rest in stillness.
And what would it feel like to release just one small burden,
Like a snowflake falling softly to the earth?
And can you feel the courage it takes to surrender and know that in releasing,
You make space for new growth?
And take a moment to imagine yourself as the earth,
Resting under a blanket of snow,
Patient and at peace,
Knowing that when the time is right,
Spring will come,
Bringing renewal.
And now invite a sense of softness into this moment.
Perhaps you imagine yourself standing in the sun,
Feeling its warmth,
The soft touch of a breeze on your skin.
How does it feel in your body to open up to this invitation?
Softness is here to remind you that you don't need to hurry or rush.
Everything you need is within you and you have already arrived.
And notice any sensations or responses in your body.
And soon it will be time to return from this practice.
But before we close,
I would like to share a poem with you.
And if it feels right,
You may very slowly place your left hand over your heart and allow yourself to be open and curious about how these words are received in your body.
Soft by Ariella Swarch Soft is an effortless awakening,
Loving myself into being.
Like a nurturing mother,
She comes in the name of kindness,
With a sweet smile,
A gentleness,
Generosity without expectation.
Soft is humble.
She knows how to flow between the hard places.
She comes when she feels safe,
And safety is her gift in return.
She is the innocent child's heart,
So trusting and so worthy of protection.
She pulls in her ally,
Fierce compassion as needed.
Soft comes in the name of tenderness.
A hand reaching is a hand held.
If sadness comes as a passerby,
She invites her in and pulls up a chair to listen to her.
Soft is the open field of awareness,
Devoting her full attention without expectation.
She brings clear seeing,
For she too knows the longing to be seen without judgment.
Soft comes in the name of forgiveness.
She knows the strength it takes to surrender and the power of letting go.
She teaches us to release the past so that we polish the heart.
She descends like the autumn leaves towards their moist earth and rests patiently under the quiet blankets of snow.
She emerges again as the tree blossoms in springtime,
And you will find her in the summer fields of sun-kissed weight.
Yes,
She is the natural unfolding of all that comes and goes,
Yet she herself is timeless.
She comes in the name of contentment,
Inviting you to delight in your senses and savour the moment.
Soft comes in the name of joy.
She has the quiet power to expand your heart,
To let the delight and wonder of this beautiful world pour through.
She is radiant light that fearlessly shines into the dark spaces of fear,
Anger,
Shame and grief.
She is renewal.
She is healing.
She is one of many paths home.
Her invitation is to move slowly,
To walk with gentleness and to rest often.
Her wisdom is infused with the knowledge that indeed there is no rush,
For there is nowhere to go.
You have already arrived.
And slowly,
Slowly bring your awareness back to your breath,
Feeling the gentle rhythm of each inhale and exhale.
Begin to invite small movements into your body,
Wiggling your fingers and toes.
Really take your time,
Moving very slowly and mindfully,
As if you are savouring each sensation.
And when you feel ready,
You can softly open your eyes and maybe closing them again,
Allowing yourself to gently welcome the light back in.
Carry with you a sense of this softness,
A quiet reminder that you can return to this feeling of rest and ease at any time.
May this practice remind you of the strength found in softness and the beauty of softening into presence.
And thank you for practicing with me.
