Yoga Nidra Journey To Meet A Guide

This Yoga Nidra practice includes a guided visualisation where you have the opportunity to meet with a wise guide for insight and inspiration. Your guide may take any form: it could be a person, an animal, an otherworldly being, a spirit or angel or perhaps something more abstract: try not to force anything as you meditate but allow your guide to reveal themself naturally as they come. If there is an area of your life that you are looking for some guidance in or that you wish to explore, you have the opportunity to bring the intention into the practice to explore that part of your life or to ask a question. The practice moves through all the states of yoga nidra relaxation including a long body scan, breath awareness, exploration of the opposites heavy/light and movement/stillness, and rapid visualisation of images; before the journey to connect with your guide.

Image by Amino

Transcript

Welcome to your practice.

This is a Yoga Nidra practice for deep relaxation and rejuvenation.

And later on in the practice there's a visualization where you'll get the opportunity to meet and connect with a guide.

As we practice Yoga Nidra we relax on every level and we become more open to connecting with and receiving messages from deeper parts of our mind.

So it's possible to receive insights and inspiration from the visualization.

But do be aware that the visualizations come differently for different people.

Some people are very visual and may see images where others might feel feelings or receive more subtle impressions or experience a feeling of just knowing.

There's no right or wrong way to do the practice or to experience the visualizations.

Simply relax and follow my voice and welcome whatever comes for you today.

To begin with make sure that you are comfortable.

Yoga Nidra is often practiced in Shavasana.

Lying on your back with the legs open to a little wider than hip distance and with the feet relaxing out towards the side.

Bring the arms to the sides of your body a little away from your body with the palms of the hands facing upward.

And you can support your head with a pillow or a block or place a rolled-up blanket under the knees or the feet if that feels best for you.

And if Shavasana doesn't feel like a position that you can relax in for a long time,

Find another position that works better for you.

Perhaps bringing the feet to the mat at hip distance apart and dropping the knees in together or even coming to sitting.

Make sure that you're warm enough.

Your body temperature is likely to drop as you practice so you may like to cover yourself with a blanket especially if you're in a cooler climate.

And once you've found a comfortable position for your practice close your eyes and just feel into your body.

Notice the feeling of your body resting into the surface beneath you.

Feel into all of the places where your body connects with that surface.

And feel your body becoming heavier in all of those places as you begin to relax and let go.

Now bring your awareness to the breath.

Watch the breath flowing in and out of your body.

Observe the chest gently rising and falling as you inhale and exhale.

Now imagine the breath like a wave flowing over the body.

As you inhale the wave flows from your feet up to your head and as you exhale it flows from your head back to your feet.

And with every exhalation feel that wave washing away anything that you don't need to carry with you into your relaxation.

Feel it carrying away any thoughts or concerns,

Any activities from your day that you don't need to think about right now.

And with each exhalation feel yourself becoming more relaxed.

Now send the awareness outwards to the farthest sound that you can hear in the distance.

Become aware of the most distant sound.

It doesn't matter what that sound is or where it's coming from.

There's no need to analyze it.

Just acknowledge that that faraway sound is there.

And slowly draw the awareness into sounds that are closer to you.

Become aware of the sounds outside the room.

And the sounds inside the room.

Become aware of the closest sounds that you can hear.

The sounds coming from your body.

And know that none of the sounds are going to disturb you but that they can only help you to relax even more deeply.

Now we come to the cultivation of the inner resource.

Invite a feeling of safety and security to arise around you.

If it helps you to feel the feeling you might like to remember a time when you felt very safe and secure.

Or you might like to imagine a situation which meets all of the conditions that you would need to feel completely safe,

Well and secure.

Welcome that feeling of safety as it arises around you.

And notice where you feel it inside your body.

Intensify the feeling of safety inside your body.

Feel it vividly.

This is your inner resource.

And you can always return to it at any time if you need to during the practice.

Complete safety,

Security and well-being.

Later on in your practice you'll have the opportunity to ask a question during one of the visualizations.

If there's a specific question that you would like to ask,

Just bring that question into your awareness now.

But if you don't have a question that's okay too.

You might find that the question comes up by itself when the time comes.

Or that a different question to the one you ask comes up.

Or you might not need or even want a question.

There's no right or wrong approach.

But if you do have a specific question to bring into your practice.

Just bring that question into your awareness now.

And take a moment to acknowledge it.

We're going to begin the rotation of consciousness around the body.

Bring the awareness to rest at each body part as I name it.

We'll begin at the thumb of the right hand.

Bring the awareness to rest at the right hand thumb.

And the right index finger.

The right middle finger.

The ring finger.

And the little finger.

The palm of the right hand.

The back of the right hand.

The right wrist.

The right forearm.

The right elbow.

The right upper arm.

The right shoulder.

The right side of the chest.

The right side of the abdomen.

The right waist.

The right hip.

The right thigh.

The right knee.

The lower leg.

The right ankle.

The right heel.

The sole of the right foot.

The top of the right foot.

And each of the right toes.

1,

2,

3,

4,

5.

Move the awareness to the left side.

To the left hand thumb.

The left index finger.

The left middle finger.

The ring finger.

And the little finger.

The palm of the left hand.

The back of the hand.

The left wrist.

The left forearm.

The left elbow.

The upper arm.

The left shoulder.

The left side of the chest.

The left side of the abdomen.

The left waist.

The left hip.

The left thigh.

The left knee.

The lower leg.

The left ankle.

The left heel.

The sole of the left foot.

The top of the left foot.

And the left toes.

1,

2,

3,

4,

5.

Bring the awareness to the right toes.

The left toes.

The right heel.

The left heel.

The right buttock.

The left buttock.

The whole of the spine.

The right shoulder blade.

The left shoulder blade.

The back of the head.

The top of the head.

The forehead.

The right eyebrow.

The left eyebrow.

The eyebrow centre.

The right eye.

The left eye.

The right ear.

The left ear.

The right cheek.

The left cheek.

The nose.

The tip of the nose.

The upper lip.

The lower lip.

The chin.

The jaw.

The right collarbone.

The left collarbone.

The space between the collarbone.

The right side of the chest.

The left side of the chest.

The centre of the chest.

The navel.

The lower abdomen.

The right hip.

The left hip.

The right knee.

The left knee.

The right ankle.

The left ankle.

The right toes.

The left toes.

And the whole of the right leg.

Bring the awareness to the whole of the right leg.

The whole of the left leg.

Both legs together.

The whole of the right arm.

The whole of the left arm.

Both arms together.

And the whole of the body together.

Awareness on the whole of the body together.

The whole of the body together.

Together.

Bring the awareness to the breath.

Observe the breath flowing in and out.

And notice how the breath makes a triangle shape as it flows in and out of the nostrils.

It begins outside the nose.

And on the inhalation it flows in through each of the separate nostrils,

Meeting at the eyebrow centre,

Making a triangle shape.

And on the exhalation it flows from the eyebrow centre back out through the separate nostrils.

Follow the triangular shape made by the breath.

Watch the breath flowing up to the eyebrow centre and back out again.

Now bring the awareness into the body and feel the body becoming very heavy.

Feel the body becoming heavier.

And heavier.

And heavier.

Feel the body sinking into the surface beneath you.

Feel the body becoming even heavier.

So heavy that it sinks down into the earth and becomes one with the earth.

Intensify the feeling of heaviness in the body.

Feel it vividly.

The feeling of heaviness in the body.

The feeling of heaviness in the body.

And now feel the body becoming very light.

Feel the body becoming lighter.

And lighter.

And lighter.

Feel the body becoming so light that it floats up into the air.

Into the sky.

And becomes one with the sky.

Intensify the feeling of lightness.

Feel it vividly.

The feeling of lightness in the body.

Lightness in the body.

And are you able to feel both of those at the same time?

Is it possible to feel the body so heavy that it sinks into the earth?

And so light that it floats away into the sky at the same time?

Feel the body at the same time.

Is it possible to feel heaviness and lightness together?

Heaviness and lightness together.

Notice how still the body has become.

Observe the body completely still as if fast asleep.

Observe the sleeping body.

Watch the body fast asleep.

Deeply asleep.

But although the body sleeps,

The consciousness remains awake and aware.

Become aware of the awareness that watches the sleeping body.

Become aware of the experience of sleeping and waking together.

Sleeping and waking together.

The state of yoga nidra.

Now move the awareness to the space between the eyebrows.

The eyebrow center.

Observe what you see at the eyebrow center.

Watch any shapes,

Colors,

Patterns or images.

Or perhaps darkness.

Without getting involved,

Just observe whatever's there.

We're going to begin the rapid visualization of images.

Keeping the awareness at the eyebrow center,

Allow each image to arise as it comes.

Welcome whatever comes,

However it comes.

There is no need to force it.

You may see it as a picture or it may present itself in another way.

We'll begin with a burning fire.

The stormy sky.

An empty room.

An elephant.

A duck.

A tiger walking through the jungle.

A windmill.

Stars in the sky.

A trickling stream.

The setting sun.

A stick of incense.

A boat.

A mother cat and her kitten.

The full moon.

A deserted beach.

A deserted beach.

See yourself walking through a forest.

Surrounded by tall tree,

Green plant and colorful flowers.

You walk along a small path through the trees.

Observing the plants,

Birds,

Animals and insects around you.

Rays of sunlight filter through the trees,

Illuminating different plants as you walk.

The path leads you up a gentle hill and you find the forest opening out into a clearing.

At the center of the clearing are two tree stumps.

You sit onto a tree stump and welcome the warm sunlight onto your skin.

You hear a rustling coming from the trees and a figure emerges out of the trees and into the clearing.

As they walk towards you their shape becomes clear and you know that this is someone you can trust.

Someone who is here to help you.

Notice who it is.

It may be a person,

An animal or another kind of being.

They sit on the tree stump beside you and a communication begins.

If you have a question for them,

Ask that question now and welcome whatever comes.

Or if you don't have a question,

Simply listen to whatever arises as you communicate.

Your companion takes your hand and places an object into it.

A useful object to assist you on your path.

You observe it in detail.

And you thank your companion.

They inform you that it will soon be time for them to leave.

So just take these final few moments for any remaining communication you wish to have with them.

And thank your companion for the time they have given you.

You watch them walk away and disappear into the forest.

And you thank your companion for their time and company.

And you thank your companion for their time and company.

And you thank your companion for their time and company.

Remaining on the tree stump,

Surrounded by the peaceful forest,

You welcome the warm sunlight that shines down above you.

You close your eyes and enter into a deep meditation.

Invite your feeling of safety to arise again.

Welcome the feeling of safety that you created at the beginning of the practice.

Feel that feeling of safety all around you and feel it inside your body.

Intensify the feeling.

Complete safety and security.

Absolute well-being.

This is your inner resource.

It's your feeling that you have created for yourself.

And you can always come back to it at any time if you need it in your practice and in your life.

Now slowly begin to turn the awareness back outward.

Become aware of any sounds that are present in your environment.

Without getting too involved in any one sound,

Just notice that the sounds are there.

And now feel the feeling of the air against your skin.

And your clothing or your blanket against your skin.

Feel the feeling of your body resting into the surface beneath you.

And in your mind can you paint a picture of the room that you're in?

Can you picture the walls?

The ceiling?

The floor?

The furniture?

All of the different objects?

Begin to deepen the breathing as you prepare to end the practice.

Start to make some small movements with the hands and the feet.

And when you feel ready give yourself a big stretch in any way that feels comfortable for you.

Take your time,

There's no rush.

Take your time,

There's no rush.

And when you're sure that you're wide awake again,

Slowly open your eyes.

This brings us to the end of our Yoga Nidra practice.

Thank you for practicing with me today.