Trauma-Informed Yoga Nidra Anchoring With Compassion

In this meditation, you will be guided through a trauma-informed Yoga Nidra practice designed to foster safety, rest, and compassionate awareness. You’ll explore body sensations, gentle breath awareness, and opposites, with invitations to connect to inner steadiness, compassion, and the shared experience of collective trauma. A visualization supports anchoring during times of collective stress, while spacious rest allows integration. The practice concludes with grounding and reflection, helping you carry forward a sense of stability, connection, and resilience.

Transcript

Trauma-informed yoga nidra,

Anchoring through collective trauma.

As we begin our meditation,

I invite you to allow your body to be in a position that feels completely comfortable,

Completely at ease.

Perhaps that's lying down or sitting in a chair.

Allow yourself to find a position where you can be completely rested,

Completely at ease.

Take as much time as you need to allow the body to find and feel a position that feels safe and comfortable.

You might notice how your back feels,

The position of your shoulders or your hips.

You might notice how your head or your feet might feel lighter or more connected to the ground.

If it feels right,

Allow your eyes to be soft.

They could be open,

They could be closed.

They could be resting softly,

Gazing in a place or a point in the distance.

Begin to notice the environment around you.

Noticing the air on your skin,

The temperature in the space.

Noticing sounds that are near or far.

Each sound can simply be part of your awareness.

There's no need to change or control anything that you notice.

As you rest here,

You may invite the body to soften just a little more into the support beneath or around you.

Perhaps that's feeling the ground,

The chair,

The floor,

Anything at all.

Allow the sense,

Whenever you notice,

To be part of what holds you in this moment.

As we begin this yoga nidra,

It may be helpful to create something called an inner resource.

This could be a place or a sensation,

Something that can offer you a sense of steadiness to which you can return at any point within the meditation.

If you'd like,

Allow your mind to be in a place where it lands on something that brings a sense of safety,

Comfort,

Or calmness.

It might be something that's real,

Such as a space in a room,

Some place in nature,

Or even the presence of someone you trust.

It can also be imagined,

A color,

An image,

Or even a symbol.

Just the felt sense,

Perhaps,

Of even being held.

Notice how your body responds as you invite or are curious around this awareness.

Can your breath soften?

Can your shoulders lighten or drop?

Can there be a sense of stillness,

Or how even in this moment you might feel more supported?

If it feels helpful,

You can even give this inner resource a name or a word.

Something that allows you to return to this inner resource with greater ease within our practice.

And now if it feels right,

Perhaps you'd like to create an intention or a sankalpa for this practice.

This simply means creating something that allows you to invite in a phrase or an understanding of what you wish to explore within the meditation.

It might be something as simple as,

I allow myself to be curious.

I anchor into compassion,

Or I meet myself with gentleness.

If no intention arises,

That's okay too.

Simply allow yourself to be here within the meditation.

Next we'll begin to gradually bring awareness throughout the body.

As we explore,

There's nothing here about needing to change or control any aspects we explore.

You're simply invited to notice.

If it feels right,

You could imagine each area with a sense of lightness or warmth.

Begin by noticing the crown of the head.

Simply noticing the space in the crown of the head.

Maybe beginning to move awareness to the forehead,

The sides of the head,

The eyes,

Left eye,

Right eye.

Sensing into the cheeks,

The nose,

The lips,

The tongue,

The jaw,

The entire mouth.

Gently bring awareness to the space of the throat,

The back of the neck,

The right shoulder,

The upper arm,

The elbow,

The forearm,

The wrist,

The palm of the hand.

Noticing each finger,

Thumb,

Middle,

And little finger.

Shift awareness to the left shoulder,

Upper arm,

Elbow.

Noticing each finger,

Thumb,

Index,

Middle,

Ring,

And little finger.

Now allow awareness to move to the chest,

The heart space.

Sense any movement of breath and awareness to the upper back,

The shoulder blades,

The belly,

The navel,

The lower abdomen.

Simply noticing presence in these spaces.

Then bring awareness to the pelvis,

The hips,

The belly,

And down the right leg,

Right thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel.

The sole of the foot,

The top of the foot,

Each toe on the foot,

And down the left leg.

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole,

Top of the foot,

And each toe on the foot.

Now invite awareness in the entire body at once.

Noticing the whole body,

Perhaps resting,

Supported,

And breathing.

Sense the body as a field of experience with sensations,

Stillness,

Coolness,

Weight,

Breath,

All of these aspects present together.

Then begin to gently shift your awareness towards your breath.

There's no need to breathe in any particular way.

Your body already knows how to breathe.

Perhaps notice where the breath feels most natural to sense in this moment.

Maybe you notice the belly softly rising and falling,

Or the chest expanding and releasing.

Maybe you notice as the air enters through the nostrils,

Maybe entering with a sense of coolness and releasing with a sense of warmness.

Allow yourself to take time and rest in this place,

Noticing the breath moving in,

Moving in with an inhale,

Noticing as the breath moves out,

Moves out as an exhale.

Maybe imagining the breath as a wave rising on the inhale.

Each part of the breath,

Each part of the wave unique,

The breath moving in,

Rising on the inhale,

Releasing and moving out on the exhale.

Perhaps you notice the spaces in between the breaths.

Maybe there's a pause after the inhale,

Or maybe there's a pause after the exhale.

What would it be like to even allow yourself to rest awareness in the places of these pauses?

Noticing the inhale.

Noticing the exhale.

And if you wish,

Noticing the pause in between these places.

Allowing yourself to continue with that noticing in a way that feels right for you.

The breath moving in.

The breath moving out.

The breath moving in.

In the next part of our practice,

I'll invite you to begin exploring opposites within sensations.

The opposites exploration can allow the nervous system to begin to expand its capacity and what it noticed.

If it feels right,

Maybe you can allow yourself to be curious with this part of the practice.

Beginning with a sense of noticing heaviness.

What would it be like to imagine your body feeling into a sense of heaviness?

Perhaps that sense of heaviness allows you to feel a sense of support beneath or around you.

Being curious where you notice the sense of heaviness.

And then what would it be like to shift awareness to noticing a sense of lightness?

Imagining the body as though it could float or lift or feel into a sense of spacious lightness.

Where can lightness be sensed?

And then moving back to that sense of heaviness.

Where that sense of heaviness might be located in the body.

And then being curious once more about that sense of lightness.

Noticing where lightness might be held in the body.

And then what would it be like to notice both these sensations of awareness at the same time?

What would it be like to notice heaviness as well as lightness simultaneously?

There's nothing you need to strive for.

Just being curious if both can arise at the same time.

You're free to choose what feels most supportive.

And if you wish you could also linger with any one quality or both at the same time.

And the next part of our meditation,

You're invited into a space of gentle visualization.

If it feels comfortable,

Begin by sensing the environment around you.

Imagine yourself in a place that feels steady and safe.

It could be a landscape or a place in nature from your own memory.

Maybe a quiet forest,

A stretch of a shoreline,

A gentle sunset.

Or even a garden.

Perhaps it's something you've created in your imagination.

A simple room with warm light.

Or an open field and a wide sky.

Notice the qualities of this place.

Perhaps the temperature of the air.

Textures beneath you.

Colors and the shapes all around you.

And any sounds near or far.

You're invited to take your time to arrive here fully.

In a place where nothing is required of you.

Just whatever you notice within this visualization.

In this space,

What would it be like to begin to sense that you're not alone and that there are others here with you and for you?

They may be friends,

Loved ones,

Neighbors,

Or perhaps people you've never met.

You don't need to picture them clearly.

Just the awareness that others are present,

Each carrying their own stories.

Notice that some may carry visible burdens while others carry them quietly.

Everyone here has known struggle.

And everyone here has known moments of strength.

If it feels right,

Imagine threads of connection extending gently between you and others.

These threads are woven of compassion.

They don't weigh you down.

Rather,

They simply remind you that you're part of something larger.

The pain and resilience are both shared human experiences.

At the center of this visualization,

What would it be like to imagine a golden anchor of connection?

The anchor is not heavy.

It's a steadiness in a way that grounds and holds and cares.

The anchor might appear as a stone,

A tree with deep roots,

A symbol,

Or simply a feeling of stability.

Notice how the presence of this anchor influences your body.

Could there possibly be a softening in the breath?

A greater awareness of the ground beneath you?

Maybe a quiet recognition that steadiness is possible,

Even amidst uncertainty.

In this moment,

If it feels supportive,

You might silently say,

I am anchored.

I am safe.

I can return here.

You may even begin to notice if this anchor within yourself is connected to a particular place in the body.

Maybe you sense that in the chest,

The belly,

The feet,

Or just all around you.

Notice how the body responds as you're curious about this connection.

From this place of anchoring and noticing,

I invite you to next to be curious about compassion.

Compassion does not mean fixing or taking away anyone's pain.

It's simply the willingness to be present with care.

Perhaps you can imagine compassion as light,

Warmth,

Or even a gentle current.

You might feel or notice it flowing towards you from others.

You might feel or notice it flowing outward from you towards others.

Or you may simply rest in the sense that compassion is present in the space between all beings.

There's no effort required.

Compassion can be as small as a spark of curiosity or as vast as a field of light.

Allow it to be whatever it is in this moment.

I invite you to sense what meaning may arise for you in this part of the meditation.

Maybe it's subtle,

Like a whisper or a sense of knowing.

Maybe it's a reminder of gentle strength,

A recognition that you're not alone.

If it feels right,

Maybe asking within,

What am I anchoring to in this moment?

Allow any response to come,

Come to you through a sensation,

Image,

Or word.

Anything or nothing at all.

In this moment,

There's nothing to solve or find an answer to.

Just an invitation to be curious.

Perhaps you can allow yourself just to rest here,

Noticing the steadiness of the anchor,

The presence of others,

The threads of compassion,

The possibility of meaning.

Just allowing yourself to rest in the awareness.

An anchoring or connection is always available.

Connection continues even when it may be unseen.

And then what would it be like to allow yourself to let go of any effort in this moment at all?

Nothing to follow,

Nothing to imagine.

Simply to rest in awareness itself.

Notice what it's like to be here,

Supported.

Where sensations may arise,

May fade away.

Thoughts may drift in and out.

Emotions may come,

Or emotions may quiet.

In this space,

Everything is welcome.

If attention feels scattered,

Perhaps you'd like to return to your anchor,

Your breath,

Or your body,

Or even your inner resource.

And if your attention wants to wander,

That's okay too.

Perhaps you sense the body and that connection to heaviness or lightness.

Perhaps you notice a sense of warmth or coolness.

There may be that sense of connection.

Or there may be that sense of stillness.

Each of these is just part of your awareness.

There's no way to move through this meditation that may be wrong.

It's simply being curious as to whatever arrives for you in the moment.

And allowing yourself to rest within the spaciousness of your own awareness.

As you begin to feel ready,

Maybe you begin to notice once again the support beneath you.

Maybe that's the ground,

The chair,

The floor.

Anything that may be holding you and supporting you throughout this practice.

Perhaps you sense the shape of your body and the connection to the ground or the surface.

You may wish to begin inviting awareness back into noticing the breath,

Noticing the inhale,

Noticing the exhale.

Just sensing how the body is breathing right now in this moment.

If it feels supportive,

You may invite some gentle movement.

Allowing the fingers and toes to wiggle and move.

Perhaps allowing the arms or the legs to stretch open and out.

Perhaps allowing the head to gently move side to side.

You're welcome to move in any way that feels nourishing and supportive for your body in this moment.

Allow yourself to take the time you need.

And if you set an intention or a sankalpa earlier,

Maybe you'd like to recall it right now in this moment.

Noticing again if it arrives back to you in the same way in which you created it.

Has it changed?

Do you sense any part of it more deeply or differently?

As you return,

I invite you to begin noticing any subtle shifts or changes in the body,

In your sense of emotions or thoughts,

In the state of the mind and how you feel connected to yourself or others in any way.

Is there any sense of even simple softening?

And can you notice whatever's present with compassion for yourself in this moment?

Compassion inward for all you move through and notice and help.

And compassion outward for all those you might be connected to,

Seen or unseen.

As this meditation practice comes to a close,

Allow yourself to remember that you can return to these anchors and connections,

Your breath,

Your body,

Your inner resource,

Your sense of connection or compassion at any time.

Every time you allow yourself the space for meditation,

Stillness or rest,

You can allow yourself to be in the space of gentleness and this wider aspect of connecting to others all around you.

When you're ready,

You may wish to slowly blink your eyes back and forth.

Allow your eyes to begin gently returning to the light if it feels right.

Begin to notice the space all around you.

Now,

Noticing yourself here right now in this moment,

You're welcome to carry with you the sense of being anchored.

These threads of connection and compassion and the quiet noticing of all these gentle curiosities in each and every moment throughout your day.

Reviews

Lovely practice, thank you 😊 🙏