Finding The Strength To Overcome Challenges

You can conquer anything you put your mind to. Take some time to disconnect from the world around you. Enjoy ample time to go within and rest before setting out on a challenging journey up a sacred mountain. Experience the emotional highs and lows that such a challenge creates. Feel as if you are right there on the mountain determined to push beyond your negative inner chatter and perceived limitations. Practice an ancient mantra to overcome the most challenging part of the journey. Acknowledge and overcome anxiety and self doubt. Then feel the overwhelming sense of accomplishment as you overcome yourself and reach the top.

Music: Yoga and Relaxation Ambiance by AdiGold
Image: “Tree Against Amazing Himalayan Mountains At Sunset”
By: Den Belitsky

Transcript

Hello and welcome,

My name is Kalyani and I'll be your guide tonight.

Simply follow my voice on a journey deep within.

We will begin by finding stillness,

Then move to awareness of subtle movements happening within the stillness.

Your mind will be constantly anchored,

Allowing you to rest at a much deeper level than ever before.

Then we will journey up a sacred mountain together.

This meditation is based on my real-life journey with my teacher climbing the Himalayan mountains in India,

Where we traveled by foot all day to reach Kunjapuri Devi Temple.

The hardest part of Yoga Nidra is simply showing up,

So you've already done the hard work by setting aside this time to nurture your mind,

Body,

And spirit.

You will rest completely,

Supported by your blankets,

Your bed,

Or the floor,

And simply allow my voice to lead you on a journey deep within.

Together we will peel away the layers of stress and tension stored in your mind and body until we arrive at the peaceful stillness within,

Your inner resource.

Yoga Nidra,

Or Yogic Sleep,

Is extremely healing on all levels.

It's a wonderful,

Peaceful practice that guides the mind and body into total relaxation,

Where you can access a deeper level of inner awareness.

Here you will achieve peace of mind,

Reduce your anxiety,

And sleep soundly once more.

You will increase your body's capacity for self-healing and awaken your greatest inner potential.

So take a moment to settle in,

Begin to focus on the sound of your breath as we embark on this journey within together.

Make little movements,

Settling your body into the support beneath you.

Any movement you want to make,

Please do so now.

Then we will attempt to rest in stillness for the remainder of this practice,

But please feel free to move as needed.

If your body becomes uncomfortable,

That is all your mind will be able to focus on,

So take care of the placement of your body.

If it's comfortable,

Allow your eyes to gently close,

And begin to breathe in and out of your nose,

Allowing the mouth to stay gently closed.

Stop all physical movement now,

And lay completely motionless,

Like a person who is sound asleep but completely aware.

Your body is quiet but under your control.

You are staying conscious of the fact that you have the ability to move,

But you choose to rest and recharge in stillness.

This is the time to set your resolve,

Your sankopa,

A simple positive statement.

That describes your intention for practicing,

Your heart's desire.

Once you have discovered your resolve,

Please mentally repeat it three times with feeling and awareness.

It could be as simple as,

I find solutions easily.

Or,

I overcome challenges with ease.

Now shift the spotlight of your attention to your jaw.

Many of us hold frustration and tension in our jaw,

So we will begin by releasing that first.

Open the jaw as wide as you can,

And hold it open for three deep breaths.

You may even want to move the lower jaw from side to side.

Then slowly allow the jaw to close,

But keep a space between the upper and lower teeth.

The lips barely touch,

And the entire jaw,

Mouth and tongue surrender completely their tension and tightness.

Begin to sense the space under the tongue.

Notice the space above the tongue,

And the space between your teeth and cheeks.

Feel all of the space within your mouth.

Noticing any residual tastes within.

Exploring any sensations you discover in your mouth.

Exploring all sensations outside of your mouth.

Now let's take your inquisitive awareness inside,

As you begin to investigate your whole body.

Observing without judgment all sensations you discover inside your body.

Inviting every joint and muscle to begin to soften and melt,

Completely relaxed.

Imagine a warming sensation oozing over your toes,

Feet,

And arms.

Your ankles,

Knees,

And upper legs.

Feel as it moves over your buttocks,

Your belly and back.

Notice how it informs the muscles to relax.

Invite that oozing sensation over your fingers,

Hands,

Arms,

And shoulders.

Feel it as it meets up with the warming sensation over the ribs and chest.

Feel it flowing up over the neck,

The throat,

Your face and head.

Allow the entire body to soften and melt completely.

The whole body softening and melting into the support beneath you.

A feeling of being held,

Loved,

And cherished as we melt deeper and deeper into acceptance,

Ease,

And well-being.

Investigate if there is any tension hiding out within.

There is no judgment here.

Simply observe,

And when you discover tension that was hiding out below the surface,

Loosen it,

Like untying a knot to free the line.

If any muscles still feel tight,

Ask them to soften and release.

It's ok to let go in this place of support and ease.

Allow me to have your back,

To hold the sacred space for you to go within,

And find all the answers you desire.

We are in this together,

A team.

It's my turn to stand watch.

So you can rest deeply.

Invite a sensation of melting into your mind and body.

Scan your entire body and see if you can relax just 5% more.

Now remind yourself,

I will not sleep.

Yoga Nidra is a practice to make you more and more aware.

As we rest our outer vision,

We awaken our inner sight.

We raise our inner awareness of sensation and emotions that hide out below the surface.

Our brain is a record of our past.

Our body is a record of past emotions.

Emotions we don't deal with get shoved down into the tissues of our body.

Through this practice,

We can become aware of them,

Learn the lesson they brought us,

And then use the breath to release them from our body.

Cultivating a sense of lightness and openness with that release.

Choosing to no longer carry the burdens of our past.

As we invite the whole body to rest in stillness.

As we work with our subtle awareness,

Your whole body is quiet and at ease.

Begin to experience all of the subtle movements within your body.

The physical body is moving on its own,

Without effort,

In spite of all control.

Begin to explore which parts of your body are moving as you rest in stillness.

Are your feet moving?

Do you observe any sensations in the toes?

Is there a sense of movement in your chest or stomach?

Is your head turned to one side?

Maybe you feel the stomach moving forward and back,

Up and down.

You are not consciously moving the belly.

It is happening on its own,

And there's no need to stop it.

Simply observe.

Feel how the belly seems to be expanding and contracting.

The breath is flowing in and out as a result of that expansion and contraction.

Observe all muscles that assist your body in drawing the breath in and pushing the breath out.

Awareness of all sensation caused by the movement of your relaxed breath.

Now I will guide you through the different parts of your physical body on an exploration of sensations.

One by one,

I will take your consciousness to each and every part of your body.

At the same time,

You will feel each part and mentally repeat its name,

Noticing any sensation you discover there.

Rest in stillness as you simply move your attention to each part that is mentioned,

Rotating your consciousness quickly and effortlessly.

My voice will be your guide,

And all you have to do is follow the sound of my voice with your attention.

Remind yourself,

I will not sleep.

I am practicing Yoga Nidra.

The practice begins with a journey through the right side of your body.

Notice your right hand,

Right hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Right wrist,

Forearm,

Feel your right elbow,

Elbow,

Shoulder,

Right ribs,

Waist,

Hip,

Right thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Ankle,

Heel,

Top of the right foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third,

Fourth,

And fifth toe.

Observe sensation in all five toes together.

Feel the sole of the right foot,

Heel,

Back of the ankle,

Back of the calf,

Back of the knee,

Back of the thigh,

Right buttocks,

Base of the spine,

Genitals,

Low belly,

Solar plexus,

Right below the center of the ribs,

Heart center,

Throat center,

Space between the eyebrows,

Top of the head.

Now we journey to the left side,

Left hand,

Left hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Left wrist,

Right wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Left thigh,

Knee,

Shin,

Ankle,

Top of the left foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third,

Fourth,

And fifth toe.

Observe sensation in all five left toes together.

Rest your awareness for a moment on the tips of your left toes,

Sole of the left foot,

Heel,

Heel,

Back of the ankle,

Back of the calf,

Back of the left knee,

Back of the thigh,

Buttocks,

Base of the spine,

Low belly,

Solar plexus,

Right below the center of the ribs,

Heart center,

Throat center,

Space between the eyebrows,

Top of the head,

Right shoulder,

Left shoulder,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

Right heel,

Left heel,

The whole spine,

From the base of the spine all the way up to the top of the spine.

Feel the whole spine together,

The whole back together,

Top of the head,

Forehead,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Rest for a moment on the eyebrow center,

Right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Right cheek,

Nose,

Tip of the nose,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Whole nose together,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Both lips together,

Chin,

Jaw,

Throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right chest muscle,

Left chest muscle,

Middle of the chest,

Chest,

Navel,

Abdomen,

Lower abdomen,

Whole right leg,

Whole left leg,

Both legs together,

Whole right arm,

Whole left arm,

Both arms together,

The whole body together,

The whole body together.

Become aware of the space inside your body.

Notice the amount of space occupied by your body.

Extend your awareness out to the space around your body.

Feel the space between your body and the walls around you.

Feel the space between your body and the walls around you.

Become fully aware of the body and this space that is occupied by your body.

Become aware of the whole body and your bed.

The whole body in relation to your bed.

And at the same time,

Become aware of the meeting points of the body and your bed.

These are very subtle physical points between the body and the bed.

Feel the sensation at each meeting point.

Observe the back of your head and the bed.

The shoulder blades and the bed.

Elbows and the bed.

Back of the hands and the bed.

The buttocks and the bed.

The calves and the bed.

The heels and the bed.

The awareness of all meeting points between the body and the bed.

Sensation of all points simultaneously,

Evenly.

Go on feeling these points clearly and distinctly.

Observing all sensations.

Each point is alive with radiant vibration.

Do not sleep.

Continue to notice all meeting points with total awareness.

Switch your attention now to the eyelids.

Feel the line of meeting between the upper and lower eyelids.

Intensify your awareness of the eyelids and the lips.

Noticing the space between the lips.

From the lips,

We move back to the breath.

Draw your attention to the natural flow of the inhalation and exhalation.

Maintain your awareness and at the same time begin to count your breaths backwards as follows.

I am breathing in 10.

I am breathing out 10.

I am breathing in 9.

I am breathing out 9.

Count to yourself mentally as you follow the rise and fall of your breath.

Begin now at 10 with total awareness of breathing and counting.

The breath is slow and relaxed.

Please continue counting.

In spite of all of your control,

Movement is still occurring in the physical body.

This has been going on all by itself.

All 24 hours of each and every day from the moment you were born.

Remember,

I am completely alert and aware.

Notice each time you start to drift off towards sleep and remind yourself to stay present.

Resting in awareness.

Become aware of this movement within.

The movement of your breath.

Inhaling and exhaling through the nose.

This effortless breath is causing movement in many parts of the body.

The most obvious movement occurs in the abdomen,

Stomach,

Chest,

And nostrils.

These are the gross movements,

But of course the whole body is vibration.

Each and every hair on the body.

All the energy is moving.

But ordinarily we are unaware of that level of movement.

Feel the breath going in and out through the nostrils.

Particularly watch the process of your breath.

The movement seems to be in through the nose,

Then it travels through the throat to expand into the lungs.

But can we follow the breath even further?

Picture in your mind's eye that the breath moving in is a brilliant white light.

Follow its path all the way into the lungs,

But keep watching as that bright light now breaks down into tiny particles of light.

Like the stars in the sky on a perfectly clear night.

See that light being circulated into each and every cell of your body.

See and feel the entire body growing brighter and brighter as that healing prana moves in with the breath and is circulated effortlessly throughout your entire body.

Keep watching and witnessing the breath.

Now let's set out on a journey to climb a sacred mountain.

We are prepared that this is going to be a long and difficult climb,

But we feel confident in our ability to reach the top.

We will have to walk from sunrise to sunset to complete this journey,

Farther than we have ever traveled before,

But we will be together in a group.

We gather just before daybreak.

The night sky is just beginning to lighten up.

But the sun has not yet risen.

There is a feeling of peace and stillness to this early hour.

It feels as if the world is still sleeping and we have it all to ourselves.

There is an electricity to the air around us that is palpable.

We are all excited,

And if we're honest,

Maybe a little nervous about the journey ahead.

We have been warned that this is a personal test of our ability to keep going when things get tough.

We will have to push ourselves harder than we ever have before.

And this is a challenging and steep climb,

Not just an easy walk with friends.

The journey begins with a walk through the little town on our way to the base of the mountain,

Where we will meet our guide.

This is a trusted guide.

We have met our guide before and feel that they are qualified and experienced to lead us on this journey.

What we didn't realize was that this will be a silent journey,

A time to fully connect to ourselves and Mother Earth.

A whole day alone in our own head,

But surrounded by fellow travelers.

We were ready for the physical challenge,

But the emotional journey may be harder than the physical.

The path we are following passes through a large forest,

Beneath a canopy of trees,

And it crosses many streams and creeks.

Despite the shade from the trees,

As the sun rises,

The journey quickly becomes difficult and hot.

Feel the sweat dripping down your face and dampening your clothes.

Notice the difference in your breath.

Your breath is labored at the effort of climbing and keeping up.

After a long time walking in silence along a mountain stream,

Our guide points out a hidden little swimming hole.

The water is a magnificent blue color,

Clear,

Fresh,

Cool mountain water.

Together we stop and drink in the refreshing cold water.

The day has become hot,

So we decide to take off our shoes and take a dip in the cool water.

Like plunging into ice water on a steamy hot day is so refreshing and exhilarating.

Once cooled,

We lay in the warm sun to rest for a little while.

All exhaustion melts away as you enjoy the warm sun on your face and the rest of your body.

The day is so hot that your clothes quickly dry on your body.

The silence feels peaceful and allows your mind to rest from the endless chatter as you focus on hearing the sound of the running water.

You notice the happy birds chirping overhead.

Even the sound of the breeze in the leaves of the trees overhead calms you.

There are no phones here,

No distractions,

And no expectations.

You can rest in the present moment,

Simply soaking in the sun as you breathe the fresh mountain air.

Fully refreshed,

You are ready to continue.

It is time to move on.

After a few more hours of walking up the mountain,

You begin to feel exhausted once more,

And feelings of frustration and even a little anger towards your guide begin to rise to the surface.

As the terrain grows more steep,

You begin to question everything.

The mind is a powerful thing,

And even in such a beautiful place,

It can somehow find things to complain about.

Self-doubt begins to creep in as you notice the forest has become even more dense,

So much so that you cannot see very far in any direction.

The sacred mountain is completely obscured from your view,

And you begin to feel very far from home.

Walking in silence makes you feel stuck in your endless thoughts and worries of what will come,

But you press on,

And in a little while you begin to ascend higher and higher.

The forest becomes less dense,

Which helps to ease your concerns.

You look back in the direction where you came from,

And see the entire forest and even the rooftop of the house where we started off from this morning.

The sight of our temporary home and the tiredness of your body makes you begin to question,

Is this journey perhaps useless?

Why did you choose to set off on this journey?

You yearn to return to the comfort of your home and the friends you left behind,

But the guide insists that you go on.

You think back to something the guide said earlier when preparing you for this journey.

He said the one who conquers his mind conquers the world.

It didn't make sense at the time,

But now it does.

You come to the realization that your mind is creating your suffering,

So you continue on.

In spite of your self-doubt,

The guide believes in you.

You have not yet learned that you are stronger than you realize,

But this journey is designed to help you remember your strength.

The guide gathers the group and explains that the next portion of the journey will be even more challenging.

He recommends that we use a mantra to find the power and strength for the moments when our body wants to quit.

Dham Dham Dham Jaya Maha Durgaki This is an ancient mantra passed down through the generations.

Translated,

It means power and strength bring victory through the expression of the great soul Durga.

Each syllable activates each of the chakras the energy centers within.

As we chant it internally,

We find a level of strength we didn't realize we were capable of.

The ascent becomes more steep and more challenging.

The air is thick and hot,

And you are feeling exhausted,

More tired than you have ever been,

But the guide continues at their steady pace.

Sometimes you feel angry at the relentless pace and the danger of this rough terrain.

Your mind wanders off into what will happen if someone gets hurt all the way out here.

Your anxiety becomes palpable and threatens to take over.

You begin to believe all of these thoughts,

And it changes how you feel.

There is a whole silent war raging within your own mind.

On one hand,

You love the views and the challenge,

And the feeling of doing more than you thought yourself capable of.

But on the other hand,

Self-doubt,

Worry,

And concern are creeping into your thoughts.

You remember hearing the one who is afraid dies a little every day.

So you decide to slow your breath down,

To calm down,

Become present in this moment as you ask the voice within to quiet down.

You come back to the mantra,

Dham,

Dham,

Dham,

Jaya Maha Durga Ki.

Each word is a step,

And your resolve returns.

You remind yourself that all is well in this moment.

There is no need to worry about things that might never happen.

Worry simply robs you of your peace in the present moment.

Your breath slows down,

Your thoughts slow down,

And you focus simply on the next step,

The next step,

The next step,

Dham,

Dham,

Dham,

Jaya Maha Durga Ki.

At times,

You are grateful for your guide's expertise in climbing the more difficult terrain,

And avoiding the places that would have been impossible for you to climb.

The vegetation becomes less dense,

The ground becomes rocky and rugged,

And all thoughts of home and past have gone,

As you need to concentrate completely on climbing and keeping up with your guide.

Your breath becomes even more labored,

Your muscles even more tired,

You are in shape and younger than most on this journey.

You have been right behind the guide for most of the day,

But now you begin to fall back.

You feel exhausted.

Your mind wanders back to all of those negative thoughts once more.

The whole journey seems pointless.

You begin to notice how quickly your thoughts shift toward the negative,

And although you don't like it,

You're not quite sure how to change it.

Then the guide comes to you.

He has seen this inner battle many times before.

He takes you by the hand and starts walking with you again.

You can do this,

He says.

It's only the thoughts that say you can't.

Don't believe those thoughts.

You are stronger than you realize.

You will make it to the top.

With each step,

The guide repeats the words,

I will.

You find that you are walking in step with your guide,

And the sounds of the words,

I will,

Are echoing through your mind and body,

Giving you tremendous strength and energy.

Like a new mantra,

Each step you hear,

I will,

I will.

Left foot I,

Right foot will.

Your thoughts shift as you begin to imagine what it will feel like to finally reach the top.

And you hold on to that vision of you making it.

At last,

You reach the summit.

Relief floods you as you reach the most spectacular panoramic view you have ever seen.

A melding of beautiful blue sky as the sun begins to set.

On the backdrop of lush green mountain views as far as your eye can see.

A feeling of actually being on top of the world.

This is a sacred temple where people come to worship and hold sacred ceremony.

You can feel the energy of the space deeper than anything you have ever experienced before.

A feeling of success and exhilaration floods through your body and mind into the very essence of you.

It's hard to put into words this sense of accomplishment.

This newfound belief in yourself,

So deep and profound,

That you feel it in your bones.

A feeling that you can conquer anything you put your mind to.

A complete acceptance as you embrace the survivor within.

That was the most challenging thing you have ever done,

And you did not give up.

The guide gives you a meaningful smile,

And you are grateful to them for their forcefulness during the climb.

Gratitude.

Joy.

Pride.

Laughter.

All of these feelings and more are colliding,

And you simply can't wipe the smile off your face.

It's as if each and every cell of your body is illuminated with joy.

It radiates from deep within and all around you.

Stay here savoring this feeling as you enjoy the hard-earned view surrounded by others that took the journey with you.

You will hear my voice again in five minutes.

Now remember your resolve.

Mentally repeat the resolve you made at the beginning of the practice,

In the same words and with the same feeling.

Repeat your resolve now clearly three times.

Become aware of your breathing.

Become aware of your natural breathing.

Return to the awareness of your physical existence.

Noticing your arms and legs,

And feel the weight of your body supported and held.

Become aware of all the meeting points between your body and your mind.

And develop an awareness of the room around you,

And the sounds within the space around you.

Strong and steady for everything now.

I am mountain strong and steady for everything now.

I am ready.

I am mountain strong and steady for everything now.

I am ready.

Remember there is a deep well of strength within you.

If you made it this far,

You are a survivor of something.

Embrace your strength.

Step back into your power.

My teacher once told me challenges are inevitable,

Suffering is optional.

Despite any challenges you are facing right now in your life,

Find something to be grateful for.

Gratitude is a powerful vibration that will attract more good into your life.

Even if it's as simple as I am grateful for my breath,

Your breath is a gift denied to many.

Appreciate each moment as precious.

Never allow fear or your thoughts to keep you from accomplishing all that you desire.

Thoughts will come,

But you get to choose which ones to believe.

If the thought doesn't feel good,

Reach for a thought that feels better.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.

I hope you will join me again soon.

In gratitude and love,

Until next time,

Rest well my friends.