Yoga Nidra Above The Noise

Snuggle in here to discover what inner wisdom arises when the noisy external world is quieted. From an embodied sense of safety and calm, find deep rest and a rich ground for self inquiry. The body knows what it needs, we only need to listen carefully in order to metabolize stuck patterns and experience positive growth and well being.

Transcript

Yoga Nidra supports finding a sense of ease so that the body and mind can reset.

Practicing Yoga Nidra little and often,

Like learning a new language,

Until spontaneously becoming aware of the ability to free yourself from the busy mind.

Gain a little distance or perspective on all that comes in the course of a day that may contribute to a feeling of heaviness,

Overwhelm,

Stress,

And fatigue.

Let's begin this practice to start finding your way towards more ease and calm.

Snuggle in now for a respite from all the noise in your world,

Reorienting to an uninterrupted,

Safe,

And supportive place.

Beginning to turn your attention now to the body.

Stretching,

Readjusting any clothing,

Your body,

Pillows or blankets,

To find a position that's just right.

The first step in noticing sensations as messengers by honoring whatever it is the body needs in this moment.

Put the thoughts and to-do's aside.

Place them in a box and shut the top for now.

You'll find them again later in a clearer,

More rested state.

Inhaling,

More calm and ease,

And releasing with an audible sigh.

Inhaling once again,

Exhaling deeper into your ground or supportive space underneath you.

Inhaling,

Exhaling tension.

Allow the body to let go into gravity,

Following the rhythm of the breath.

More simply being and less doing.

Opening the senses as if you are experiencing them for the very first time.

The wonder of a brilliant sunset or a moving piece of music.

Welcoming in the sounds around you.

First noticing those further away and now sounds closer to you.

Becoming aware of the sights that meet your gaze or the images under your eyelids if your eyes are gently closed.

Receiving sight purely as lighting and colors,

Shapes,

And all the while the rhythm of the breath rising and releasing.

Imagine something that brings a sense of peace,

Ease,

Safety,

Well-being.

Looking around here,

What do you see?

Perhaps feeling the smile or sigh of this moment.

What sounds surround you here in this scene of calm or ease?

What temperature do you feel against your skin?

Let it soak in and notice where it shows up throughout your body.

Allowing any delicious tastes or intoxicating smells fully unfold if they are present.

The awe of the beauty of the moment shining through and now asking where and how does this inner resource place of peace and ease light up in your body.

Taking your time here to fully meet it,

Greet it,

And marinate in it.

Soft,

Heavy,

Warm,

Expansive.

Naming whatever it is for you.

How this sense of ease shows up in your body and like an ocean or a forest it's always there.

Practicing often helps illuminate the path such that it's easier to find in your everyday life.

And now rotating your attention to sensations throughout the body,

Noticing sensations at the mouth,

Jaw,

Inside the mouth,

The whole mouth and jaw as sensation.

And now the left ear,

Right ear,

The nostrils as the air enters and leaves the nose.

Sensation at the left eye,

The right eye,

Both eyes together animated with sensation.

Forehead,

Top of the head,

Back of the head,

Neck,

Inner walls of the throat,

The whole head and neck alive with sensation.

Now meeting the left shoulder,

Left elbow,

Left wrist,

Hand,

And fingers.

Sensing the whole left arm and now the right shoulder,

Right elbow,

Wrist,

Hand,

And fingers.

Sensing the whole right arm and now both arms together purely as sensation.

Radiant,

Flowing,

And alive.

And where they meet at the upper chest,

The upper back,

The belly,

Lower back,

The whole torso animated with the breath,

Rising and releasing with the rhythm of the breath.

Becoming aware of the breath now animating the left hip all the way down to the left foot and toes.

Each exhale feeling the whole left leg and now feeling the breath animate the right hip all the way down to the right foot and toes.

The whole right leg becoming animated with sensation with each exhale.

And now sensing both legs together,

Both legs radiant with sensation.

The whole body now,

Sensing the whole body pulsing or alive with sensation.

Noticing the front of the body,

The back of the body,

Even the felt sense of the area out beyond the body.

Somewhere out in your field of awareness,

The area in front of the body,

In back of the body,

Above and below,

The whole body.

Yourself aware as awareness itself and all the while resting as being aware of the body breathing and the flow of the breath as sensation in the nostrils.

Perhaps noticing cooler air on the inhale and warmer air on the exhale.

The belly gently rising as breath flows in and releasing as breath flows out.

Begin counting each breath silently backwards from 10 to 1.

Inhale,

10.

Exhale,

10.

Inhale,

9.

Exhale,

9.

Continuing counting and breathing in your body's own natural rhythm.

If you lose count,

Begin again at 10.

Breathing,

Counting,

And being with the breath just as it is.

Now letting go of counting and be aware of the fields or flows of sensation throughout the body in the mouth,

Face,

Head,

Neck,

Throat,

Shoulders,

Arms,

Hands,

Torso,

Hips,

Legs,

And feet.

Noticing now areas of the body that feel still.

A lake on a windless day.

The soft shadows of sun filtering through the forest trees.

What is the image for stillness in your body?

And now areas of the body where there's a sense of movement,

Flowing,

Vibration,

Buzzing,

Or pulsing.

How does movement show up in your body?

Open and curious.

Noticing where now the body feels cool.

A plunge in an alpine lake.

A foggy spray of ocean mist.

Feeling cool for the very first time.

Noticing what other emotions or thoughts co-arise with feeling cool.

And now warmth.

Noticing areas in your body that feel warm.

A campfire on a starlit night.

A hot shower or bath.

How is warmth experienced fully in your body?

Becoming aware of all that you are aware of when you feel warmth in your body.

Aware of all that you are now aware of.

Yourself watching what unfolds.

Listening.

Messages in the form of sensation.

Driving emotions and thoughts.

Putting whatever emotion or thought that is most present at this time a distance away so that you can study it without being bound to it.

Putting this present emotion or thought a distance away.

You're simply asking what it needs.

What it wants to say.

From this distance you are free to answer or interact with it in any way you choose.

And then allowing yourself to experience how this interaction feels in your body and in your mind.

And now returning to your inner resource as needed.

And simply resting as being.

Experiencing gratitude,

Contentment,

Awe or wonder.

A glorious sunset.

A warm puppy curled up sleeping.

The sound of the ocean waves.

Or a touching piece of music.

Feeling the warmth,

Expansion or smile of one such moment.

Choosing your own.

Feeling joy and contentment infuse every cell of your body.

Each breath washing the sense of joy across every part of the body.

A smile emanating from the chest.

Out through the arms.

Down through the legs.

Up through the head.

The whole body alive with the sense of joy and contentment.

And aware of yourself now from a place of awareness.

Somewhere a ways away and yet connected on a new frontier and yet familiar ground.

Fuzzy yet defined with a clarity.

A place that is always available.

An awareness that exists above the noise.

This quiet restful place providing us all the time and space we need.

Linger here a moment.

Resting as being.

This place of inner knowing.

Checking if there is some new knowing that is now arising.

Something to take with you into your everyday life.

And beginning to orient to the room around you.

Coming back with a sense of well-being.

Stretching however the body wants to move.

Gently opening and closing your eyes.

Taking a moment to appreciate this place of respite of calm and ease.

A pure awareness that's always available.

Thank you for taking this time to practice yoga nidra.