Yoga Nidra Metabolizing Stress

Life is messy, noisy and imperfect at times. Practice Yoga Nidra little and often to learn to be able to metabolize stressors from a place of deep rest and ground. Over time it is possible to find your way out of stress physiology, and into a more settled state.

Transcript

Welcome.

As you settle in for this practice,

See if you can be okay with knowing that there may be some discomfort present.

That life can be messy,

Noisy,

And imperfect.

While we hope to find a sense of relaxed awareness,

Deep rest,

And ground in yoga nidra,

It is also true that uncomfortable sensations and emotions are a part of living.

So the idea here is not to ignore or resist what is challenging,

But to be able to observe how discomfort might shift,

Morph,

And change from a place of relaxed awareness.

Consider letting go of the shoulds or could haves to be with whatever is present.

Letting the truths bubble up to the surface from a safe and supported ground.

Allowing any intention to surface,

Perhaps asking yourself how do you hope to feel at the end of this practice or this day.

Whatever your intention may be,

Stating it now with conviction in the present tense,

And now setting it aside as if planting a seed and observing its growth as you move through your day.

And if you notice a greater,

More broad intention developing,

Perhaps a sense of that that you long to be more of,

Something you consider to be a part of your mission in life.

However strong or faint this is for you in this moment,

Name it for yourself.

Perhaps reflecting on something you excelled in,

A time you felt most like yourself,

Or the self you long to be.

Give yourself permission to affirm the light within and state it in the present tense.

I help others.

I live with integrity.

Whatever it is for you.

Begin the practice with a comfortable inhale.

Begin the practice with a comfortable inhale.

Releasing with an audible exhale,

As if to remind oneself that the exhale is there.

Perhaps observing a sense of opposites here.

Inhale.

Exhale.

A keeping in and a letting out.

Or a letting in and a keeping out.

Becoming curious how the cycles of breath feel in your body.

Settling deeper into your uninterrupted space.

Lay down.

Seated.

Or even walking if that feels right.

A fluid invitation to move throughout the practice as you feel the need.

Not overriding what the body wants.

Not overriding what the body wants.

What the messages or sensations in the body tell you.

And taking the elevator down from the thinking mind to each area of the body now,

To add more support wherever it is needed.

Not settling for comfortable enough,

But taking the time to make things just right,

As much as possible.

Stretching.

Readjusting.

Stretching.

Readjusting.

Adding any props that support a safe space.

A comfortable place.

Pillows.

Blankets.

Comfortable clothing.

Even finding or bringing objects with you in your external environment that help settle your inner experience.

Tell yourself in order for your body to really hear it,

Despite what the busy,

Noisy voice tries to tell you.

There is nothing else you need to do in this moment.

This is time set aside just for you.

Nowhere to be.

Nothing to protect or change.

Knowing that thoughts will be coming and going,

Just watching them drift by on a cloud,

In the wind or on a river without becoming attached to them.

Knowing that they will be there for you at the end of the practice,

Meeting you in a more clear and rested state.

Letting go into the surface underneath you with each exhale.

Surfing the natural rhythm of the breath.

The ebb and the flow.

Letting the heavy,

Expansive,

Relaxed parts lead the way.

Surrendering to gravity.

Inviting the more tense areas to come along for now.

No need to hold yourself up.

Feeling yourself sink into your support with each breath.

Aware of the colors,

Shapes,

And lighting that meet your gaze or are behind your eyelids if your eyes are closed.

Listening to the sounds around you.

Lulled by the sound or by each exhale.

Inviting you into a deeper state of rest.

Call to mind a scene or memory that supports a sense of calm.

Ease,

Safety,

Or serenity.

Spending time in this place,

Real or imagined.

Feeling yourself there now.

What is the temperature on your skin?

Marinate in it a moment.

A soothing warmth or an exhilarating warmth.

Letting go of the tension.

Marinate in it a moment,

A soothing warmth or an exhilarating coolness.

What beautiful colors or lighting is present?

Inviting any hypnotic sounds that might be present for a moment.

Fully into your mind now.

Delicious tastes or intoxicating smells.

So deep in this place you hate to leave it.

So linger here.

Soaking it in.

Where does this place of calm and ease resonate in your body?

Your chest,

Your legs,

Or somewhere else?

What does relaxed or relaxed feel?

What does relaxed or safety feel like?

Grounded,

Floating,

Soft,

Heavy.

Naming the qualities of this place in your own words.

This is your own unique,

Inner resource place that is always available to you.

And by familiarizing yourself with it,

It becomes easier to find in your daily life.

And if right now there's just a fragrance of calm,

Be patient as you are already finding your way.

Now following my words,

As you rotate attention to sensations throughout the body,

Starting at the mouth,

Jaw,

Inner walls of the mouth,

Cheeks,

Left ear,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right ear,

Nose,

The air as it enters and leaves the nostrils,

Left temple,

Eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Left eye,

Right temple,

Right eyebrow,

Right eye,

Both eyes together,

Animated with sensation,

Scalp,

Neck,

Inner walls of the throat,

Perhaps sensing the breath here,

The whole neck and head as sensation.

Now the shoulders,

Shoulders,

Upper arms,

Elbows,

Forearms,

Wrists,

Palms of the hands,

And fingers,

The whole left arm from shoulder to fingers,

Right arm from shoulder to fingers,

Both arms together,

Vibrant with sensation,

And where they meet at the upper chest,

Upper back,

Belly,

Lower back,

The whole torso,

Animated with the breath,

And where the torso meets the hips,

Thighs,

Knees,

Arms,

Calves,

Ankles,

Feet,

And toes,

The whole left leg from hip to toes,

And now both legs together,

And the whole body,

Sensing the whole body,

The left side,

Right side,

Left side,

Right side,

Front,

Back,

The area out beyond the body,

Above,

Below,

In front,

And behind,

Becoming aware of all that's now in your awareness,

Simply watching and listening,

And listening,

Once again,

Riding the ebb and flow of each breath,

Inhale,

Exhale,

Inhale,

Exhale,

Noticing too there are also periods of retention and pause in between,

Inhale,

Retention,

Exhale,

Pause,

Inhale,

Retention,

Exhale,

Pause,

Exploring this for a moment at your own breathing rhythm.

Is there one place in this cycle where you would like to linger?

Appreciating that your body always knows what it needs,

Grant yourself permission to do this now,

Allowing yourself to linger a little longer in this place with each breathing cycle,

Taking note of any co-arising sensations or emotions when you allow yourself to do so,

Simply noticing any shifts or changes in your body and your mind,

Appreciating that your whole self is welcome here,

And now returning to your own natural breathing rhythm,

The fields and flows of the breath throughout the body,

Your whole self aware of all that is present,

Resting in the quiet clear state of being,

Noticing if there's any areas in the body that do now feel quiet or still,

Where is its center,

Its edges,

Without judging or resisting,

But simply noticing is this stillness pleasant or unpleasant?

What do these quiet parts yearn for?

And now finding somewhere in the body that feels noisy or restless,

Where are these sensations most present?

Is this where restless typically shows up for you?

Remembering that sensations are here as messengers with a story to tell.

If you had to say in only a few words what this noisy restless story is about,

What would you say?

And now finding areas of discomfort in the body,

Where is the center or very heart of this discomfort?

Returning to your inner resource at any time,

But staying with discomfort as much as you can,

Purely as sensation.

Does it feel needy,

Begging for attention?

A loud guest?

A familiar guest who doesn't ask for permission?

Putting it a distance from you,

What does discomfort look like?

What would you like to say or do in the face of discomfort?

Allowing yourself to witness what happens in your body as you allow this discomfort to play out.

And now consider where does comfort or relative comfort live in your body?

Focusing your full attention on where you find some comfort in the body without dismissing it.

What co-arises with comfort?

An animal?

A person?

A scene?

A symbol?

Or something else?

Allow comfort to come into full view,

Clearly in focus.

What can it say to help you stay with it?

Is there a new knowing that arises with staying with what is uncomfortable?

And if not,

Maybe a seed of change has been planted even unknowingly in the yoga nidra state between sleep and awareness that may show itself in your everyday life.

Either way,

Taking a moment to feel grateful for taking this time for yourself.

No right or wrong way to practice yoga nidra.

Noticing what feeling grateful feels like in the body.

Recognizing that emotions show up in not just our minds but also in the body.

Calling to mind a memory or scene that brings a sense of gratitude,

Contentment,

Or happiness.

Letting it fully unfold.

A smile,

A laugh,

A sigh of contentment,

A sigh of contentment.

Where does this contentment light up in your body?

A warmth,

A smile,

An expansion in the torso,

Gratitude and contentment spreading down into the legs and feet,

Perhaps a feeling of ground,

Solid support.

And now gratitude or happiness flowing or expanding out into the arms and hands,

Up into the face,

Eyes,

Cheeks,

And mouth,

Smiling.

The body alive with a sense of contentment,

Each breath spreading gratitude and happiness throughout the body.

Can you allow space now for whatever is present?

Opening your attention out beyond the physical body and the mind,

Feeling your way towards what exists in your awareness,

A floating place a floating place that holds you grounded,

Yet free,

Mysterious,

Yet familiar.

Rest in this relaxed awareness a moment long.

Each sensation,

Emotion and thought is a messenger in your awareness with a story to tell,

Seeing yourself as both watcher and listener,

Knowing that your body knows the perfect response to every situation,

Feeling the flows and fields of the breath through the body,

The contact points of the body where it meets the surface you are resting upon as you slowly begin to transition back to your waking state of consciousness with a sense of well-being observing if the intention of this practice was met taking note of the effects of this practice on your body and your mind in this moment and perhaps noticing an intention to take with you into your daily life or your next practice gently opening and closing your eyes taking in the objects around you objects around you colors sounds stretching taking as much time as you need here to come to the conclusion of your practice