Yoga Nidra For Trusting Life

Welcome to this restorative Yoga Nidra for Trusting Life, the wisdom of life flowing in you. As life's seasons ebb and flow, sometimes unexpected changes arise, but your true nature remains rooted in abundance. Explore a gentle grounding with guided Pranayama and a reconnection to your inner wisdom in a journey through the seasons. This 25-minute practice is designed to calm the nervous system, soothe the physical body, and support a sense of ease. Return to this practice at any time to continue inviting ease through any season.

I am ever grateful for my Yoga Nidra teachers and mentors Ally Boothroyd, Tiina Kivinen, Kristyn Rose Foster, and Emma Treharne. Ally Boothroyd's transformative breathwork practice cultivating Ishvara Pranidhana inspired the closing breathwork meditation.

Transcript

Welcome to this Yoga Nidra practice for trusting life.

This guided meditation is an invitation to open to the abundant life within you and around you,

To rest back into a space of unhindered life,

Flowing like the shore currents of a river.

Yoga Nidra allows an exploration into the layers of the self,

Uncovering any sticky places in need of rest,

Rejuvenation,

And remembrance of your true essence.

I welcome you to flow through your experience with ease,

A dance between surrender and gentle participation in the currents of your own consciousness,

Trusting where your own experience takes you.

Know that if you fall asleep at any time,

This is okay and may be what your body needed today.

If you awake when the practice is already complete,

Just take your time to reorient yourself slowly to the waking world.

We'll begin seated,

But if you're already reclined,

Of course you can stay where you are.

Find a long spine supported by the back,

Allowing a softness to settle in the front of your body.

Let your left hand rest wherever is comfortable and curl all the fingers of your right hand into your palm,

Then open just the thumb and pinky.

Using your thumb first,

Place your thumb over the right nostril so that your next inhale draws only through the left nostril.

At the top of your inhale,

Place the pinky over the left nostril,

Release the thumb,

And exhale through the right nostril.

Continue to alternate your breath,

Inhaling through the left,

Exhaling through the right,

Feeling the natural current of your breath,

Exploring this Chandra Vedana breath,

The river of the moon.

Follow your river of breath,

Inhaling left,

Exhaling right,

Inhaling left,

Exhaling right,

Blowing and breathing,

Left to right.

Now release your right hand and allow your natural breath to return.

Notice how you feel.

I welcome you to find a comfortable reclined position now or a supported seat.

Gather anything comforting like a pillow for your head or a pillow beneath the knees.

You may also want a blanket as the body temperature may lower during this practice.

Is there anything you need before you settle in?

A sip of water?

Adjusting the lights?

You can always pause this recording before continuing.

There is no rush,

So take your time.

Once you are in a comfortable position,

Ask your body,

How can I help you feel even more comfortable?

Listen to the body,

The head and neck,

Shoulders,

Arms,

Hips,

Legs.

Is there anything your body wants to readjust?

What might it feel like to give yourself permission to adjust?

Permission to be comfortable?

Permission to rest?

Permission to choose this time for you?

Permission to simply be?

Take your time.

Maybe you find your eyes closing,

Both eyes releasing themselves from the work of seeing,

Heavy and resting.

The muscles supporting the eyes perhaps soften and sigh.

Begin to bring your attention closely to the ears,

The inner ears.

What sounds are your ears receiving from beyond your space,

Within your space?

Your own breath.

Allow your ears to rotate between these sounds,

Noticing,

Rotating attention from sound to sound.

Now landing on the sound of your own breath,

Listening.

Inhale through the nose,

Take another sip of breath in and sigh through the mouth.

And again,

Inhale,

Inhale,

Sigh.

Now just breathe,

Let the body breathe for you,

Noticing the breath supporting you,

The ground beneath you supporting you.

Can you invite a softening throughout the whole body,

From the innermost layer to the most tangible outer layer of the body,

Bones,

Muscles,

Skin,

Every layer softening.

You might welcome an intention,

A longing from deep within the heart,

A sankalpa.

You are welcome to summon your own heart's wish,

Inviting an opening to the deep layers of your own heart,

A positive statement in the present tense,

Or maybe you invite the intention,

I trust in the abundance of life,

Or I am open to the wisdom of life within me.

Listen to the current of your heart,

Welcome your own intention.

Invite your intention softly within the heart's safe aura.

Let the words repeat here and resonate,

Rippling out from the heart everywhere,

Sending your intention afloat,

Drifting to all spaces within the body,

The body absorbed in the river of the heart's intention.

We will return to this river,

Inviting your heart's current to awaken deep within the self.

Now I invite your intention to gently float through the physical body as I direct your awareness from point to point,

A soothing stream of attention.

Maybe repeating the name of each point immersed fully there.

Sense now the right hand thumb,

The right hand first finger,

Second finger,

Third,

Fourth,

The palm of the right hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Right elbow,

Right shoulder,

Neck,

Right side of the chest,

Abdomen,

Right hip,

Right knee,

Ankle,

First toe,

Second,

Third,

Fourth,

Fifth.

Sense the left hand thumb,

The left hand first finger,

Second finger,

Third,

Fourth,

The palm of the left hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Left elbow,

Left shoulder,

Neck,

Left side of the chest,

Abdomen,

Left hip,

Left knee,

Ankle,

First toe,

Second,

Third,

Fourth toe,

The soles of the feet,

Heels,

Calves,

Hamstrings,

Glutes,

Low back,

Mid back,

Upper back,

Back of the neck,

The scalp,

Crown of the head.

Sense the entire back of the body,

The back of the body stirring in sensation.

Sense now the forehead,

Right temple,

Right eye,

Muscles of the eye,

Left temple,

Left eye,

Muscles of the eye,

Both eyes together,

The jaw,

Chest,

Abdomen,

Hips,

Pelvis,

Legs,

Feet,

The entire front of the body,

The front of the body stirring in sensation,

Front of the body,

Back of the body,

The body as one whole being,

One current of energy,

The body.

Allow the sensation of the body to glimmer and dissolve,

Opening into the sensation of your natural breath,

The natural breath there,

Following the wisdom of its current,

Currents of natural breath,

Pure and perfect as it is,

Trusting the natural rhythmic current of breath.

Allow this river to dissolve into a spacious ease,

Inviting,

Exploring a sense of ease,

Ease throughout the whole body,

Ease flowing throughout your entire being.

Just a word,

A feeling,

A color,

An image of ease,

A being of ease.

And now exploring the opposite,

What does the word rigid feel like?

Allowing the body to feel rigid,

Fixed,

Tension,

Rigid.

Where do you feel this sensation,

This resistance,

Where does it settle?

And now to soften back into ease,

Softening all edges of your being,

Ease as a state of being.

How do you experience this ease?

Can you allow yourself to bathe the body in ease as we continue on a journey?

Imagine a river opening up before you.

Its current is knowing,

Gentle,

Soothing,

Perhaps there are wildflowers or the sounds of birds nearby and beside the river there is a beautiful tree and there is a place for you to sit near this tree,

Watching,

Observing its ancient wisdom.

It is summer,

What great abundance do you see flourishing in this tree?

Perhaps its lush,

Full leaves shimmer in the sun.

As you watch,

The season changes slowly into fall.

How does the tree change?

What is changing?

How does autumn settle on this tree?

And again,

Change drifts in through a breeze and you find that this tree is now in winter.

What is there?

Deep in the roots,

Supporting the tree,

What is there to notice?

The tree,

Wintering.

Soon the tree arrives in hints of green,

Spring.

What is it like to see this tree transform from winter into spring?

Notice.

Inquire.

And once again,

The tree before you emerges into the bright fullness of summer.

A full rotation of seasons,

Returning to summer.

Observe.

The tree fades away.

Take what you need with you deep into the roots and let the rest dissolve.

Opening softly,

Sweetly into deep rest.

Rest now in life,

Abundantly unfolding in every parcel of your being.

Rest in your true nature.

Here,

Abiding in your true essence,

Invite the current of your heart,

Your intention,

Sankopa,

Opening again to the currents of your heart.

Repeat your heart's intention,

Or maybe you welcome the statement,

I trust in the abundance of life.

Or,

I am open to the wisdom of life within me.

Listen.

Allow the heart to speak.

Allow this living pulse of your heart to flow through your whole being,

Repeating your intention three times.

Notice your own awareness present here,

Observing your experience.

Perhaps there is a lingering feeling or thought.

Simply noticing any feeling present here.

And the breath,

Still moving effortlessly.

The inhale and exhale of the breath,

There.

Following the movement of the breath.

Maybe noticing where you feel the breath.

The form of the body becoming clear.

The sensation of skin entering your awareness.

Noticing there is a temperature of the space around you.

Feeling also the support beneath your body.

Begin to invite yourself to return to a waking state,

Recalling the senses of the body.

Are there any sounds around you?

Are there any small movements you might want to make?

Take your time to re-enter the waking world.

There is no rush.

Maybe rolling the head from side to side.

And if you'd like,

You can take a big breath in through the nose.

And sigh.

And maybe again.

Stretching or moving.

Blinking the eyes open.

Staying here,

Drawing one hand to the heart.

Or maybe you'd like to find your way to a seated upright position.

Also resting one hand over the heart.

Begin to notice if there is any essence lingering there in your heart.

Any experience you would like to reflect on or take with you.

And resting on the heart.

Maybe your eyes are open or closed.

Notice your next inhale.

Notice the fullness of the lungs at the top of your breath.

The ease in holding abundance.

Continuing to breathe naturally.

Noticing this full expansion.

Full abundance and the slight pause of breath before the exhale.

And now finding the point of pause at the bottom of your exhale.

Before your natural inhale.

Notice what is there in that space.

Following your natural breath.

Notice this pause of letting go just before the natural inhale.

And now can you notice both the pause at the top of the breath.

Full and abundant.

And the pause at the bottom of the breath.

Letting go.

Releasing.

Yet ready to receive.

Stay here with your breath.

Exploring these spaces.

The natural balance present here.

You're welcome to explore this breath longer.

Or bring your attention to the tip of your nose.

Feeling the flow of in-breath through the nostrils.

Inhaling through the nose.

And sighing.

Thank you for practicing this yoga nidra with me.

May your own wisdom guide you.