Welcome.
Today we will be going through a meditation which is designed to bring you into a deep relaxation and to give you the mental space to release emotions that are held within the body.
Now often we think of emotions as only happening within the mind.
However,
Emotions are also acutely felt within the body.
Now personally I feel sadness in my throat,
Anger in my chest,
And fear or anxiety at the base of my stomach.
And by being aware of these sensations and placing attention on these felt emotions while they're happening,
We can actually aid in the processing of these emotions and then just let them pass like clouds in the sky.
And this is where Yoga Nidra has helped me to feel and process these emotions by not getting caught up in the story or narrative attached to these emotions and by allowing me the mental space to recognize and identify what my body is feeling.
For those of you who don't know,
Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation practice which utilizes our body's natural ability to fall asleep to profoundly relax both the body and the mind.
I'm convinced anyone can do Yoga Nidra and honestly the hardest thing is just trying not to fall asleep.
And by spending time in deep meditation,
Resting in non-judgments and in awareness,
It helps to remind us that we are not simply our thoughts or emotions.
We are the source that rests behind the mind.
We are the ocean and we are the sky,
Not the waves on the surface or the clouds passing through.
And resting in this awareness gives us the ability to feel and let go of our emotions trapped within the body and then come back to the source of who we truly are.
All right,
We will begin shortly.
So go ahead and start getting yourself comfortable,
Either lying on the floor or on your bed with a pillow under your head and maybe under your knees.
I do also recommend a blanket as your body temperature does drop during Yoga Nidra.
If you do have an eye mask,
Go ahead and just set that off to the side for now as we will be touching the face.
Now,
Close your eyes and quiet your mind and be still.
Let go of all thoughts,
All worries and all tension.
And give yourself fully to a higher power.
Relax,
Trust and let go.
Now,
Breathe in fully and exhale with a deep sigh.
And again,
Breathe in fully and exhale with a deep sigh.
And let go even more.
And feel a deep sense of contentment and peace.
Now,
Allow yourself to receive the following intention as I repeat it.
Let your whole body listen to what I say.
I am calm and steady.
Emotions pass through me like clouds in the sky.
Now,
Mentally repeat after me.
During this time,
I will participate wholeheartedly in this process and trust that whatever issues are in the way of realizing my authentic self will be released spontaneously and effortlessly.
I let go of any struggle or effort to make anything happen.
I let go.
Now,
Maintaining this inner awareness,
Gently begin rubbing the palms of the hands together.
Just feel that heat and that fire begin to warm up your hands.
Now,
To the degree that you are comfortable,
Place your fingertips on the eyelids with the entire surface of the palms touching your face.
Now,
Slowly begin to massage the face,
Fingers working from the eyebrows up into the hairline,
Moving out to the temples,
Circling your fingers at the temples.
Now,
Moving down to the joint of the jaw and along the jawline and down to the chin.
Now,
Massaging around the mouth and up to the bridge of the nose,
Around the orbits of the eyes.
Now,
Moving out to the ears,
Massaging both in front of and behind the ears and maybe even giving a gentle pull on the earlobes and just feeling those tensions and holding melt away.
Now,
Squeeze the back of the neck and maybe even down to the shoulders.
Now,
Once more,
Place the entire surface of the palms on the face with your fingertips touching the eyelids.
Now,
Drop all expression from the face and take a deep breath in and let go.
Now,
Take another deep breath in and let go even more.
Now,
Release your arms down to your sides and you may cover your arms and place an eye pillow over your eyes if you'd like.
Now,
Enter the deepest state of letting go right now and feel yourself held in absolute stillness and immerse yourself fully in the feeling that is present within your body.
Now,
As we enter this next phase of yoga nidra,
Remain as motionless as possible.
If you need to move or make an adjustment,
Do so mindfully and return to stillness as soon as you are able.
Resolve to remain awake,
Staying in touch with the sound of my voice.
Allow your entire body to respond to my words directly and non-mentally.
Allow any disturbances,
Either external or internal,
To draw you more deeply within.
Now,
Let your mind merge and melt into feeling and go beyond the boundaries of body and mind and shift from thinking and doing to feeling and being.
Do absolutely nothing from now on.
Simply relax and drop into the deepest states of tranquility,
Stillness,
And peace.
Now,
Direct your full attention to your breath.
Let your breath flow in a steady,
Uniform,
Unbroken stream.
Let your attention be completely connected to your breath as it flows in and out.
Bring all of your attention to the expansion and contraction of your chest as you breathe in and out.
With each exhalation,
Release all tension held within your body and use your breath to progressively enter a deeper level of stillness and silence.
Now,
Maintaining this constant awareness,
Follow my instructions.
Inhaling as we count 1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold 2,
3,
4.
And exhale 1,
2,
3,
4.
Now,
Once again,
Inhaling as we count 1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold 1,
2,
3,
4.
And exhale 1,
2,
3,
4.
Now,
Continue breathing this way until asked to stop.
Now,
Let yourself be more relaxed and peaceful with each breath in and each breath out.
Now,
Allow your breath to return to normal and let your attention focus on the energy created within your body and let your mind melt and merge into this stillness.
Experience silence extending everywhere.
Now,
Follow my guidance as we move through different parts of the body.
Let your attention rest on each body part as I name it without comment or judgment.
All 10 toes.
Both ankles.
Both knees.
Pelvis.
Chest.
Shoulders.
Arms.
Hands.
Throat.
Chin.
Face.
Head.
Back of head.
Shoulder blades.
Back.
Back of thighs.
Calves.
Heels.
Soles of the feet.
Now,
Sense the whole body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes.
Your whole body.
The whole body contained in a vast,
Spacious awareness.
In this deep state of awareness,
Allow the following experiences and their associations to arise and dissolve.
Simply allow all experiences to move through without preference,
Labels,
Or judgment.
By remaining witness,
You are releasing your identification with these pre-programmed thoughts and feelings.
Pain and pleasure.
Anger and peace.
Fear and safety.
Gradually allow visualization and any sensations to fade as you bring your attention back to your body.
Now bring your attention to the spot just between your eyebrows and drop into the deepest levels of relaxation.
Here,
There remains nothing to do or achieve.
Feel completely safe and comfortable as you hand yourself over to stillness behind your mind.
Feel it and experience it.
Let your mind merge and melt into the feeling within your body and remain empty and free from all doing.
Now allow yourself to receive the following intention as I repeat it.
Feel every cell of your body receiving these words.
I am calm and steady.
Emotions pass through me like clouds in the sky.
I am calm and steady.
Emotions pass through me like clouds in the sky.
I am calm and I am steady.
Emotions pass through me like clouds in the sky.
Allow this intention to go to the deepest levels of your mind with no hesitation.
Know that your higher self recognizes,
Honors,
And accepts your intention.
Have faith and trust that it has been heard and is being acted upon by the source within you.
There is no need for you to do anything.
Now bring your attention back to the center between the eyebrows and feel all the energies of your body activated,
Purified,
And balanced.
All channels are open and the life force is flowing freely,
Healing the body and calming the mind.
Trust in yourself to receive the grace,
Protection,
And guidance of the higher self,
Of the source within you.
The more often you go to your source,
The easier it will be to return there and the longer you may stay there.
Now you have prepared the base from where you can carry out interactions with life and relationships with the power of love and the source within.
You are the emissary of light and of love.
Carry it everywhere you go and to everyone that you meet.
Now begin to become aware of the rising and falling of the breath slowly.
Feel yourself beginning to rise to the surface of awareness.
Sense the body resting on the floor and the quality of the air as it touches the skin.
Gradually,
You may move as if you are waking from a deep,
Restful sleep.
Take your time.
There is no need to hurry.
Now once again,
I am calm and steady.
Emotions pass through me like clouds in the sky.
Every time you find yourself in reaction,
You are empowered to replace it with this intention.
Now you may gradually move and begin to sit up with your eyes closed.
Continue to stay deep in this inner experience.
Now regardless of what you consciously recognize that has or has not changed,
Know that something deep within has shifted.
Now become aware of your body and bring a deep sense of peace and contentment with you as you bring your attention back into the body.
Notice how relaxed the body is,
How soft the breath is,
How silent the mind is,
How quiet the heartbeat is.
Now be still and be grateful.
Know that you can easily enter here again and again.
Now you may gradually open your eyes.
And this concludes our Yoga Nidra.
