Opening to Self

This is a Guided Imagery and Music/Yoga Nidra Exploration focusing on two of the main energy centers of the body: anahata chakra, and ajna chakra. It is a half-hour practice that guides the student to the state that hovers between wakefulness and sleep in order to awaken more subtle states of awareness. It provides the nervous system with deep rest, though the student remains awake and alert throughout the guided meditation. The verbal exploration is accompanied by ancient ragas (melodic modes) and talas (rhythms) supported by the Tanpura, as the sonic pillar.

Transcript

Welcome to a session of guided imagery and music.

Make yourself comfortable.

Lie down on your back with your legs supported or in constructive rest position.

Take a nice deep breath in and out.

And start to notice all the points of contact between your body and the earth underneath you.

Feel the support that the earth provides to you.

Try to let your body relax as you take a deep breath in and out.

Try to keep your eyes closed and your gaze internal.

Take a few nice deep breaths here,

Remaining as still as possible.

But if you feel uncomfortable,

Change your position slowly.

This guided image meditation brings you to a place of deep rest.

The mind and the body remain awake and alert throughout the practice.

But if you fall asleep,

Don't worry.

Your nervous system may take a while before it gets used to this state of relaxation.

It's not a place of collapse or escape.

More a place to be where the nervous system is calm and relaxed,

Yet awake.

We begin to access more subtle states of consciousness in this place of pause and repose.

Please take and use what you find useful and just leave the rest behind.

You will absorb the work just by your presence here.

We will be taking a journey through the body,

Placing our awareness lightly on different aspects of the physical self.

Don't think about it.

Just notice.

Notice and observe any sensations that arise and then let them go.

Today we will focus our awareness on our breath at two energetic centers in the body.

And with our awareness at those energetic centers,

We will count our breath backwards from 27 to 1.

Then I will name a number of different images from nature.

And you can visualize them at the level of imagination and memory as best you can.

Then we will slowly make our way out of the meditation.

Breathing deeply in and out through your nose.

Just become aware of any sounds that you may hear in this moment.

Listen,

Absorb,

And stay relaxed.

Gradually begin to bring your attention inward,

Noticing and listening to the rise and fall of your breath and the beat of your heart.

Visualize where you are.

You're lying on your mat and notice your physical body,

The position of your body,

Your clothes,

Your face,

Your hair.

Notice yourself resting quietly on the earth.

At this time,

You may want to make an intention for your practice.

Be a short,

Simple,

Positive statement of something that you would like to manifest in your life.

Repeat it to yourself three times now.

Now aware of your natural breath,

Which is the breath that moves in and out of the body with no effort.

Notice it flow through both of your nostrils as you inhale.

Notice the coolness of the breath as it enters your nose,

Touches your throat,

And continues into your lungs.

Then notice the warmth of your breath on your upper lip as you exhale.

Allow your breath to lengthen,

Slowing down your inhale and your exhale.

Then just notice the slight pause at the bottom of your exhale.

Don't force your breath.

Let it lengthen naturally and just notice.

Notice the slight pause at the bottom of your exhale.

It's said that the yoga occurs in the spaces between the inhale and the exhale.

Releasing any control over the breath,

Allow it to rise and fall naturally again.

We'll now begin a journey of sensory awareness.

You'll bring your attention to different parts of your body as I name them.

Just notice and feel nothing more.

We will move quickly through the body,

Scanning.

Bring your awareness to your right hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Pinky finger,

Palm of the right hand,

Back of the right hand,

The right wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Right shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Chest,

And hip.

Upper leg bone,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

Right heel,

Sole of the right foot,

Top of the right foot,

Your right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And small toe.

Bring your awareness to your left hand thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Pinky finger,

Palm of the left hand,

Back of the left hand,

Your left wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Armpit,

Left waist,

Hip,

Upper leg bone,

Knee,

Calf,

Ankle,

And left heel,

Sole of the left foot,

Top of the left foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And small toe.

Bringing your awareness to the back of your body,

To your right heel,

Your left heel,

The right calf,

The left calf,

Your right upper leg,

Your left upper leg,

Your right hip,

Your left hip,

Your lower back,

Your middle back,

Your upper back,

The entire spine,

The right shoulder blade,

The left shoulder blade,

The back of your neck,

The back of your head,

The entire back of your body as it touches the earth.

Bring your awareness to the top of your head,

Your forehead,

Your right temple,

Your left temple,

The right ear,

The left ear,

Your right eyebrow,

Your left eyebrow,

The middle of your eyebrows,

Your right eye,

Your left eye,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Both lips together,

Your chin,

Your jaw,

Your throat,

Right collarbone,

The left collarbone,

The right side of your chest,

The left side of your chest,

Your upper abdomen,

The navel,

The lower abdomen,

The right hip,

The left hip,

The whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

The whole right arm,

The whole left arm,

Your whole face,

Your whole head,

Your whole torso,

Your whole body.

Notice your body resting quietly and fully supported on the earth.

Begin to concentrate your awareness on the backs of your eyelids.

If you see any images,

Just notice them and move on.

If your thoughts occur,

Just notice them.

Let them come and go and maintain your awareness at the space between your eyebrows with relaxed attention.

Allow your attention to return to your natural breath.

Notice its rise and fall.

Feel a nice,

Easy inhale and exhale.

Today we will take a journey through two of the main chakras in the body.

The chakras are energy centers through which prana flows and concentrates.

This practice will systematically purify and balance the entire pranic system.

Just notice what you sense without judgment.

Bring your awareness to the heart center.

Take a nice,

Deep breath in and exhale.

With your awareness at the level of the heart or the anahata chakra,

Just notice what you feel.

The element of the anahata chakra is air.

Feel the lightness and spaciousness of the element of air in the area of your heart.

Allow an easy inhale and exhale.

And maintain awareness at the heart center as you count your breath backwards from 27 to 1.

Good.

Face the count of the breath at the heart center or the anahata chakra,

Noticing the spaciousness of this energetic center.

Now bring your awareness to the space between your eyebrows or the third eye,

The ajna chakra.

Ajna acts as the control center for the distribution of prana in the body.

Its element is akasha or space.

Feel and notice the sensation of spaciousness in the center of your brain.

Feel the buoyancy of the brain as it rests and is supported inside the skull.

Keeping your awareness at the third eye,

Begin to count your breath backwards from 27 to 1.

看 releasing the count of your breath with the Agnya chakra bring your awareness back to your breath and your body notice your physical container pause and feel your energetic body contained within and expanding beyond this physical container stay soft and receptive to what is you are relaxed and resting quietly on the earth attentive and alert bring your attention back to the natural rise and fall of your breath I will now name some images from nature imagine them at the level of memory and imagination as best you can we'll move quickly from image to image just let them wash over you a tall tree a prickly cactus a cool breeze distant mountains a yellow flower a winding river puffy clouds in the deep blue sky a deep orange sunset over the ocean lush green grass waves crashing on the ocean shore birds singing at dawn the soft sound of rain on the roof a meadow of wildflowers a dense rich forest a cool mountain pool a purple desert sunset the sound of my voice your body resting on the earth now return to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out of your nose keep your eyes closed bring your attention back to this physical container maintain awareness of your breath and at the same time become aware of your physical body notice the spaciousness of the energetic container that we have journeyed through today recall your intention you began your practice with and repeat it again three times to yourself now you are relaxed and lying on your mat on the earth feel the container of your skin and all the clothes and props that are touching you notice the weight of your body as it rests here on the earth again taking in all the places where your body is touching the earth visualize where you are in the room lie quietly for a moment and then when you're ready slowly begin to move your fingers and your toes take your time making your way to seated when you're ready bring your hands in front of your heart and keep your eyes down take your time coming up Hari Om Hari Om Hari Om

Reviews

Beautiful voice, calming drums and background chants

Beautiful and powerful. Perfect

Thank you. Savoring your gift for this day to start. Yours Breath of fresh air..
Voice of music,
Exquisite background rhythm.

I love this! I love the music, where can I get it?

Easy to listen to Karen. Enjoyed your familiar voice and the underlying soothing familiar rhythms of the music.

I appreciate this teacher’s knowledge of mediation and the chakras. Thank you.

I love this meditation, it’s peaceful and the awareness is rejuvenating 🙏thank you

It was very nice: good music, nice voice, quality audio. I do have some feedback: If we are supposed to get through all 27 breaths, in the count-down part, we need more time- each time I was able to count down to only breath 18 or so before the guide stopped us. Also, a clearer ending would be good; I did not realize that the meditation had stopped until a few seconds after the music phased out. Thank you!

Great , I drifted in and out of sleep. Very relaxing 😌

Transformative. Thank-you 🙏🏼

Refreshing! Thank you!

Soothing, lovely ....thank you! 🙏🏻💞

Marvellous journey with great music and guidance

Wonderful. Loved the well-paced journey, the rhythmic Indian beat & your clear melodic voice. Beautifully constructed. Thank you. A keeper!

Beautiful and intense

Wonderful, thank you!

This is one of the best Yoga Nidra sessions I've done.
Great music too!