Self-Love and Somatic Healing Yoga Nidra

This is a gentle, somatic-based guided meditation (Yoga Nidra) that includes light stretching of the neck and shoulders. It can be done lying in bed or on the floor. You may desire a bolster for under the knees, a pillow for the head, and a blanket to cover the body.

Transcript

Find a comfortable cross-legged position.

Close your eyes and allow your attention to turn inward.

Bring your attention to the breath.

Feel the body beginning to relax with each progressive exhalation.

Let's take a deep breath in together and chant the name of the Buddha.

Enchant the sound of Aum.

Aum.

Allow the vibrational impact of the sound to bring outwardly focused attention inward.

Feel the vibratory impact penetrate and permeate every muscle,

Cell,

And nerve.

Sense the sound dissolving into silence.

Merge into that silent space where all doing stops.

Close your eyes and quiet your mind.

Be still.

Let go of all thoughts,

Worry,

And tension.

Give yourself fully to a higher power.

Relax,

Trust,

And let go.

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.

Feel a deep sense of contentment and peace in your heart.

Bring your body into awareness.

Recognize your body has been a trusted vehicle,

Creating accomplishments and contributions to the best of its ability.

Now it is time for your body to rest deeply.

Keep the neck and head in alignment with the chest,

Stacking the head on top of the spine.

Inhale fully and exhaling.

Gently press your right ear towards the right shoulder.

Be aware of any resistance or tension,

Not choosing for or against.

Be aware of its presence.

Inhaling,

Return to center.

Exhaling,

Press the left ear towards the left shoulder.

Again,

Just take notice of any sensation in the area.

Inhaling,

Return to center.

And exhaling,

Slowly press the chin to the chest.

Noticing any stretch in the back of the neck or the top of the shoulders.

Breathe into it.

Relax the muscles around the area and let go.

Inhaling,

Return to center.

And exhaling,

Press the head back slowly.

Feeling the stretch in the front of the throat.

Bring your attention there and in observing,

Let go.

Inhale,

Slowly return to center.

And reverse.

Repeat once again.

Inhale,

Exhale,

Press the right ear towards the right shoulder.

Inhale,

Left ear to the left shoulder.

Inhale,

Center.

Exhale,

Chin to chest.

Inhale,

Center.

Exhale,

Head back,

Exposing the throat.

Inhale,

Back to center.

Returning to your breath,

Feel what is present without labels or comments.

Feeling more and thinking less.

Now we will make our way onto our back into Shavasana.

Find a comfortable position,

Feet hip-width apart,

Arms at 45 degree angles to your side.

Chin tilted slightly forward.

You may wish to place a bolster under your knees or a pillow under your head.

You may also wish to cover yourself with a blanket as your body temperature may drop throughout this practice.

When you're comfortably seated,

Return to the breath.

As we move our attention into the body to release trapped energy and move even deeper into total relaxation.

As you inhale,

Make fists and deliberately induce stiffness and tension throughout your shoulders,

Arms and fists.

Tighten,

Tighten even more.

Now let go completely and relax.

On your next exhalation,

Relax even more.

Let go.

Observe and feel the flood of energy in your arms.

This time as you inhale,

Deliberately induce stiffness and tension in the hips,

Legs and feet.

Tighten,

Tighten and hold,

Hold.

Now let go.

Let go completely and relax.

Observe the flood of energy in your legs.

This time as you inhale,

Tighten and tense the entire body,

Arms,

Hands,

Shoulders,

Feet,

Legs,

Face,

Buttocks.

Tighten,

Tighten,

Hold,

Hold.

Now let go completely and relax.

On your next exhalation,

Let go even more.

Observe and feel the energy extending to all the muscles,

Nerves,

Cells of your entire body.

Let your whole body melt into the flood of energy you feel in the body.

Let the body go limp like a rag doll.

Relax even more.

Release any holding anywhere.

Expand sensitivity to the areas depleted of starved energy.

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 the stillness you feel inside you 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,

External or internal,

To draw you more deeply within.

In yoga nidra,

You enter the subconscious energy body.

Let your mind merge and melt into the energy body and go beyond your boundaries of body and mind.

Do absolutely nothing from now on.

Simply relax.

Drop into the deepest state of tranquility,

Stillness and peace.

Now your mind is directly speaking to your body.

Now direct your full attention to your breath.

Create no struggle around breathing.

Using your breath to release any tensions.

Slowly deepen your inhalations and exhalations.

Let your breath flow in a steady,

Uniform,

Unbroken stream.

Continue until asked to stop.

Let your attention be totally connected to your breath as it flows in and out.

Bring all of your attention to the expansion and contraction of your abdomen as you breathe deeply in and out.

With each exhalation,

Release all tensions held in the body.

Let go.

Breathe out any holdings in the body.

Use your breath to progressively enter a deeper level of stillness and silence.

We will continue with ten more slow,

Deep breaths.

Count them like this.

Ten.

I am breathing in.

Ten.

I am breathing out.

Nine.

I am breathing in.

Nine.

I am breathing out.

Continue until asked to stop.

Ten.

I am breathing in.

Ten.

I am breathing out.

Ten.

Be absorbed in the sound of your own breath.

Now allow your breath to return to normal.

Feel the energetic impact of the breath in the form of pulsations in the body.

Your attention allows the energy field in the body to grow and expand.

Experience it.

Energy follows attention.

Let your mind melt and merge into the river of energy flowing through your body.

Drop into that silent space.

For all doing stops,

Enter into an effortless state of being.

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 any comment or judgment,

All ten toes,

Both ankles,

Both knees,

Pelvis,

Chest,

Shoulders,

Arms,

Throat,

Chin,

Face,

Head,

Back of the head,

Shoulder blades,

Back,

Buttocks,

Calves,

Heels,

Soles of the feet.

Sense the whole body from the top of the head to the tip of the toes.

Whole body.

Feel the whole body contained in vast,

Spacious awareness.

Bring your attention to a constricted or dense part of the body.

Though you may not consciously recognize the cause of this feeling,

The innate intelligence of your body knows how to resolve it.

Breathe into this area and make space for it.

Give it room to move.

Loosen.

Disperse.

Dissolving,

Lightening,

The body releasing whatever is no longer needed.

Now sense the body's healing energy streaming towards this area as if it were attracting it like a magnet.

Watch this part of your body returning to wholeness,

Vitality as it is surrounded by the healing light of your mind until the whole body is felt as a pulsing,

Tingling energy field.

Any emotions,

Thoughts,

And fears that may have contributed to the imbalance can now be released and resolved.

See and feel the whole body healed and whole.

Now bring your attention to the center between your eyebrows and drop into the deepest level of relaxation.

Here there remains nothing to do or achieve.

You've entered the domain of grace.

In this domain of integration,

You are witness to all that is happening,

But do nothing to make it happen.

All that can never be done by your doing can happen only in the non-doing presence of your being.

Feel completely safe and comfortable as you hand yourself over to the endless potential and power of the presence.

Feel it.

Experience it.

Be it.

Find over all fear,

Apprehension,

And anxiety about all you want to change,

Control,

And manage.

Let go of all doing.

Replace it with trust and faith in a higher power.

Let your mind merge and melt into the presence and enter the sanctuary of silence.

Feel yourself as time transcendent presence right now.

Allow your entire self to respond spontaneously and effortlessly.

Return to the innate wisdom of my body to heal itself.

I remain in restful awareness.

I return to the innate wisdom of my body to heal itself.

I remain in restful awareness.

I return to the innate wisdom of my body to heal itself.

I remain in restful awareness.

I feel my burden is lifted.

I feel complete freedom from managing,

Controlling,

Or needing anything outside of myself.

I reconnect with my inner source of healing and surround those areas in my body in need of healing.

I return to my inner self-healing source of deep stillness and relaxation.

I disengage from all memory pain held in my body and mind.

Every cell in my body is filled with the radiant healing light from within.

I enter into silent receptivity.

I remain unconditionally open to enter into the omnipresent field of mysterious healing forces.

As I focus on the spot between my eyebrows,

The healing,

Transformative power of the pineal gland is reactivated.

I shift out of reactive feeling and allow myself to accept and feel what is in my body.

I embrace what is present.

Now you have prepared the base from which you can carry out interactions with life and interpersonal relationships with the integrative power of love and the source within.

You are the emissary of light and love.

Carry it everywhere you go and to everyone you meet.

If you have an area that you feel needs healing,

Physical,

Mental,

Or emotional,

Allow this light and love to flow into that area now.

Now begin to become aware of the rising and falling of the breath.

Slowly feel yourself beginning to rise to the surface of awareness.

Touch the body resting on the floor,

The quality of the air as it touches the skin.

Gradually you can move as if you are waking from a restful sleep.

Bend your knees and pull them closer to your chest.

Rock sideways gently.

Take your time.

Do not hurry.

Then just turn onto your right side and curl into a fetal position.

Feel the safety,

Comfort,

And protection of the womb of existence.

Bring your intention into your awareness again.

I return to the innate wisdom of the body to heal itself.

I remain in restful awareness.

Every time you find yourself in reaction,

You are empowered to replace it with your intention.

Now you can gradually move and begin to sit up with your eyes closed.

Begin to stay deep in this deep inner experience.

Regardless of what you consciously recognize that has or has not changed,

I know that something deep within has shifted to connect you with your intention.

Become aware of your body and bring a deep sense of peace and contentment with you as you bring attention back to the body.

Notice how relaxed the body is,

How soft the breath is,

How silent the mind is.

Be still and be grateful.

Know that you can easily enter here again and again.

Now you may gradually open your eyes.

I thank you for your time and practice.

I am grateful for you as a human being.

You are worthy and enough and loved.

Namaste.

Reviews

Ppwerful

Thank you, Kate, I feel I was able to connect to what was needed.

Great!! Having a health challenge right now, very helpful. Thank you!