Before we begin,
I'd like to invite you to take a slow gentle breath.
And simply arrive in this moment.
This Yoga Nidra is inspired by Dweezil.
One of the five klesas described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
Dvesa is often translated as aversion or avoidance.
It is the natural tendency to push away what feels uncomfortable,
What feels painful,
Or what feels unwanted.
This practice is not about forcing yourself to relive difficult experiences or trying to like what is painful.
Instead,
It is an invitation to discover what happens when you stop struggling against your experience.
Often it is not the feeling itself that creates the greatest suffering,
But our resistance to it.
For the next little while.
Allow yourself to set down the need to fix,
Control or escape anything.
Simply rest with whatever arises,
Meeting each experience with kindness,
Curiosity and patience.
So let's get ready for Yoga Nidra.
Lie down and allow your body to settle.
If you wish you can also do this practice sitting down.
If you're sitting down,
Make sure your spine is upright,
Your head is well supported.
And you can have your hands on your knees or your thighs with your palms facing upward.
And if you're lying down.
Take a moment to adjust.
Let the body feel completely supported.
Let the legs fall open.
Let the arms be slightly away from the body with the palms facing upward.
And gently close the eyes.
And take a slow deep breath in and exhale softly.
Once again,
Inhale.
And release.
And one more time.
Inhale.
And exhale.
And now allow your bread to return to its natural rhythm.
Feel the weight of the body.
It's being held.
Nothing to manage.
Nothing to carry.
And for this time you can let everything be.
Bring your awareness to the breath.
Natural.
Effortless.
Notice the inhale.
And the exhale.
And gently observe the breath.
Is happening and you are aware of it.
That is breathing.
And there is awareness of breathing.
Now introduce a quiet intention,
A sankalpa,
A dissolve.
Something Simple!
Something supportive.
You may choose,
I can allow what I feel.
Or the I meet experience with openness.
Whatever your Sankalpa,
Whatever your intention.
Repeat it softly.
Three times.
Let it settle.
Now we move awareness through the body.
Not thinking,
Just noticing.
As I name the part of the body,
Simply become aware of that part and you can repeat the name of the part in your mind.
We begin with the right side.
Right Hand Thumb Index finger.
Middle finger Ring finger.
Littlefinger palm of the hand.
Back of the hand.
List.
For them.
Elbow Apple arm.
Shoulder Armpit.
Right waste.
Right hip.
Thai Me?
Gov.
Angle.
Heal soul.
Top of the foot.
Big Dole?
2nd Toe Thud.
Forward.
Fifth.
Now the left side.
Left Hand Thumb Index Fingal Middle finger Ring finger.
Little finger BAM Back of the Hand Rest.
For them.
Elbow Upper arm.
Shoulder armpit.
Left waist.
Left hip.
Tie.
Me.
Cough.
Ankle.
Heal Soul.
Top of the foot.
Baked Dough?
2nd Tool Todd?
Fold.
5th Now the back side of the body.
Right Shoulder Blade Left Shoulder Blade Oppo back.
Middle back.
Lower back.
Buttocks Now the front side of the body.
The abdomen,
Navel Jest.
Light Chest.
Left Chest Collarbones the truth.
The chin.
Lower lip.
Upper lip.
Right cheek.
Left cheek.
The nose,
The tip of the nose.
The Right Eye Left Eye Eyebrows The space between the eyebrows.
The fall head.
Temples.
Top of the head.
Back of the head.
Now feel the whole body.
As one field.
And notice,
The body is being felt.
And you are aware of it.
Now bring awareness to the breath.
Feel it moving from the navel to the throat.
And from the throat back to the navel.
Navel to throat.
And troth to naval,
A gentle wave.
Now imagine the breath flowing from the eyebrow center to the back of the head.
And back again.
Dive those center to the back of the head.
And back again.
Subtle.
Effortless.
And notice even this is being observed.
Now,
Bring to mind something mildly uncomfortable.
Something mildly uncomfortable,
Nothing overwhelming.
Just something that you tend to avoid.
A situation.
Or the feeling.
Or the conversation.
Simply bring it to mind.
Uncomfortable thing.
See it gently.
From a distance.
And notice what happens in the body.
Maybe there's a tightening.
Or maybe a pulling away.
Or the acetyl contraction.
Notice the impulse,
I don't want this.
Stay here for the while,
Just observing,
Without changing anything.
The mildly uncomfortable thing that you are thinking of.
And you simply observing it.
Now gently soften the image.
Let it fade.
And notice.
The sensation of resistance can remain.
Even without the situation.
It can't remain.
It can stay.
And you are aware of it.
Now imagine You are walking along a quiet path.
The surroundings are still.
Open Save.
Ahead of you.
A doorway appears.
Standing Alone.
You sense.
That behind this doorway is something you have been avoiding.
Notice the reaction in the body.
Hesitation Tightness Resistance.
And instead of turning away.
You pause.
You simply stand here.
Not Forcing.
Not the treating.
Now.
Very gently.
You take one step closer.
And another.
Until you are standing right in front of the door.
Place your hand on the surface.
Feel it's texture.
Solid The end.
And now.
.
.
Slowly.
You opened it.
Inside.
There is no threat.
No danger.
Only a feeling.
Waiting.
You step in.
Carefully.
Gently.
And instead of pushing it away,
You sit with it.
You allow it to be here just as it is.
And something unexpected happens.
The intensity begins to shift.
Not because you changed it but because you stopped resisting it.
It softens.
Moves.
Breeds.
And you realize.
It was never the feeling that held you.
It was the resistance.
Now bring awareness to the feeling of resistance.
Bring awareness to resistance.
The feeling of pushing away.
Died.
Contracted.
Feel it in the body.
Now shift to Allowing.
Soft.
Open.
Feel allowing in your body.
Now move between these two feelings.
Resistance,
Allowing Resistance.
Allowing.
Notice the difference.
And gently rest.
In allowing.
Now let go of all images.
Notice thoughts.
Rising?
Bossing.
Adai Zing!
Bossing.
Sensations,
Notice sensations.
Coming.
Going even discomfort.
Up your thing.
And dissolving.
And gently.
Rest.
As the One.
Who is aware.
The Seal.
The Witness.
Drashta rest as the one who is aware.
Nothing needs to be pushed away.
Nothing needs to be changed.
And now is the time to return to your Sankalpa,
Your intention,
Your dissolve,
The same one that you made at the beginning of the practice.
Or if you didn't make a Sankalpa at that time,
You can choose I can allow what I feel.
While I meet experience with openness.
Repeat your Sankalpa three times with complete feeling and awareness.
Let it settle.
And bring your awareness to the breath.
Deepen it.
Gently.
Start making small movements.
Move your fingers.
Move your toes.
Become aware of the temperature of the area that you are in.
Become aware of The sensation of the clothes on your skin.
Become aware of any sounds around you.
If it feels natural,
You can start to stretch.
And when you are sure that you are completely wide awake.
Slowly,
Gently.
Allow the eyes to open.
What do you allow?
Can move.
What do you resist?
Buses.
And you are the one.
Who can gently Allow.
The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
