Yoga Nidra From The African Soil

Take time to explore the state of deep rest in this yoga nidra. The practice of deep rest, or yogic sleep, brings restoration to mind and body, connects us to the land, and opens us up to our intuitive guidance and wisdom.

Transcript

Let's start today's practice by acknowledging the deep and ancient roots of this practice and reminding yourself that it's time to now take care of yourself.

The practice of Yoga Nidra starts now.

You can begin by taking a long deep breath in and exhaling with a sound.

And again,

A deep breath in and exhaling with a sigh or a sound.

And one more time,

Breathing in deeply and exhaling,

Releasing the breath through the mouth.

And now allow the body to completely sink into the surface that you're resting on.

You can adjust your body if you need to,

To be even more comfortable.

And now bring awareness to the earth beneath you,

Acknowledging the original people on the earth that you are resting on today.

You might acknowledge your personal connection to the land that you're on.

And the eyes are closed or partially closed.

And throughout this practice,

You can follow the sound of my voice.

And if there's an instruction that doesn't work for you,

You can just let it go and return to the instructions when you can.

You are here just to rest and to listen.

You may not necessarily hear all of what I'm saying and that's okay.

The core part is always listening.

So listen without trying hard.

It's safe to rest now.

It's safe to allow yourself this deep nourishment.

And here are some words from an African proverb.

Even the mightiest eagle comes down to the treetops to rest.

Even the mightiest eagle comes down to the treetops to rest.

Even the mightiest eagle comes down to the treetops to rest.

You are here now and there's nowhere else you need to be.

If you like,

You could place a hand on your heart or on your belly or wherever on your body you feel called to make contact.

And now taking time just to feel a heartfelt desire for yourself.

It's a heartfelt desire for the world.

Noticing whatever is here in the deep core of your heart.

What is a prayer or an intention for you right now?

And if you find that intention,

You can repeat this to yourself three times.

If you can't find that intention,

You might just wish yourself the gift of rest or healing.

And now welcoming a sense of being safe and well.

This might be a remembered sense of safety and wellness.

Or it might be a sense of being safe and well in your imagination.

If you can't find that,

Then just keeping contact with the hand on the heart and the hand on the belly.

And you can return to this resource at any point of this practice,

Safe and well.

And now get a sense of the whole body resting.

Feel the breath moving,

Body settling,

The contact with the ground beneath you.

The awareness is now set free to wander around the body,

Taking time to listen to the points of contact in the body.

So we'll start with the space between the eyebrows.

Space between the eyebrows.

Middle of the throat.

Right shoulder.

Right elbow.

Right wrist.

Right thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Little finger.

Right wrist.

Right elbow.

Right shoulder.

Middle of the throat.

Left shoulder.

Left elbow.

Left wrist.

Left thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Baby finger.

Left wrist.

Left elbow.

Left shoulder.

Middle of the throat.

Middle of the chest.

Right side of the chest.

Middle of the chest.

Left side of the chest.

Middle of the chest.

Navel center.

Middle of the pubic bone.

Right hip.

Right knee.

Right ankle.

Right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Right ankle.

Right knee.

Right hip.

Middle of the pubic bone.

Left hip.

Left knee.

Left ankle.

Left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Left ankle.

Left knee.

Left hip.

Middle of the pubic bone.

Navel point.

Middle of the chest.

Middle of the throat.

Back to the eyebrow center.

Rest now in stillness at the eyebrow center.

Now notice the sensations in the body.

Welcome all the sensations here and now.

Physical body resting.

And now awareness of the breath as you breathe naturally.

Breathing now up and down the right side of the body.

Breathing the right side of the body.

Breath sweeping through the right side of the body.

And now breathe the left side of the body.

The left side of the body.

Up and down the left side.

Now breathe the front of the body.

The front of the body.

And now on your next out breath breathing the back of the body.

The back of the body.

Now breathe the whole body.

Now just let the attention move back to the brow point.

And now feel the body as lighter and lighter.

Feel the body as if very light.

Weightless.

Light as a feather.

And now feel the body as heavy.

Feeling gravity.

And body heavy.

And now feel the heat,

The heat in the body.

The whole body feeling heat.

Like the hot summer sun.

Feeling heat in the body.

And now feel coldness.

The whole body cold.

Awakening that experience of cold.

And now bringing attention back to the brow point.

Resting your awareness here.

I'm going to be bringing up some words that you can just notice.

Allow the words and the images just to land in the mind's eye as I name them.

Heard of elephants.

Heard of elephants.

Heard of elephants.

Wide open spaces.

Wide open spaces.

Wide open spaces.

Red earth.

Red earth.

Red earth.

Sun setting over the savannah.

Sun setting over the savannah.

Sun setting over the savannah.

Baobab tree.

Baobab tree.

Baobab tree.

Hippos in the water.

Hippos in the water.

Hippos in the water.

Ancestors.

Ancestors.

Lion cubs playing.

Lion cubs playing.

Mighty eagle resting on a branch.

Mighty eagle resting on a branch.

And now coming back to the body.

Letting attention rest at the brow point.

Sensing around you now a gathering of beings here to support you.

It might be your ancestors or friends or nature.

Sensing whatever gathers around you to support you.

Deepening your breath now and sensing the circle of wise beings around you.

A council of wise support.

You feel yourself surrounded by these beings in whatever form.

Feeling them sending energy into the areas that need it.

Sensing their energy.

The circle can stay or go now.

As you begin to breathe with an awareness of the breath in the belly.

Letting your awareness come back to the feeling of safety and inner resource.

Coming back to that imagined or recalled experience of wellness and safety.

And rest here now in the sacred silence.

And now coming back to the space of the heart.

Sensing into the deepest desires of the heart again here and now.

Repeating that to yourself three times.

And resting here.

And you feel already slowly noticing the room around you.

Fully present to all that is here as we come to the end of this practice.

You might like to take some time just to notice what you're feeling.

And if you need to stay resting for longer,

Feeling free to do so,

Giving yourself that space.

And you can also when you feel ready to start to bring some movement back into the body.

You might like to rub the thumbs over the fingertips.

You might like to stretch the body in any particular way that you feel called to.

The Yoga Nidra is now complete.