Welcome.
I'm Lisa McCruin,
And today I'd love to guide you through this Yoga Nidra practice,
Becoming the Mountain.
So let's begin by settling into a comfortable position.
Notice for you if that means lying down or reclining,
Sitting in a way that feels where you can feel fully supported.
Take some time to get comfortable,
To find the right spot where you can feel supported and nourished and where your body can rest.
And as you get comfortable,
Invite the body to soften into being here.
Feel the weight of your body being held,
Being supported.
You might imagine the Earth's gravity supporting you from the back of your head,
Your shoulders,
Your arms,
Through the back of the body,
Hips,
Legs,
And the heels of your feet.
And then now let the breath find you,
With no efforting,
No changing the breath,
Allowing the breath to just breathe you.
Notice what is beginning to gently surrender.
Maybe the bones in your body,
Maybe your muscles.
Notice the release,
The gentle surrender.
And now for a few breaths on your exhale,
Imagine releasing tension from your day,
From the inside out.
And as you inhale,
Imagine the steadiness,
The warmth,
And the quiet support of the Earth.
That you inhale that steadiness and that quiet support of the Earth.
Take a few breaths like this,
In and out.
Begin to sense the shape of a mountain within you.
Feel your body broadening at the base,
So you might notice the hips widening,
The back spreading,
The arms relaxing,
The spine being long and grounded,
The legs heavy,
Just like a mountain resting in its place on the Earth.
A mountain is never in a hurry,
It just simply is.
It's rooted,
Steady,
Ancient,
And it's wisdom,
It's knowing.
Now allow that steadiness to rise up through you,
From the soles of your feet,
Through your legs,
Through your torso,
Through the palms of your hands and arms,
Into your chest,
And then all the way to the crown of your head.
Feel the steadiness of the Earth rising through you.
You can imagine the Earth lending its steadiness to you,
As you become a mountain,
Stable,
Present,
Enduring,
Quiet.
Now bring your awareness to your breath.
Slowly and gently,
Just like a soft breeze caressing a mountain.
Your breath is gentle,
Quiet,
And steady.
Imagine it as that slow and gentle,
Soft breeze caressing the insides of your body.
Now imagine how the mountain receives sunlight,
Moonlight,
And the other elements of wind,
Rain.
Imagine when the mountain remains,
Not grasping or clinging,
And also not resisting,
It just remains true to its core,
Strong and sturdy,
No matter the weather.
Let your body receive like this too.
Let replenishment arrive without effort,
Just like the mountain receiving sunlight.
Notice what sort of replenishment you need.
Whatever intuitively comes to you,
Let yourself receive that now,
Just like sunlight cascading over the mountain,
From the crown of the head to the tips of your toes and your fingers.
Let yourself receive that replenishment.
You might say to yourself,
I am filling up with what I need,
Or I am receiving what I need.
Just like the soil of the mountain receives rain,
Receives replenishment,
You too can receive what you need right now here in this moment,
Open to receiving.
Now,
Gently place your awareness on the point in the body that I will be naming,
Just like a soft glowing light that's warm and kind,
Gently place your attention at that point for a brief moment,
Illuminating,
Healing,
Nourishing you,
Replenishing you.
So start by bringing your awareness to your forehead and imagining a glowing light that's warm and kind there at the forehead.
Then the right temple,
Then the left temple,
The right nostril,
The left nostril.
Imagine a warm glow,
A light in the right cheek and the left cheek,
The upper lip,
The lower lip,
Inside the mouth,
The jaw bones.
Imagine this soft light now at the crown of your head,
The back of the head,
The base of the skull.
Now imagine this light moving into your throat,
Down into the center of the chest,
The right breast,
The left breast,
The center of the chest.
Imagine that glowing,
Healing light now in the right shoulder joint,
Moving down into the right elbow joint,
Right wrist joint,
The palm of the right hand,
The back of the right hand.
Flowing in now to the tip of the thumb,
Pointer finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky.
Imagine the whole right arm illuminated with healing,
Nourishing light.
Now moving your attention over to the left shoulder joint,
Left elbow,
Left wrist,
Palm of the left hand,
The back of the left hand,
Tip of the thumb,
Pointer finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
And pinky.
Imagine the whole left arm filling up with healing,
Nourishing light.
Now bring your awareness to the center of the chest.
Imagine the whole chest filling with nourishing,
Glowing,
Kind light.
And moving down into the solar plexus,
The navel center,
The pelvis,
The groin.
Imagine that light now on the upper back,
The mid-back,
Lower back,
The whole torso and pelvis.
Now imagine bringing your awareness to the right hip,
The right knee,
Right ankle,
Top of the right foot,
The sole of the right foot,
The right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
Imagine the whole right leg illuminated with healing,
Warm light.
Moving now over to the left hip,
Left knee,
Left ankle,
The top of the left foot,
The sole of the left foot,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
The whole left leg illuminated with healing light.
Bring that light of awareness to the navel center again,
The solar plexus,
The center of the chest,
Center of the throat,
The space under the nose,
The space between the eyes and then the crown of the head.
Feel your whole body filled with this nourishing,
Healing light.
Feel the inner quiet and warmth of a mountain.
Feel the steadiness,
This gentle illumination within you,
Replenishing you.
As you rest here,
Imagine the mountain's deep stillness filling you,
Receiving the silence that restores,
Receiving the quiet strength.
Let yourself rest in this fullness for a few breaths.
When you're ready,
Bring your attention back to the heart center.
You might place a hand or both hands on the heart,
Or just stay still either way.
And imagine placing a hand on the warm core of the mountain,
The heart of the mountain.
This is the part of you that knows how to replenish,
How to return to the stillness that is within you.
From this place,
You might either drift off to sleep or you might journal a little bit with whatever insights are coming from the heart of the mountain within you,
Noticing what wisdom moves through you and comes into your awareness.
You also might take a moment and ask for healing again in any part of the body,
Any cell of the body that needs nourishment or healing.
Imagine the sunlight,
The steadiness of the mountain,
The support of the earth and the earth extending this healing to you.
It flows in easily and organically,
And every cell that needs it responds to this healing and nourishment.
Every cell knows it as truth.
And now as you go forth,
Carry the gentle,
Steady,
Nourishing energy of mountain and earth with you.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
