Hello,
Welcome.
My name is Christine and welcome to this yoga nidra meditation for the heart center.
This is an invitation from the heart to lean in and to listen in deeply for the pearls of wisdom that are shimmering here,
Beckoning you to come closer.
This way my love,
I'll take care of you.
This path of heart,
Any path of heart,
Is the path of creation.
In the tantras,
Which are instructions from the gods to humans,
The heart center is the anahata chakra.
Anahata translates as unstruck and refers to the sound made by the creation of the universe.
This unstruck sound,
Which still continues to reverberate throughout the cosmos,
Is the hymn of creation.
And the passageway to this song is through the heart.
This is the physiological center and the psychological center,
Which encompasses care and feeling for oneself,
Care and feeling for another human,
Care and feeling for our precious planet.
This is the center that also encompasses the universal heart,
Transcendental love.
It is the heart that enables us to love as a child loves,
Fully and without reservation.
There is no doubt,
No holding back.
Now,
Begin to nestle yourself deeply into the sanctuary of your yoga nidra nest,
Cocooning yourself with warmth,
Support,
And any extra small details to support you in feeling safe and at home.
Continue making any final little adjustments you might take to get even a little bit more comfortable.
Then snuggle up to yourself here as you begin to shut the eyes down,
Welcoming in the soothing darkness as you begin to settle down here,
Surrendering the weight of the body,
Allowing yourself to be held,
And inviting the thinking mind to take a break as you shift to the world of sensing and feeling.
Mind quieting down now,
Thoughts untangling,
Dissolving as you land here in this moment.
There's nothing you need to do,
Nowhere to be,
Just here now,
Fully present.
On your next exhale,
Feel the face begin to soften,
Relaxing all the little muscles around and behind the eyes,
Eyes sinking down and back.
Exhale again,
Feel your jaw and your tongue relaxing,
Shoulders melting down.
Each exhale releasing what you no longer need to hold on to,
Softening around the low belly,
Around the glutes,
Relaxing the perineum,
Surrendering any lingering grip here.
Whole body unwinding as you sink deeper now into stillness.
Now take a deep breath in,
Filling the low belly and the chest.
Long,
Relaxed exhale out through the mouth.
Taking another deep breath in,
Fill the low belly,
Fill the chest.
Exhale long,
Slow,
Relaxed,
Breath out through the mouth.
Breathing out.
Let's take one more deep breath in,
Filling the lungs.
Exhaling out through the mouth,
Allowing the breath to return to a natural rhythm.
Feel waves rolling in,
Rolling out.
This breath renews our life with every in-breath.
Let's go of what is no longer needed with each out-breath.
Feel the letting go as each out-breath exits the body.
Effortless renewal,
Effortless letting go.
Sinking deeper still.
Now in your own way,
Could you begin to draw a circle of protection around your body?
This circle can be made of anything you wish.
Perhaps golden white light,
Fresh forest soil,
Rose quartz crystals.
Trust whatever comes to you.
See,
Sense,
Or feel this circle of protection established around yourself.
Let your awareness now move towards sound.
Welcoming the sounds around you without judgment,
But rather with openness,
With curiosity.
Allow your awareness to move from sound to sound to sound.
Let all the sounds just be there.
Let the sounds become distant on the outside of the circle as you begin to draw your attention inward.
Notice your breath at your navel,
Gently rising as you inhale,
Gently falling as you exhale.
Come take a seat at the altar of your heart.
Yoganidra,
The goddess,
Is here with you now.
Rest here in her loving embrace,
Her warm healing presence and guidance,
As you begin harmonizing with the universal heartbeat.
Opening your intuitive heart as you commune with the inner knowing that abides here.
Sense what is present here,
What is needed here,
And begin to call in your sankalpa or intention.
You may be working with a primary sankalpa,
A heartfelt vow for this lifetime,
Or perhaps an intention for this particular moment naturally arises.
This might take the form of a word,
An image,
Or even a felt sense in the body.
Trust what is here.
Trust what arises.
Trust yourself.
You may also choose to work with the following prepared intention.
I stay connected with my heart,
Being vulnerable and willing to work with what arises.
I stay connected with my heart,
Being vulnerable and willing to work with what arises.
Calling it in three times or more.
Feel the echo of your affirmation everywhere.
There is nothing you need to do about it.
Just let it be.
All ready here.
Begin to scan the body with attention and awareness.
Do your best to remain still and awake,
Yet welcome your experience just as it comes.
Let my voice be your anchor.
Soften open as you sink even deeper now into stillness.
Take a few moments to have a sense of your body as a whole,
From head to toe.
The outline of your skin.
The weight of the body.
Sense here the hug of gravity.
Notice the points where your body meets the support beneath you.
The heels.
Backs of the legs.
Your buttocks.
Parts of the back.
The shoulder blades.
Notice where the arms and hands are resting.
Back of the head.
The whole backside of the body.
Now,
Could you bring your attention to the big toes on both of your feet?
Noticing the sensations that you find here.
Sense the little toes.
Sense all ten toes.
And the spaces between the toes.
And sensing the soles of your feet.
Tops of the feet.
The heels.
Allow your feet to soften and relax.
Sense both ankles,
The joint,
And the surface of the skin.
Calves.
Shins.
The knee joints.
The thighs.
And welcoming sensations on the surface of the skin.
Sensations of the muscles in the back of the thigh.
Muscles in the front of the thigh.
And maybe a sense of the femur bone.
Muscles softening.
Becoming heavy.
Releasing their grip.
Falling away from the bones.
Bring presence along with breath into both legs.
As if you could breathe into your legs.
Both legs resting.
Held in awareness.
Let awareness expand to include your buttocks.
Your hips.
The perineum.
And notice any holding of energy here.
Sense the tip of the tailbone.
The sacrum.
And the whole pelvic bowl.
Awareness soaking into your low belly.
And sensing the organs deep within.
Sensing the lower back.
Upper back.
Shoulder blades.
Rib cage.
Chest.
Sense the length of your spine.
Gently curving through your body.
And the point at which it meets the skull.
Feel the lungs expanding and contracting.
The heart beating.
Feel the whole torso now.
Shimmering with sensation.
Breath and awareness filling each body part.
Feeling the motion of the breath through the body.
Whole torso resting.
Held here in awareness.
Awareness soaking now into both shoulders.
Down the length of the arms.
And into both hands.
And sensing all ten fingers.
And the fingertips.
All ten fingernails.
And the spaces between the fingers.
Notice the warmth and energy here in the lower back.
Notice the warmth and energy here in the palms of your hands.
Both arms and hands resting deeply.
Held in awareness.
From your arms,
Attention migrating to your neck.
Your throat.
And the breath in the back of the throat.
From the throat to the tip of the chin.
Toward the hinges of the jaw.
And sensing both ears.
Noticing the ears listening.
And sensing the outer structure of the ears.
And deep into the inner ears.
From the ears to the tip of the tongue.
From the ears to the back of the head.
Crown of the head.
Center of the brow.
Softening the muscles around the forehead.
And sensing the left eyebrow.
Right eyebrow.
Left temple.
Right temple.
Left cheekbone.
Right cheekbone.
Right eyelid.
Left eyeball.
Right eyeball.
Sensing both eyes sinking down and back.
Sensing the bridge of the nose between the eyes.
And the nostrils.
Perhaps you notice the breath in the nostrils.
It's a little bit different on the inhale than on the exhale.
And expanding awareness to sensations inside the mouth.
The teeth.
The tongue.
Tip of the tongue.
And sensing the muscles used for smiling.
And the muscles used for chewing.
Could you invite your face to soften here with your awareness?
Noticing again your breath.
Sensing the breath as it is felt in the body.
Whole body breathing.
Whole body breathing.
Trillions of cells breathing in unison.
Held here in the cocoon of your awareness.
Whole body.
Trillions of cells.
Resting ever so deeply now.
Begin to count the breath down from ten to one.
Inhale.
Ten.
Exhale.
Ten.
Inhale.
Nine.
Exhale.
Nine.
Counting down to one.
If you lose track,
Begin again at ten.
Letting that go.
Could you bring your awareness to the palm of your right hand?
Awareness coming to rest in the palm of your right hand.
Begin to sense as if you could breathe in through the palm of your right hand.
Up the length of your arm.
And into your heart center.
As you exhale,
Breath and awareness cascades down the left arm.
And out through the palm of your left hand.
As you exhale,
Breath and awareness cascades down the left arm.
Inhale through the palm of the left hand.
Up the length of the arm.
Into your heart center.
Then,
Switching sides.
And exhaling down the right arm.
And out through the palm of the right hand.
Inhaling,
Palm of right hand to heart center.
Switch sides.
Exhale down left arm.
And out through palm of left hand.
Inhale,
Left palm to heart center.
Switch sides.
And exhale down right arm.
Out through palm of right hand.
Continuing on your own this way.
Now let that go.
Just be still.
Notice any effects.
As you rest ever so deeply here now.
Now bring your awareness back to the altar of your heart.
Sense presence riding on the breath here.
In and out.
Begin to welcome back your sankalpa.
Or perhaps you're welcoming back the following.
I stay connected with my heart.
Being vulnerable and willing to work with what arises.
Calling it back in three times or more.
As I breathe in,
I'm welcoming back.
As I breathe out,
I'm welcoming back.
And so it is.
The goddess yoga nidra supports you and blesses you.
Feel your sankalpa echoing throughout your whole being now.
Welcome it to be everywhere.
Already true.
Already here.
Slowly beginning to rise to the surface of awareness.
Sense the weight of the body.
The edges and outline of your skin.
Awareness rising like the morning sun.
Begin sensing your environment.
Rising up.
Refreshed.
You might begin to invite in a deep breath.
As you slowly start to welcome yourself back.
Taking a deep breath in through the nose.
Exhale out through the mouth.
Let's do a couple more.
Deep breath in through the nose.
When you feel ready and not a moment sooner,
Slowly starting to move the body.
Perhaps wiggling your toes.
Perhaps gently turning the head from side to side.
Give yourself time in returning to ordinary awareness.
You might even take a good morning stretch.
Or hug the knees in towards the chest.
Massaging out your low back.
Or resting a while longer.
Maybe in a fetal position.
As you slowly reawaken,
Notice the quality of your experience.
Notice the effects on your body.
On your nervous system.
Noticing as well the quality of mind.
As well as any emotional tones present here.
If it calls to you,
You might spend five minutes free writing in your journal.
Stream of consciousness style.
Not thinking,
Just letting it out.
Seeing what comes up.
I hope you feel refreshed and perhaps a little more spacious.
Again,
My name is Christine.
Thank you for being here today.
And thank you for taking this time just for you.
Be well everyone.
Keep showing up.
Keep returning home to yourself again and again.
And remember,
Follow the way of the heart.
It will not lead you astray.
Namaste.
