Yoga Nidra For Self-Love

This guided sleep meditation will take you through the koshas, energetic layers of Self, to unite conscious, subconscious, unconscious, and superconscious mindstates. You'll drop into the theta-wave stage of sleep where the mind is most childlike, the perfect state for planting a seed of intention that will blossom and grow in your wake state. Nidra trains the body to relax so that the mind is encouraged to follow, in this state, you will restore the body physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Transcript

Namaste.

Thank you for embarking with me on this beautiful yoga nidra journey.

For this practice,

You can come into a tall seated position,

Placing a blanket underneath your sit bones to elongate the spine,

Or if you prefer,

Lying down in shavasana,

Allowing for the feet to fall heavy and wide with the palms face up by your sides.

Take a moment to settle in now.

If you have a blanket,

You may want to cover your body for this practice as it is a cooling practice.

You can also use an eye mask or pillow.

Once you come into shavasana,

Allow for the body to fully relax.

Take a deep inhale,

Feel up into the belly,

Lift the air into the chest,

And open mouth,

Let it go.

Another deep inhale,

Filling up into the belly,

Feel the rib cage expand,

Heart expand,

And open mouth,

Let it go.

Another deep inhale,

Perhaps the deepest breath you've taken all day,

Fill all the way up,

Hold at the top,

And open mouth,

Let it go.

As you arrive in this moment,

Notice the natural rhythm of the breath.

Sense the texture of the breath.

With each exhale,

Feel the body sinking deeper into the earth.

Notice the left side relaxing even deeper.

Now draw awareness to the right side as it softens deeper into the earth.

Feel the body fully relaxed as you merge with mother earth.

Now bring awareness into the nose.

Notice any smells you can recognize.

Become aware of the mouth.

Feel the texture of your upper palate.

Notice the taste in your mouth.

Now allow for the tongue to fall heavy and wide towards the back of your palate.

Become aware of the eyes.

Notice what you see,

Perhaps darkness,

Maybe spots of light or color.

Simply notice.

Drawing awareness to the ears,

Notice any sounds you can hear far away from you,

Jumping from sound to sound without judgment.

Now become aware of any sounds you hear closer to you and come home to the sound of your own breath while staying present with the sound of my voice.

Take a moment now to connect with your sankalpa,

Your intention for today's practice.

I am loving awareness.

I am loving awareness.

Awareness.

Mentally repeat your sankalpa three times in your mind's eye.

Become aware of the right hand,

Right hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Right hand pinky finger,

Palm of the right hand,

Back of the hand.

Awareness to the right wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Elbow,

Upper arm.

Become aware of the right shoulder,

Armpit,

Right side of the torso,

Right hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Back of the right knee,

The right shin,

Calf,

Ankle.

Awareness to the right heel,

Sole of the right foot,

Top of the foot,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Pinky toe,

The whole right foot.

Now become aware of the left hand,

Left hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Left hand pinky finger,

Palm of the left hand,

Back of the hand.

Awareness to the left wrist,

Lower arm,

Elbow,

Upper arm.

Become aware of the left shoulder,

Armpit,

Left side of the torso,

Left hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Back of the left knee,

Shin,

Calf.

Awareness to the left ankle,

Heel of the left foot,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Pinky toe,

The whole left foot.

Now become aware of the whole back body.

Feel the whole back body.

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

Lower back,

Mid back,

Upper back,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Back of the neck,

Back of the head.

Become aware of the crown of the head,

Forehead,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow.

Awareness to the space between the brows.

Feel the space between the brows.

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right eye,

Left eye.

Awareness to the right cheek,

Left cheek,

Right nostril,

Left nostril.

Awareness to the tip of the nose.

Feel the tip of the nose.

Upper lip,

Top lip,

Lower lip,

Inside of the right cheek,

Inside of the left cheek.

Awareness to the tongue,

Throat,

Collarbone,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

Upper belly,

Lower belly,

Both hips,

Hips,

Both thighs,

Both knees,

Both shins,

Both ankles,

Both feet.

Now become aware of the whole left side of the body.

Feel the whole left side of the body.

Now become aware of the whole right side of the body.

Feel the whole right side of the body.

Awareness to the whole front body.

Feel the whole front body.

Awareness to the whole back body.

Feel the whole back body.

The whole body together.

The whole body together.

Feel the whole body together.

Draw awareness now to the breath.

Become aware of the natural rhythm of the breath.

Feel the body expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale.

Feel the breath flowing through the body.

Now imagine a white light at the base of your spine at root chakra.

On the inhale,

Watch as the white light rides up the spine to the crown.

And on the exhale,

Watch as the white light travels from crown chakra to root chakra.

Inhale,

White light rising to the crown of the head.

Exhale,

White light descending to the base of the spine.

As you imagine this white light traveling up and down the spine,

You can work with the mantra,

So hum,

I am that.

Inhale,

White light rising.

So exhale,

White light descends.

Hum.

Inhale,

White light rises.

So exhale,

White light descends.

Hum.

Continue with your so hum breath.

Now release control of the breath and return to the natural rhythm.

Begin to awaken a sense of light within the body.

Feel light.

Notice where this feeling first arises within the body.

Feel the body light as a feather floating in the wind.

Feel light.

Now release light and begin to awaken a sense of density within the body.

Feel the body dense,

Heavy as a boulder.

Allow for this feeling of density to spread throughout each and every limb of the body.

Feel the body dense.

Now release density and reawaken a sense of light.

Feel light as if you're floating on a cloud.

Feel light.

And release light.

Reawaken a sense of density.

Feel the body dense.

Allow for the whole body to feel dense.

Now allow for yourself to move between density and light.

Feel dense and then feel light.

Switching back and forth between density and light.

Now allow for yourself to feel both density and light together.

Feel dense and feel light simultaneously.

Feel both together.

And release.

Now imagine you're hiking on a narrow trail.

You can feel the earth damp beneath your feet.

You smell sweet pine surrounding you.

In the distance you can hear birds chirping.

You feel the sun filtering through the leaves of the redwoods that surround you,

Gently kissing your face,

Warming your soul.

A sense of calm begins to wash over you.

A few inches in front of you,

You notice a blue butterfly,

Its iridescent wings reflecting the sunlight.

You sense the presence of your spirit guides and you decide to follow the butterfly through the winding path of the forest.

As you continue down the path,

You can hear a river trickling off in the distance.

As the water becomes a bit louder,

You feel all of your worries being carried away.

As you reach the riverbank,

The butterfly swirls and flies just above the crown of your head.

You feel at one with nature.

You feel Mother Nature's love surrounding you and flowing through you.

You decide to lie down on the forest floor and pull your knees into your chest as you do so,

Taking this as an opportunity to recognize your inner light and to be reborn,

Knowing that you are made of love.

Begin to deepen the breath.

Become aware of the innate healing energy the breath carries through the body.

Feel the breath energizing the body.

Now become aware of any thoughts or feelings that are present.

Take a moment now to be present with anything that arises without judgment.

Start to become aware of any sounds you hear far away from you,

Drawing awareness to any sounds you hear closer to you,

And coming home to the sound of your own breath,

Returning to this physical form.

Think back to the beginning of this practice and take a moment to reconnect with your sankalpa,

Your intention.

I am loving awareness.

I am loving awareness.

Mentally repeat your sankalpa three times with the same words and feelings as from the beginning of this practice.

Begin to invite some subtle movements into the fingers and toes.

Roll out the wrists and ankles.

Extend the arms above head,

Spreading the fingers wide,

Pointing the toes as you do so,

Taking up as much space as you possibly can.

You're welcome to stay exactly as you are or gently guide your body into fetal position on your favorite side.

With your palm placed on the earth,

Take a moment to thank Mother Gaya for her divine and infinite support.

Feel her love flowing through your being.

You are one with the universe.

You can stay just as you are or gently press yourself into a tall seated position,

Keeping the eyes closed.

As you arrive in your seated position,

Bring the palms of the hands to touch at the heart space.

Gently rub them together,

Creating some healing friction.

Place the heels of the palms into the eye sockets and gently apply pressure,

Allowing for your other fingers to land like little raindrops on the crown of your head.

Gently tapping the crown of the head.

Allow for your raindrops to travel down your face onto the forehead and cheeks,

Down onto the chin,

Raindrops falling onto the neck and chest,

Crossing over onto the arms and traveling down the belly,

Onto the tops of the thighs,

All the way down the legs.

Bringing the hands to heart center once more,

Pressing the palms into each other,

Gently resting the thumbs on the sternum,

Taking a moment to pause here,

Feeling the beat of your heart.

Take a deep inhale,

Feel the whole body expand,

Feel the heart expand,

And open mouth,

Let it go.

Slowly flutter the eyes open.

The divine light in me honors and reflects the divine light within you.

Namaste.

Reviews

Nice yoga nidra for daytime. There is activity at the end that can be skipped if you prefer to stay in place and continue to rest.