Yoga Nidra For Gratitude

Yoga nidra gratitude meditation is a powerful practice that combines deep, guided relaxation with the intentional cultivation of thankfulness. While in the state of "yogic sleep"—a conscious state between wakefulness and dreaming—the mind becomes exceptionally receptive to positive affirmations.

The meditation guides your awareness to focus on various aspects of your life for which you feel grateful, from simple pleasures to significant relationships. This process helps to rewire the brain towards positivity, reducing stress and anxiety by anchoring the mind in appreciation. By embedding feelings of gratitude in the subconscious, this practice fosters a lasting sense of contentment, peace, and well-being.

Transcript

Hello and thanks for joining this Yoga Nidra for Gratitude.

Many people believe that when doing meditation our minds are supposed to just turn off and go radio silent.

Others believe that meditation is to help us get rid of unwanted emotions,

But it's actually about stepping back and observing those thoughts that are coming and going.

Our mind is built to think,

But with frequent practices,

Various forms of meditation,

We learn to control the muscle of the mind and move our body into the parasympathetic nervous system,

Our rest and relaxed state.

So as you can see,

It's easy for our mind to lose focus.

And Yoga Nidra is more than just relaxation,

It is an intention.

Many things in life will relax us,

But Yoga Nidra provides an anchor,

A sankalpa,

Something that you are working on in your present life.

So as we begin,

Begin to make a clear intention of what you want out of this practice.

Where do you see yourself next?

Let the process plant a seed in your mind,

What your willfulness is.

Yoga Nidra allows you to transfer the experience beyond the elements to this finite space within your consciousness,

A space beyond your limitations,

Beyond your emotions,

In your own belief systems or ideas of what is success and what is failure.

We're going to begin with a short meditation practice to bring us into the body.

A meditation practice with a chant or a mantra of so hum,

Which translates as that I am or I am that.

And this mantra helps to remove the boundaries of our preconceived notions.

The body and mind become unified with the surroundings.

And during this practice,

You might feel as if your body just dissolves and fades into the area,

The space around you.

Your mind will become a part of a collective mind.

So making yourself comfortable,

Sitting upright or lying flat with a long extended spine,

Breathing in so,

Breathing out hum,

In so.

As you connect to your breathing,

Let there be this almost intentional connection to the sound of so hum in your breath.

Inhale so,

Exhale hum.

And now as you're ready,

Begin to make your way into a comfortable lying position.

Support yourself with any props or blankets as needed.

We want to be as still as possible for the duration of the practice of yoga nidra.

With this particular yoga nidra,

Focusing on gratitude.

And expressing gratitude provides many benefits to not only our lives,

But to our overall health.

And practicing gratitude daily will attract more of what we want into our lives.

This yoga nidra practice will bring more gratitude into your life.

Now yoga nidra is a practice of yogic sleep,

And it's going to guide you to a state of consciousness that is somewhere between wakefulness and sleeping.

It is a practice in concentration.

And concentration is a function of the prefrontal cortex,

The part of the brain that sits above and behind your eyebrows at the third eye.

This region is trainable,

And when we intentionally focus on the breath,

Or the body part that I mentioned,

You're going to strengthen the prefrontal cortex's ability to move your attention away from worrisome negative thoughts,

To-do lists,

Responsibilities.

All the stressors of life.

And we're going to move that attention towards something more positive,

More calming,

At will.

So now that you're comfortable,

You might choose to have something behind your knees,

Your head,

Blankets,

Eye pillow.

And it's important to know before we begin that if you don't practice yoga or meditation on a regular basis,

It may be a little difficult,

Relaxing,

To get the full effect.

But don't let that discourage you.

With practice and time,

You'll be able to drop into meditation without difficulty and almost always will experience incredible results.

So make sure that as we're getting comfortable that you're warm enough,

That your position is going to be comfortable enough.

And know that you have agency over your body.

If at any time you become uncomfortable,

Feel free to quietly change your position.

But for now,

Let your body sink into the floor.

Shift and move if your body needs to settle deeper.

And if you're comfortable,

Allow your eyes to close.

Take a few deep breaths now releasing all tension with your exhale.

Breathing in,

So breathing out,

Hum.

And give yourself permission to experience peace and silence within your mind.

You deserve this time.

Nothing else matters right now.

There's nowhere else to be,

Nothing else to do.

Just simply feel your body and listen and set an intention to remain awake by listening to the sound of my voice.

And it is normal for my voice to possibly go in and out.

You might think that you're sleeping.

But your unconscious mind is always listening.

Your core self is always listening,

This deepest part of you.

So whatever your experience is today,

This practice is going to work.

There's no way to do it wrong.

Just listen to my words without trying too hard.

At this moment in your space,

Become aware of any sounds that you hear and listen without strain.

Focus on any of the most distant sounds that you can hear.

And as your hearing radiates outward to these distant sounds,

Follow them for a few moments.

Move your attention from sound to sound without labeling it.

Notice your ears hearing sound.

Now without opening your eyes,

Just visualize the four walls of your room,

The ceiling,

The floor,

Your body lying in a position within the space.

Visualize the position your body is in,

Props that you're using,

What clothes you're wearing,

Even how you have your hair,

Your face.

Becoming acutely aware of your existence of the physical body within your space.

Become acutely aware of the taste in your mouth,

Or the sense of moisture or dryness within your mouth.

Feel the kiss of breath at your nasal flares,

The breath moving into your body expanding,

And the breath moving out,

Drawing inward,

Letting go.

Now we're going to bring our awareness to the spontaneous natural breath without effort,

Without controlling,

Just the natural breath as it is flowing in and out,

Through both the right and left nostril.

You will notice that there is a sense of coolness as you inhale,

Follow that feeling into your nose,

Into your sinuses,

Into the back of your throat,

And all the way into your lungs.

You'll also notice a sense of warmth as you breathe out,

Feel that warmth on your upper lip.

Breathe in and allow your emotions to flow.

To become calm and still.

And exhale,

Releasing the breath,

Seeing all emotional tension,

All of today's experiences or this week's experiences leave the body in the form of a black fog out through your nostrils.

The natural breath flows through both nostrils during the inhale and the exhale.

And you might notice one nostril is more dominant or open than the other.

Just observe which one feels more open or makes less sound.

And then start to allow your breath to become longer and slower.

Take a long,

Slow inhalation,

Followed by a longer,

Even slower exhalation.

And notice a little slight pause after your exhale.

Slow inhale,

Even slower exhale and the pause.

A space where there is no movement,

Just quiet solitude.

This is our natural kumbhaka,

Our natural pause of breath.

Relaxed effort around breathing where everything just becomes slower.

There is no rush,

There's no pressure.

Just a natural,

Easy breath,

Releasing any control.

Now we're going to do a body scan.

And I ask that as we travel through this practice,

Just bring awareness to the body parts as I name them.

Note any tension that you feel,

Any discomfort as we scan the body in particular areas.

Notice if your mind wanders away from the practice.

And when you notice thoughts,

Feelings,

Emotions arise in the mind,

Just simply label it thinking,

Worrying,

Planning.

Notice where you feel the thought or emotion that arises,

If you feel it in your body,

How it affects your body.

And then release all emotional tension and continue to scan and listen to the words.

So welcoming all sensation just as it is without judgment,

Without expectation.

Begin to notice your mouth.

Feel your mouth and all sensation within your mouth.

Feel your lower jaw,

Your upper jaw,

The corners of your mouth,

Your lips.

Notice where your lips touch and where they separate.

Feel the inside roof of your mouth.

Feel under your tongue.

Feel your upper teeth and gums.

Notice your lower teeth and gums.

Feel your tongue,

The very back of your tongue.

The center of your tongue,

The tip.

Feel the left inner cheek,

Your right inner cheek.

Now feel all of your mouth,

One whole entity.

Feel the mouth of sensation.

Notice your nose.

Once again,

The nostrils.

Breath in,

Breath out,

That feeling or sense of breath in just your left nostril,

Your right nostril,

And both simultaneously.

Notice the breath as it travels through your nasal passages into the back of your head.

Become aware of the back of your head touching the props or the floor beneath you.

Observe the top of your head,

The space between your eyebrows.

Feel your right temple,

Your left temple,

Your entire forehead.

Notice your left eye,

Your right eye,

Both eyes.

Notice your eyelids,

Your eyelashes,

Your eyebrows,

The corners of your eyes.

Feel the back of your eyes.

Become aware of your ears,

Right ear,

Your hearing sound,

Hearing my voice,

Your left ear hearing my voice,

And both ears listening.

Feel the wrinkles and the folds of each ear,

Your earlobes,

Follow sound into your ear canal,

The inner ear.

Feel your ears hearing.

Now bring awareness to your throat.

Feel the subtle whisper of breath in your throat.

Notice the sides of your neck.

The back of your neck,

Your right shoulder,

Right upper arm,

Elbow,

Your right lower arm,

Wrist,

Your right palm,

The back of your hand,

Your right thumb,

First finger,

Second,

Third finger,

Fourth finger.

Feel your whole right hand,

Your whole right arm.

Feel the right collarbone,

Your throat,

The left shoulder,

Your left upper arm,

Elbow,

Left forearm,

Wrist,

Palm,

Back of the left hand,

Thumb,

First finger,

Second,

Third,

Fourth.

Feel your whole left hand,

Your left collarbone,

Throat.

Feel your heart space,

The upper chest,

Your upper back.

Notice your abdomen,

Your ribs.

Feel your navel center,

Your pelvis,

Your hips.

Notice your right hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Right lower leg,

Ankle,

Right top of the foot,

Sole of the foot,

Your toes.

Feel the whole right foot,

The whole right leg,

The right hip.

Feel your tailbone,

Your left hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Top of your left foot,

Sole of your left foot,

Each of your toes.

Feel the whole left foot,

The whole left leg,

Your left hip.

Once again,

Feel your pelvis,

The pelvic bones,

The pubic bone,

The tailbone.

Feel your lower back.

Feel your mid-back.

Feel your upper back.

Feel your whole back body resting on the props and the surface beneath you,

Awareness of your whole back body.

And then feel the front of your body,

The whole front body,

Filled with radiant vibration,

Sensation,

And energy.

Notice the temperature of your body.

Feeling your body as one whole,

Complete entity,

And then begin to pour your awareness as if the awareness is like liquid into the entire right side of your body.

And if awareness was liquid,

It flows into the left side.

Your whole left side is felt.

Like flowing sensors,

Notice the full midline of your body,

Down your entire center line.

Feel sensation through your whole body.

Now,

Remaining mindful of your breath and this total physical relaxation of the body,

If at any time the mind begins narrating or dwelling on habitual thoughts,

On worries,

On old patterns,

Belief systems,

Don't judge or analyze it.

Simply disengage yourself from the story and learn where tension is forming in the body and then release and return back to the natural ebb and flow of your breath.

Feel the in-breath.

Notice the out-breath.

Imagine each wave of breath passing downward through your body,

Exhaling away tension.

Each upward breath in,

You inhale from your soles of your feet all the way up through the crown of your head,

Like a fresh wave of energy flowing through your whole body,

Bringing calmness to every cell,

Bringing healing,

Revitalizing you with vitality and energy.

A wave of breath that brings in whatever qualities you are in search of,

Whatever qualities you feel are lacking that you need.

And for every exhale,

It's like a wave flowing downward through your body,

Carrying away fear,

Letting go,

Washing away whatever you don't need.

And inhale a fresh wave upward,

Bringing tranquility.

Breathing in brings total relaxation.

And breathing out,

Letting go.

Continuing to remind your mind to let go of the story and to be here in this moment with each wave of breath.

And now as you continue to breathe,

Maybe hearing this natural so hum in each breath.

Bring your mind,

Your attention,

Your awareness to rest in your heart center,

Completely and fully aware of your pulse,

The vibration of energy,

Beating heart,

Whatever stands out to you.

Might even visualize your heart space having this green or pink light that with each breath in expands and with each breath out contracts.

So that there is a visual of this pulsation of vitality,

Of life force,

Prana.

We begin to open the heart by visualizing this light of love at the heart space.

Picture it now in your mind's eye growing stronger and brighter as we begin to connect to gratitude.

And there may already be this vibrancy,

This deep yearning,

This sense of love,

As we think about all the things we're grateful for.

As we open the heart with a sense of gratitude,

Begin to feel gratitude for the sacred.

For this moment in time where you are simply here in the present with yourself.

Gratitude for your creator,

For the universe,

The planet.

Feel gratitude for your intuition,

Your wisdom,

Your ability to internally know what your body needs in any given moment to heal,

To be free from stress.

Feel gratitude for your sense of self that defines who you are and allows you to serve this world in your own special way.

Gratitude for that intuition,

That voice inside of yourself that guides you on the right path.

And gratitude for all the times that you have listened,

That you have tuned into this wisdom and allowed it to guide you to the beauty in this life.

Feel gratitude for your ability to share your voice,

Your knowledge,

Your gifts with the people around you.

Gratitude for speaking up and speaking out and connecting to your most authentic self.

Feel gratitude for the gift of communication and all of the things that you do and all the ways that you are able to express yourself and share your personal story with the world.

Continue to breathe and soften your ribs,

Your back,

The area around your heart.

Feel gratitude for your ability to open your heart to both give and receive love.

Feel gratitude for your ability to open your heart to both give and receive love.

A deep and soulful gratitude for your family and your friends,

For their love and support,

However it is given.

Even there's gratitude here for the lessons that we have had in our relationships,

Both the ones that are easy and the ones that are difficult.

Let your heart expand to visualize your family,

Your friends,

Your community,

And feel gratitude,

A deep gratitude for your community that surrounds and supports you.

Everyone from the farmers,

The grocers,

The hairstylist,

Your dentist,

Your healthcare providers,

Your next door neighbors,

Your co-workers,

Your teachers,

The teachers that come to you in all forms,

And the person who serves you your favorite treat.

Feel your heart expand as you feel gratitude for all of the beauty of nature around you,

For the trees and the plants,

The flowers,

For all the creatures that share this beautiful world on this beautiful planet we live in.

Feel gratitude for the food that nourishes you and makes you strong.

Feel gratitude for your creative mind,

For your dreams and desires and passions that inspire you to feel deeply.

Inhale and feel your belly expand.

Exhale,

Relaxing your belly,

Softening toward your spine.

It is safe for you to step into your power,

Your power.

Begin to feel gratitude for your ability to connect to sensuality,

To your unique beauty,

To give birth to the gift of life.

Feel gratitude for the connection that makes you feel whole,

That makes you feel complete.

Feel a deep sense of peace and contentment surrounding you.

Deep in relaxation,

The intention to be here now embodied.

Say these affirmations to yourself.

Listen to them resonate within you,

Within your soma,

Your living body,

My body is holy.

I belong here.

I am safe.

I am free.

I am seen and heard.

So hum.

I am that.

Now come back once again to the feeling of your breath flowing in and out through your nose.

Your breath is home.

Your breath is your friend.

It's always here.

It's always directing your attention back to your body.

The breath is what centers us.

It is what helps to quiet the mind,

To give you grounding in any moment in time.

The breath is our prana.

It is our life force.

Without it,

We don't exist.

So in this moment,

Give gratitude for this breath.

This space to clear your mind and to be present to all of the sensations,

The felt sense within the body in each and every breath.

As you maintain your awareness of breath,

At the same time,

Begin to increase your awareness once again of the physical body.

Your body is relaxed and lying still on your props and surface beneath you.

And you,

Once again,

Feel the temperature of your skin,

The clothing that touches your skin and the props that support you.

You notice any heaviness in your body as it rests.

And you can take your awareness now to all the points that are touching a surface beneath you,

Back of your heels,

Your thighs,

Your buttocks,

Shoulder blades,

Arms and hands,

Back of your head.

And without opening your eyes,

Visualize the room once again,

All of the floor,

The ceiling,

Objects around you.

Imagine what time of day it is that you're practicing,

Where you are in this room and the objects and their proximity to you.

You can feel how far apart your arms are from your body or how far apart your legs are from each other.

And continue to lie quietly until you feel ready to move,

Dividing your attention between breathing and body.

As you start to slowly move,

You might move your hands,

Your feet,

Ankles,

Wrists,

Head,

Rocking side to side.

Take your time,

No hurry.

You may feel the urge to yawn or stretch.

Listen to the body's urges.

When you're sure that you're fully awake,

You can roll over to one side.

And rest.

Resting in the fetal position for a few more moments.

Using your hands to press yourself up from the floor and letting your head come up last.

Arrange yourself in a comfortable seated position with the spine upright,

The eyes closed.

Begin to notice breath in an upright position.

Observe how you feel.

Comparatively to how you felt when you first arrived in your practice,

Are you content?

Is there contentment in the body you're in,

Santoja?

Does your heart feel more open?

Open and able to both give and receive love?

Because of the love you have gifted yourself today in this practice.

Take a moment now to place the right hand on your heart and the left hand on top.

And once again,

Connect to prana,

Life force within you,

This felt sense of groundedness,

But also the sensation of air and ether in your lungs,

The spaciousness.

Feeling the rise and fall of your chest beneath your hands,

Connecting to your beating heart,

To your pulse,

Feeling vibration,

Vitality,

The energy coursing through your veins.

And then dropping beyond the physical into this subtle energy of feeling gratitude.

Our sankalpa,

Our intention today,

Held in gratitude for all that surrounds you,

For all the gifts that have been given to you in this life.

Even the challenges that help us to learn new lessons,

That help us to grow those challenges that help us to become the people that we are.

Gratitude for all of our teachers,

Both the good and the bad teachers,

Those that teach us how to live life with love and kindness,

And then even the ones that teach us what not to do.

Gratitude for all beings,

For all experiences.

And always gratitude for this breath,

This moment in time,

This ability to learn to be present with whatever it is,

Without trying to change it,

Without judgment or expectation,

Just here and now,

With whatever pains are present,

A sense of gratitude for all of it.

As we end today,

Simply saying to yourself,

As you pat your heart,

With your hands,

I love you.

A deep breath in,

I love you.

Another deep breath in,

I love you.

Bringing the palms together and Anjali Mudra at the heart,

Letting your thumbs rest against your chest.

So hum,

I am that.

Thank you for practicing.

With much love and gratitude,

Namaste.

Reviews

I really enjoyed the practice, lovely thank you 😊 🙏