Yoga Nidra To Ease The Heart

With all the chaos alive in the world, we must, as individuals, look at our own stories, and focus healing there. By bringing honesty and trust to our experience we will find healing for ourselves and bring insight and healing to those around us. This yoga nidra practice begins with a brief mindfulness practice, followed by a body scan, and then a guided journey through a forest to a sacred and safe lookout. Breathe, stay open, enjoy.

Transcript

Welcome.

It is time for Yoganidra.

In this practice we will consciously enter the body,

Where every experience we have ever had is stored.

Also known as yogic sleep,

Twenty minutes of Yoganidra has the same restorative properties as four hours of sleep.

We will activate the parasympathetic nervous system,

The state in which our bodies can rest and digest.

By taking this time to bring presence and attention to your body,

We create a safe space in which healing may take place.

By slowing down,

By breathing in this Yoganidra,

You will reduce inflammation that is accrued inside your body.

We shall now begin To prepare,

I invite you to lay on your back in Shavasana.

To maximize comfort,

A light support under the knees is recommended,

Such as a blanket or pillow.

Other possibilities include a blanket on top of you,

An eye covering,

A pillow for your head.

Closing your eyes,

Take time to shift your body,

Wiggling,

Stretching,

Flexing,

Until you have found its most relaxed state.

From here,

Can you soften your face a little more?

Your shoulders?

Ask yourself,

Is there any adjustment that will make me 10% more comfortable?

Make these adjustments now.

And again,

Scanning the face for any remaining tension,

The eyebrows,

Forehead,

Lengthening the spine,

And dropping the shoulders away from the ears.

Finding a place of stillness,

Let out a sigh.

You have arrived.

For deeper states of restoration,

Try not to move during this practice,

And do your best to remain awake.

But know that even if you fall asleep,

Your body will continue listening and benefiting.

Allowing the mind to settle,

Acknowledge how much hard work it does every day to keep thinking,

Calculating,

Surviving,

Producing.

I invite you to express gratitude for all your mind does for you,

And gently invite it to take a break during this practice.

Releasing tension in your forehead and eyes,

Breathing in to spaciousness,

And breathing out,

Release.

Bring into your awareness any sounds around you,

Starting with those in the distance,

Then those a little closer,

Moving to those just outside the room,

And then any sounds inside the room.

Each sound with its own vibration.

Plants,

People,

Paint colors,

Lights,

All wandering wavelengths interacting with you on a subliminal level.

Letting my voice and these words become yet another of these background noises.

Now noticing any physical sensation that may be present.

Hairs on your head,

Clothes or coverings touching your skin,

And the points of contact between your body and the ground.

Feeling the weight of your body held,

Pressing down into the earth and the earth pressing back in balance and harmony.

Are there any other sensations present?

The breath as it leaves your nose.

Without forcing it,

Allow your breath to deepen.

Letting air spill in through your nose,

Filling the lowest part of your diaphragm,

Pushing the belly out,

And exhaling,

Let the air fall out,

First from your belly,

Then from your chest,

Emptying out.

Allowing your breath to deepen with each round.

Exchanging air that connects you with all beings,

With the past and the future and the present,

Here and now.

Inhaling all the way down into your pelvic floor,

Filling all the inner space that's available to you,

And exhaling that spaciousness to all throughout your body.

Let your breath continue to easefully deepen.

Each inhale gently massaging your internal organs.

Each exhale releasing tension and inviting ease.

Now letting go of any effort,

Let the breath return to normal,

Noticing its natural flow.

Is it a little deeper now than when you started?

Tune in as it passes through the regions of your body and through the region of the heart.

Can you soften here?

It is now time for your Sankalpa,

A short positive statement spoken in the present tense,

That arises from a place deep within,

An intention for the practice.

It is a seed that is planted in your innermost soil to support your journey.

Some examples include,

I am at peace,

Or I surrender to my experience,

Or I have all the help I need.

Take a moment to tune in to your Sankalpa,

Then let it emanate from the core of your being,

Radiating outward,

Connecting you,

Accepting you,

And repeat it three times to yourself.

We will now begin a systematic journey through the body.

Allow your awareness to drift from one body part to the next as it is named.

Without moving your body,

Use your mind to bring awareness to each place without lingering in any one place.

We will begin in the right hand,

The right fingertips,

The right knuckles,

The right palm,

The back of your hand,

Your thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Pinky finger,

Your whole right hand,

Your right wrist,

Your right forearm,

Your right elbow,

Right upper arm,

Right shoulder,

Your whole right arm,

The left hand,

The fingertips of your left hand,

And the knuckles,

The left palm,

And the back of your left hand,

Your left thumb,

Left index finger,

Left middle finger,

Left ring finger,

Left pinky,

Your whole left hand,

Left wrist,

Left forearm,

Left elbow,

Left upper arm,

Left shoulder,

Your whole left arm,

Both arms,

Your neck,

Your throat,

Your chin,

And bottom lip,

Upper lip,

Tongue,

Inside the mouth,

Inside the throat,

Your right cheek,

Your left cheek,

The back of your head,

Your right ear,

Left ear,

Your right eye,

Your right eyebrow,

Left eye,

Left eyebrow,

Nose,

Forehead,

And your right forehead,

Your whole face,

The right side of your head,

The left side of your head,

The inside of your head,

Your third eye,

Your crown,

A subtle opening in your crown,

Your whole head,

The back of your neck,

Your right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Your right pectoral muscle,

Your left pectoral,

The upper chest,

Your sacrum,

The belly,

Your right love handle,

And left love handle,

Belly button,

Dungeon,

The whole front of your chest,

The right shoulder blade,

The left shoulder blade,

Both shoulder blades,

The upper back,

The spinal column,

The middle back,

And the lower back,

The lowest vertebrae,

Your right hip,

And inside your right hip,

The right buttock,

The right upper leg,

The right knee,

The right calf and shin,

Right ankle,

Right heel,

The right sole of your foot,

The top of your right foot,

The big toe,

The second toe,

The third toe,

The fourth toe,

The right pinky toe,

The tips of your toes,

Your whole right foot,

And your whole right leg,

The right leg and the right arm,

The left hip,

Inside the left hip,

The left buttock,

The left upper leg,

The left knee,

The left calf and shin,

The left ankle,

The left heel,

The left sole of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Left pinky toe,

The tips of your left toes,

Your whole left foot,

Your whole left leg,

The left leg and the left arm,

The left leg and the left arm,

Both legs,

Genitals,

Anus,

Pelvic bowl,

Your belly,

And inside your belly,

The energy centers,

Your torso,

Both arms,

Your head,

The right half of your body,

The left half of your body,

Again the right half of your body,

And the left half of your body,

Your lower body below the belly,

Your upper body,

Again the lower body,

And then the upper body,

Your whole body.

We will now be present with a series of images and scenes.

I invite you to listen to your inner guide and your body and honor your own journey.

A candle,

A flickering flame,

Leaves in the breeze,

Tall grasses,

Ocean waves,

Soft earth,

A thick forest,

A canopy above and ferns below,

The scent of dried leaves,

And a stream running through the forest,

A path along the stream.

Look down at your feet,

At the edge of the forest,

Your barefoot with your heel and forefoot in the soft earth,

Dirt and leaves between your toes.

You can feel the ground beneath them.

In a sense of ease,

You begin to walk the path,

Following it upstream,

Drawn to its source and taking your time to tune in to its essence.

Stepped from deep inside the earth,

Flowing,

Allowing life to flourish,

Transforming when the time is right into vapor,

Rain,

Ice.

Drinking deep into the soil of the earth,

Nourishing its roots and flowing deeper through the layers and cleansing,

Purifying,

Before pushing up and back out of the spring and back downstream,

A continuous free flowing channel.

Notice this same channel of energy flowing from above your crown into the top of your head and down through your neck,

Arms and torso,

Hips and legs,

And out through the soles of your feet.

Energy coming in and going out.

Starting to walk up a very gentle slope,

Underneath the tree canopy,

Large boulders begin to appear.

Small waterfalls,

Pools collecting foam,

Sunlight dancing on the water and in the trees,

A gentle warm breeze blowing through the forest.

Deeper and deeper into the woods,

You walk with awareness,

All of your senses alight,

And along the stream,

Being pulled upwards.

You approach a small cavern next to the source of the spring.

It is covered,

Dry and warm.

And you take a seat.

Sitting up straight,

You look back towards the stream along which you've just walked,

Noticing,

Being present,

And quietly looking out.

Your awareness comes to notice a weight around your neck,

Pressing into your chest,

Just above the heart.

Do you feel its shape,

Its color,

Texture?

Its familiar and strong,

And neither good nor bad.

Its been protecting you.

Putting a hand over the weight and laying down in the cavern,

With a view of the forest stream.

You allow the sensation of that protective weight to fill your whole body,

From your heels to your head,

Letting it expand,

Noticing any feelings that arise,

And allow them.

Just as the stream contains water,

And at the same time is always moving it.

Taking a moment to appreciate all that this weight has done for you,

Protected you from,

And served you.

And I now invite you to lift it from your chest,

Taking it from around your neck,

Holding it in your hand,

Before setting it into the dirt next to you,

Inside this earthen cavern.

Skinning your body,

Notice any differences,

What it is like without the weight.

Perhaps light and spaciousness are present.

Allow this feeling to expand as well,

From your heels and toes up to your head,

Noticing its shape or color,

Any sensations.

And scanning the body,

Listening to the stream.

Allow any unneeded energy to pass through you.

Just as the water in the stream transforms and heals the earth,

So do you.

Any pieces of the weight that remain are washed away,

Downstream,

Where they become energy and give life where they are needed.

As you scan your body,

You realize there is an object inside your pocket,

It has been given to you,

A gift.

You remember it as a distant memory,

As it has always been there.

Once before you were even born,

It was awaiting your arrival.

To hear and now,

It is neither good nor bad,

But rather an expression of the stream,

Connected to the earth and the sky,

Transforming,

Healing,

Carrying strength,

Depth,

Stillness,

And levity.

Removing it from your pocket,

Take a long moment to absorb its life force,

Noticing any color or sensations.

Is there something it wishes to tell you?

Allow the body to breathe here,

In this sanctuary.

An open channel for the movement of energy,

Streaming through you,

From the crown of your head to the bottoms of your feet,

And vice versa.

New flowing energy can be allowed in and wash away anything that no longer serves you.

A deep cleansing of the mind and body,

And a necessary part of healing and transforming.

The object you found in your pocket will be with you whenever you need it,

To help return to this place of ease and fullness.

Simply bring your awareness to it,

And breathe.

Feel this feeling of flow in your body.

Call and repeat your sankalpa now,

To yourself,

Three times.

Arising from the cavern,

And feeling the cool air of the stream flow past you.

The weight that was around your neck,

And was placed by your side,

Has been absorbed into the earth,

The rock,

The water,

And become compost for others to benefit from.

Take a moment of gratitude in this place,

Letting your mind wander to three things you are grateful for.

And slowly,

Without rush,

Noticing your bare toes in the path along the stream.

Make your way down the gently sloping hillside,

Through the forest,

Engaging with the sense of wholeness that the forest thrives on,

Expanding into that feeling.

As you continue walking back,

Along the water's edge,

And gently coming back into your breath,

Into the physical space you are in,

Back to the sounds around you.

Back to your body on the floor,

Noticing all the points of contact between your body and the ground,

The back of your head,

Your shoulders,

Arms,

Butt,

Legs,

Heels.

And aware of your breath as it leaves your nostrils,

The point of connection between your body and the world around you,

Flowing.

And slowly,

Flexing fingers and toes,

Wriggling wrists and ankles,

Letting out a sigh from your mouth,

Rolling on to one side,

Being still here in tensionless pose.

Before pushing yourself up to a meditative position.

I invite you to join in three ohms to close this practice,

Aloud or in your head,

Using your body to send this vibration out into the world,

A part of its wholeness to which you belong.

Breathing,

Exhaling,

And inhaling.

Aum.

Aum.

Aum.

The light in me honors the light in you.

Namaste.

Reviews

This is one of my favorite Nidras. The visualization in the cavern is soothing. It’s not often, if ever, that love handles and compost are part of a visualization. Thank you, Jesse, I appreciate the thoughtfulness and creativity of your presentations. 🙏🏼🌻

Great , very clear guidance & soothing voice 🙏

I was glad we went through the traditional body scan. The picture that was painted was beautiful; although I have no inner eye vision I could feel the visualisation. Thank you for this practice.

Fell asleep quickly. So it did the trick. His voice is very soothing.

Jesse your Nidras are my absolute favourites 😌Thank you so much for sharing them with the world. I feel completely rested after this one. xx

You have a very calming voice. I very much appreciated the body skan portion.
My body was vibrating with energy tonight and I couldn't sleep. I took a hot bath, and came back and listened to the visual imagery. Really good. Most nights I'd have been asleep in minutes, and known it was good, but not known what it was. Thank you Jesse.

You deliver a beautiful journey inwards. Thank you on this New Year’s Day.

I drifted a bit in the middle… so relaxing and peaceful. Your voice is like a healing balm. Thank you.
*November 6 - the new meditation posted cuts off after a couple minutes. I tried it a few times. Glitch? P.S. did you receive the email I sent a couple weeks ago?*

I’m thinking, I like all the meditations that you do. They are so thorough, besides doing exactly what their title says they will do. They are beautiful and concise and spiritual. They breathe.

I’ve been struggling, after the loss of my husband. I’m trying to find him, dismissing everyone who tells me I can’t. After all, creativity is nebulous too.

I’ve been crying night and day, suffering from the emptiness I feel, along with desperation. My mind says this can’t be true. I can’t accept it.

This morning I did this meditation of yours. Last night I did two others, and one of those again this morning. They helped me so much.

Thank you.

I love your voice and the pace. Thanks so much for this awesome Yoga Nidra!

Oh wow, what a wonderful & powerful journey. This came to me during an extraordinarily difficult time. I truly needed this. I am so so grateful. This is a gem 💎🙏💙🦋✨

Thank you 🙏 Thank you 🙏 Thank you 🙏

Thank you so very much for sharing your beautiful nidra practice.

👍👍, thanks.

Namaste🙏

Beautiful, envelloping, profiund. Thank you for sharing this gift, it is so helpful in my emotional processing at the moment. 🙏🏼

I will be returning to this - thank you so much 😊

This track lulled me to a wonderful soothing slumber. Grateful thanks Jesse! ☀️

Profoundly relaxing. Thank you so much for this gift. Namaste.

Powerful. I enjoyed the ohms 🌺

Very soothing and relaxing. I enjoyed the thorough body scan. Thanks 🙏