Yoga Nidra: Making Friends With Self

This yoga nidra begins with a short reading and quote about being a compassionate friend for yourself. A guided body scan will help to release tension before exploring qualities of compassion, ease, and love. No formal end. Background noise only in the beginning.

Transcript

Alright,

So just settle in for as I do this reading here.

Continue to settle in,

Find a position that's comfortable where you're able to be alert or awake and just taking in the sounds for right now.

Seeing how these words resonate with you is really what meditation is about.

From Eleanor Roosevelt,

Friendship with oneself is all important because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.

In recovery,

Perhaps first we make peace with ourselves and not until later do we become our own friends.

We have been at war with ourselves and in turmoil with our families even while feeling like victims.

This program lays out 12 steps we can follow to become friends with ourselves.

In recovery we may still feel self-hate when we constantly monitor our every action,

When we react to our mistakes by berating ourselves,

And when we dwell on past offenses.

Would we put a friend through that?

A true friend will accept you as you are.

He doesn't put you down or call you derogatory names.

He'll give you honest feedback and won't put on a false front.

He'll support you when you're in trouble.

Being our own friend means doing these things for ourselves.

Perhaps we can even embrace and be kind to the part of ourselves that is addicted and co-dependent.

Affirming to yourself,

Today I will be a friend to my whole self,

Even the parts of me I have rejected.

Now as we turn to this practice of meditation,

You can either have your eyes opened or closed,

But take a moment to feel your body supported.

Feel the part of your body that feels at ease,

Comfortable.

Even as some people are feeling a little bit more comfortable,

Feel the part of your body that feels at ease,

Comfortable.

And as some sounds in the background arise,

Take a moment to even welcome in these sounds.

Welcoming the sounds as they come to you.

And again,

Feeling your body supported.

Feeling the part of the body that is supported,

The back of the body.

And the inner sensations of this feeling of support,

This feeling of okayness or ease.

As we take the time today to learn to be welcoming.

Once again observing sounds,

Welcoming sounds as they come to you.

Observing any taste in the mouth.

Observing smells.

Realizing what the eyes are seeing,

Even if that's with eyes closed.

Again the sense of touch,

This time feeling air on the skin or blanket over your body.

Once more welcoming your inner resource,

The feeling of the body supported.

Or take a few moments here today to recall a past experience,

Real or even an imagined experience of joy or well-being.

This might be in nature or with a pet,

Loved one or object.

But take your time to feel your inner resource.

And as a past experience,

Real or imagined,

Bringing all the senses alive in your body,

All the sights,

Even the sounds,

Even tastes or smells.

The sense of touch if there's air on the skin or a feeling that comes from welcoming this experience of deep well-being or of joy.

To become familiar of these sensations arising in your body.

Eventually independent of thoughts or recalling the past experience.

But if that continues to be helpful for you today,

Then at times throughout this morning's practice you might again recall your inner resource as these inner sensations of joy,

Comfort or well-being.

And if it is still more comfortable or more accessible,

Then recalling this past experience.

Now noticing the sensations of the body or noticing if there's a feeling of the heartbeat,

Pulse or throb,

Welcoming yourself as pulse or as the universal life force.

Feeling body supported as you're doing this.

A sense of awareness or a sense of wakefulness.

And noticing what this wakefulness feels like.

If you feel yourself kind of drifting off away from wakefulness,

You might gently direct attention back towards wakefulness.

Today beginning the body scan in the right foot,

Sensations of right foot and sensations of right leg.

Welcoming entire right leg and right foot as sensation.

On the level of sensation welcoming what's here.

And attention shifts to the left foot,

Sensing left foot and left leg.

Entire left leg and left foot as sensation.

Begin to welcome or experience both legs together as one.

As you're doing this,

Note your experience of welcoming both legs as one.

Whether there's an experience of back and forth or the experience of both feelings or sensations of the legs as one.

Dropping into feeling where you can truly welcome two sensations or two parts as one.

Now attention shifts to the right hand,

Sensing right palm and right fingers.

An entire right arm as sensation.

And attention shifts to the left hand,

Left palm and left fingers.

And entire left arm as sensation.

Welcoming both arms,

The feeling of the arms.

Whether it's this experience of being arms or observing the arms.

Sensing torso front and back.

Sensing side ribs.

An entire torso.

And sensing the mouth and jaw,

Letting go of thinking,

Feeling your way.

Sensing nose.

Sensing eyes.

Sensation of forehead.

And sensing the ears.

Sensing back of the head.

Sensing entire back of the body.

Sensation of right side of the body.

Sensing left side of the body.

And sensing front of your body.

Welcoming your entire body as sensation.

The tingles or vibrations,

Or still the pulse or throb.

All the parts of the body creating this experience or feeling of the body as sensation.

Take a few moments to relate to this experience of being the body or of observing or having this body.

Welcoming yourself as sensation as if you were welcoming yourself home in this body.

Just trying it on.

Observing the texture,

The shape,

The feel.

All while body is still supported and grounded,

Feeling or welcoming your inner resource.

Notice that when you're observing your body,

Does there feel like there's a center of the body or center to your experience of observing?

Or is there in a boundary,

A periphery to what you're able to experience?

Or as you're the one that's observing,

Is there this openness or spaciousness of awareness?

Nothing separate.

Everything just as it is.

Still welcoming what's here in this sense of welcoming.

Observing how it feels to be or try on welcoming.

Now moving to welcoming any thoughts,

Any feelings or emotions.

Relating to or welcoming this human experience.

Not identifying with but just observing how thoughts might randomly come and go.

How emotions,

Feelings and even thoughts have sensation.

How these arising experiences are just that.

Something to be aware of,

To observe.

Still aware and awake.

But now you might take a moment to observe like you're zooming out with a lens.

Observing in this body,

This human here.

Observing with a sense of compassion or ease.

Observing body resting.

Observing a sense of peace or okayness.

There might be an inner felt sense of love arising or you might try on love as an inner felt sense.

Or you can use compassion or you can stay with okayness.

Welcoming all sides of the body.

Welcoming all parts of this human experience.

All while the body is supported and at ease.

Another moment to interweave your inner resource of ease,

Joy or well-being.

Continuing to welcome your experience just as it is.

As you welcome your experience observing if there's any messenger or action that's being revealed here or just something to be with.

Observing if there's any deep inner longing or heartfelt desire or a heartfelt mission arising.

You might affirm this perhaps as the sensation of living life to its fullest.

Reactive and welcome the sensation of living life connected to purpose,

Meaning and value.

And if there is a word or two to describe the theme or your life mission.

When you feel yourself living life to its fullest.

How that might be expressed through you also on the level of sensation.

Welcoming it in this moment.

Taking your time here still feeling body supported.

Once again welcoming in the sound.

The feeling of your breath coming and going perhaps in and out through the nose.

As it feels right for you,

You might begin to gently open and close the eyes just a few times integrating these sensations,

A sense of connectedness to life around you and life within.

And another moment to affirm any heartfelt mission or desire or to affirm today's affirmation.

So I am welcoming of myself even the parts that may have been neglected.

Welcoming the body,

The mind and all the experiences of life.

As you feel ready to,

You can add some more movement or deepen your breath and eventually make your way to a side or upright back to your eyes open state of wakefulness.