And then one of the ways that we are going to introduce compassion into our practice is through a resolve,
So adding a resolution to our practice.
So just like you do January 1st,
Saying I'm gonna do this,
I'm gonna do that,
We do that during yoga nidra,
You know,
Creating a resolve,
An affirmation of something that you're committed to bringing into your presence.
And what we'll do today is add in that resolution for softening the inner critic.
Go ahead and take just another minute or so to settle into your space and if you're already there you can start to shift into your yoga nidra practice by simply being aware of the breath.
You can start to make your transition from whatever you were doing from your day into your practice by tuning into your breath.
That is how you arrive into your practice,
By tuning out so that you can tune in.
So if you're already lying down,
Go ahead and bring your awareness to the breath.
Notice your body and yourself become,
Start to become effortless just by noticing the breath,
Just by letting the breath be and just allowing you to observe the breath.
No need to change it,
Just notice the breath.
And then we'll all take a deep breath in through your nose,
Deep inhale and then out through your mouth,
Slow controlled exhale.
Again like that,
Deep breath in through your nose,
Inhale,
Out through the mouth,
Exhale and then one more like that.
Deep breath in and deep breath out.
Let the breath be normal here and then bring your awareness to your body.
Notice the sensation of your body touching the ground.
Notice all of the meeting points between the body and the ground and the space between the body and the ground.
Then notice the sounds that you hear,
Just effortlessly without holding on to the sound.
Let the mind go from one sound to the next,
No effort.
Now be aware of the sounds in your body,
Subtle sound of your inhales and exhales,
The sound of your heart beating,
Sounds in your mouth,
Sounds of your body fidgeting.
Be aware of your own sounds.
Now we're going to add a resolve to our practice and then we'll come back to it again at the end of the practice.
So you can repeat to yourself three times,
I meet myself with kindness.
Repeat it to yourself three times.
Now bring your awareness to your right hand,
The tip of your right thumb,
The tip of your index finger,
The tip of your middle finger,
Tip of your ring finger,
Pinky finger,
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the right hand,
Right wrist,
Right lower arm,
Right elbow,
The right upper arm,
Right shoulder,
The right armpit,
The right waist,
The right hip,
Right thigh,
The right knee,
Right shin,
The right ankle,
The top of your right foot,
The sole of the right foot,
The heel of the right foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And fifth toe.
Move the awareness to the left hand,
Tip of your left thumb,
The tip of your index finger,
The tip of your middle finger,
The ring finger,
Pinky finger,
The palm of the left hand,
The back of your left hand,
Left wrist,
Left lower arm,
Left elbow,
Left upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Left armpit,
Left waist,
The left hip,
Left thigh,
Left knee,
Left shin,
Left ankle,
The top of your left foot,
The sole of your left foot,
The heel of your left foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And fifth toe.
Move the awareness to the back of your head,
The back of the neck,
Feel the upper back,
The middle back,
And the lower back.
Feel your entire back and then feel your spine.
Just be aware of your spine,
The right butt cheek,
The left butt cheek,
The back of the right leg,
And the back of the left leg.
Move the awareness to the top of the head,
The scalp,
Forehead,
The right ear,
The left ear.
Feel the insides of your ears,
Feel the outer rims of your ears,
Right cheekbone,
Left cheekbone,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
The tip of your nose,
The upper lip,
The bottom lip,
Feel the insides of your mouth,
Feel your tongue,
The upper teeth,
Bottom teeth,
The roof of your mouth.
Now feel your throat,
The right side of your chest,
The left side of the chest,
And the center of your chest.
Feel the navel,
The lower abdomen,
The right leg,
Left leg.
Now feel both of your legs together.
Now feel the right arm,
Feel the left arm,
Feel both of your arms together.
Now feel the right hand,
And feel the left hand.
Feel both of your hands together.
Now feel your entire body.
Be aware of your whole body,
Lying down effortlessly on the ground.
The body is effortless.
Your body is effortless.
And now notice your body breathing.
No changing the breath,
Simply observe the breath.
Now we're going to add a visual to your breath.
Keeping the breath normal.
You can visualize or feel the word acceptance as you breathe in.
Self-judgment as you breathe out.
You can visualize or feel acceptance as you breathe in.
Breathing in acceptance,
Breathing out self-judgment.
Just being aware of acceptance coming into the body as you breathe in.
Self-judgment leaving your body as you breathe out.
Either visualize the word coming in through the nose or feel it.
Keep breathing like this.
Breathing in acceptance,
Breathing out self-judgment.
Now let go of that visual and count your breaths,
27 to 1.
Counting effortlessly on each exhale.
If you lose the count or finish,
Just go back to 27 and start over.
So no rush,
No effort to finish your count.
Count your breaths,
27 to 1.
Counting on the exhalation.
Now let go of your count.
You can again welcome the resolve into your practice.
I meet myself with kindness.
Now remember a time when you felt resistance,
Maybe constricted towards something or someone,
Maybe change an idea.
Notice that feeling of resistance.
Where in your body do you feel resistance?
Now remember a time when you felt open and allowing,
Knowing that you're open to anything that comes.
Remember that time when you felt open towards something or someone or towards a change in your life.
Notice that feeling of allowing into your body and mind.
And then go back to that feeling of resistance,
Constricted.
And then go back to that feeling of allowing,
Openness.
So open to the process.
And then welcome both at the same time,
Resistance and allowing.
Welcome both.
Now remember a time when you felt insecure or doubtful.
Where in your body do you feel insecure?
What feelings,
Sensations and thoughts come up when you feel insecure?
And now remember a time when you felt confident,
Knowing you can do anything.
Where in your body do you feel confidence?
What feelings,
Sensations and thoughts come up when you feel confident?
And then go back to that feeling of insecurity.
And go back to that feeling of confidence.
And welcome both at the same time,
Insecure and confident.
Allowing both into your presence.
And then notice that space between the eyebrows.
That inner space behind the forehead.
Notice yourself become more effortless as you observe this space.
Space of awareness,
Space of acceptance.
And allowing anything that comes into the screen of the mind.
Whatever thoughts come through,
Whatever visuals come through.
Notice that feeling of allowing them as they come and go.
Visualize yourself walking through a lush green meadow.
And a little far ahead you see a bench.
You walk towards the bench and you sit on the bench.
In front of you,
You see a beautiful garden.
All kinds of flowers.
Beautiful garden.
You see the sunset right behind the garden.
And now you feel a presence coming closer towards you.
You turn your head and you notice that it's your inner critic.
That inner critic sits next to you on that bench.
And instead of walking away,
You sit with your inner critic.
Notice that feeling of acceptance and allowing.
I meet myself with kindness.
I meet myself with kindness.
You can come back to your phrase and repeat it to yourself three more times.
Now slowly and gradually we'll start to bring the awareness back.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and the toes.
Adding movement back into your body.
Bend the knees one at a time.
And roll to the right side and pause in fetal position.
Whenever you're ready to close out your practice,
You can come up to sit.
Keeping the eyes closed.
You can take your hands at the center of your chest.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
Inhale.
And out through your mouth.
Exhale.
Thank you.
That is your practice.
