Yoga Nidra For Self-Expression

Now prepare for yoga nidra.

Find a comfortable position lying on your back,

With height under the knees,

Padding under the head,

And perhaps a light blanket to cover up with as the body temperature does drop in meditation.

Close the eyes and allow your attention to move inward.

Feel your whole being begin to soften and relax.

Breathe in fully and exhale with a deep sigh.

Again,

Inhale.

Exhale and let go even more.

Feel a sense of comfort,

Safety,

And peace begin to wash over you.

Now we will move into lifting and dropping the limbs.

Lift the right foot and leg one inch off of the bed and continue to breathe.

Hold the leg.

Hold.

Hold.

As you exhale,

Drop the foot and leg to the bed.

Let go completely and feel heaviness flooding the leg.

Now lift the left foot and leg one inch off of the bed and continue to breathe.

Hold the leg.

Hold.

Hold.

As you exhale,

Drop the foot and leg to the bed,

Letting go completely,

Feeling heaviness flooding the leg.

Now tense and lift the buttocks,

Hips,

And pelvis off of the bed.

Hold.

Hold.

Tense.

Let go.

Drop.

Feel the whole body letting go.

Surrender to gravity.

Now make fists and contract the arms until they lift off of the bed.

Hold.

Hold.

Squeeze the fists.

And let go.

Let go even more.

Now lift both arms and both legs off of the bed.

Hold.

Hold.

And release.

Let go completely.

Surrender to the field of gravity pulling you down.

Deeper.

Boundaries of the body dissolving as you sink.

Down.

As we enter this next phase of yoga nidra,

Remain as motionless as possible.

If you need to move or make an adjustment,

Do so mindfully and return to stillness.

Resolve to remain awake,

Staying in touch with the sound of my voice.

Simply allow your entire body to respond to my words directly and non-mentally.

Allow all thought,

All effort to dissolve into the vast spaciousness of being.

Enter into a state of complete non-doing.

Let your mind melt and merge into the energy body.

As you become aware of your inhalations and exhalations,

Without any struggle or effort,

Allow your inhalations to be a little more full and your exhalations a little more complete.

Allow attention to rest on the experience of steady unbroken breath.

Now draw the breath into your lower belly and fill the lungs from bottom to top as if filling a glass of water.

As you breathe out,

Empty your lungs from top to bottom.

Inhale,

Bottom to top.

Exhale,

Top to bottom.

Stay present to the wave-like motion of your belly and chest as you breathe in and out.

Allow a sense of peace and well-being to wash over you with each progressive inhalation and exhalation.

Let this feeling expand to include every part of your body.

Inhale as if your whole body is inhaling and exhale as if your whole body is exhaling.

Inhale and take in new energy.

Exhale,

Let go of all tension,

Worry,

And anxiety.

Let go.

Release any struggle,

Any effort to make anything happen.

Now breathe normally and be still.

Let the breath breathe itself.

Mind completely suspended in the dimension of silence.

Bring the sensation of cold to each part of the body as I name it.

Wolf feet,

Icy wet,

Blue with cold.

Wolf knees,

Biting cold,

Piercing the skin.

Thighs and hips,

Wind chilling,

Numbing the legs.

Abdomen,

Chest,

And back,

Chilled to the very bone.

Shoulders,

Arms,

And palms,

Frigid,

Shaking from cold.

Face,

Stinging,

Teeth chattering.

Now experience the whole body,

Frigid with cold,

Shaking,

Shivering.

Feel it,

Experience it.

Now shift your awareness and bring a sense of warmth to the whole body as though you're sitting in front of a fire.

Wolf feet,

Snug,

Warm,

And dry.

Wolf knees,

Gently glowing from the closeness of the fire.

Thighs and hips,

Warm and toasty.

Abdomen,

Chest,

And back,

Radiating warmth,

Skin prickling with perspiration.

Shoulders,

Arms,

And palms,

Pink with heat,

Sweltering.

Face,

Flushed and glowing.

Forehead,

Dripping sweat.

Whole body,

Scorching hot,

Sweaty.

Feel it,

Experience it.

Now imagine you are a seed that has been planted in the soil.

Feel the soil all around you.

Beneath the soil is very dark.

It has started to rain and the earth above you is getting wet and is making the soil around you very moist and cool.

The sun starts to shine and the earth begins to dry.

You can feel the energy and warmth of the sun.

You would like to see the sun and experience the light.

You feel the pressure of the soil on top of you,

And that tells you which direction to go.

You send out a tiny shoot,

Breaking the surface of the ground above.

At the same time,

You start sending roots down into the earth for support and nourishment.

As your roots probe deeper into the earth,

Feel yourself growing upwards towards the light of the sun.

Higher and higher.

Bursting forth into your full expression as a tree.

See the tree that you are,

Full of bright green leaves.

Alive,

Vibrant,

Full of life-giving energy.

You are fulfilling your potential as a tree.

You are incomparably unique.

You are you.

Standing fully in yourself.

In all your glory and vibrancy of being.

You drink water through your roots and absorb sunlight through your leaves.

These are your food.

You produce life-giving oxygen for all the animals and people of the world to breathe.

The more you receive nourishment,

The more you share with the life of the planet around you.

You are needed.

Your contribution is part of the whole.

Without it,

Existence is missing something.

Allow yourself to receive the following intentions.

Let them be received into every cell of your being.

I am clear and confident,

Strong and powerful.

I release any struggle with life.

I am free and clear of all boundaries and barriers.

Allow these intentions to go to the deepest level of recognition with no hesitation.

Know that your higher self recognizes,

Honors and accepts your intention.

Have faith and trust that it has been heard and is being acted upon by the higher power of source within you.

Bring your attention back to the center between the eyebrows and feel all energies from your body,

From all meridians,

Activated,

Purified and balanced.

All channels are open.

All life force is flowing freely,

Healing the body,

Calming the mind.

Slowly feel yourself beginning to rise to the surface of awareness.

Notice the rising and falling of your breath.

No effort or control on your part.

Slowly begin to come back to awareness of your physical body.

Feel the sensation of your body lying on the bed and the quality of the air as it touches your skin.

When you feel the impulse,

Begin to move and stretch your body as if awakening from a restful sleep.

If the impulse is to remain still,

Do so.

When you are ready,

Gently roll onto your right side with your eyes closed.

Take a moment here to feel yourself held in the comfort,

Safety and protection of the womb of universal love.

Now bringing your intention back into awareness,

Let these words become a part of your inner blueprint.

I am clear and confident,

Strong and powerful.

I release any struggle with life.

I am free and clear of all boundaries and barriers.

Regardless of what you may or may not recognize,

Know that something deep within has shifted.

Keeping the eyes closed as much as possible,

Slowly use the strength of the arms to bring yourself up to a comfortable seated position.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti May there be peace in your heart,

Peace in your mind and peace in your life always.

The light within me sees and honors the light within you.

Namaste You may take a deep breath in and as you exhale,

Softly open the eyes,

Receiving a new day.

This yoga nidra has now ended.