Yoga Nidra-Heart Opening

Hello,

My name is Kumari and I'm so glad that you found your way here.

I'll be your guide today for this yoga nidra practice.

Allow yourself to begin to settle in,

In any position that's comfortable for you right now.

It could be lying down or seated in a supportive way.

Today,

Take the time to create for yourself a yoga nidra nest.

Supporting under your knees with a pillow or rolled blanket.

Feeling your hips and buttocks and upper back smooth and supported upon the surface you're on.

The head and neck held,

Your arms and hands relaxed at your sides.

Yoga nidra is conscious rest and so we'll be systematically relaxing the whole body through conscious breathing.

Conscious breathing,

A guided progressive body relaxation called the rotation of consciousness.

Where we relax the body even more and begin the journey of traveling deeply inward into the most subtle aspects of ourselves.

Where we align with our true innate radiance or our higher self that is always in connection with source.

This is an effortless meditation,

So the only thing you need to do is focus on my voice and allow me to guide you into deep rest.

Let's begin by becoming aware of any sounds.

Move your attention from sound to sound.

Your ears listening and receptive and now start to bring your attention inward to your own breath.

Becoming aware of the rhythm of your own breath.

Feel your body move as you breathe.

Feel the warmth of your breath flowing in and out of your nostrils.

Your whole body responding to the stillness and simplicity of your natural breath.

Sense your entire body as heavy,

Softening,

Letting go.

And now begin to follow this guided breathing pattern called the straw breath.

You'll inhale through your nose and exhale through pursed lips like blowing into a straw.

Ready?

Inhale through your nose.

One,

Two,

Three,

Hold.

Exhale through the straw.

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Again,

Inhale.

One,

Two,

Three,

Hold.

Exhale.

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Inhale.

One,

Two,

Three,

Hold.

Exhale.

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Practice now on your own for three more rounds.

Now I invite you to gaze at the inner eye.

The area at the center of the eyebrows.

Behind the center of the eyebrows.

With the eyes softly closed.

Gazing at the center of the eyebrows without any strain.

Welcoming the observation of any patterns or colors or shapes in this mind space.

Just observing.

And next,

Can you shift your inward gaze to the felt sense of your heart space in the center of your chest.

Feeling into the movement in this area as you breathe.

Connecting with your heart with each breath.

The heart and mind in sync.

Tuning into the intelligence of your own heart.

Your heart,

The seat of unconditional love for yourself and others.

Your heart chakra.

The space of compassion,

Joy,

Empathy.

Continue to breathe with this awareness for another few moments.

And now,

Could you invite this sankalpa into your mind and heart.

The power of love is inside of me.

And say it three times to yourself.

The power is inside of me.

Your whole being radiating with love.

Next,

We'll take a journey around the body.

The rotating body.

The journey around the body.

The rotation of consciousness.

Fill your awareness into the places I mentioned.

Allow your attention to move from place to place.

Like a meandering stream.

Beginning with the center of your chest.

Imagine all the organs within your chest cavity.

Your heart,

Lungs,

Nerves,

Arteries,

And blood vessels.

Awareness expanding in all directions from the center of your chest to the hollow of your throat.

The inside of your mouth.

Sensing the tongue.

The insides of your cheeks.

Your gums,

Teeth.

And now your lips.

The jaws.

And your nose.

And the air passing through your nostrils.

The cheeks.

Eyes.

Both ears.

To your third eye.

The top of your head.

Sense your whole scalp now.

And could you sense the brain inside of your skull?

To your right shoulder.

Your left shoulder.

And now both shoulders simultaneously.

Both elbows.

Wrists.

Allow your awareness to fill the palms of your hands.

Both palms.

Alive with sensation.

Alive with sensation.

Now begin to sense all your fingers.

And the space between your fingers.

The tops of your hands.

Both hands.

Both arms.

Your attention now flowing all the way to the soles of your feet.

Feel the soles of your feet.

The soles of your feet.

And now awareness spreading into all ten toes.

Sensing all ten toes and the spaces between your toes.

And the tops of your feet.

Both feet.

Subtly vibrating.

Your ankles.

Feel a faint energy in your knees.

Your hips.

And now sensing both legs to your lower abdomen.

The upper abdomen.

The rib cage.

Back to the center of your chest.

Awareness radiating from here filling your whole body.

Sensing your whole body as one.

And your entire body a shimmering vessel of light.

Moving back to sensing your breath.

Feel the effortless movement of your breath from the inside out.

Guide your focus back to the center of your chest.

Your heart chakra.

Your heart chakra.

Can you imagine an emerald green light filling your entire chest cavity?

And start to envision this beautiful green color expanding in all directions from your chest.

With each inhale moving beyond your physical body.

And now each exhale filling your whole body with emerald green light.

Getting more vibrant at the end of your exhale.

And fill your lungs again as you imagine the green light expanding into the space around you.

And your exhale filling your body from the inside to the outermost edge of your skin with green radiance.

Breathe and visualize like this until you hear my voice again.

Now place all your attention into your right leg.

Your right leg.

And now can you send all of your attention into your left palm.

Feel your left palm.

Stay with the felt sense of your left palm.

And add in the awareness of your right leg.

Sense your left palm and right leg at the same time.

And now shift your attention to the left leg.

Feel your left leg.

Switch your focus now to the palm of your right hand.

Explore the subtle feelings in your palm.

And now send all of your awareness into both the left leg and right palm equally.

Allowing this focus to dissolve now.

Begin to sense both legs simultaneously.

Both legs.

And now both palms.

Palms and both legs at the same time.

Just allowing it to happen.

No need to effort here.

Allow this experience to dissolve.

No effort here.

Allow this experience to just be as it is for you.

The awareness of both palms and both legs simultaneously.

Focus fading now into the vision of an ornate garden gate.

Surrounded by the lush greenery of a garden beyond this gate.

Imagine yourself opening the gate.

Opening the gate into a vast expanse of vegetation.

Vibrant green leaves everywhere.

The smell of earth permeating the air.

It's warm and soothing here.

Soothing here.

Filled with flowers of all types.

Herbs and huge leafy green vegetables.

Green grass.

Green leaves.

Green everywhere.

As you meander through,

You spot a hanging orb made of wicker.

It's so inviting and calling you to it.

And you peer inside the circular opening.

And it's filled with the most lusciously soft green moss.

And you crawl inside.

And immediately you felt safe and held.

And held as the orb gently rocks you.

Gently rocking in the silence of the orb.

And the gentle swaying akin to that of a heartbeat.

Rhythmic and steady.

A sense of complete ease and peace fills your entire being.

You are one with all that is.

Pure freedom.

Pure rest.

Resting and swaying in the essence of your true nature.

Your innate pure radiance rests here now.

Your sankalpa rests here inside of you.

Could you feel your sankalpa?

Power of love is inside of me.

Is inside of me.

Is inside of me.

Bring your awareness back to your breathing.

Feeling the gentle rise and fall of your breath within.

As you begin to welcome some deeper breaths now.

Sensing your whole body filled with breath.

Gently bringing yourself back from the state of yoga nidra.

You might start to feel the fingers,

The toes.

Gently arousing yourself from this place of deep breath.

And in your own time,

If you are lying down,

You might roll to your side.

Just noticing how you feel right now.

This feeling of peace is your true nature.

Always within you.

Thank you for practicing yoga nidra with me today.

I'm wishing you all the best.

Namaste.