Cultivate Your Inner Sanctuary | Yoga Nidra

Hello and welcome to Yoga Nidra for creating your inner sanctuary.

In this session we will care for ourselves by tending to our inner garden.

We are with ourselves 100% of the time and we deserve to feel comfortable and peaceful dwelling within ourselves.

Before we begin,

Ensure that you are as comfortable as possible.

If you need to pause this video for a moment to make any adjustments to your surroundings,

Take a moment to do so and come back when you are ready.

We will begin by closing the eyes and bringing the attention inward.

Take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Again,

Inhale deeply and exhale and let go completely.

Allow your whole body to relax and let your mind grow quiet,

Slowly disengaging from thoughts,

Images or worries.

Allow yourself to be fully immersed in the experience of this moment.

Bring your awareness to your breath.

Feel the simple rise and fall of each breath in and each breath out.

We are going to take three deep breaths together,

Each time holding the breath at the top of the inhalation before relaxing into the exhalation.

Follow my guidance and remain completely relaxed.

Let's take our first breath in together.

Inhale deep.

Close off the throat and hold the breath in.

As soon as the body prompts you,

Slowly release the breath and exhale.

Allow the body to soften and relax and breathe normally for a few moments.

Good.

Again,

Second breath in.

Deep,

Full breath in through the nose.

Hold the breath in but keep the face,

Shoulders and arms relaxed.

Whenever prompted by the inner urge of the body,

Release the breath in a slow and steady stream.

Last time,

Inhale fully through the nose.

Deep breath in.

Close off the throat but keep the body relaxed.

With your exhalation,

Release from the body and from the mind that which you no longer need.

From this moment on,

Remain as still as possible.

If you need to make any adjustments to your posture during the practice,

Do so mindfully and slowly and return to stillness as soon as you are able.

Stay connected to the sound of my voice and resolve to remain awake.

Let your whole body respond to what I say without any commentary or judgment.

Effortlessly and automatically as if my voice was your voice.

Now move from thinking to feeling and from doing to non-doing and relax.

Now allow your attention to ride along with the natural rhythm of your breath.

Stay relaxed and do nothing to control or change the breath in any way.

Simply watch and feel its spontaneous flow moving in,

Moving out.

Remain calm and soft like the passive observer.

With your next inhalation,

Visualize the breath flowing up the front of the spine from pubic bone to the pit of the throat.

With the exhalation,

Visualize the breath flowing down the back of the spine from the throat to the tailbone.

Visualize a clear glass tube between the navel and the throat.

See the breath moving up like the glowing mercury in a thermometer.

Watch as the breath moves down,

The mercury receding,

Moving down.

Stay calm and relaxed and simply watch.

Breath moves up.

Breath moves down.

Let go of all effort,

Breathing steadily and easily.

With each breath in,

Feel the nourishment flowing into your body.

With each breath out,

Feel heavier and more relaxed.

Now relax and let go of all control over the breath.

Allow your attention to rest at the third eye between the eyebrows.

From this point forward,

Do absolutely nothing.

Remain relaxed and rest back into the depths of your being.

Continue to remain deeply relaxed and allow attention to rest on each body part as it is named.

Be present without commentary or judgment.

Allow attention to float to all ten toes.

To both ankles.

Both knees.

Pelvis.

Belly.

Chest.

Both arms.

Neck.

Face.

Back of the head.

Shoulder blades.

Back.

Backs of the thighs.

Calves.

Heels.

Soles of the feet.

Feel the entire body from the top of the head all the way down to the tips of the toes.

Feel every sensation simultaneously and evenly.

Relax.

You are on the surface of your being.

Relaxed but on the surface.

Inhale deeply and with your exhalation let go and begin to sink.

Down.

Deeper and deeper as you begin to go inside to discover the hidden secrets of your body and mind.

With each exhalation you relax more and as you relax more you sink even deeper.

You find yourself standing on the edge of a thick and beautiful forest.

You walk into it.

As you walk you find the thick canopy overhead blocking out the sun.

It becomes darker as you walk.

The smell of moss and pine fill your lungs.

The crispness of the fresh air cools your skin.

You are relaxed but curious about what the forest holds for you.

In the distance you see an old structure.

You're not sure what it is.

Maybe a church or a temple or something else.

But you feel a strong sense of sacredness about the place.

A feeling to your bones.

As you get closer you notice the door is slightly open and a warm yellow light emanates from within.

As you walk up the mossy steps you push the door open and look inside.

Lanterns are hung on the walls giving off an amber glow.

A majestic wooden table sits at the center of the room.

You are filled with calm and a deep sense of peace and joy.

As you walk toward the table the wooden floors creak under your weight.

You begin to see that there is something on the table.

You sense it was placed there for you.

You get closer and see that it is an old skeleton key.

You pick up the key in your hand and feel that it is heavy and its metal is cool.

Looking across the room you see a door and take the key with you as you walk toward it.

The feeling of sacredness grows.

You feel safe and joyous as if you are being guided here for a purpose.

You get to the door and you notice every detail of it.

The wood,

The finish,

What kind of handle it has.

You notice how you feel about opening the door,

Eager or reluctant.

You put the key in the door and push it open.

Stepping into the room on the other side you notice that there are many things in the room that interest you.

But there is only one that you have come for.

It is something precious,

Something that you have yearned for.

Something that has maybe been misplaced.

You see that thing in the corner.

You go to it,

Pick it up,

Feel it and feel what it is like to have it once again a part of you.

You feel whole,

Complete and alive.

As you retrace your steps out of the room,

Out of the building and slowly back through the forest,

You find yourself different.

More energy,

More confidence,

More optimism.

With every step you feel this piece of you that has been restored is more fully again a part of you.

You emerge from the forest into the light of day.

You feel the sun on your skin.

You breathe deeply the clean,

Nourishing air.

You are ready to fully engage with your life.

Express who you are and you feel alive and filled with vibrant energy.

Feel it now,

Embody it.

Feel yourself open,

Empty,

Free from all effort.

Let yourself dissolve into the silent background of experience.

Thoughts rising and falling.

Sounds coming and going.

Sensations arising and passing.

Relax as the ever still and silent background in which all is happening and let go.

As you receive the following intentions,

Allow every cell of your being to remain open,

Relaxed and receptive.

I am at peace in the midst of thoughts,

Relaxed in the midst of emotions and calm in the midst of disturbance.

I am at peace in the midst of thoughts,

Relaxed in the midst of emotions and calm in the midst of disturbance.

I am the spacious awareness in which my entire life arises.

I am the limitless consciousness free of all boundaries and restrictions.

I am the limitless consciousness free of all boundaries and restrictions.

As you relax even deeper,

Bring to mind any mentors,

Teachers,

Family members or other role models from your past who have helped influence you in your life.

Feel their presence right here,

Right now.

Know that great wisdom and support is here for you now and anytime you choose to draw upon it.

Feel supported.

Feel guided.

Remain soft,

Spacious and receptive.

Notice now that you have uncovered a new and more harmonious way of seeing and being.

This new perspective will allow you to relate to your thoughts,

Your emotions and the world around you in a new and more accepting way.

Remember that this perspective can be cultivated and expanded and all you need to do is resolve to nurture it,

Both in your formal practice and in your daily life.

It is in this way that you create your experience of life.

Now gently begin to bring your attention back to your breath without any effort to control or change the breath.

Simply become aware of the rising and falling of the abdomen.

Just observe the spontaneous flow of breath moving in and breath moving out.

Now begin to become more aware of your physical experience.

Feel the weight of the body on the floor,

The temperature of air against the skin and the movement of breath in the belly and stay relaxed.

As you feel ready,

Begin to bring a bit of movement into fingers and toes.

Be mindful and move slowly.

Maybe even allowing some gentle stretching of the arms or legs.

And of course,

If the impulse is to remain still,

Simply relax.

Whenever you feel ready,

Bend the knees and gently roll over onto your right side.

Rest here in fetal position with the eyes closed.

And feel free to stay here as long as you would like.

Or if you would like to come out of the session now,

Slowly use the strength of your arms to press yourself up to a comfortable seat.

Keep the eyes closed if possible.

And whether you're still lying down or you are now seated,

Feel the heart and relax.

And notice the calm of your breath,

The stillness of your mind and the spaciousness of your being.

Appreciate yourself for nourishing yourself and your life with this practice today.

Stay here and listen to the music as long as you need.

And make an intention to carry this level of peace and ease into the rest of your day,

Perhaps even the next few days.

Thank you so much for joining.

We'll see you next time.