Yoga Nidra Inspired By Life Of Miracles By Thich Nhat Hanh

Welcome.

This is Amelia Andaleon and I will be sharing a reading from a small little book that I have next to my nightstand,

The Pocket Tic-Nat Hanh.

And when I was looking for a reading to provide comfort and solace during these times when I've been feeling overwhelmed by what's happening in the world and in my life,

I turned to A Life of Miracles and I found it helpful for me and I want to offer it to you.

So I'll read from this passage first,

An excerpt,

And then I'll lead you through a yoga nidra.

So you can choose to sit for this reading and then I'll invite you to lay down afterwards for yoga nidra or you can start with laying down now.

So get comfortable.

Take a breath in.

And take a sigh out.

Invite the body to relax.

Invite the mind and the heart and the ears to open.

Listen and receive A Life of Miracles by Tic-Nat Hanh.

As we sit down next to a stream,

We can listen to its laughter and watch its sparkling waters,

Noticing the pebbles glistening and the fresh green plants nearby.

And we may be overcome with happiness.

We are one with the stream's freshness,

Purity,

And clarity.

But in just an instant,

We may find we've had enough.

Our heart is troubled and we think of other things.

We are no longer at one with the stream.

Around us,

Life bursts forth with miracles.

A glass of water,

A ray of sunshine,

A leaf,

A caterpillar,

A flower,

Laughter,

Raindrops.

If you live in awareness,

It is easy to see miracles everywhere.

Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles.

Eyes that see thousands of colors,

Shapes,

And forms.

Ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap.

A brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos.

A heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings.

When we are tired and feel discouraged by life's daily struggles,

We may not notice these miracles.

But they are always there.

Have a look at the apple tree in your yard.

Look at it with complete attention.

It is truly a miracle.

If you notice it,

You will take good care of it.

And you too are part of its miraculousness.

Even after you have cared for it for only a week,

Its leaves are already greener and shinier.

It is exactly the same with the people who are around you.

Under the influence of awareness,

You become more attentive,

Understanding,

And loving.

And your presence not only nourishes you and makes you lovelier,

It enhances them as well.

Our entire society can be changed by one person's peaceful presence.

Our minds create everything.

The majestic mountaintop,

Brilliant with snow,

Is you yourself when you contemplate it.

Its existence depends on your awareness.

When you close your eyes,

As long as your mind is present,

The mountain is there.

Sitting in meditation,

With several sense windows closed,

You feel the presence of the whole universe.

Why?

Because the mind is there.

If your eyes are closed,

It is so that you can see better.

The sights and sounds of the world are not your enemies.

Your enemy is forgetfulness,

The absence of mindfulness.

Prepare for your yoga nidra by laying down.

Get comfortable,

Grab whatever props and supports you need.

Underneath your knees,

Underneath your legs,

Maybe a pillow underneath your head,

Maybe an eye mask on top of your eyes.

Take the time to be intentional in setting your body down.

Feeling yourself let the bones get heavy.

Feel the muscles relax on the bones.

The skin relax on the muscles.

All the soft tissues in the joints,

The ligaments,

The tendons,

The fascia.

Relaxing the entire body.

Taking time to notice if there's any fidgeting,

Any movement that needs to be released from the body.

Then create stillness in the body.

Take a big breath in and a big sigh out.

Our intention for today,

Our sankalpa,

That I will suggest for you is this mantra,

I am a miracle and as you exhale,

I see the miracles in my life.

Inhale,

I am a miracle.

Exhale,

I see the miracles in my life.

As often as you would like,

Recite that mantra to yourself,

Silently or aloud.

Bring your attention to the body.

Notice the weight of the back body.

Notice the sensation of what is supporting you underneath your head.

Notice the space underneath the neck,

That curve underneath the neck.

And imagine that support lifting up to fill that space underneath the neck.

And notice the shoulders,

The backs of the shoulders sinking deeper into your support.

Traveling down the back body,

The up back,

The middle back,

The lower back.

Feeling that gentle curve underneath the lower back and letting that support fill up.

Like you can feel an inflation,

The support completely fitting your body perfectly.

And then down the arms,

Feeling the support as the heaviness of both arms sink down.

Feeling that support lifting up all the spaces underneath the arms,

The wrists.

And then traveling down the lower torso,

The legs heavy.

Feeling the support filling up behind the knees,

Behind the ankles.

Feeling the ankles flop out to the sides.

Feeling the body relax 10% more.

Body relaxed.

Body still.

Noticing to your ears.

Notice any sounds outside of you in your environment,

In your space.

And choose to be neutral,

To have no reaction to sounds outside of you.

And focus your attention on your breath,

The sound of your breath.

And the relaxation of the entire body.

And I'll repeat for you my suggested sankalpa intention for your yoga nidra today.

Breathe in,

I am a miracle.

Breathe out,

I see miracles in my life.

I am a miracle.

I see miracles in my life.

I am a miracle.

I see all the miracles in my life.

Bring awareness if there's another intention that is at the forefront in your heart and your mind.

And repeat it to yourself three times.

Take a breath in.

Exhale,

Empty the breath.

And as I name a body part,

Invite that body part,

Bring awareness to that body part and invite it to soften.

Bring your attention to your right hand.

Right thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Fourth finger,

Pinky.

Soften the palm of your hand.

The back of your right hand.

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

The bicep,

Tricep,

The shoulder.

The armpit.

The right side of your waist.

Hip.

Your right leg.

Knee.

Chin.

Calf.

Ankle.

Heel.

Soften the sole of your right foot.

Relax the top of your right foot.

Relax the right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And fifth toe.

The entire right side of the body.

Relaxed.

Bring your attention to your left hand.

Relax the left thumb,

Second finger,

Middle finger,

Fourth finger,

Left pinky.

Soften the palm of your left hand.

Relax the back of your left hand.

Left wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Bicep.

Tricep.

Shoulder.

Armpit.

The left side of your waist.

Hip.

Left thigh.

Knee.

Chin.

Calf.

Left ankle.

Heel.

Soften the sole of the left foot.

Relax the top of the left foot.

Feel the left toes loosen.

Relax the big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Entire left side of the body relaxed.

Notice the back of your body.

Relax the right shoulder blade.

Moving down the right side of the back down to the hips.

Down to the glutes.

Bring your attention to your left shoulder blade.

Relax down the left side of your spine.

Down to your left hip.

Down to the left glutes.

The whole spine from the base of your neck.

Down to your tailbone.

Entire back relaxed.

Upper back.

Middle back.

And lower back.

Feel the back soften.

Feel the support underneath you.

Meeting your entire back body.

Meeting the right and left side of the body.

Sinking deeper.

Allow and receive the support.

Travel your awareness to the crown of your head,

The top of your head.

And then travel to the right side of your face.

The right temple.

Travel to the left temple.

The right eyebrow.

The left eyebrow.

The center in between the eyebrows.

Where your third eye is,

Relax.

Relaxing the forehead.

Relax.

Relax the right eye.

Soften the right eyelid.

Feel the right eye sink deeper into your right eye socket.

Relax the left eye.

Soften the left eyelid.

Feel the left eye sink deeper into the left eye socket.

Relax the right cheek.

Left cheek.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Gently part your lips.

Let the lips relax.

Relax the chin.

The throat.

And take a swallow.

Relax the right side of the chest,

The upper chest.

Relax the left side of the upper chest.

Feel the expansion of the breath in the upper chest as you relax the upper chest.

Relax the middle of the chest at the solar plexus.

Put your attention down to your navel,

Your belly button.

Relax.

Relax the entire belly area.

And as you relax,

Notice the breath.

Let it expand like a balloon.

Like softly inflating.

And exhaling softly,

Contracting.

Relax the hips,

The pelvis,

The pelvic floor.

Relax the entire right leg.

Relax the entire left leg.

And now allow both legs to be so heavy,

They feel like lead.

Completely still.

Relaxed.

And soft.

Relax the entire right arm.

Relax the entire left arm.

Both arms together,

Completely relax.

Breathe in.

Completely relax both arms.

Feel the entire back body soften.

Relax.

Notice the entire front of the body.

Fill it up with softness.

Releasing tension.

Notice the whole body as one.

Whole and complete.

Notice the wholeness and completeness of the body.

And with wholeness and completeness,

Relax the entire body.

Mind is softly awake and aware.

Body still and relaxed.

Sinking deeper into your support.

Feeling yourself supported completely,

All the spaces underneath the neck.

All the spaces,

All the curves underneath the body,

Under the arms,

The back,

The legs,

The ankles.

Sink deeper,

Feel your support embrace you,

Envelop you.

Holding you with safety.

Holding you as the miracle that you are.

And awakening your vision to see all the miracles in your life.

Notice the body breathe you.

Receiving this prana,

This life force.

As the breath creates space in the ribs.

Gently stretching out in between every single rib.

Creating more space in both rib cages on the right and left sides.

And body,

Mind and spirit.

Sense and notice how the body receives the breath as it expands and inflates and softly contracts and relax with every single exhale.

Your body breathing you.

Body still.

The mind relaxed.

The mantra.

I am a miracle.

I see all the miracles in my life.

I'm a miracle.

I appreciate all the miracles in my life.

I am a miracle.

My life is full of miracles.

Observe your breath.

And start counting backwards,

Starting with the number 10.

To the number 1.

Breathing,

Inviting an awareness,

An awakeness.

Noticing the breath.

Ever since you're you in your mind's eye imagine a sunrise sitting on a beach looking across the waves Notice the rise and fall of the waves the waves as they come in and as they wash out Notice there's a crest of the wave as it lifts up And as it lowers and then retreats And as you look past the waves Notice a glow,

An orange glow Peeking out beneath the horizon And what a miracle this is to be on this planet that's hanging in this solar system and the miracle of the sun as it rises as you see the glow get brighter the orange and noticing the darkening of the sky getting brighter Looking at the sunrise in a way that you haven't appreciated it as a miracle that it is that there are miracles every day in our lives like every morning sunrise and every evening sunset and the miracle of every breath,

Of every inhale and the miracle of every exhale As we bring this Yoga Nidra to an end you're welcome to stay on your back and drift off into sleep or slowly notice the sensations in the body what you hear in your environment,

Here in your space get present to the physical space,

The room that you're in the space where you are,

Maybe you're outside,

Where are you?

Notice When you're ready,

Slowly,

Mindfully rise and take a seat from your Yoga Nidra or drift up into a deep sleep Now you know you are a miracle and your life is full of miracles and you know you are a miracle and your life is full of miracles Namaste Thank you for watching