Yoga Nidra With Your Well Ancestors

Hello,

I'm Andrea Cricci Parity.

Welcome to this practice of yoga nidra with your well ancestors.

There are many steps that one can take to do the work,

To heal,

Heal ourselves,

Help the environment,

To do our part to create a world that is equal for everyone.

Intentional rest and cultivating a healthy relationship with our well ancestors are just two ways to contribute to that work.

Connection to the well ancestors is a practice that is still very alive and vibrant in some communities and cultures,

While in others it is a practice that has been completely forgotten.

If being with your well ancestors is new to you,

The hope is that this practice can be a starting point for that relationship.

If you already have a relationship with your ancestors,

The hope is that this practice will offer another way to be with them and to help deepen that relationship.

This yoga nidra practice is inspired by Tracy Stanley,

Daniel Four,

And Trisha Hersey,

And is an opportunity for you to practice this intentional rest and to spend time with your well ancestors.

So settle into any position that is comfortable for you.

You can lay down on your back,

On the floor,

A couch,

Or on your bed.

You can position some pillows under your knees and your head.

You can also do this practice resting on your side or even sitting up,

Whatever is the most comfortable for your body today.

You may choose to have a blanket covering the body or a scarf over the eyes.

Take as much time as you need to become as comfortable as possible.

You deserve to take that time.

Once you have found a comfortable position,

Imagine drawing a circle of protection around your body.

It can be drawn with moonlight,

Fire,

Sand,

A bubble,

Or something else entirely.

Call this protective circle around the body.

And then start to sense the body settling in.

There can be this awareness of the space between the body and the surface the body is resting on.

Give the body permission to release and relax.

And as you do that,

You may notice that the space between the body and the surface it is resting on becomes smaller.

Invite a sense of softening into the body.

And that space between may become even smaller still.

Be aware of the sounds happening around you.

Sounds may come and go throughout the practice and that's okay.

They may come into the awareness,

But if any sounds come into your awareness,

Just take it as an invitation to drift even deeper into this rest.

Simply observe the sounds happening around you now,

Allowing the awareness to move from sound to sound.

Breathing deeper and deeper.

Notice the body breathing.

Notice the air as it comes in and the air as it goes out,

The body knowing exactly what to do.

Each breath perfect and each breath unique.

Aware of the body as it shifts to bring air in.

Aware of the body as it shifts to release what is no longer needed.

The intention of this practice is to rest,

To deeply rest.

And within that rest,

To start to connect to create a relationship with your well ancestors.

These well ancestors who are open to give blessings and perhaps guidance.

Breathing deeply and opening up to that connection.

Now freely allow your consciousness to move to different parts of the body.

I'll say a part of the body and you bring your awareness there.

And it's as if the body is a dark evening sky over the land of your ancestors.

As you bring your awareness to the different parts of the body,

Imagine there is a twinkling star there gently shining in the evening sky.

These stars in the evening sky coming together to create a great constellation to shine down on the ancestral landscape of the body.

As your consciousness travels,

Your physical body deeply rests.

Breathing at the space between the eyebrows.

Imagine a shining star at the space between the eyebrows.

And this awareness moves down to the pit of the throat.

There is a twinkling star and the right shoulder,

Elbow,

Wrist,

Thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Wrist,

Elbow,

Shoulder,

Pit of the throat,

Left shoulder,

Elbow,

Wrist,

Thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Wrist,

Elbow,

Shoulder,

Pit of the throat,

Heart center,

Right chest,

Left chest,

Heart center,

Navel,

Center of the pelvis,

Right hip,

Knee,

Ankle,

Big toe,

Second toe,

Third,

Fourth,

Fifth,

And fifth.

Navel,

Knee,

Hip,

Center of the pelvis,

Left hip,

Knee,

Ankle,

Big toe,

Second,

Third,

Fourth,

Fifth,

Ankle,

Knee,

Hip,

Center of the pelvis.

Navel,

Heart center.

And with the awareness at the space of the heart,

There is a luminous full moon.

The etheric light of the full moon illuminating your ancestral land.

Aware of all the stars of the body.

A constellation of shining stars,

The full moon at the space of the heart.

The twinkling constellation of stars in the evening sky.

The full moon at the space of the heart shines down its etheric light onto a sacred place.

A sacred meeting place to be with the well ancestors.

Sending down the light of the moon to arrive at the sacred meeting place.

The full moon at the space of the heart shines down its etheric light onto a sacred place.

As you arrive to this safe,

Sacred place.

Invite your well ancestors,

Those ancestors who are healthy and well and who are able to be in this right relationship with you at this time.

There may be one or many.

They may arrive as an image or as a feeling.

Observe.

Stay open.

Bring your ALISSA lit from the Caesartus.

Show yourself.

When they arrive,

Thank them for coming,

Inviting them in as honored guests.

And then rest.

Deeply rest.

Rest in this sacred place with your well ancestors holding space for you to do so.

With each inhale,

Imagine you are breathing in their blessings.

Breathing in the blessings that fill the entire body all the way down to the toes.

And with each exhale,

Rest even deeper.

Each inhale,

Breathing in the blessings from the well ancestors.

And exhale,

Resting even deeper.

Breathe in the blessings that fill the entire body all the way down to the toes.

And exhale,

Resting even deeper.

Breathe in the blessings that fill the entire body all the way down to the toes.

Your well ancestors may have a gift,

A lesson,

Or some final blessing to bestow on you.

Open to receiving it now.

Us all.

Express your gratitude to these well ancestors,

Thanking them for their blessings and for their openness to strengthen this relationship.

Acknowledging this time spent in intentional rest with the well ancestors.

Notice the body breathing,

How the body moves and adjusts in order to bring air in and in order to release what is no longer needed.

And this awareness of the breath is the first step in starting to bring this practice to a close,

Simply noticing the body breathing,

The inhales and the exhales.

And if it feels right,

Perhaps starting to lengthen or deepen the inhales and exhales,

Taking some full,

Deep,

Complete breaths.

Noticing yourself starting to come up toward the surface.

There can be an awareness of sounds happening around you now.

This awareness of sounds brings you even closer to the surface and each sound observed brings with it a sense of clarity and awakening through the brain.

And be aware of your body.

Be aware of your body,

The position the body is in resting right here,

The surface the body is resting on.

Aware of the room you're in on this day.

And this awareness of the body brings you even closer to the surface.

It may feel right to start to wiggle the toes or the fingers,

Feeling fully back in the body.

It may feel right to even stretch,

To stretch long.

You also have the option of rolling onto your side if you're not there already.

This practice,

This practice of intentional rest and creating relationship with the well ancestors,

This practice is now complete.

You can begin to blink your eyes open,

Coming all the way back.

This practice is complete.

You may consider taking a moment to open a journal to free write,

To free write about what was observed,

Any messages or gifts given,

Any direction given by the ancestors.

This practice is complete.

Thank you for being here today.