Yoga Nidra For Self-Acceptance

Hello and welcome to Yoga Nidra for self-acceptance.

Create a comfortable place for the practice of Yoga Nidra.

Dim the light.

You might want to light a candle or an incense stick.

Roll out your mat.

Prepare a warm blanket and wear something warm.

During the practice of Yoga Nidra,

Your body functions will slow down and it can get cold quickly.

If you have an eye pillow,

Have it ready and then make yourself comfortable on your mat laying in Shavasana.

But try not to make it too comfortable,

Not that you will fall asleep.

If you have never practiced Yoga Nidra before,

Try to be open to the practice and your experience.

But don't worry,

You can't do anything wrong with this type of meditation.

It is perfectly normal that your attention drifts in and out.

Just listen without wanting to achieve anything.

This is your time to let go and relax.

Now come with your attention to your body laying on the mat.

Feel where your body touches the mat.

Feel that you are held by the earth.

Now bring your attention inside your body.

Where do you still hold tension?

Letting all the tension go,

Feel your body now laying heavily on the mat.

Feel it sink even deeper as you relax more and more.

Everything that has occupied you during this day,

This week,

You may now also let go and give it to the earth.

You don't have to do anything now,

Simply be.

Bring your attention to yourself and ask yourself,

How do I feel in this moment?

Accept whatever comes up without attaching to it or giving it more thoughts.

Before your mind's eye,

I want you to create an inner Zen garden.

A place where you feel safe and can relax completely.

It can be your garden at home,

Or your dream garden,

Or a meadow of wildflowers,

Or any place that springs freely from your imagination.

No matter what,

The only important thing is that the place invites you to relax and pause,

And that you feel safe and secure there.

You can return to this place at any time during the practice of yoga nidra,

Should an experience feel uncomfortable.

And even after the practice,

You may return to this peaceful place at any time.

It is always there for you when you need it.

Now I invite you to set an intention for your practice,

Your San Calpa.

Connect with your heart.

What is your heart's deepest desire?

This intention does not come from your intellect.

It comes from your intuition,

Your heart.

If nothing comes up,

Don't worry,

Your heart already knows.

If you have an intention,

Formulate it positively,

Without negations.

And as if you were already living it.

For example,

Your intention could be,

I completely accept myself.

Repeat your wish three times in silence for yourself.

Notice how your body is carried by the earth.

Let your attention wander from body part to body part,

While you follow my instructions.

Perceive your body without moving or changing it.

Notice your mouth.

Feel your lower lip.

Your upper lip.

Feel where your upper and lower lips meet.

Feel the bottom of your tongue.

The tip of your tongue.

The top of your tongue.

Feel your whole mouth.

Observe your jaws.

Completely relaxed.

Bring your attention to the tip of your nose.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Feel your whole nose.

Feel your right ear.

The back of your right ear.

The inside of your right ear.

Feel your left ear.

The back of your left ear.

The inside of your left ear.

Feel your right eye.

And right eyelid.

Left eye.

Left eyelid.

Feel your forehead.

The crown of your head.

Observe your face.

And now let the attention wander down your throat and further into your right hand.

Feel your right hand thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Your little finger.

Feel your whole hand.

And your right wrist.

Let the attention wander up again.

Feel your right forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Your right shoulder.

Feel the center of your throat.

And let the attention wander down to your left hand.

Feel your left hand thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Your pinky finger.

Feel your whole left hand.

And your left wrist.

And then let the attention rise to your forearm.

Elbow.

Upper arm.

Your left shoulder.

Again,

Feel the space that your throat takes up.

From here,

Let the attention flow down your body.

Feeling your chest.

Solar plexus.

Your navel.

And your whole belly.

Feel your right hip.

Your right side.

Knee.

Lower leg.

Ankle.

Feel the top of your right foot.

The sole of your right foot.

Now,

Observe your left hip.

And let your attention sink deeper to your left thigh.

Knee.

Lower leg.

Ankle.

Feel the top of your left foot.

And the sole of your left foot.

Feel both heels.

The backside of your knees.

Your buttocks.

Lower back.

The middle part of your back.

Your shoulder blades.

Feel your spine and its full length.

From your tailbone up to your neck.

Feel the space between your eyebrows.

Up to the crown of your head.

Feel your whole right arm.

The whole left arm.

Feel both arms at the same time.

Feel your whole right leg.

Your whole left leg.

Feel both legs together.

Feel the right side of your body.

And the left side of your body.

Feel your whole body.

Your whole body.

The whole body.

Become aware of your breath.

Feel the inhalation and exhalation.

Coming in and out of your nostrils.

Feel the rhythm of your breath as it breathes life into your body.

Following the rhythm of your breath with each exhalation,

Count down from eight.

The rhythm of your breath as it breathes life into your body.

The rhythm of your breath as it breathes life into your body.

Now,

Stop counting down as you notice a feeling of heaviness spreading through your body.

Your body feels like a heavy stone and sinks deeper into the mat below you.

Your head is heavy.

Your chest feels heavy.

Your arms and hands are heavy.

Feel how your belly is heavy.

Your legs and feet are heavy and sink deep into the mat.

Give in to the feeling of heaviness and let go completely.

Now,

Bring your attention back to your inner garden,

Which you created at the beginning of the practice.

See yourself lying there in the middle of your personal Zen garden.

Completely relaxed with closed eyes and a smile on your face.

As your hands caress the grass below you,

You feel that it's very soft and tickles your palms a little.

You listen very carefully and hear different creatures around you,

But they don't bother you any further.

You perceive them and accept their existence just as they accept you.

You listen to their sounds and try to identify them without looking what kind of animals they are.

You let your attention wander further and smell the flowers that surround you.

Their scent fills your whole nose and triggers a feeling of bliss in you.

You perceive that your garden is good just as it is.

It is perfect with all flowers and all living beings that populate it.

You perceive that you too are part of this meadow,

This garden,

And that you too are good just as you are.

Nature does not ask you what you have already achieved,

Or how much money is in your bank account,

Or what degrees you have.

Nature accepts and loves you just as you are.

You realize that to be worthy you don't have to do anything,

You just have to be.

So you lie in the lawn of your favorite garden and enjoy the sweetness of doing nothing.

Let your attention come closer to you again and bring it back into your heart.

Feel again for your heart's deepest desire,

Your intention,

The positive sentence or feeling that you perceived at the beginning of your practice.

Repeat it a few times and notice the feelings it triggers in you.

See how your desire has already come true in your life,

How you are already living it.

Thank yourself for making this wish come true.

Let go of your intention with the certainty that it will come true in your life.

Now watch yourself lying here safe and sound on your mat.

Realize that you're doing nothing,

That you're just being and that that's completely okay.

Totally relaxed,

Completely present right here,

Right now.

Notice the observer within you who has witnessed these experiences in your mind,

Breath and body during yoga nidra.

This observer is always there in any situation you can take a step back in your mind and look at the situation from a simple point of view instead of reacting and doing.

Notice how thoughts and emotions slowly come back into your consciousness.

Feel the natural flow of your breath,

Feel it spreading deeper into your belly.

Feel your body lying on the ground again.

Bring your attention once more to the front of your body and the back of your body.

Feel your feet and hands and invite movement into your body again.

Your breath is deepening further.

Take time to come back onto your mat and into your body.

When you're ready,

Slowly come to a seating position with your eyes still closed.

Thank yourself for being here and taking this time for yourself.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

Feel free to open your eyes again.

Namaste.