Yoga Nidra With Singing Bowls - Gratitude Island

All right,

Welcoming you,

My friend,

To our practice today of yoga nidra,

Which is sometimes called the art of conscious relaxation.

Our goal with yoga nidra is to move from a state of possible stress to a state of relaxation.

And we hope that by doing so,

We can support all of our bodily systems,

Especially the immune system.

So moving from a state of stress to relaxation for better healing.

We're also going to combine our yoga nidra practice today with our gratitude practice,

Which is something that we've been doing during this month.

And the benefits of that are hopefully we'll receive a little bit of that feel good neurotransmitter action by practicing gratitude,

Serotonin,

Dopamine,

We can get an injection of those.

So let's begin.

Go ahead and take a moment to settle into your space.

Maybe there's a little stretch that your body wants to do.

Go ahead and take a moment to maybe stretch the arms or legs or lick the lips,

Swallow.

Just begin to arrive in this space exactly as you are.

You're welcome in whatever state of being you're in.

You're welcome to sit for this practice.

You're welcome to recline for this practice.

You're welcome to change your posture at any time.

Maybe you want to close the eyes if they're not already closed.

Just begin to invite the breath in through the nose and out through the nose or maybe the mouth.

And as we attend to the sensations of the breath,

Perhaps we can even invite some gratitude in through the inhalation and gratitude for the exhalation as well.

Breathing in gratitude.

Maybe it's gratitude for the breath itself.

What a beautiful thing it is to be able to drink in a deliciously deep breath and sigh it out,

Allowing all those tensions to melt away.

Inviting gratitude in and releasing gratitude out.

Maybe sending it out as well.

Feeling the support of your chair or bed or couch,

The places where your body is touching that support.

See if you can take a breath in and then just really soften and let go and feel that support underneath you,

That stability.

And know that this time is just for you.

Now I'll invite you to move your awareness into the mind space just for a moment.

So gaze without strain at the area kind of behind the center of the eyebrows.

Gazing there without any strain and noticing what's happening there.

Is there any movement or color that you can discern?

And whatever is there,

Just allowing it to be there.

Observing the mind space as we observed the breath.

And into this space we'll plant the seed of intention.

And that seed is a very simple intention today.

I am grateful.

See if you can repeat those words internally to yourself,

Echoing forth in the mind space.

I am grateful.

And now for something a little different.

You can move your awareness down to the heart space.

So the mind space is Chidakash.

And the heart space is Hridakash.

So this is an area where we can move the awareness feel into this space.

Maybe breathe into the spaciousness and expansiveness of the heart center.

And into this space we'll also plant the seed of intention.

Maybe you want to breathe that in and breathe that out of the heart center.

Letting the shoulders relax.

Letting the arms relax.

And letting those intentions go for now.

Let's take a moment or two or three to move our minds around the body in something like a body scan called the rotation of consciousness.

So we're going to move the mind and the mind only around various body parts.

All you have to do is shift your awareness there and follow along with my voice and my bowls.

So let's begin by moving the mind to all ten fingers.

Filling up all ten fingers with your awareness.

Maybe you want to start with the thumbs.

And slowly work your way out,

Filling up each finger with your awareness.

So continuing to find that most comfortable posture for you and moving your mind to all ten fingers.

And allowing all ten fingers to simply be.

Just let them relax exactly as they are.

Moving the mind to both the backs of both hands.

And the center of both palms.

Filling up both hands with your awareness and allowing both hands to simply be exactly as they are in this moment.

Just relaxing.

And as we allow the hands to relax.

Perhaps we can also send gratitude for all the things that our hands have helped us do in our lifetimes so far.

Filling up the hands with both your awareness and gratitude for the hands themselves.

Moving the mind now to the wrists.

Both wrists and both forearms.

Up to the elbows.

The upper arms.

And both shoulders.

And taking a moment to focus solely on the right arm.

As you fill up your right shoulder.

Right upper arm.

Elbow.

Forearm.

Wrist and hand with your awareness.

The entire right arm from shoulder down to fingertips.

This right arm,

Maybe it's your dominant arm.

All of this beautiful work that the right arm has done in your lifetime.

Give it some love,

Some rest.

Allow it to relax.

As fully as you can.

Upper arm.

Elbow.

Forearm.

Wrist.

Left hand.

Filling up that entire left hand with awareness.

Maybe the left arm,

The left hand is your dominant arm.

And all the things this arm has helped you achieve.

From the little things to the big things.

Just feeling that gratitude fill up.

Now both arms.

Letting both arms just soften.

Relax.

Do nothing.

Bask in your gratitude.

Slowly moving your awareness down to your toes.

All ten toes.

Maybe you want to start with the big toes and fan outward.

One by one,

Filling the toes with your awareness.

Filling them up.

Mind now to the tops of the feet.

The soles of both feet.

And the heels.

And just filling up both feet with your awareness.

Allowing the feet to relax.

Do nothing.

All the miles you've walked with these feet.

Can there be some gratitude for the feet?

Sending that down to the feet.

Thanking the feet.

For the miles they've helped you walk.

And even if the feet aren't working as well as they used to.

Or there are things going on in these various body parts.

We are still finding some small shred of gratitude.

For the things that they help us do.

Just relaxing.

As we move the mind to both ankles.

Both shins and calves.

And both hips.

Now focusing solely on the right leg.

Starting at the hip and the buttock.

And working your way down.

Little by little.

Moving downward to the thigh and the knee.

And finally the right foot.

Filling up this entire right leg.

With your awareness.

Allowing the leg to rest.

Do nothing.

And maybe adding a little sprinkling of gratitude.

For the right leg.

While we're here.

As we shift the awareness now to the left leg.

Starting at the hip and buttock.

And working your way down.

Thigh.

With your awareness.

And allowing the left leg to rest.

To be as it is.

Exactly as it is.

Imbuing your awareness with.

Gratitude.

Thankfulness.

For the left leg.

And all the left leg.

Everything that the left leg has helped you do.

In your lifetime.

Just letting both legs rest.

Completely letting go.

Of effort.

In the arms and the legs.

As we move the awareness now.

To the belly.

The lower abdomen.

And the upper abdomen.

Filling up the entire.

Belly abdomen area.

With your awareness.

Gratitude for all of the internal organs.

Shifting now down.

Dropping like an anchor to the tailbone.

And the sacrum.

The lower back.

Just sliding the awareness up the back.

Up the spine.

To the middle back.

Shoulder blades.

The upper back.

Bringing that awareness to the rib cage.

That's encircling the heart and lungs.

As we fill up the chest.

Including the heart center.

With awareness.

Filling up.

The entire torso.

The back.

Sides and front.

Of the entire torso filled with awareness.

And a sense of gratitude.

For the systems in the body that just work.

Without any effort on our parts.

Health.

As it comes and goes.

With the legs.

The arms and the torso.

Softening.

Filled with awareness.

We can now move the mind to the throat.

Up to the lower jaw.

The upper jaw.

And both lips.

The cheekbones.

The bridge of the nose.

And the tip of the nose.

The nostrils.

The forehead.

And the temples.

All of the muscles.

In the face.

Allowing all of the muscles in the face.

To smooth out and relax.

As if you were wearing a mask.

Of calm.

Of the pores on the face.

Filling with gratitude.

As if you could drink that in.

Through the skin.

The skin.

Covering the scalp.

All of the hair follicles on the head.

And finally.

Just resting your awareness.

On the base of the skull.

Those occipital muscles.

Allowing them to relax and soften.

The entire head,

Face and neck.

With your awareness.

This incredible gift.

Of the brain.

The eyesight.

All of the senses.

Finding some small shred.

Of gratitude for.

What this part of your body is capable of.

And then we'll widen.

Our awareness out.

To the entire body.

Filling up.

Your entire body with your awareness.

From the head to the fingertips.

To the toes.

And everything in between.

Can you fill this body with your breath.

And with a sense of gratitude.

If possible.

And finally we'll travel back.

To the area.

At the center of the eyebrows.

The mind space.

And we'll use the creativity.

Of the mind.

To imagine.

So taking a moment to.

Look into this space.

Like it's a movie screen.

Without any strain.

Gazing at the mind space.

And in the theater of the mind.

Envisioning yourself.

Arriving at your own.

Private island.

And in our mind space.

And in the creativity of this space.

The laws of nature can be suspended.

Timelines of past.

Present and future can coexist.

So we can imagine anything here.

Using the creativity of the mind.

Imagine yourself arriving at.

An island of your choosing.

What type of landscape.

Are you drawn to.

What season.

Of the year.

Would resonate with you today.

And just picturing yourself there.

And maybe we can name this island.

Gratitude island.

And fill this island up with all the things.

And the people.

For whom we are grateful in our lives.

So take a moment to.

Imagine and invite a few people.

Who have helped you in your health journey.

Perhaps.

Or have been supportive or loving.

Whose company you find.

Helpful and relaxing.

And they can be there.

On your island as well with you.

And together you can be doing anything.

That you would like to be doing.

Just let yourself play in the imagination.

What kinds of creature comforts.

Are you most grateful for.

Maybe there's a delicious beverage.

Or type of food.

That you're grateful for today.

And you can taste it.

On your gratitude island.

You can drink it in.

Can feel its beneficial effects.

Knowing that you can return to this place.

In your mindscape.

Anytime you wish.

And it's a wonderful place to journey to.

When we're getting ready for.

Sleep at night.

And we can even inform our own dreams.

When we practice.

Imagining right before sleep.

This imagined.

Gratitude landscape.

Gratitude island.

And come back to the mind space.

That area.

It's kind of what's happening on the backs of the islets.

I'm just noticing that for a moment.

Are there any colors.

Patterns you can notice.

And in this minds,

I will plant.

The seed.

Of intention once more.

You can even imagine.

Pushing a seed down into the fertile soil.

Of your mind.

Tucking this seed away.

For.

Later sprouting.

Germination.

Tucking that seed into the soil.

I am grateful.

And doing the same.

Right at the heart center.

And maybe this seed of intention.

Can be more like a feeling.

A feeling of warmth.

Of compassion.

Of tenderness.

Breathing that into the heart center.

And planting the seed.

I am grateful.

Right at the heart center.

Letting those seeds.

Rest for now.

As we begin to.

Come out of our yoga.

Space very very slowly.

Gently.

Coming out of the yoga.

By taking in a breath.

Releasing a breath.

Coming back into.

Your body.

Inhabiting the room.

With your energy with your body.

With your awareness.

Coming back into this.

Shared community space.

Where you are never alone.

And you can always tap.

Into the nourishing support.

Coming out of our yoga.

Nature practice.

With so much gratitude.

For these moments.

We get to spend together.

In presence.

And just as our authentic selves.

It's a beautiful gift.

That I cherish as well.

As we come out.

And close our practice.

I'll share a very simple mantra or chant.

The meaning of which is.

May all beings everywhere be happy.

And I'm thanking you so much.

For your practice today friends.