Hello my loves,
My name is Chris and welcome back to another guided meditation.
In today's practice we'll do a yoga nidra for self-love and compassion.
Yoga nidra,
Often called yogic sleep,
Is a guided meditation that takes you into a state of deep relaxation between wakefulness and sleep.
In this state,
Your body rests and restores while your mind remains aware.
This practice helps to reduce stress,
Promotes better sleep,
And can bring clarity and balance to your emotions.
In today's yoga nidra we'll focus on cultivating self-love and compassion.
When we nurture these qualities within ourselves,
We can help to create a strong foundation to connect with others from a place of authenticity and kindness.
So let's get to our practice today.
Let's find a comfortable position,
Perhaps lying down or seated,
With your body fully supported.
Perhaps you might like to use a blanket or a pillow to feel warm and cozy.
When you get comfortable,
Close your eyes,
If it feels comfortable,
And allow your body to sink into the support beneath you,
Whether that's the ground or perhaps a seat.
We'll begin our practice here by taking three deep cleansing breaths.
As you begin,
Let's inhale through the nose,
Fill the belly completely.
And as you exhale,
Perhaps through the mouth,
Sigh it out,
Release any of that tension.
We'll do that two more times.
Take a deep breath in,
Allow that belly and your body to expand.
And open the mouth as you exhale,
Allow any of the worries of the day to be just floating.
One more time,
Deep breath in.
And deep breath out.
Let yourself fully arrive into this present moment,
Allowing yourself to be open and receptive to the journey ahead.
Continue just to breathe deeply here.
Now as you breathe deeply here,
Gently bring your awareness to your heart center,
That space in the middle of your chest.
Start by connecting with your intention or what we call our sankalpa.
It's a positive affirmation to guide your heart in our practice.
And in today's practice,
Perhaps our sankalpa can be one of these.
Perhaps your sankalpa is,
I am worthy of love.
Perhaps it's,
I radiate compassion and kindness.
Or perhaps even it could be,
Love flows to me and through me effortlessly.
Maybe it's one of these three,
Or maybe you have your own.
Take a moment here.
As you now perhaps have your sankalpa in mind,
I want you to feel the truth of your affirmation as though it's already real.
Now you'll silently repeat it to yourself three times,
Planting it like a seed in the fertile soil of your mind,
Each time trusting that this intention will take root in your heart.
And grow.
Now,
Let's begin to journey through the body,
Bringing relaxation and awareness to every part of ourselves.
I want you to bring your awareness to the crown of your head.
Once you bring your awareness to the crown of your head,
I want you to imagine a soft golden light resting there.
It's warm and soothing.
I want you to feel that light gently melting away any tension.
Now I want you to move this light from the crown,
And move this light now to your forehead.
As the light moves to your forehead,
Let it smooth away any worry,
Like waves receding from the shore.
Perhaps you feel your temples soften.
Perhaps you feel your eyes resting peacefully in their sockets.
Perhaps your jaw releasing any tension.
Now as the golden light moves to your neck and your shoulders,
Perhaps you imagine the warmth spreading.
Maybe you feel your shoulders melting to the ground as though weight has been lifted from them.
Now let this relaxation flow down your arms.
And through your elbows.
Your wrists.
Into your fingertips.
Perhaps you imagine your hands resting on soft pedals,
Completely at ease.
Now bring your attention to your chest.
As you feel the steady rhythm of your breath,
And the gentle expansion of your heart center.
Perhaps you visualize a soft pink light glowing in the center of your chest.
And with each inhale,
You see this light grow brighter and brighter,
Radiating warmth and love throughout your whole entire body.
Now allow this pink light to flow down into your abdomen.
As it's here,
Imagine maybe a gentle stream of warm water soothing every organ,
Every muscle.
Maybe you feel the light travel down through your hips.
And to your thighs.
As you release any of the tension there.
Next the light moves to your calves.
Your ankles.
Maybe you imagine your feet resting on cool,
On the soft earth.
You feel connected,
And grounded,
And fully supported by the earth beneath you.
Allow your whole body now just to bask in this warmth and this light.
Relax here,
Open and relaxed.
Feel receptive to love and compassion.
Now picture yourself in a breathtaking rose garden at the height of bloom.
The air is filled with the sweet and intoxicating fragrance of roses.
There's a soft breeze that carries their scent to you,
And caresses your skin.
The sunlight here is gentle and golden.
It's filtering through the lush green leaves.
Perhaps you hear the rustle of leaves,
And the distant song of birds.
And this place feels peaceful,
Safe,
And filled with love.
As you continue your journey and your walk here,
You walk along a soft,
Winding path.
And there's vibrant roses surrounding you,
In shades of pinks and reds and whites and yellows.
And each rose seems to emanate its own type of energy.
The pinks for self-love,
The reds for passion,
The whites for purity,
And the yellows for joy.
Allow yourself to pause by any particular,
Particularly radiant rose bush,
And just notice it.
You see the petals as they glisten through,
Kissed by the morning dew.
You reach out and you gently touch one of the blooms.
And its softness feels like a delicate embrace.
I want you to imagine that this rose is sending its loving energy into your heart.
As it does this,
You feel its warmth spreading,
And filling you with renewal,
Compassion,
And boundless love.
With each breath,
You become more connected to the beauty and the love all around you and within you.
So now just take a moment to perhaps find a bench or on the floor,
And just sit in this garden.
As you sit,
You're absorbing the sights,
The sounds,
And the scents.
With the insight,
Allow yourself to feel deeply,
Nourished and renewed.
Now let's begin to bring your awareness back to your breath.
As you feel the steady rise and fall of your chest,
The belly,
And the warmth and the light still perhaps glowing at your heart's center,
Try to reflect on the intention once more.
Maybe it's,
I am worthy of love,
Or I radiate compassion and kindness.
Let me say that to yourself three more times silently.
I want you to carry this feeling of love and compassion with you as you reawaken.
Know that this energy is always within you,
Ready to guide and support you.
Now,
Whenever you're ready,
You can maybe begin to wiggle your fingers,
Your toes,
Maybe rock the head left,
Right,
Left,
Right.
Perhaps stretch gently if that feels good.
Maybe you bring the hands to prayer at heart center.
You can bow the head.
We bow down to the great wise teacher that resides in each and every one of us.
Thanking you all truly for coming and sharing this practice with me today.
The God light and everything good inside me bows and honors the God light and everything good inside each and every one of you.
Namaste.
Love you all.
Namaste.
