Hello and thank you for choosing this yoga nidra meditation.
Our practice today is about being seen.
Being witnessed fully.
Letting your true self shine out.
Together in this practice we will affirm your desire from a place of grounding.
Many of us are taught to equate attention with an inflated ego.
As a result we hide.
We become uncomfortable with being seen.
We mask.
Some of us even code switch.
But playing these variations of ourselves,
Pushing back the message of the inner spirit that wants to be shared can be taxing.
So if you find yourself tired of performing this version of yourself and are curious about what your true self wants to share with the world,
Then this practice is for you.
We are going to begin by having you lie down flat on your back on a comfortable surface.
You might want to use props to support your ankles and head or place a blanket over you.
In other words,
Get cozy.
As you take any of these steps,
Do so with a spirit of deep care for your body.
What does it want and need at this moment to fully practice?
In other words,
Start your practice by seeing yourself in this moment.
Now as you're ready,
Begin to close your eyes and sink into yourself.
Feel the breath.
Feel the place where your body meets the surface beneath you.
Feel your breath just as it is,
Without changing anything.
See if you can begin to notice any qualities within this breath.
Maybe they're intense or maybe you sense a hint of something.
As you follow the expansion of your stomach and rib cage with the inhalations,
What is there?
Hesitation?
Openness?
Emptiness?
Something else?
As you feel the settling of your body further into the surface with the exhalations,
What's here?
Bracing?
Groundedness?
Or something else?
Continue this exploration for a few more breaths on your own.
On your next exhale,
See if you can fully exhaust your breath to the very end.
Take a moment to exist in the empty space.
The peacefulness.
Your essence.
And then,
With intention,
Take a slow and full breath in.
Exist in the fullness.
The possibilities.
And once again,
Release that fully.
Now allow your breath to return back to its natural rhythm.
Perhaps you notice now a fresh quality of care and acceptance for exactly what is here.
An awareness where in this place you might discover a phrase or a word that represents your heart's wish when it comes to being seen.
Maybe something like,
I am visible and grounded.
Or I stand fully in the light.
Perhaps simply,
I am seen.
Or maybe there's something else.
Even if there are no words,
See if you can tap into the feeling of this wish to be seen.
Begin to let this wish become a refrain by repeating the phrase or word or circling back to the feeling.
Let your pace be guided by your breath and your heart.
When you feel called,
Let that refrain dissolve but not disappear as you find your way back to inner quietness.
And then begin to call forward the version of yourself who fulfills this wish.
Begin to see this version of you in the person here right now.
Invite this version to the surface to make itself visible and known.
Explore seeing this version in every part of you with detail and admiration as we place the attention around the body in our mind's eye.
You can begin at the very,
Very tip of your head.
And spilling your attention,
Your witnessing down to the forehead,
And the eyebrows,
Eyelids,
Cheeks,
Nose,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Teeth,
Jaw,
Shoulders,
Lips,
Right upper arm,
Right forearm,
Right wrist,
Pointer finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pinky finger,
And your whole right hand at once.
And back to seeing your wrist,
Your forearm,
Your upper arm,
And right shoulder,
Right collarbone,
Base of the neck,
Left collarbone,
Left shoulder,
Left forearm,
Left wrist,
Thumb,
Pointer finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Pointer finger,
Pinky finger,
And the whole of your left hand at once.
And back up to your left wrist,
Left forearm,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Collarbone,
Base of the neck,
Chest,
Center of the chest,
Heart center,
Upper abdomen,
Lower abdomen,
Belly button,
Pelvis,
Groin,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Right knee,
Right shin,
Top of the foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe,
Sole of the foot,
Heel of the foot,
And the whole right foot at once.
Back to your right ankle,
Back of the knee,
Thigh,
Right glute,
Base of the spine,
Left hip,
Left thigh,
Left shin,
Left ankle,
Top of the left foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe,
Sole of the left foot,
Heel,
And the whole of the left foot all at once.
Back to your left ankle,
Back of the left knee,
Left glute,
Base of the spine,
Lower back,
All the way up your spine.
Upper back,
Chest,
Making your way back into your heart space.
Here and now,
Come back to your heart's wish,
Your phrase or word or feeling.
See it radiating within you,
And then sense into your full,
True self,
All of you,
Radiating as a heart within the world.
Then feeling back now into your own heart,
Your wish,
And once again,
Sense into your whole self as a heart within the world.
Fulfilling a wish made from the world.
Now with your breath as the thread,
See if you can weave these images together.
Each breath in and out,
Bringing to light the parts of you that are ready to stretch.
Each breath in and out,
Bringing to light the parts of you that are ready to stretch and be acknowledged,
Be seen,
Be known.
Breathing,
Weaving into the strength and the soft power of your own vulnerability and visibility.
Seeing yourself step forward now,
Letting the light shine warmly on you and from within you.
Comfort and ease and fulfillment of being witnessed fully and truly by anyone that you choose to share yourself with.
No more hiding,
Just honoring your heart's wish.
Repeating again this wish,
The phrase or word or feeling with a renewed conviction three times.
That this is no longer just a wish,
It is real in this body,
This body here practicing now on this surface.
This body that is going back to meet the world,
The sounds,
The sensation of the fingers and toes.
Meeting the breath and perhaps a deep sigh,
Stretching,
Rolling this body and still feeling your sense of confident affirmation.
Your readiness to be seen.
Welcome this by gently placing your hands over your eyes.
Allowing your eyes to flutter open,
Softly removing your hands as you show yourself to the world.
Take as much time as you need here in this transition space.
Whenever you feel called,
Whenever that is,
Allow yourself to rise with readiness.
Remember,
This space,
This practice or any other practice is here for you to ground in your right to be seen as you are each day.
So come back tomorrow or any other day that you need.
We'll be here,
Ready to fully see you on your journey.
This yoga nidra practice is now complete.
