Receiving Love And Offering Gratitude - Yoga Nidra

This meditation practice is best done as you settle in.

Notice how your attention is drawn from the external world to the internal world,

Even as I invite you to make yourself just 5% more comfortable.

Notice how you need to go inwards,

Into your body and find out what sensations are there,

And you might need to adjust your neck or your legs.

Welcome these minor adjustments.

Attune to your own needs here.

This is your time,

A space to be fully present,

Leaving everything else behind.

Life is waiting for you.

Everything is waiting for you.

All you need is your attention and imagination for this meditation.

And welcome yourself now to this practice,

Knowing that there's no wrong or right way.

Simply being here with what is.

Not trying to accomplish anything.

No goal of becoming a good meditator.

One of the best ways we can receive love and be loving to ourselves is to be the way we are,

Rather than different from that.

We're not trying to fix or change or force anything here.

Begin to welcome the space around you.

Allow all 5 senses to open to the space around you.

Open every sense to the experience of receiving.

Welcoming each sensation that arrives with curiosity and kindness.

Feel the touch of air in your Notice any smells or fragrances in the air.

Welcome sound.

The sounds close by.

The sounds further away.

The body open and receptive to sound.

Not labelling the sound.

Just welcoming.

Notice any colours or images behind your closed eyelids.

Opening your internal vision.

And now the tongue.

Notice any tastes.

And notice the space all around you.

The space in front of you.

Behind you.

To the left.

To the right.

And allow yourself to feel into the body.

Moving your attention inwards.

And feel into the aliveness of the body.

Life is here.

Moving through everything.

All of your cells.

What does that feel like?

What words might you use to describe this?

Maybe a feeling of well-being.

Allow yourself to rest here as this energy.

And allow everything that you hear,

Think,

See or feel be just as it is.

And notice what's present here.

Mind open.

Body open.

Now let's set the intention to firm gratitude in today's practice.

Repeat in your head three times the following mantra.

I am grateful.

I am grateful.

I am grateful.

And now welcome five things you are grateful for in this moment.

It doesn't need to be ambitious or extravagant.

It could sound something like this.

I am grateful for my eyes for seeing.

I'm grateful to have oxygen to breathe.

I'm grateful for my comfortable bed at night.

I'm grateful for the loved ones in my life.

I'm grateful for the sun that shines.

Find five things you're grateful for in this moment.

And notice the sensations of gratitude in the body.

Spaciousness across the heart.

Even a smile across the face.

Warmth in the body.

Or a sense of peace.

Now draw your attention to the sensations in your mouth.

Sense your entire mouth.

Feel into the tongue.

The tongue relaxed.

The jaws.

The entire jawline relaxed.

The teeth.

The lips.

The space inside the mouth.

The walls of the mouth.

And now the whole mouth.

Feel into the spaciousness of the mouth.

Draw your attention to the left ear.

Right ear.

Feel into the space around the ears.

And the space in front of the nose.

Left nostril.

Right nostril.

And the air flowing in and out of both nostrils.

Soften the eyes.

Left eye.

Right eye.

Sense the eyelids.

Covering the eyes in soothing darkness.

Soften the forehead.

Skull.

Sense into the back of the neck.

Throat.

Left shoulder.

Left elbow.

Left wrist.

Left palm.

Left finger.

Now the right shoulder.

Right elbow.

Right wrist.

Right palm.

Right finger.

Soften the chest.

Ribs.

Upper back.

Spine.

Abdomen.

Feel your abdomen and chest as you breathe.

Allowing everything to rise and fall just as it is.

Bring attention to your left hip.

Left thigh.

Left knee.

Left ankle.

Left heel.

Left top of the foot.

Sole of the foot.

And each of the left toes one by one.

Draw your attention to the right hip.

Right thigh.

Right knee.

Right ankle.

Right heel.

Right top of the foot.

Sole of the foot.

And each of the right toes one by one.

And now feel into the entire body.

Feel into the front of the body.

Back of the body.

Left side.

Right side.

Inside.

And outside.

Allow every sensation to come to your awareness.

Thoughts.

Images.

Sensations.

Just notice.

Notice how everything is changing.

Coming and going.

Be the observer.

And how awareness just is.

Simply in the background.

Like the dark sky is the background to the stars at night.

And feel into the spaciousness of the body.

Body relaxed.

Mind relaxed.

And begin to notice and observe the breath.

Where the breath enters the nostrils.

The temperature of the breath.

The breath flowing down into the lungs.

Your belly expanding and contracting with each breath.

Breath smooth across the inhales and exhales.

And you can even gently bring your left hand now onto your heart.

As you begin to direct the inhale into the heart region.

Just put your attention there as you breathe.

Feel the heart expand with each inhale.

And begin to shape the inhale for a count of six.

And exhale for a count of four.

Breathing into the heart.

Feel the heart become vibrant.

Expansive.

Open with each breath.

And you can even welcome an affirmation with every inhale.

Such as I am grateful.

Or I am loved.

Or I am healthy.

Or everything is always working out for me.

Continue to do this for the next few minutes.

Inhale into the heart for a count of six.

And exhale for four.

Now let go of this counting of the breath.

And notice what's present now.

And experience feeling open.

Compassionate.

And loving.

Where do feelings of love.

Compassion.

And openness reside in the body.

Stay with this feeling of love in the body.

Using a memory if you need to.

Embody feeling loving.

Compassionate.

Open.

Keep your attention towards your heart area.

And continue to keep your hand there.

Focus your attention on the heart.

Even feel it gently beating inside your chest.

Focus your attention on the heart.

Feel it gently beating inside your chest.

And find things that you love about yourself here in this moment.

It can be something simple.

Your eyes for seeing.

Your ears for hearing.

Or an aspect of your personality.

Your kindness.

Warmth.

Generosity.

Now keep finding things that you love about yourself.

And make you,

You.

You're a unique human being.

With unique aspects to your personality.

No one is the same.

No one has all the same qualities.

Intensify this experience of self love.

Allow yourself to feel into this sense of well being this experience brings.

Now bring to mind the people in your life who love and support you.

Have your best interests at heart.

Loved ones.

Family.

Friends.

Colleagues.

Mentors.

See their faces now.

And the love they have for you.

They wish you well being.

Happiness.

And joy as they gaze back at you.

Notice how they offer you support.

Mentally and emotionally.

Open yourself to receiving this love.

This unconditional love.

And notice the sensations in your body.

A radiance or glow.

A shower of well being over the body.

Your whole body and mind and every cell receiving this.

You don't need to do anything.

Just your existence is enough to receive this.

And if your attention wanders,

Bring those smiling faces back to you.

Stay with this receiving of unconditional warmth and love.

And also welcome other thoughts or beliefs you have about yourself that might not agree with this love that you're receiving.

Thoughts such as I'm not good enough.

I'm scared to receive this.

Welcome those here too.

Allow them to be embraced and held by this loving experience.

All is welcome.

No matter who you are or whether you think you deserve this.

Find refuge here.

Your own existence.

Goodness.

As if soaking up the rays of sunlight.

You can't not receive these rays.

You absorb them naturally.

The light shines on everything without judgement.

Whether it's good or bad.

The sun still directs its rays.

Stay with this openness.

Be receptive.

And now let's do a review of your day.

This day that was a gift.

It may not feel like that now.

But one day we will realise that every day is a gift.

So look back.

Right back to the start of your day.

What did you wake up feeling?

Did you sleep well?

Poorly?

What was the strongest emotion?

No judgement.

You woke up in your bed this morning.

Maybe it was still dark.

Or light.

What was your intention for today?

And now look through the contents of your day.

The activities you did.

The people you interacted with.

Notice how you felt during these.

Were you happy?

Sad?

Indifferent?

Excited?

Just noticing.

Going through this time sequence of events.

And maybe there is something you would like to change.

Perhaps a conversation or a choice.

Simply visualise you changing that to how you would have liked it to have happened.

And notice what you are grateful for about this day.

Find three things you are grateful for.

And notice how one interaction.

A harsh word.

A mistake.

Can tarnish your entire day.

But there are still things that you can be grateful for.

Now visualise tomorrow.

See yourself waking up in your bed.

After a night of deep restful sleep.

And how you wake up feeling energised.

Calm.

And how you would like to feel tomorrow as you take on the day's activities.

And what you might be grateful for.

Now take a moment as you slowly come back to your body and mind.

And review the journey you have just taken.

Begin to sense the room around you.

And the feeling of beginning to move back into the world.

Take several deeper abdominal breaths.

Begin to wriggle your fingers and toes.

Take a full body stretch.

Bend your knees.

And gently roll onto your right side.

Taking a moment to rest.

When you're ready,

Push yourself up into a seated position.

Notice what's present now.

And remember to take this experience with you.

Your ability to be open.

Receptive to love.

Kindness.

And how you can find gratitude in the smallest of things.

Taking your time.

When you're ready.

Begin to reorientate yourself to your surrounding.

Slowly blinking your eyes open and closed.

Coming back to your wide awake and alert state.