Yoga Nidra For Grief

Hello,

Dear one.

Welcome to restful medicine.

Find comfort wherever you can as we begin this journey into yoga nidra for grief.

Taking comfort even if only for these few moments.

Lying down with additional comfort provided by a warm blanket or soft pillow.

Or perhaps resting on your couch or floor.

Or maybe finding a location to sit and take in nature.

My name is Elka.

Allow me to be your guide throughout this practice.

Grief takes time.

Take this time for yourself and whatever it is that you need.

Close your eyes either fully or partially.

Allowing yourself to begin to gaze in.

Eyes gently resting from outward experiencing.

Moving deeper into the source within.

Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly.

Allow yourself to be held in a safe center within you.

Hold yourself close and dear with a gentle loving tenderness.

Feel yourself breathing.

There is a flow of in-breath that fills you.

And there is a flow of out-breath that soothes you.

A gentle calm flow of breath.

Nourishment of air and space.

Maybe add a little extra encouragement to your inhalation.

Sensing the slow drawing in of more air.

Another filling into the spaces within.

And could you now imagine that each breath in begins to fill you with a loving kindness.

Each breath offering gentle support and filling you with the feeling tone of loving kindness.

And maybe there's a small amount of encouragement that you can add to the out-breath.

Awareness and feeling.

Your breath move out with a slow steadiness and ease.

Finding the breath out in a slow gentle soft way all around you.

Allow each breath in to nurture all the spaces within you.

Filling you with the supportive loving kindness,

Metta.

Each breath in taking in a little more.

Your exhalations.

Feeling and sensing where your breath flows out.

Sensing your breath encircling you with support.

Feeling or imagining this breath spreading like a ring all around you.

Each exhalation radiating a sensation.

The feeling of protection and support.

A radiating ring of support and protection spreading all around you.

Each breath in filling you with a loving kindness.

Each breath out radiating this circle.

A circle of support and protection.

Seeing and creating this ring or perhaps even feeling it in any way that you can.

For some this might feel like a vibrant image or a feeling tone.

Others may sense this a little more subtly or not at all.

It's okay.

There is no wrong way.

Simply sense and feel this in the way that you can.

Feeling a bubble of safety,

Of protection around you in any way that you can so that you may be fully protected and fully express your pain in this safe space.

And then maybe you can begin to expand another ring around you.

Creating another layer of safety and protection.

Feeling yourself with the support of energy and feeling and noticing yourself safe in its center.

Each breath in there is a loving kindness filling inside you.

Each breath out expanding into this ring of support and safety.

Slow movement of breath and gentle expansion.

Feel the layers of loving kindness.

Feel layers of safety and support.

And feel yourself safe in its center.

Your heart at its nucleus.

And could you now place a small whisper of loving support for yourself here within the center.

Repeating inside your heart and mind three times this following message for your grieving heart.

I give myself time and space to grieve and process these feelings.

Saying within your heart two more times.

I give myself time and space to grieve and process these feelings.

I give myself time and space to grieve and process these feelings.

Feel yourself fully safe to be present,

To be aware,

Observant and curious of your feelings.

It is okay if the mind needs to wander or if you need to press pause and remain in the feelings of your heavy heart for a little longer.

If you could right now,

What can you begin to notice inside your right eye?

Gently directing your attention inside your right eye,

Becoming aware of the sensations.

Right eye alight,

Innervated,

Full of sensation.

The nerve endings awakening with your awareness.

How can you sense your right eye?

And how can you deepen your awareness behind the right eye?

Beginning to alight inside your right brain and the right side of your head,

Filling with sensitivity,

Changing sensations.

And now watch and observe what you can feel inside the left eye.

What sensations are here?

Ocular sensations deepening behind the left eye now,

Igniting left side of your brain and sensations expanding out to the whole left side of your head.

And now what sensations are resting in the back of the head?

And float to the sensations at the top of your head.

The forehead,

Both eyes,

Your nose,

Mouth and your entire face,

Your throat.

Moving to the center of your heart,

Beneath your warm hand.

And could you take a few breaths,

Filling the space?

And now what can you observe and feel inside your right shoulder?

Deep inside your right shoulder.

And now watch as sensations and awareness moves down your arm,

Elbow,

Wrist,

Palm and even feel all the way to the sensations in the tip of your right hand thumb.

Your right hand thumb alive with sensations,

Innervated.

Your first finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Pinky finger and feel the whole right hand lining up with sensations.

And alighting sensations now inside the whole right arm and right shoulder.

Feeling the whole right side of your chest with sensation and awareness.

Waist,

Hip,

Right leg,

Knee,

Ankle,

Foot.

Feel the heel,

The sole of your right foot,

The top of your right foot,

The tip of your right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Pinky toe and welcome the whole right foot alive with sensations and awareness and the whole right leg.

Feel the whole right side of your chest and arm and even all the way up to the right brain.

Feel the whole right side from right brain to toe tips alive with sensation.

Feel the whole right side effervescent with sensation.

Now what can be sensed when you move your awareness over to the left side?

Observing and sensing the sensations inside your left shoulder and down the left arm into your elbow,

Wrist,

Palm.

Feel the tip of your left hand thumb alive with sensation,

Left hand thumb effervescent.

And now the tip of your first finger,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Pinky finger and the whole left hand and the whole left arm,

Shoulder,

Left side of your chest,

Waist,

Hip and down the leg inside the left knee,

Ankle,

Heel,

Top of the left foot and the tip of your left big toe alive with sensations.

Moving over to second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Pinky toe and now feel the whole left foot,

Leg,

Waist and chest,

The left shoulder,

The left arm and all the way up inside the left side of your brain and now sensing the whole left side from inside the left brain down to the toe tips on the left foot.

Your whole left side alive with sensation,

Fully innervated,

Awake and aware.

And now what can you sense when you move back over to the right side,

Feeling the whole right side of your body again?

The whole right side alive with sensation.

And then again what can you sense on the left side,

Feeling all the sensations on the left side?

Your whole left side,

Awake and aware.

What does it feel like when you move from side to side?

What can you sense side to side?

And can you begin to welcome yourself back into your center,

The space around your heart,

The center of your lungs and ribs?

What can you sense and feel here?

Heart center sensations.

Feeling the movement of air.

Feeling the warmth of your supportive hand.

Or even deeper still into the layer of heartbreak.

When we are conscious with our emotions,

We help to complete those emotions.

And over time,

Balance our emotional state.

Sometimes our grief feels like so many things at once.

Move inward to that feeling or layers of feelings.

Know that each breath in is filling you with love and kindness.

Each breath out you are held and supported.

Hold yourself here with love and grace.

And from this feeling,

Would it be possible now to move into the opposite of this feeling?

Welcoming in the opposing sensation.

If you were experiencing sadness,

What would it feel like to welcome in happiness?

Or perhaps if you're experiencing anger,

What would it feel like to welcome in peacefulness or forgiveness?

If you're experiencing sadness,

What would it feel like to welcome in happiness?

Allow yourself to move into all that you can feel,

To all that you can experience.

Holding space for all that you can feel.

Give yourself this time for gentle observation.

Observing all the feeling tones.

Offer yourself this time of loving support.

Keep moving in.

Notice everything as it changes or stays the same.

Finding yourself from this place of loving kindness and tender support.

The heartbreak,

The joy,

The peacefulness,

And the gratitude.

Be open to every experience with love and tenderness.

And when you feel ready,

Invite a small encouragement to the breath.

Drawing in a deeper amount.

Hold the breath for a moment or two.

And when you are ready to release this breath,

Let it out with a sigh like this.

Do this four or five times,

Small encouragement to your inhalation.

Holding the breath for a moment or two.

And letting the breath sigh out fully and deeply,

Letting go.

And after you've completed your four or five rounds,

Simply allow your breath to return back to its natural pace and rhythm that is perfect for you in this moment.

Notice your hands resting on your body.

Simply draw your fingers into your palms,

Lightly squeezing both hands.

Feel the pressure,

The tightness.

And when you are ready,

Release the fingers out loose.

Seeing the hands on your body again with the fingers slightly curled.

Now reach your toes out,

Stretching both legs and feet long.

Feel the length of your legs.

And then allow the whole body to settle into the surface beneath you,

Soft and loose.

Now move your awareness all the way up to your head and roll your head a little side to side,

Gently waking up the muscles of the neck.

Feel the sides of the neck as you roll,

Gently letting go of tension.

And when you are ready,

Allow your head to rest in its center.

Open and close your eyes a few times,

Allowing light in and then darkness and then light again.

And then when you are ready,

Close the eyes back down for a few more moments.

Take a few deep breaths here,

Clearing nasal passages down to the lungs.

Feel breath swirling in and breath releasing out.

And then greet yourself again in the space of your heart center.

Repeating inside your heart and mind three times this following message.

I give myself time and space to grieve and process these feelings.

I give myself time and space to grieve and process these feelings.

I give myself time and space to grieve and process these feelings.

Take your right hand and place it on your left shoulder.

And now placing the left hand on your right shoulder and gently giving yourself a hug.

Hold yourself dear and within your graceful heart.

Take as much time as you need before moving and integrating this self-compassion into the rest of your day or evening.

Much love and support to you dear one.

Om shaadi shaadi shaadi.

Peace.

Peace.

Conservation.

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