Yoga Nidra To Cultivate Balance

Hello and welcome.

I'm Catherine and I'll be your guide through this Yoga Nidra for Balance.

In this practice we'll be working with opposites and creating a sense of balance using the tools of our breath and our attention.

In the practice of Yoga Nidra we calm the mind and the body shifting from the busy thinking brain to a meditative state or a light sleep where we are deeply relaxed yet still alert.

This is a slow and restorative practice and because of this Yoga Nidra is popular at bedtime but you can practice at any time.

If you choose to use this recording during the day please give yourself enough time to become fully alert before you continue on with your day.

You could feel a little groggy after this practice like you're waking up from a nap.

If this sounds good to you let's begin.

Find a comfortable position to rest.

You might sit in a seated meditation if that's familiar to you or you can lie on the floor on a yoga mat or rest in your bed.

Please choose a place where you won't be disturbed or distracted.

Someplace you feel safe to focus your attention inward and take a few moments to become comfortable.

As you begin to settle in bring attention to your breath.

There is no need to change or shape your breath.

Simply observe the natural rhythm.

Noticing the rise and the fall.

Noticing the rise and the fall.

Noticing the rise and the fall.

Noticing the cadence and the pattern of your breathing.

Settling into the sweetness of your breath.

Our lives are given context by a multitude of dualities and opposites.

Light and dark.

Sleeping and waking.

Work and rest.

The head and the heart.

Masculine and feminine.

Security,

Uncertainty,

Joy and sorrow.

Right and wrong and so many more.

Our very nervous system is created with two branches.

One to deal with stimulation and the other with relaxation.

And each day we encounter decisions,

Challenges that pull us in one direction.

Taking us out of balance.

Perhaps we are working too much and resting too little.

Or a relationship may feel out of balance.

Or maybe the mind has too many negative thoughts and judgments.

Could you name one aspect of your life that is out of balance?

What would a shift toward balance look like in your life?

See it vividly as though it's already happening.

Believe in this possibility for yourself and feel it in your body.

How does it feel to shift toward balance?

Perhaps a sense of ease or relief.

And could you create a simple positive statement,

A statement of intention around this balance?

Repeat that to yourself three times.

Now direct your attention to the belly and begin to deepen your breath.

Your belly rises as you fill the diaphragm with air.

And as you exhale,

Feel your belly empty and softened.

Each breath is like a wave moving up your torso,

Filling the belly,

The ribs and the chest and receding with the exhale.

Giving enough space and time for a luxurious inhale and exhale.

As you breathe,

Could you subtly shape your breath so that the inhale and the exhale are the same length?

Going at your own pace.

Breathe.

Last time,

Breathing in.

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And release.

Allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm.

Now we'll rotate our attention around the body to highlight different parts.

This rotation of consciousness is a time for you to check in and notice sensations throughout the body.

There is no need to change or do anything.

It is simply an exercise of awareness.

I will guide you through various body parts and you only need to bring attention there,

As though you were shining a light on that part of your body.

Attending to it with curiosity and compassion.

Beginning in the mouth,

Sense the tip of your tongue,

The length of the tongue,

The teeth and the gums,

Bringing awareness to the insides of the cheeks,

The jaw,

Noticing sensations or any tension present in your jaw,

The right ear,

The left ear,

Awareness spreading through the scalp,

The top of your head,

The forehead,

The point between your eyebrows,

The right eye,

The eyebrow,

Temple and right cheekbone,

The left eye,

The eyebrow,

The temple,

The left cheekbone,

Both eyes resting and noticing the small micro muscles behind each eye,

The tip of the nose,

The upper lip,

The lower lip,

The chin,

The base of the throat and bringing attention to the right side of the body,

The right hand,

The thumb and the fingers,

1,

2,

3,

4,

5,

The wrist,

The elbow,

The right shoulder,

The right side of the chest,

The waist,

The right hip,

The knee,

The ankle,

The tip of each of the toes,

1,

2,

3,

4,

5,

The sole of the right foot,

Noticing sensation through the whole right side of the body,

Awareness saturating the right side of the body,

And bringing attention now to the left side of the body,

The left hand,

The thumb and each of the fingers,

1,

2,

3,

4,

5,

The wrist,

The elbow,

The left shoulder,

The left side of the chest,

The waist,

The right hip,

The left hip,

The knee,

The ankle,

The tip of each of the toes,

Awareness,

1,

2,

3,

4,

5,

The sole of the left foot,

Awareness flowing through the left side of the body,

Noticing sensations through the entire left side of the body,

And could you welcome sensation equally through the left and the right sides of the body,

Awareness saturating the front of the body and the back of the body,

Experiencing the whole body as a unified field of sensation,

Tuning into sensations throughout the whole body,

Gathering your attention could you direct it to the base of your spine,

Becoming aware of your tailbone,

Noticing sensation through the lower back,

The mid back,

The shoulder blades,

The upper back,

The neck,

All the way up to the point of connection between your spine and your skull,

Taking a breath here and sensing the length of your full spine,

And allowing attention to glide back down the length of the spine,

Back down to the back of your pelvis,

Breathing into your sacrum,

Breathing into the base of your spine,

And your spine,

The tantric sages describe a system of nadis that guide prana energy and allow it to flow around the body,

Running alongside the spine,

From the root chakra to the nostrils,

There are two main channels,

On the right side is pingala nadi,

And on the left side is idha nadi,

You might think of these like a river bed,

Ready to fill with prana and giving this life energy direction,

A path to flow,

Pingala nadi on the right side is the channel of the sun,

Bringing heat and energy,

Idha nadi,

Its partner along the left side is the channel of the moon,

Bringing cool,

Calm,

And restful energy,

When these pathways work together and in balance,

We live with a sense of well being and good health,

But as one becomes more dominant,

We lose balance,

So let us use the tools of breath and attention to bring balance to this pair,

We'll begin an alternate breathing practice in four parts,

Part one,

Imagine breathing in from the base of the spine,

Up the right channel,

All the way to the right nostril,

Part two,

Exhale from the left nostril,

Down the left channel until you reach the base of the spine,

Part three,

With the next breath,

Imagine breathing in from the base of the spine,

Up the left channel to the left nostril,

Part four,

Exhale from the right nostril,

Down the right channel to the base of your spine,

The four parts,

Inhale on the right side,

Exhale on the left side,

Inhale on the left side,

Exhale on the right side,

Let's try together,

Inhale right,

Exhale left,

Inhale left,

Exhale right,

This completes one round of alternate breathing,

Continue to breathe in this way,

Going at your own pace.

Changes.

We'll add another layer of white.

We'll add another layer to this breath.

As you inhale from the right side,

Welcome the sensation of heat moving up and down your back.

And as you inhale from the left side,

Welcome the sensation of a pleasant coolness moving up and down your back.

Starting with your next inhale on the right side.

Inhaling warmth and heat along your spine.

And exhaling warmth back down.

Inhaling on the left side,

Welcoming a cool fresh sensation up your back.

And exhaling that coolness travels down your back.

Alternating between warm and cool.

And exhaling that coolness travels down your back.

And exhaling that coolness travels down your back.

And welcoming both aspects of Pingala Nadi and Ida Nadi.

The sun and the moon,

Warmth and coolness.

Bringing equal attention to each inhale and each exhale.

Know that whatever is happening in your daily life,

In this moment you are embodying balance.

And you create equilibrium between these two forces.

As you continue breathing evenly,

Recall your intention.

Whatever you desire to balance,

See that happen now.

And with each breath you draw in and each breath you release,

Your situation comes into perfect balance.

And let's complete one last round of alternate breathing.

Inhaling your attention and breath traveling up the right side of the spine.

Exhaling,

Drawing down the left side of the spine.

Exhaling your attention and energy traveling up the left side of the spine.

And exhale,

Drawing down the right side of the spine.

Facing this control of the breath,

Welcome the natural rhythm of your breath to return.

Resting here in the medicine of presence,

You fully inhabit this moment,

This breath.

No future,

No past.

Simply basking in the present moment and resting in this space you have created,

This balanced and equal state.

We'll stay in silence for a bit,

Resting in open awareness.

Allow any images,

Thoughts or insights that may arise.

And continue to notice the sensations of your breath and body.

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Now it's time to finish our practice of yoga nidra.

Begin to return your awareness and attention back to the space where you are practicing.

Sensing the floor,

The ceiling and the walls of the room around you.

With the next breath,

Feel the connection between your body and the support beneath you.

Sense the firmness of the floor or the softness of the bed beneath you.

And invite your mind to return from this deep rest.

If it is your intention to go to sleep after this practice,

Now is a perfect time to end this recording.

Get cozy in your bed and sleep well.

And if you are ready to continue with your day,

We'll proceed to awaken the mind and body.

You are returning from a state of deep rest and it will take a little time for your mind to wake up.

Take a few breaths with a long inhale and a short,

Quick exhale like this.

Again,

Long inhale,

Short exhale.

Begin to move your extremities,

Wiggling the fingers and toes.

You might flex and point your feet or begin to make circles with the hands and feet,

Waking up your limbs and gently waking up the head and neck,

Looking to the right side,

Back to center,

Looking to the left,

Back to center.

And take a few moments to stretch your body and move in any way that feels nice.

And if you've been lying down,

Come to a seated position.

Bring your hands together in front of your heart and take a moment of appreciation.

Thank you for taking time to invest in yourself and in your well-being.

And thank you for choosing to meditate with me today and allowing me to guide you through this Yoga Nidra practice.

It is my wish that you are gentle with yourself.

In the next few minutes,

You might like to write in a journal,

Continue stretching or perhaps go for a gentle walk.

Please give yourself time to wake up and to integrate this experience before moving on with your day.

I hope that you benefit from this practice and you may return anytime you'd like to work with bringing more balance into your life.

Have a beautiful day.