Emotions Yoga Nidra: Transforming Fear

Prepare for the practice of yoga nidra by lying on your back in shavasana.

And as you lie on your back,

Perhaps you put something under your head.

And then if you have any back issues,

Or if it just feels appropriate,

You can put something under your knees.

And really take some time to make sure that you're comfortable.

I always say that when we practice making ourselves comfortable in practices like yin or restorative or yoga nidra,

We're actually practicing in life to take some time to get comfortable and that we matter and that we deserve to be comfortable.

So if there's anything you can do to get more comfortable,

A blanket,

A pillow,

Take that time know that you matter know that you deserve to be comfortable.

And know that the body temperature tends to drop in yoga nidra.

So it's always nice to have a blanket nearby.

Because when the body gets relaxed,

It gets colder.

And then get as aligned and symmetrical as you wish.

Just balancing out the hemispheres of the brain and the sides of the body.

And take a deep breath in.

And on the exhale,

Think letting go.

And do this several times.

Taking a deep breath in.

And on the exhale,

Thinking letting go.

And let go of missed opportunities,

Misunderstandings,

Disappointments,

Lost loves.

Let them all blow away like leaves in an autumn wind.

And then take a deep breath in.

And on the exhale,

Think fear,

Fear.

And connect to any fear in the body.

In this moment,

What are you afraid of?

What are you worrying about?

Is there anything you're nervous about?

Anxious?

And when you connect to that,

If anything is going on,

Notice where the body tenses up with the thought.

And see if it's possible to soften that place.

People tend to hold stress or tension in the jaw.

Sometimes in the shoulders.

I do in my hands.

In the stomach is another place.

Where is that place that your emotions go?

And then begin to listen in all directions for sounds.

Listen in all directions for sounds.

If you're in the city like me,

You might hear helicopters.

Bikers.

Traffic.

Other people.

Listen for those sounds.

You can even name them.

Traffic.

Neighbor.

Car.

Listen for those sounds.

And then listen for sounds inside wherever you're situated in.

The room.

The place.

The humming of electronics.

Listen for those closer sounds.

And then move closer in and listen to sounds of the body.

Sometimes when we get relaxed,

The stomach starts to digest.

Starts to turn on.

Maybe there's some gurgling in the stomach.

Then listen for or feel the breath coming in and out of the nose or mouth.

And then listen for or feel the heartbeat.

And in the heartbeat,

Hear the heart's desire.

The inner longing.

The burning bush of the heart.

In Yoga Nidra,

We call this the Sankalpa,

Our personal vow.

It's a short statement resolved in the present or future tense,

And it's positive.

And if you don't have a statement,

An affirmation,

A resolve that you're working with,

Today I offer the statement,

I will find the right Sankalpa for me.

I'll find the right statement for me.

Or perhaps I honor my fears.

Or I'm willing to work through my fears.

Using one of my statements or your own,

Repeat it three times mentally with full awareness and the confidence that it will come true.

Moving on to the rotation of consciousness through the body,

The body scan.

A body part will be named,

And either repeat the name of the body part mentally,

Bring awareness to the body part,

Or visualize or feel the body part being touched by a cold icy wind.

All of the possibilities are acceptable,

And you can choose how to do the body scan,

What seems right for you today.

Either repeating the name mentally of the body part,

Nothing moves,

It's all mental.

Bringing awareness to the body part,

Or visualizing a cold breeze or wind touching the body part.

I won't cue the wind,

And know that everything else is on the table too,

As a way to practice.

Feel a cool wind touching the right hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

And pinky finger.

Feel that cool breeze on the palm of the hand,

The back of the hand,

At the wrist,

Touching the forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Gentle wind at the armpit,

And moving down the side of the right ribcage,

Right waist,

Hip,

A cool breeze on the upper leg,

Kneecap,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Heel,

Heel,

This slight wind touching the instep,

The sole of the foot,

The top of the foot,

And then gently crossing the right big toe,

First toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And fifth toe.

And now the whole right side of the body has been gently brushed with an icy breeze.

Stay aware and bring that cool wind to the left side of the body and let it blow on the left hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

And pinky finger.

Feel that breeze in the palm of the hand and let it move up the back of the hand,

Wrist,

Touching the forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Wind at the armpit,

The side of the left rib cage,

That gentle breeze at the left waist,

Left hip,

Upper leg,

Kneecap,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Gentle breeze at the sole of the foot,

The instep,

The top of the foot,

And across the left big toe,

Second toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And fifth toe.

And let the breeze touch the top of the head and the forehead.

Feel that air at the right temple,

The left temple,

Right eyebrow,

A blowing at the left eyebrow,

And then feel that gentle wind at the eyebrow center.

Let it move across the right eyelid,

The left eyelid,

Brushing past the right eyelashes,

The left eyelashes,

The right eyelashes,

Chilling the bridge of the nose,

The tip of the nose,

A breeze at the upper lip,

The lower lip,

Wind at the chin,

The chin,

Throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Hollow between the collarbones.

Feel that icy breeze on the right chest,

The left chest,

And a coolness at the heart center.

And let this air,

This cool air touch the upper abdomen,

The navel,

The lower abdomen,

Pelvis,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back.

Let the air run up and down the entire spinal column,

And then let it touch the right shoulder blade,

The left shoulder blade,

Cool breeze at the back of the neck,

The back of the head,

And then the top of the head.

Bring awareness to the whole right arm and feel the sunlight warming that body part.

Warm up the whole right arm.

Notice if there's any place that's still cool or frozen and just warm that up.

And warm up the whole left arm.

Let the whole left arm get comfortable,

Warm,

Bring it back to temperature.

And then feel the sun's healing rays on the whole right leg.

Let that whole right leg get warmed up.

And then shift the awareness to the whole left leg and let that whole left leg come back to room temperature,

Be comfortable.

And then feel warmth and comfort,

Healing across the whole front of the body from the top of the head all the way to the tips of the toes.

Warm up the whole front of the body.

Then warm up,

Bring healing light to the whole back of the body.

Let the whole back of the body get warmed up,

Get comfortable,

Come back to temperature.

And then let the whole body together,

The whole body together,

The whole body together be warm,

Comfortable,

And relaxed.

And then sweep the body a few times from the head to the fingertips and the fingertips back to the head and the head to the toes and the toes back to the head.

And notice if there's any place that still feels cold or stuck.

And attempt to bring some healing there.

Notice any sticky places that's deprived of prana.

Just bring some healing energy,

Warmth,

Comfort,

And love there.

And then come back to the breath.

And notice the rise and fall of the breath.

Notice the rise and fall of the breath.

And with each inhale,

Let the belly rise.

And with each exhale,

Let the belly fall.

And take slow,

Deep breaths.

Noticing the inhale and the belly rising.

And then the exhale,

Let the belly fall.

And if you wish,

You can bring your right hand or left hand to the heart.

And as you breathe,

Connect to the heart.

The Bija mantra of the heart is YAM,

Spelled Y-A-M,

Like yam,

But pronounced yum.

And if you wish,

You can inhale,

Thinking yum,

And exhale,

Thinking yum.

Or if you don't want to use that Sanskrit mantra,

Maybe you use a word like love or compassion,

As you connect to the heart.

Mentally seeing it,

Or perhaps even touching the heart space,

And working with that affirmation,

Love,

Compassion,

Or the Bija mantra,

Yum.

Inhaling,

Thinking the word,

And exhale,

Thinking the word.

Yum.

Yum.

And then if you wish,

With the arms still bent,

As if you're pledging allegiance to the flag,

Bring the bent arm next to the body with the palm facing up or out.

And that's the mudra,

Fear not,

Abhaya mudra.

And if you don't feel like making it with the body,

You can just mentally think of your elbow tucked in,

Your arm bent,

As if you're pledging allegiance or taking a vow.

Fear not.

Fear not.

And connect the breath with that word again,

Love,

Yum,

Compassion,

Maybe even strength,

As you hold abhaya mudra.

And breathe.

And then release the arms by the side,

If you had been moving the arms or had bent them.

And come back to the breath,

And notice any cool air coming in through the nose or mouth.

And notice any places that the body is cool.

And once some coolness is found,

Maybe at the fingertips or the nose or anywhere on the exposed skin,

Once again,

Spread that coolness across the entire body.

Let the body be cool.

The body is cool.

And then let go of that coolness and come to the opposite experience of warmth.

Notice any warmth under the blankets or clothing.

Notice warmth at the core of the body.

And once the warmth is found,

Spread that warmth across the entire body.

Let the body be warm.

The body is warm.

And then let go of that warmth and come back to coolness.

Feel the body cool.

Connect to that exposed skin,

Those places where the body is cool.

And spread the coolness across the entire body.

Be cool.

Know the body is cool.

And then let go of that coolness and come to the opposite sensation of warmth.

Find warmth at the core of the body or under the clothing.

And spread the warmth across the entire body.

Instantaneously become warm.

Know the body is warm.

The body is warm.

And then let go of coolness and let go of warmth and come back to the breath.

And then remember a time where you felt weak,

Powerless,

Helpless.

And remember that experience as if it were happening right now.

Connect to that moment of weakness,

Powerlessness,

And spread it across the entire body.

Let the body be weak.

It could be physical or mental.

The body is weak.

And then let go of that weakness and come to an opposite experience of strength.

Remember a time when you were really strong,

Courageous,

Fearless.

And connect to that experience as if it were happening right now.

Feel the courage.

Feel the strength.

Spread it across the entire body.

Be strong.

Know the body as strength.

The body is strong.

And then let go of that strength and come back to the weakness,

Powerlessness.

Feel it across the entire body.

Connect to it.

Own it.

And then let it go and come to that opposite experience of strength.

Feel that.

Feel the strength.

Know the strength.

Body is strong.

Be strong.

And then let go of the strength and let go of the weakness and come back to the breath.

And then remember a time when you were afraid.

It could be mentally or some kind of situation.

It does not have to be the most fearful situation.

Just remember a time when you were afraid.

It could be young.

It could be recent.

And connect to that fear.

Spread it across the entire body.

Let the body be afraid.

Know the body as fear.

The body is afraid.

And then let go of that experience of being afraid and come to the opposite experience of being fearless.

A master of the moment.

And remember this moment,

This time of fearlessness and spread that across the entire body.

Be fearless.

Know the body is without fear.

The body is fearless.

And then let go of the fearlessness and come back to the experience of being afraid.

Notice if you feel small,

Constricted,

Cold.

Spread it across the entire body.

Let the body be afraid.

And then move away from that and come to that opposite experience of being fierce and fearless.

And notice what the body feels like.

Is it warm?

Is it relaxing?

Does it feel more open?

Connect to that ferocity,

That fearlessness,

The courage,

The self-assurance,

The confidence.

And know the body is fearless,

Confident,

Courageous.

And then let go of the state of being afraid and fearless and come back to the breath.

And bring the awareness to the Chittakash,

The mind space in front of the closed eyes.

Bring awareness to the Chittakash,

The mind movie.

And in that space,

Notice if there are any colors or patterns.

Bring the awareness to the Chittakash,

The mind space in front of the closed eyes.

And in that space,

See yourself completely comfortable and at ease.

See the self there,

Comfortable,

Content,

And at ease.

And then notice where are you?

Where is that place of complete comfort?

Is it indoors or outdoors?

Are you on top of a mountain or by a river?

What is the place,

The location of utter comfort?

And find yourself there.

And when you feel sighted,

Connect to the most basic needs.

What do you need in order to feel comfortable,

Courageous,

At home?

Is there another person there?

Is the place big or small?

Do you have lots of things?

Or is there an economy of possessions?

What is needed for you to feel relaxed,

At ease,

At home?

What are the sounds?

Are you in nature with birds chirping?

Are you inside listening to music?

Is it summer,

Spring,

Or fall?

What's the season?

Are the colors bright and intense?

Or is the palette more muted or monochrome?

What do you need?

What makes you comfortable?

And is it possible to simplify the yogis ask us to practice non-attachment?

Is there any chance?

Is there anything that could be simplified and you'd still be comfortable,

Relaxed?

And maybe the answer is no.

What are your most basic needs?

And then visualize these simple images that will be suggested.

A tall tree.

A tall tree.

A meadow full of wildflowers.

A meadow full of wildflowers.

A beautiful fire in the living room.

A beautiful fire in the living room.

Two lovers holding hands.

Two lovers holding hands.

Stars in the night sky.

Stars in the night sky.

Snow-capped mountains.

Snow-capped mountains.

A rainbow.

Bring awareness back to the Chittakash,

The mind space in front of the closed eyes and let go of the visualization practice.

And connect back to the breath.

Notice its temperature.

The rhythm.

And in the gentle breath,

Hear the whisper of the Sankalpa,

The short positive statement that was made at the beginning of the Yoga Nidra practice.

And again,

Repeat it three times mentally with full awareness and the confidence that it will come true.

And feel the heartbeat.

Feel the breath moving in and out of the nose or mouth.

Notice digestion.

Is the stomach gurgling?

Or has it settled?

Listen for sounds inside the room.

Listen for sounds outside the room.

Find the furthest sound that you can hear outside the room.

And begin to remember the room.

Remember the walls.

And the ceiling.

Remember the floor.

Remember your place in the room.

Even remember what you're wearing.

And remember what you're worried about,

Fearing,

Nervous about,

Anxious or jealous.

What was that?

Is it still there?

Is it real?

Remember that.

And then come back to the breath.

Come back to the breath.

And make each inhale deeper and deeper.

And each exhale fuller and fuller.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply and fully.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply and fully.

And say to yourself mentally,

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.

You can keep your eyes closed.

But if you wish,

You can begin to wiggle the fingers and the toes.

Just getting them moving.

And if you want,

Just start to roll the wrists and ankles one way.

And then switch directions.

And you can release that and take any kind of intuitive movement the body is asking for.

Some people like to take the arms overhead with a great stretch.

Other people like to twist side to side.

And if you feel like you need a little more speed,

Notice what you or your body is asking for.

And just honor that.

And maybe no movement is necessary.

And at a certain point,

You can connect to the nostrils.

And notice which one is more open.

Whichever nostril is more open,

Then lie on that side in the fetal position if you're coming out of the practice.

In that position of rebirth and renewal,

You can say some words of kindness to yourself like good job or I meditated.

I meditated.

And if you wish,

You can push yourself up to a seated position and you can put your hand if you want in that abhaya mudra,

Fear not,

Like you're taking a vow.

The light in me bows down to,

Acknowledges,

And admires the light in each and every one of you.

Hari Om Tat Sat Ashe.