Yoga Nidra Breath Of Life

Welcome to this practice of Yoga Nidra.

My name is Rachel and today's practice is a gentle exploration of what we may be longing to release,

But feel unable to let go.

When you find this practice,

Be kind and gentle with yourself as you journey through,

Allowing space for support to meet you here today.

Use presence and feel yourself slowing down as you prepare your space for rest.

Choose your position by listening to your body.

Whether you lay down,

Sit with support or go for a walk in nature.

Notice if your body is calling you for rest and allow for a softening within to guide your response.

In your chosen resting space,

Bring the palms of your hands to rest lightly over the top of your chest and lungs.

Feel a breath rise up into the warm palms of your hands,

An opening across the collarbones.

Allow for the breath to release fully,

Feeling a depression sinking as the breath is exhaled.

One more breath like this.

Now slide your hands down onto the sides of your ribs.

Fingertips may be touching,

Palms resting along the bones.

Feel a breath rise diagonally outwards into the ribs,

An opening within this cage around your lungs.

As the exhale comes,

The ribs pull inwards and closing,

Protecting.

One more breath here.

Slide your hands down,

Landing on the two front pelvic bones,

Fingertips meeting over the pubic bone,

Thumbs touching just below the navel.

Inhale,

Feel a widening lift into the soft hands,

Breath moving down deeper into the pelvis.

Two breaths here,

Like this.

Allow the breath to bring you closer,

More present with your inner world.

Where do you experience your breath?

Where does it begin?

Where does it end?

And what is it that is felt in between?

This practice is one that invites us to be with all of our self,

Noticing the waves of thoughts,

Emotions and sensations that wish to rise through us and simultaneously be released as they descend.

Would it be okay to welcome these states of being,

To flow uninterrupted,

Allowing for their movement to pass through us?

As we journey through this yoga nidra,

Recognize your physical body sliding into deeper rest,

Along with a notice the thinking mind beginning to follow,

Being lulled into a peaceful slumber.

As you observe these changing states within,

Awaken to the part of you that is the observer and lay down at that part of you for the rest of the exploration.

Maybe the body has already softened,

Landing into the ground beneath you,

Giving in to the rising forces coming to meet the whole back body.

There is a meeting of the physical body,

The earth below.

All of you is welcome here.

We will begin to increase our presence within the body by bringing focused awareness into each part as I call it out.

The fingerprint of your right thumb illuminated by light,

Feel into the skin of your right thumb,

Bones of the thumb,

Feel the bones of all fingers and thumb,

The skin of the palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Whole right hand,

Sensation rising into the right hand,

Bones of the right wrist connecting into the forearm bones,

To the right elbow,

Joining to the upper arm bones,

Feeding into the right shoulder joint and across the right collar bone,

Slide around to the back of the shoulder,

Find the triangular shape of your shoulder blade,

Feel the ribs underneath wrapping from spine to sternum.

Find the sternum at the front of the chest bone,

Deepen into the diaphragm muscle,

Into the organs,

Belly,

Intestines on the right side,

Find yourself at the front pelvic point,

Moving inwards,

Feel into the hollow space within the pelvis on the right side,

Meet at the right side of the pelvic floor,

Feeling a vacuum of energy upwards,

Feel the hollowing of the right hip joint,

Thigh bones misting into the space of the pelvis,

Follow down the length of the thigh bone to the joint of the right knee,

Slide down the bone of the lower leg,

Connecting at the joint of the right ankle,

Feel the skin on the top of the right foot,

The bones of the foot,

Feeling into the toes,

Underside of the toes,

Now feeling the skin of the sole of your right foot,

The heaviness in the heel,

Now feel the whole right side of your body,

Whole right side,

Right side,

Feel the skin breathe on the right side of the body,

The fingerprint of your left thumb illuminated by light,

Feel into the skin of your left thumb,

Bones of the left thumb,

Feel the bones of all fingers and thumb together,

The skin of the palm of your hand,

Back of the hand,

Whole left hand,

Sensation rising into the left hand,

Bones of the left wrist,

Connecting into the forearm bones,

To the left elbow,

Joining to the upper arm bones,

Feeding into the left shoulder joints and across the left collar bone,

As you slide around to the back of the shoulder,

Find the triangular shape of your shoulder blade,

Feel the ribs underneath wrapping from the spine to sternum,

From the sternum at the front of the chest bar,

Deepen into the diaphragm,

To the organs,

Belly,

Intestines on the left side,

Find yourself at the front of the pelvic point,

Curling inwards,

Feeling to the hollowing space within the pelvis on the left side,

Meet at the left side of the pelvic floor,

Feeling a vacuum of energy upwards,

Feel the hollowing of the left hip joint,

Thigh bone nestling into the space of the pelvis,

Follow down the length of the thigh bone to the joint of the left knee,

Slide down the bone of the lower leg,

Connecting at the joint of the left ankle,

Feel the skin on the top of the left foot,

Bones of the left foot,

Feel into the toes,

Underside of the toes,

Now feel the skin of the sole of your left foot,

Heaviness of the heel,

Now feel the whole left side of your body,

Whole left side,

The left side,

Feel the skin breathe on the left side of your body,

Breathe into the sole of your right and left foot and feel that breath transform into light here,

Feel the right heel and the left heel,

Breathe into the heels,

Transforming those breath into light,

Back of the right ankle,

Back of the left ankle,

Breath transforms into light,

Feel the right calf and the left calf,

Breathing into both calves,

Sensing the light here,

Back of the right knee,

Back of the left knee,

Breathe into the backs of both knees,

Light forming here,

Feel the backs of both thighs,

Right and left,

Find your breath expanding into light in the back of both thighs,

Breathe into the right buttom,

Left buttom,

Breathe into the whole back of the pelvis,

Filling it with breath and light,

Connect with this light expanding into the pelvis,

Now feel into the flat bony area of the sacrum,

Where the spine and the pelvis join,

Breathe space and light into the sacrum,

Feeding breath and light up through the channel of the lower spine,

Middle spine,

Upper spine,

Another breath expands out to the bones of the scapula,

Shoulder blade,

Both resting on the back of the ribs,

Breathe into these triangular shape bones,

Feeling them expand with breath to transform into light,

Feel your heart lean back a little deeper into the back body ribs,

The heart feels held,

Pointed,

Cocooned by this light,

Light and breath moves into the bones of the neck now,

Meeting at the curve of your skull,

This expanding space between the top of the neck and the base of the skull,

Feel breath open into light here,

The skull feeling light and buoyant,

As breath moves around the back of the head now,

Wrapping around the skull,

Breath moving into the space within the skull,

Full breath transforms into light,

The centre of the head,

Feel an activation in the centre of the head,

A void of endless potential illuminated and brought to light,

Now feel outwards from the centre,

Breath into the space of the right eye socket,

From the inner corner following its curved hollow to the outer corner,

Smoothing over the supple area of the temple on the right side,

Glide down around the cheekbone to the soft space next to the right nostril,

Feel over the right side of the lips,

Chin and follow back up along the right jawbone to the ear,

Breath into the space of the left eye socket now,

From the inner corner following its curved hollow to the outer corner,

Smoothing over the supple area of the temple on the left side,

Glide down and round the cheekbone to the soft space to the left nostril,

Feel over the left side of the lips,

Chin and follow back up along the left jawbone to the left ear,

Feeling the whole face now,

Whole face,

Breath turning into light through the whole face,

Now welcome in the whole body,

Whole body from edges inwards the whole body,

Breath expanding into light within the whole body,

Now feel the breath and light expand even further outside of the edges of the body,

Feel out as far as it can go into the infinite space around you,

Feel the contraction of the breath and light move within and on expansion beyond your body,

Allowing all edges to dissolve what does it feel like when you witness something happening that doesn't sit right with your values,

How does having your values ignored or unseen feel?

What would it feel like if your values were seen,

Appreciated and honoured?

How does having your values received with love feel?

Breath in and out light,

How does it feel when we disrespect or have no respect for another?

And how does it feel when we disrespect ourselves?

What would it feel like to have compassion and loving kindness towards another we may struggle to respect?

Instead of experiencing friction,

Choosing to lean into a more grounded and self-knowing self what would fully honouring and respecting ourselves,

Our whole self feel like?

Could you extend that compassion and loving kindness to all parts of you just as you are?

Breath in and out light,

What does it feel like when your voice is silenced or feels weakened or blocked,

What sensations come up around this?

How would it feel to express your voice,

Your values with freedom and strength,

Feeling clear and heard with your voice?

Breath in and feel light expand,

Exhale and feel it contract inwards,

We will now journey into our intuitive and wise being imagine equal paths through your centre,

Horizontally draw a line through the centre of your pelvis,

Centre of your heart,

Centre of the head,

From that equator through the midline find your bodily form floating on your back,

The lower half submerged in warm gentle waters,

The buoyancy of the warm water following the midline of the body,

Notice the depth of your back body,

Back of the heart sinking into the back ribs,

Laying itself to rest in the cocoon of these supportive bones,

The curves welcoming the softness of the heart to rest,

There may be a sense of feeling held,

Almost a reassurance of your value in this world,

The ribs belonging to this earth,

The backbone of our connection to all sensations of life itself,

Feel the heart lean back even more,

Assured of its place,

Its boundary of worth,

Even though half submerged in cleansing waters,

The expanse of the breath feels so free to fill and saturate the full capacity of the lungs and ribcage,

Feeling the boundaries as a gesture of being enough,

Perhaps even the skin over your body feels this ability to breathe through itself,

Creating a permeable layer for love to be received,

For love to be offered,

It too feels this boundary of worth,

Only allowing for the transportation of love to be passed through the softness of the skin,

With this ease and lightness of breath moving so gracefully into the cavern of the back body,

Notice any heaviness,

Doubt,

Or staggerancy just falling away from you,

Moving through you into the water,

Sinking deeper and deeper away from you,

All you had to do to let go was to feel yourself rested,

Supported from beneath,

If there is someone in your life,

A loved one who is no longer present,

Sense a feeling of your back body being held with the warm embrace of their arms around you,

Perhaps you feel yourself leaning into their presence,

They are right there with you,

Reminding you of your inner strength and value in this world,

Allow yourself to be held by this familiar loving being,

When we can lean into our hearts,

The waters will carry us home,

Your loved one present with you now,

Skin to skin,

Exchanging love from one to another,

Breath to breath,

Float in this embrace for as long as you need,

If possible surrender into the watery emotion of love.

Even if a wave passed over you now,

Engulfed,

You would remain steady,

Birthed in your self worth,

Free to breathe,

Letting the heaviness pass over you,

Submerged under this wave,

You feel for your voice to emerge,

Imagine yourself calling out under the water,

A cry,

Wail,

Scream,

Whatever wishes to come up to be released through the throat and out into this watery void,

Can you feel grounded in your value and yet so free to float,

Be carried by the waters of life.

Feeling go,

Leaning back,

Feeling held,

Carried along by the gentle waters,

The wave has passed you by,

You have this overwhelming sense of standing strong,

Holding yourself between your own expression of heaven and earth,

You are so expanded with breath and light,

You reach all realms and feel a connection with the whole of you,

Your value and worth in this solar system.

This breath of life,

The connection which brings us back into contact with who we are,

Remember who you are and what you have come here to do.

The practice of yoga nidra is now complete,

Beginning to feel yourself present in your surroundings where you began this practice,

Welcoming a slow and steady coming back to the room or space,

Maintaining that expansive light within and connection to flow.

Begin to sense what movements or breath wishes to move through.

Notice if there's a sense of softness and fullness in the chest,

Strong lungs and a powerful voice,

Use as much time as you need to move from this space,

Let your passage back into the rest of your day be mindful and filled with love.

Thank you for practicing yoga nidra with me today.

Thank you.