Yoga Nidra For Feeling Safe In Times Of Stress

Welcome to this practice of Yoga Nidra.

I created this specific practice to help anyone who feels like they need to be held or reminded of the safety that surrounds them.

Maybe you have anxiety,

Depression,

Maybe you're going through a really tough time in your life where you feel overwhelmed.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is a great tool to help us access the wisdom of the body and therefore get a little space from this mind of ours that likes to spin stories and worries.

So I invite you to lay down for this practice.

You can lay down on your bed or on the floor,

On a couch.

You can be seated but just make sure you're as comfortable as you can be.

Create a little Nidra nest for yourself.

So if you want to gather some blankets or pillows,

An eye mask,

Anything that helps you to feel safe and comfortable and warm.

Go ahead and pause this recording and do that now.

And once you're settled,

I invite you to close your eyes and just begin to release the body down toward the ground.

You can notice the places along the body that are touching the earth beneath you.

The heels,

The backs of the legs,

The buttocks,

The spine,

Those little places along the spine where the curves touch the ground beneath you.

The back of the head,

The arms.

Release the shoulders down away from the ears.

Relax the jaw.

Relax the eyes.

Begin to sink into this position,

Allowing gravity to take over,

To hold you close to the earth like it does all day throughout the day.

Keep yourself over and really surrender your weight and your heft,

Heaviness to the ground beneath you.

And then come into touch with your breath so it may be moving like a gentle breeze over the body.

Maybe it's bumpy,

Smooth,

Short or long.

Just bring your awareness to the breath and come in,

Come into touch with your breath and notice how it feels in the body in this moment.

And without judgment,

Notice how it feels when it moves in through the nostrils,

Down through the back of the throat,

Into the chest and the belly,

Expanding these areas.

And notice how on each exhale you become a little more relaxed,

Inviting a sense of ease to take over your body and releasing a little bit more down into the ground beneath you.

Just do this for a few more breaths,

Really keeping your awareness on the sensations of the breath in the body as well as the ease that you invite in as you exhale.

And sometimes when we come to lie still,

Our brain likes to make up to-do lists or bring forward tasks that need to be accomplished,

Worries,

Concerns,

Residues from conversations or moments throughout the day.

And if this happens,

I'd like you to see if you can just unhook from that busyness of the mind and allow yourself to drop once again back into the sensations of the body and the breath.

And as we unhook from our minds and drop into the body,

I'd like you to bring your awareness around the body.

So I'll name a body part.

You can just gently rest your awareness on that part like a small light or a butterfly or maybe a little flashlight that you're shining around the body.

So let's start with the crown of the head,

Bringing the awareness gently to the crown.

And as you exhale,

Move your awareness down to the space in between the eyebrows.

And see if you can now move your awareness down through the face,

The throat and into the neck at the base of the neck between the collarbones.

Take a moment here to breathe,

To soften into the throat.

Maybe in softening,

You feel your jaw relax or your chest and then allow your awareness to drip down over the shoulders and into the arms,

Flowing like two rivers of honey,

Just dripping slowly down through the upper arms,

Into the elbow joints,

The lower arms,

Through the wrists,

Into the palms of the hands and pooling here in the palms.

Maybe you feel a little swirl of energy or a tickle.

And bring your awareness to each finger,

Starting with the thumb,

The index finger,

The middle finger,

Ring finger and pinky finger.

Just notice both arms held in awareness,

Allowing any sensations to arise and really welcoming the sensations of the body.

Now moving back up the arms from the palms of the hands all the way through up to the shoulders and then bring your awareness down into the chest,

Into this lovely sacred space of the heart.

And see if when you bring your awareness into the heart,

You can allow a softening to arise,

A tenderness,

A gentleness in this space of the heart.

And welcome all sensations,

Emotions,

Thoughts,

Like they're part of a flowing river of life.

They can flow through you and then out into the open space of the river where they'll continue their journey.

And then as you breathe,

We'll move down into the belly,

Softening through the belly as you notice the gentle rise and fall with your inhales and your exhales,

Allowing awareness to fill this entire space of the belly from the front to the back,

All the way through.

Then bring your awareness down into the pelvis.

Allow the light of your awareness to shine here.

As you breathe and feel an expansion here and a softening.

And move gently down through the hips,

The thighs.

Again like honey moving in a slow drip through the knees,

The calves and shins down into the ankles,

Taking up the entire space of the foot,

The sole of the foot and each toe of both feet.

Now the whole body is held in this awareness,

Grounded,

Centered,

Softened,

Safe.

And sense into this presence surrounding you and moving through you.

As the light of awareness expands to encompass the entire body and maybe even the space beyond the body.

Feel this protective hold of presence,

Keeping you close and safe.

And on each inhale,

Just notice this receiving,

A receiving of this love from whatever source you believe.

A receiving of this life force energy through the air we breathe,

Animating every cell on each inhale.

And on each exhale,

Feel a sense of safety and closeness with the ground beneath you.

Notice on each exhale how your weight is surrendered into the ground and all you need to do is rest.

On each inhale,

The life force,

Love,

Light,

Moving into the body,

Animating the cells,

Animating the body and on each exhale,

Feel the heaviness of the body in connection with the earth beneath you.

Just continue with this visualization alternating between inhaling and exhaling.

And then finally,

See if you can feel both of these truths at the same time.

Feel yourself receiving this gift of life while also feeling held and incredibly safe,

Tucked in here against the earth.

What does it feel like to have both of these things be true at the same time in the body?

And where is it in the body for you?

I invite you now to bring your awareness to that softened space of the heart.

Just very gently without an agenda,

Guide your awareness toward the heart space.

Take a moment here to just listen in to the body and the heart.

Hear what your heart has to say.

Maybe there's just silence or a stillness or even a palpable peace there.

Maybe there's a message,

A visualization.

Whatever arises for you is the perfect gift for this moment.

All you have to do is be open to receiving it.

You are incredibly loved.

You are whole and you are enough just as you are right now.

And begin ever so slightly to deepen your breathing now.

Drawing the breath deeper into the body on each inhale and then releasing on each exhale as it floats up to the surface and out through the nostrils.

And as you begin to move very gently and slowly out of this practice,

I invite you to take your time.

Be incredibly gentle with yourself.

So once your breath is feeling a bit more regulated in the body and you're feeling into your body again,

Just come to notice the space around you through your senses.

Notice any smells,

Sounds,

Tastes,

The touch of the blankets on your skin.

You can begin now to wiggle the fingers and the toes.

Move the body in whatever way feels delicious for you.

And then when you're ready,

You can roll over to your side and come up to seated or you can continue lying down.

Thank you for joining me for this practice of yoga nidra.

I hope it helps you to feel connected,

Safe and held in your time of need.

May you always feel a deep sense of connection and love from your own heart.

God bless!

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