Hello,
My name is Jen Edwards and today I will be guiding you through a yoga nidra practice of
Spacious softening.
This practice will allow you to create safety and create opening
To be able to breathe a little deeper and to dive into yourself with a little bit more space
And more freedom throughout your whole entire being
Allowing you the opportunity to offload to unwind and unbind the tightness within your body
Within your emotions
Through this practice you will be able to feel spacious and soft
Throughout your whole entire being
Allow yourself to settle in for the practice
Getting any extra accessories you need to be comfortable
Maybe that's blankets or bolsters or pillows maybe even an eye cover
Allowing yourself to be able to completely and fully find reprieve in this moment
Where you can be still
You can allow your nervous system to completely unwind
And to settle
Gently and softly
Softening your eyes
Taking these first few moments of our practice
To feel your physical body
Without judgment
Without frustration and without stories as to why you feel the way that you do
Just allowing yourself to discharge or shift or move your body in any last adjustments
That your physical body is asking of you before you allow it to fully come to a restful state
Now perhaps
Moving into your emotional and your energy body
Again free from judgment free from stories
Allowing yourself this moment to acknowledge how you feel in your body
Sometimes you may feel like you're in a state of deep sleep
Sometimes when we mask and cover up all the layers with protection throughout our whole body
We don't even realize where our energy body is at
And perhaps are skipping some emotions that we're feeling along the way
So allow yourself in this moment to fully let yourself acknowledge where you were at
In your physical body in your emotional body and in your energy body
With softness with grace
With compassion
Unwinding unbinding uncovering yourself
In this moment just as it is there is nothing being asked of you
There is nowhere for you to go and nothing for you to do
Allow yourself to settle here just as you are
Now softly and gently begin to notice your breath
Allowing your breath to be just as it is
Without altering and without adjusting it
How does your breath feel as it moves through your body
How does your breath feel as it moves through your body
Does it feel tight or heavy
Soft or spacious
Begin to lengthen your inhales
And lengthen your exhales softly
With each cycle of breath slowly and softly lengthening your breath
Being mindful to stay connected to this breath
Noticing how this breath feels in your body
Moving this breath all the way down
Filling to the bottom of your belly
Filling your chest
All the way up to your shoulders
And contracting and exhaling all the way empty
Softening with each and every exhale
Begin to notice as you would a baby watching a baby's breath
With that breath being your own following your breath
The rise of your inhale
And the fall of your exhale
Connecting to the freedom in this breath
Connecting to the freedom in this breath
Allowing your whole body to settle into this moment of softness of support
With an unhurried unmotivated presence deep within yourself
Freedom from attachments freedom from responsibility
Nothing is being asked of you there is nowhere for you to go and nothing for you to do
Allow the ropes that are constricting your body to loosen to fall to the ground
Let yourself be just as you are exactly as you are in this present moment without judgment
Free from shame and filled with freedom
Soften into this space of holding of support of spacious healing where you are free to move your breath
Free to uncover the layers of protection you've created revealing the soft side of yourself that has been slowly asking for freedom and forcing you to let go
Of spacious healing where you are free to move your breath
Free to uncover the layers of protection you've created
Revealing the soft side of yourself that has been slowly asking for freedom and for space
Listen feel breathe
If you are in the practice of setting an intention allow yourself to do so in this moment
Feeling deep within yourself asking yourself what do I need
Setting an intention for this exact moment to soothe and hold yourself
And when you have set an intention breathing this intention fully into your body with three full cycles of breath
Enlivening your intention throughout your whole entire body
Throughout your whole entire being
Feeling your whole body
We will now move into a body scan
Use my voice as a guide bringing awareness into your whole body
Following along as I call upon parts of our body
Bringing awareness bringing sensation into these parts as we travel through our bodies
And if at any moment you find yourself lost or wandering off
And you catch yourself just bring yourself back and join in wherever it is that you are at
We will begin with full awareness in the center of your forehead
Full awareness in the center of your forehead
Your throat
Right shoulder
Right elbow
Right wrist
Right thumb
Right first finger
Right second finger
Right third finger
Right fourth finger
Right side of the body
Right hip
Right knee
Right ankle
Right big toe
Right second toe
Right third toe
Right fourth toe
Right fifth toe
Your whole right side body
Filled with awareness
Your whole right side body
Moving over to your left big toe
Left second toe
Left third toe
Left fourth toe
Left fifth toe
Left ankle
Left knee
Left hip
Left side of the body
Left thumb
Left first finger
Left second finger
Left third finger
Left fourth finger
Left wrist
Left elbow
Left shoulder
Your throat
The center of your forehead
Your whole left side body
In awareness
Your whole left side body
The center of your chest
Your heart center
Feeling your whole body
Your whole body in full supported awareness
Spacious,
Unbound,
And open
Feel the full body support in this unhurried,
Unmotivated,
Spacious moment
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to go,
And nothing being asked of you
The layers of protection peeled back,
Revealing the soft side of yourself
Listen,
Feel,
Breathe
Notice your breath with ease,
Without restrictions,
And free from force
Begin extending your inhales and your exhales
Creating length with your breath
Feel as it travels into your body with your inhale
Making its way to the deepest parts of your belly
Creating space
Feel as it makes its way from the bottom of your belly
All the way out softly through your mouth
Your body contracting with ease in every exhale
Becoming increasingly aware of the space within you
And perhaps even noticing the space all around you
Following your breath as you inhale full
Following your breath as you exhale completely
Feel your breath moving in your body
The spaciousness and the softness
Allow your breath to come back to a natural pace
Bringing back the softness,
The ease,
The freedom of its movement through your body
Your whole body unbound,
Soft,
And spacious
Feel your whole body
There is safety in this spacious softening
Full-bodied support as you surrender the layers of protection
Allowing yourself to deeply feel into yourself
Unhurried,
A precious moment of respite
Listen,
Feel,
Breathe
Use this space as a home base as we play with pairs of opposites
Whenever you feel the need bringing yourself back to the sensation of safety in the softness
Each sensation or emotion named
Awaken as fully as you can in the present moment
While remaining relaxed and at ease within your peace-filled body
Awaken the sensation of resistance
What does resistance feel like within your body?
When the walls of self-protection begin to swiftly stack bricks upon one another
Creating an impenetrable boundary where nothing can be let in
Feelings of loneliness,
Helplessness,
Or perhaps resentment for yourself or others
If a story arises or a narrative begins to create itself
Simply let that story go
Creating space from the playbook
Let the feeling of resistance be felt while remaining safely in spacious softness
Now let that feeling go
Bringing yourself back into spacious softening
Feeling the safety in this moment
Now gently awaken the sensation of acceptance
What does acceptance feel like?
When the brick wall safely comes down
The moment of acceptance has been reached
Feelings of support,
Understanding,
And surrender in the openness of the unfolding before you
If a story arises or a narrative begins to create itself
Simply let that story go
Creating space from the playbook
Let the feeling of acceptance be felt
The presence of its companionship while remaining safely in spacious softness
Now let that feeling go
Bringing yourself back into spacious softening
Finding safety in this moment
Invite now both sensations into your body
Invite now both sensations into your body at the same time
What does it feel like to have both sensations of resistance and acceptance
Felt together in your body at the same time?
Without following a narrative or creating a story
Let the feeling of resistance and acceptance arrive in your body at the same time with togetherness
Now let them go
Bring yourself back to the safety in your spacious softness
Staying connected deep within the feeling of openness in this moment just as it is
Unbound,
Unhurried,
And unmotivated
Feel your body
Feel your breath
Fully supported in this moment of full-bodied spacious softening
Your body at ease
Your body in comfort
Your body in safety
In the soft supported opening continue holding the spaciousness
In this soft supported opening continue holding the spaciousness
While envisioning yourself in the wild openness of nature
On a warm,
Bright,
Windless day
Let yourself free
Unbound to wander through the vastness
To feel the freedom and expansiveness this moment holds
Gently,
Softly
Notice breath traveling through your body
Noticing your in-breath
And noticing your out-breath
Bringing yourself back into full-bodied spacious softening
Unrestricted and unbound
Notice your whole body fully supported in this moment
Fully present with the layers softly pulled back
Allowing space to fully feel yourself
Feeling complete,
Full-bodied surrendering in this softness
In this moment just as it is
Feeling deep from within your energy
Connecting to the core of your soul
Feeling deep from within your energy radiating outward
Expanding outside and all around your physical body
Your soul wide open in spacious softening
Unbound and unhurried
Softly follow your breath
Notice your in-breath
And notice your out-breath
Feeling breath move through your body
Gently bring yourself back to your intention
Your antidote
Feeling again fully through your body
Now fully open
Breathing your intention throughout your whole body
Feeling the expansiveness,
The spaciousness,
And the softness
Begin to feel your breath moving through your body
Gently and softly
Begin to bring yourself back to your breath
Noticing again just as you would watching a child's or a baby's breath
Your belly rising
Your belly falling
Feeling the rise,
Feeling the fall
Gently bringing yourself back into this room
Back into your physical body
If you are allowing yourself to drift off to sleep
Feel the space in your rest
If you are carrying on with your day
Gently and softly bring yourself to sit however feels comfortable for your body
Moving slowly and softly
Perhaps if it feels safe with your eyes closed
Letting your chin come down towards your chest
Your palms together at the center of your heart
Feeling your whole body together in coherency
Feeling the protection in the spacious softening
Reminding yourself that you have the ability to bring your body
Bring your energy here whenever you wish
We will have one last breath,
Inhale full
Exhale
I send so much love to you
And I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day
Thank you for sharing space with me
