Hello,
I am Gabriella and welcome to this Yoga Nidra practice for self-love.
Yoga Nidra translates as yogic sleep,
A state between wakefulness and dreaming where the mind becomes deeply relaxed and the mind opens to effortless awareness.
Practicing Yoga Nidra regularly supports emotional balance,
Nervous system healing,
Inner clarity and a profound sense of self-connection.
It is especially powerful for cultivating self-love because in this state of rest we soften the layers of protection and armour and return to our natural wholeness.
Today we will move through presence,
Breath,
Body awareness,
Opposites,
A gentle breath counting practice and a visualisation designed to nourish your relationship with yourself.
So take your time to come into Shavasana pose.
Lie on your back,
Legs comfortably apart,
Arms resting beside you with the palms slightly turned upwards.
You can use an eye mask if that's helpful.
Allowing the body to settle and if needed place a pillow under your knees or cover yourself with a blanket as your temperature can drop during Yoga Nidra.
Let this be a time where there is nothing you need to achieve,
Just a gentle allowing.
Begin by noticing your breath,
The simple rise and fall of your abdomen.
Notice the weight of your body being held by the ground beneath you,
The touch points,
The back of the heels,
The calves,
The hips,
The spine,
The shoulders,
The back of the head.
Feel the air around the skin,
Noticing the natural temperature of the room you are in,
The sounds close by and the sounds further away,
Nothing to change,
Just presence.
Bring gentle awareness to your inhale,
Smooth,
Steady,
And to your exhale,
Long,
Soft,
Releasing.
Begin breathing in through the nose and out through the nose,
Allowing the exhale to be slightly longer than the inhale.
With each exhale,
Feel yourself sinking just a little bit deeper.
The body softens,
The mind widens.
Let your breath flow like a tide in the ocean,
Steady,
Continuous.
If thoughts arrive,
Let them simply drift past like clouds,
Returning to the breath each time.
You will now journey through the body,
Part by part.
Wherever your attention goes,
Simply notice,
No forcing,
No judgement.
Bring awareness to the right hand,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the hand,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm.
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
The whole right arm,
The whole right arm,
The whole right arm,
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Awareness to the left hand,
Thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow.
Upper arm,
Left shoulder,
The whole entire left arm,
The whole left arm,
The whole left arm,
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Awareness to the right foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Sole of the foot,
Heel,
Ankle,
Shin,
Knee,
Thigh.
Hip,
The whole right leg,
The whole right leg,
The whole right leg,
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Left foot,
Big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
Fifth,
Sole,
Heel,
Ankle,
Shin,
Knee,
Thigh.
Left hip,
The whole entire left leg,
The whole entire left leg,
The whole entire left leg,
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Bring your awareness to the pelvis,
Lower abdomen,
Navel,
Upper abdomen,
Chest,
Heart centre,
The whole entire torso and chest.
The whole entire torso and chest,
The whole entire torso and chest,
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Awareness to the lower back,
Mid back,
Upper back,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
The whole entire back,
The whole back,
The whole back,
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Awareness to the neck,
Throat,
Jaw,
Lips,
Teeth,
Tongue,
Cheeks,
Nose,
Eyes,
Brow,
Eye sockets,
Forehead,
Temples,
Crown of the head.
The whole entire head,
The whole entire head,
The whole entire head,
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Feel the whole body now,
As one field of sensation,
A unified presence,
The whole entire body,
The whole entire body,
The whole entire body,
Becoming aware and relaxed.
Now we explore opposites,
Beginning with warmth.
Imagine a gentle warmth spreading through the body,
Like sunlight across your skin,
Warm,
Soothing,
Comforting.
Feel warmth in the hands,
The chest,
The belly,
The legs,
The whole body is warm now.
Now slowly shift the sensation of coolness,
A soft refreshing coolness,
Like a breeze across the skin,
The cool air of early morning.
Feel the coolness wash through your body,
Warm and cool,
Allow both sensations to co-exist.
We will now begin a breath counting practice.
Inhaling 11,
Exhaling 11.
Inhaling 10,
Exhaling 10.
Inhaling 9,
Exhaling 9.
Continue silently counting down with each breath until you reach zero.
If you arrive before I do,
Begin again from 11.
If the mind wanders,
Kindly return to the next number.
If you fall asleep,
Simply begin again when you wake.
And now release the counting entirely,
Let the breath return to its natural rhythm.
Imagine now a soft light glowing in the centre of your chest,
A warm steady radiance.
This light represents your innate self-love,
Not something you own,
Not something you peruse,
But something that has always lived within you.
With each inhale this light expands gently,
And with each exhale it softens and settles.
Feel it spreading through your ribs,
Your heart,
Your shoulders,
Your throat,
Your belly,
Your legs,
Your whole being.
Let this light speak to you.
Perhaps it says,
I am worthy,
I am enough,
I am lovable exactly as I am.
See this light extending beyond the body,
A soft sphere surrounding you,
Comforting,
Protective,
Unconditionally accepting.
Rest here,
Bathing in your own love,
Letting it touch every part of you that has ever felt unseen,
Unchosen or unworthy.
Let it remind you of your wholeness.
You are love,
You come from love,
And you return to love.
Begin drawing your awareness back to the body.
Feel the weight of your limbs,
The rise and fall of your breath.
Become aware of the room you're in,
The space around you,
The air,
The light behind your closed eyes.
Now begin to notice the sounds inside the room,
And the sounds just outside the room,
And the sounds outside the building,
And finally the sounds as far into the distance as you can hear.
Gradually bring your awareness back to your own body,
Gently moving your fingers and toes.
Keeping the eyes closed,
Roll over onto one side into a fetal position,
Symbolising rest and renewal,
And take a moment there.
And when you're ready,
Slowly press yourself up into a comfortable seated position.
Bring the hands to prayer at the heart centre.
Together we close this practice with Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
Peace within,
Peace around us,
Peace between all beings.
Thank you for practising Yoga Nidra with me today.
