Releasing Negative Energy For The New Year - Yoga Nidra

So to get started in this releasing yoga nidra practice,

I'd like you to set yourself up lying on the floor in a comfortable supported position.

So whether that's lying flat on your yoga mat or maybe bringing a bolster behind your knees or a few pillows for behind your head,

Maybe a blanket to lay on top of you.

I want you to get yourself as comfortable as physically possible here.

In yoga nidra we are practicing full relaxation but also a sense of wakefulness.

So as we move through the practice even though we will get very relaxed,

Try your best not to fall asleep and to stay focused on the practice and on my voice.

So make sure as you're lying here that you're not touching your torso with your arms and that your legs are spread apart.

Let's open your palms facing up,

Soften your shoulders away from your ears and close your eyes.

So begin to find a place in your body where you no longer need to exert any effort.

You find your body in stillness.

Once you've arrived in stillness you can begin to locate your breath and your body.

Begin to notice the natural rhythm of your inhales and your exhales.

Notice how there's absolutely no effort needed from you at all here.

Notice how the breath just naturally flows.

In this way resist the urge to manipulate or change the breath at all.

Just letting it flow naturally into the body and out of the body.

Now beginning to use your breath here to physically release any areas of lingering tension through your body.

Release the grip of your muscles slowly,

Allowing the muscles to relax just a bit more.

Imagining your exhales maybe could sink your body even further into the ground.

Slow and soft.

Simply feeling that emphasis on the exhale.

Now if you can,

I'd like you to imagine here that you could also use your exhales to soften your mind and soften your brain.

So relax the brows,

Relax the crown of your head and begin to release any sticky thoughts or musings that might still be keeping you occupied here.

It's a very gentle invitation for your mind to meet your body in stillness.

Know that if thoughts do continue to float forward,

That's completely okay.

Know that those thoughts are also a form of your practice.

No need to resist,

No need to judge yourself.

Just when you notice,

The mind has begun to float off center,

Bring your awareness back to that natural rhythm of your inhales and your exhales.

As you sink deeper into stillness,

Begin to rest your awareness on the space or the pause in between your inhales and your exhales.

Notice that space that the exhale falls into and that space from where the inhale arises.

That brief moment of floating.

In yoga we call this space kumbhakta pranayama.

Allow the moment in between each inhale and exhale to be a space of rest.

Leaning into that gentle attunement very naturally.

Never forcing,

Never gripping.

Just gently let your focus linger at the end of each exhale and at the top of each inhale.

Now subtly begin to draw your awareness into your physical body and the sensation of your body lying on the ground.

Here I'll begin to call out specific areas of the body.

As I do,

I'd like you to bring your awareness to that area and just relax that area of the body a little bit more.

Let's start down in the right fingertips.

The right pinky,

The right ring finger,

The middle finger,

And the pointer finger.

The right thumb and the palm of your right hand.

Relaxing the right wrist,

The right elbow,

The right bicep.

Now into the left fingertips.

Relaxing your pinky finger,

Ring finger,

Middle finger,

Pointer finger.

Relaxing your thumb.

Relaxing into the palm of the left hand and the left wrist.

Relaxing into the left forearm,

The left elbow.

Relaxing your left bicep here and relaxing into the left shoulder blade.

Relaxing the whole of both of your arms.

Relaxing the whole of both of your arms.

And then move into that space behind your heart.

Begin to soften,

Relaxing into the chest and the rib cage.

Relaxing into the right side body.

Relaxing into the left side body.

Relaxing the whole front of your torso.

And relaxing into the back of your torso.

Moving down into the right hip and the right thigh.

Relaxing the right knee cap and the right calf muscle.

Relaxing the right ankle and the sole of the right foot.

Relaxing into the big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And fifth toe.

Relaxing the entire right leg.

Relaxing the entire right leg.

Moving into the left hip and into the left thigh.

Relaxing the left knee cap and the left calf muscle.

Relaxing the left ankle and the sole of your left foot.

Relaxing into the big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And fifth toe.

Relaxing into the entire left leg.

Entire left leg.

Moving back up into your heart space.

Let's relax up through the throat.

Relax the back of your neck.

Relax your jaw.

Relaxing into your tongue,

Your cheeks,

Your eyes,

Your forehead,

The crown of the head.

Relaxing here into the whole body.

Relaxing into the whole body.

Now from this space,

I want you to bring to mind the lessons that you've learned in 2021.

Now from this space,

I want you to bring to mind some of the lessons that you've learned from this past year.

Recall any feelings,

Actions,

Or patterns that you're choosing to let go of in this coming new year.

Notice how it feels in your body to think of these things.

How does it feel to hold space for the lessons and the obstacles that we've encountered?

And does it make your body feel heavy?

Does it make you feel tense?

Or maybe something completely different?

Give space for any responses or any emotions to come forward here.

Further solidifying any actions or patterns or mindsets that you're choosing to let go of this year.

Now using our breath,

We're going to cut the cord and release these things from our bodies.

So one at a time.

As you inhale,

Draw that obstacle,

That pattern,

That mindset into your heart,

Into your awareness.

Take a deep inhale,

Drawing it in even closer.

And at the top of your inhale,

Thank yourself for that lesson.

Thank the universe for this lesson.

And as you exhale,

Cut the cord and release it.

Pressing all the way down into your exhale until there's no more breath.

Take a breath in to reset naturally.

Again,

Inhale,

Draw an obstacle into your heart.

Hold at the top of the inhale,

Say thank you for the lesson.

And exhale,

Cut the cord and release.

Then take a breath to reset.

Repeat this process as many times as you need.

Inhaling to draw the obstacles into your heart,

Into your awareness.

Really saying thank you for the lesson and exhale,

Cut the cord.

And then just practicing what it is you're not carrying forward.

And when you're finished,

Continue to breathe deeply and just guide your awareness back to the base of your heart.

Take a moment to thank yourself for this time and for this practice.

Thank yourself for showing up,

Letting go,

Prioritizing your healing.

With your final breaths in this practice,

I want you to take all of the peace,

All of the lightness,

Calm and joy or whatever you're feeling here.

Take all of those good feelings and exhale,

Send them out to the rest of the world.

In yoga,

We create peace and love within ourselves in the hope that all beings may experience peace and love.

So maybe taking a moment here to dedicate this practice to someone you love or to whoever needs it in the world.

As you begin to reawaken,

Find soft,

Gentle movements in the toes and the fingers.

Taking all the time you need to awaken from this practice as you're ready.

Thank you so much for your practice and for honoring yourself.

Wish you a very happy new year and many blessings to you.

Namaste.