Yoga Nidra - The Strength Of Acceptance

Hi,

I'm Carolyn.

I've written this yoga nidra with the intention to cultivate a sense of acceptance.

And with that,

Perhaps some inner strength and compassion to carry us through our days as they unfold.

Just as the lotus flower lives in muddy roots and journeys through murky pond water each morning to blossom towards the sun,

We're reminded that in order for us to grow,

We must accept we can live at home in the muddy water.

In all our muddy water and all the obstacles of life that we experience,

They're as much a part of life as the joy,

The love,

The connection.

So I invite you to lay down now.

Gather in soft things,

Cushions,

Blankets,

Perhaps a cushion for support underneath the back of your head or the backs of your knees if you're lying on your back.

A soft warm blanket covering the whole of your body and your feet.

Keep you warm as you become still.

Pause me if you need to.

So making yourself as comfy as you can be right now.

Begin to settle and land towards stillness.

Knowing Yoga Nidra is a practice to receive so there's no need to try and do anything.

There is no wrong way.

We can accept the practice just as it is.

Often translated as yogic sleep.

But this Nidra isn't a practice of falling asleep.

If this happens,

We can accept that this is probably simply what your body needs right now.

You're free to move anytime you need to as well.

If you feel any physical or mental agitation,

Feel free to blink open your eyes if you need to and return to the Nidra anytime.

So your eyes might like to begin to close softly if they haven't already.

Softening the eyes into their sockets.

Welcoming a sense of softness through the jaw,

Through the face.

Taking a few long sighing exhalations in through the nose and out through the mouth in your own time.

Allowing this to fade to your natural breath.

Allowing a sense of ease.

Becoming aware of the air on your upper lip as you breathe.

What temperatures do you notice there?

Becoming aware of the air on your skin or any textures of the fabric where clothing or blankets and skin are touching.

Bringing awareness to the back of your body and every part of you that's supported to rest.

Every part of you that's rooted to the air,

Health,

Here,

Now.

Supported,

Rooted,

Yet aware.

Softly open and receptive.

Just like that lotus flower turning towards the sun.

Becoming aware of your right hand.

Bringing all the fingertips gently together with the thumb on the right hand.

The back of the right hand resting on the ground beside the body.

And then the same to the left.

Bringing all the fingertips together and the thumb to meet the tips of the fingers.

The back of the left hand just resting on the ground beside the body.

Noticing your breath.

And on your next gentle inhale,

Allowing both hands to slowly open.

Fingers unfurling,

Palms open to receive.

And when your exhale comes,

Allowing the fingertips to close gently together again.

Inhaling,

Opening,

Aware,

Receiving.

Exhaling,

Closing,

Allowing,

Accepting.

Repeat this just a few times in connection with your own breath.

Hands open,

Inhaling.

Arms closing,

Exhaling,

Allowing.

I'm going to guide your awareness around your body now.

As I name each part,

I invite you to become aware of the sensations there.

No need to fix or change anything.

Just becoming aware of any sensations that rise and fall.

Accepting and allowing each moment to moment.

And if you don't feel any sensations,

Resting in the strength of this honest awareness of your experience.

That is what you're feeling right now.

Becoming aware of all the fingers on your right hand.

Your right thumb.

First finger.

Middle finger.

Fourth finger.

And little finger.

Aware of all the sensations in the right wrist.

Forearm.

Elbow.

Right shoulder.

Right armpit.

Right side of the ribs.

Right hip.

Right thigh.

Right knee.

Right shin.

Ankle.

The top of the right foot.

Sole of right foot.

Right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

And little toe.

Allowing awareness to drift over to the left hand thumb.

Left first finger.

Left middle finger.

Fourth finger.

And little finger.

Palm of the left hand.

Back of the left hand.

Left wrist.

Forearm.

Left elbow.

Upper arm.

Left shoulder.

Left armpit.

And left side of the ribs.

Left hip.

Left thigh.

Knee.

Chin.

Top of the left foot.

The sole of the left foot.

Left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

And little toe.

Allowing awareness at the backs of both ankles.

Both calves.

Backs of both knees together.

Backs of both thighs together.

Buttocks.

Back of the pelvis.

And lower back.

Allowing sensations across the whole of the middle of the back.

The right shoulder blade.

Left shoulder blade.

The space between the shoulder blades.

The back of the neck.

Back of the head.

Crown of the head.

Forehead.

Right eyebrow.

Left eyebrow.

The space between the eyebrows.

Right eye.

Left eye.

Right cheek.

Left cheek.

The tip of your nose.

Right nostril.

Left nostril.

Upper lip.

Tongue.

Lower lip.

Right side jaw.

Left side jaw.

Throat.

Right side of the chest.

The left side of the chest.

The middle of the chest.

The front of the ribs.

Abdomen.

Lower abdomen.

The whole of the right side together.

Whole of left side together.

Whole of the back body together.

The whole of the front body together.

The whole body together.

The whole body.

Rooted.

Radiating.

Blossoming.

Receptive.

Here.

Gently welcoming your awareness back to your breath.

Body breathing.

Breath breathing body.

Witnessing your body move with each inhale and each exhale.

Noticing any rise or fall.

Expansion,

Contraction.

Softness.

Effortlessness.

Allowing each breath cycle to ebb and flow.

Supporting you.

Just as it always does.

A sense of being breath.

Becoming aware of the soles of your feet.

The soles of your feet is the roots that hold you strong every day on this earth.

With your next inhale,

Gently draw awareness from the soles of your feet.

All the way through your body to the top of your head.

And when your exhale comes,

When it comes,

Allow the awareness and breath to drift down through the body to the soles of your feet.

Rounded.

Rooted.

Not with my words but with your breath.

Inhaling up through the body with awareness drawing up.

All the way to the crown of the head.

And exhaling down through every path.

Allowing.

Continuing this way,

Inhaling up from feet to head.

Washing awareness and breath,

Exhaling down from head to soles of feet.

Anytime you notice your awareness drift off,

Do somewhere else.

Falling back.

Back to the soles of your feet to your roots.

Welcome an inhale.

Wash that breath up through every part to the crown of the head.

And when that exhale comes,

Wash that awareness,

That exhale back down through the body to your roots.

Help.

Allowing any sensations that may or may not be there to come,

To go.

Letting air up and flow just like every breath cycle that washes through us.

Allowing that breath awareness to begin to fade.

We come to a visualization and as I say each word,

Allow any images or feelings to come and go.

You might see,

You might feel,

You might just bring into awareness.

Flowing with your own experience,

Allowing whatever is there to be there.

The warm sun on your skin.

Clear blue sky.

Clear blue sky with clouds in it.

Tall treetops swaying in the breeze.

The surface of a pond.

The still surface of a pond reflecting the sky like a mirror.

Whipple across the surface of the water.

Water flowing.

Allowing a lotus flower in bloom on the water.

A lotus flower in bloom turning towards the sun.

An open lotus flower towards the sun.

The strength,

Guidance held firmly by its muddy roots deep beneath the water.

Noticing the space behind your eyelids now.

Noticing what's there for you.

What do you see?

What do you see in that dark space behind the eyelid?

Maybe you see darkness or colours or images.

Perhaps there are shapes or symbols.

Light and shade.

Just staying there for a few seconds.

Whatever brings itself into your awareness,

Allowing it to be there.

Allowing it to come and go.

Allowing any images,

Sensations,

Feelings,

Emotions to come and go.

To rise and dissolve.

Just as they always do.

Passing through.

Try to observe without judging as good or bad,

Just is.

Being in this space.

Witnessing.

Accepting.

Being with your experience.

Being with whatever is there for you right now.

And then letting that fade.

Letting that fade.

Bringing a soft awareness back to your breath in your body.

Expansion,

Contraction of each breath.

Whenever you feel ready,

Allowing your slow and gentle return.

Listening to sounds around you in your space.

What do you hear?

Feeling your body.

Welcoming a few fuller breaths to wake up.

Perhaps there's a slightly fuller,

Still soft inhale through the nose.

Soft exhale through the mouth,

Whatever you need.

Allow whatever your body needs to come through.

Any way you feel drawn to.

Perhaps starting with fingers and toes.

Maybe taking a full body stretch with the arms softly reaching away overhead.

You have been lying on your back.

Take a little bit of time on your side.

And not with my words,

But whenever you feel ready,

Allow yourself to be supported by your hands as you sit.

And gently take the left hand in the middle of the chest and the right hand on top.

In this compassionate gesture.

Hands on heart space,

The energy centre.

A place of compassion,

Of love,

Gratitude.

Resting awareness here,

Just for a moment.

Now when you feel ready,

Do you blink,

Open your eyes,

Do so very softly.

And carry on.

Thank you.