INTERNALIZATION
Prepare for the practice of Yoga Nidra by lying on your back in Shavasana – if this is not comfortable put a pillow under your head or if back hurts bend knees or put pillow or blanket under knees, lying on side if you are pregnant, Sitting in a chair, on the floor back to the wall. You might want a blanket because the body temperature tends to drop in Yoga Nidra. Also put a blanket under any area that is sensitive.
Try to be aligned, symmetrical from feet to head. Feel your spine aligned. In shavansasana, arms away from sides palm up or down. If anything is on you tight like glasses or a wrist watch you can take it off. Eyes should be closed to avoid visual distraction. .
Grief is one of the heart’s natural responses to loss.
When we grieve we allow ourselves to feel the truth of our pain.
By our willingness to mourn, we slowly acknowledge, integrate, and accept the truth of our losses.
Sometimes the best way to let go is to grieve.
It takes courage to grieve, to honor the pain we carry.
Grief is an emotion in response to many things: death of a loved one, loss of a part of us (body part), failure of business, a cherished project, the end of a relationship. All these types of grief are valid and need to be mourned.
There are many ways to grieve:
We can grieve in tears or in meditative silence, in prayer or in song.
In touching the pain of recent and long-held griefs, we come face to face with our genuine human vulnerability, with helplessness and hopelessness.
These are the storm clouds of the heart.
Most traditional societies offer ritual and communal support to help people move through grief and loss. Tonight we are the support for each other.
We need to respect our tears. Without a wise way to grieve, we can only soldier on, armored and unfeeling, but our hearts cannot learn and grow from the sorrows of the past.
(Tense and Release Exercise)
Imagine roots sprouting out of the soles of your feet and going down into the soil down, down into the earth’s core past rocks, crystals deep into the molten core of the planet grounding you to the earth.
Inhale deeply as you feel that grounding connection.
Exhale and release the pain, release the raw emotion, the pain, the aching loss.
Inhale and bring in white luminescent energy through the crown of your heads, through what is known your crown chakra.
And on the out breath, think of the word “release”.
Say the word as you slowly let out your breath. Inhale and think of white luminescent energy filling every cell in our body and leaving your body shining and sparkling as it fills with source energy.
Exhale and again think the word “release”
Out and we release. Release sadness, release the pain, release grief.
With the Inhale comes that healing energy, healing our tired and emotional bodies, healing the gaping wounds of our heart, healing the raw emotion and feeling of loss.
With the exhale comes relief
Listen in all directions for sounds
Be aware of distant sounds. . . sounds outside the room . . . sounds inside the room . .. sounds of the body… Become aware of the sound of your breath.
SANKALPA
It is time for the Sankalpa. A sankalpa is a short positive statement in the present or future tense. It is a resolve, intention affirmation. Repeat the sankalpa 3 times with the exact same wording and full attention. If you do not have yet have a sankalpa use the resolve “I will find the right sankalpa for me” or "Grieving takes time; I give it the time it needs."
BODY ROTATION
Tears are your body’s release valve for grief, sadness, stress, anxiety, and frustration. Tears are a way to purge pent up emotions so they don’t lodge in my body as stress symptoms such as fatigue or pain.
Like the ocean, tears are salt water. Protectively they lubricate your eyes, remove irritants, reduce stress hormones, and they contain antibodies that fight pathogenic microbes. Crying stimulates the production of endorphins, our body’s natural pain killer and “feel-good” hormones.
For this body scan a body part will be named and when it is named imagine a tear touching the body part. If this visualization is difficult there is also the option of repeating the name or bring awareness to the body part …
Place a tear on the right hand thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, pinky finger, right palm, back of the hand, wrist, lower arm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, arm pit, right waist, the right hip, the right thigh, the right kneecap, the right lower leg, the right ankle, the right heel,the right instep, the right sole of the foot, top of the foot, the right big toe, 2nd toe, third toe, fourth toe, fifth toe
Bring awareness to the left side of the body, and place a tear on the left thumb. Left hand thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, pinky finger, left palm, back of the hand, wrist, lower arm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, arm pit, left waist, the left hip, the left thigh, the left kneecap, the left lower leg, the left ankle, the left heel, left instep, the left sole of the foot, top of the foot, the left big toe, 2nd toe, third toe, fourth toe, left 5th toe. Stay awake.
Bring awareness to the top of the head, and place a tear on the forehead, both sides of the head, right temple, left temple, the right eyebrow, the left eyebrow, eyebrow center, the right eyelid, the left eyelid, the right eye, the left eye, the right ear, the left ear, the top of the nose, the right nostril, the left nostril, the right cheek, the left cheek, the upper lip, the lower lip, teeth, tongue, jaw, front of the neck, right collar bone, left collar bone, the hallow between the collar bones, right chest, left chest, center of chest, upper abdomen, navel, lower abdomen, pelvis, buttocks, lower back, middle back, upper back, right shoulder blade, left shoulder blade, the whole spine, back of the head, top of the head.
Please tears up and down the whole right arm - The whole left arm - Both arms together
Places tears up and down the whole right leg - The whole left leg - Both legs together
Both arms and legs together
Place tears on he whole front of the body - Place tears on the whole back of the body - Place tears on the front and back together
The whole body together (x3)
Now let go of the tears and let go of the body rotation and come back to natural breathing
BREATHWORK
To meditate on grief begin by sensing the breath.
Feel the breathing in the lungs.
Place the hands on the lungs gently as if the body was vulnerable and in need of comfort.
Continue to breathe and bring to mind any grief, loss or pain.
Let the story, the images, the feelings comes naturally.
Hold them gently.
Take the time necessary.
Let the feelings come layer by layer.
Bring your hands a few inches away from the chest and turn the palms up and raise the hands over the forehead with the palms. The arms can be bent. The arms can be supported by the floor.
Keep breathing softly and compassionately. Let whatever feelings are there come as they will.
Touch them gently.
Make space for any images that arise. Allow the whole story.
Breathe and hold it all with tenderness and compassion.
Take a deep inhale and exhale softly and slowly the Healing Sound
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Visualize any grief, loss, sadness, depression constriction or imbalance leaving the body as a gray substance moving out of the body into the earth to be transformed
Breath normally rotate your palms down and bring your hands to cover your lungs
Smile to the lungs and large intestines.
Be grateful for their vital work in respiration and elimination.
Keep smiling and visualize breathing in a white healing light.
OPPOSITES
(COOL)
Notice any coolness in the body
Notice any coolness at the exposed skin
Find any place of the body that is cool
Spread the coolness across the entire body
Let the body be cool
Experience the body as coolness
Now let go of the coolness and come to the opposite experience of warmth
(WARMTH)
Notice any warmth in the body
Notice any warmth under the clothing or blanket
Notice any place the body is warm
Spread the warmth across the entire body
Let the body be warm
Experience the warmth across the body
Let the body be warm
Now let go of the warmth
(HEAVY)
Feel all the points of contact between the body and the floor. Feel the weight of the body. The body is heavy... The head is heavy... The shoulders are heavy... The arms are heavy.... The back is heavy... ... The legs are heavy..........The body is so heavy that it feels as if it is made of stone.....the body is so heavy that it feels as if it is made of lead.. Experience the body as heaviness... Now let go of heaviness and come to the opposite experience of lightness
(LIGHT)
Now come to the opposite experience of lightness. The hair is light.....the fingers are light.....the toes are light.....the nose is light .....the eyelashes are light.....The body is so light that it feels as if it could rise above the floor like a feather ... the body is so light that it could blow in the wind like a life in an autumn wind...Experience the body as lightness...Now let go of lightness
(GRIEF)
Recollect an experience of grief, concentrate and try to remember the experience of grief (pause) Any grief you have experienced in your life, mental or physical, recollect the feeling of grief. It doesn't have to be a large experience of grief it can just be a small experience. Recollect any grief as if it is happening right now. Feel the grief. Now, let go of the grief and come to the opposition sensation of joy.
(JOY)
Recollect an experience of joy, concentrate and try to remember the experience of joy. (pause) Recollect this feeling and relive it, make it vivid .. .awaken the feeling of joy (long pause) Check that you are awake. Recollect the feeling of joy as if it were happening it right now. Feel the joy. Now let go of the joy and come back to natural breathing.
VISUALIZATIONS
When we grieve for a dead loved one a lot of comfort would be derived if we knew that our loved one was watching over us and was sending us love and reassurance that all is well.
Our loved one who has passed into the next world is looking down on us and helping us, loving us and supporting us?
Bring the awareness to the chidakasha the mind space in front on the closed eyes and in that space bring to mind the image of a dead love one.
See them clearly
See them as if you were watching a movie
What are the wearing
How old are they
Where are they
Still the mind and open the mind to any connection or communication that may come through.
Keep the body still and the breathing deep and ask that you be held at all times in full love and protection
Now consciously push your energy upwards up to the universe, up to the stars, soaring high and higher. Up. Up. Up.
And then when you have pushed your energy as far as it will go, just be still and breathe deep breaths.
Do you feel any thoughts floating into your mind?
Do you feel any communications drifting in?
Quietly make a mental note of any communications.
Don’t analyse.
Just record it mentally.
Ask if there is any more communication.
It tends to flood into your mind in chunks and then goes quiet.
And then another download and then stop.
You might need to write the words down after the meditation.
But for now just memorize the words and when the communication has dried up, go back to the breathing and bring yourself back into your body with deep breaths.
Now we take this feeling of calm, this feeling of comfort and carry this into our day so that if we feel that the pain is unbearable, we can begin our deep breathing and we will feel that relaxation and calm until next time we meditate.
Let us be peace.
Let us be calm.
Knowing that we are only a few thoughts away from our loved ones who look over us and protect and guide us from the next world.
They pour their love down upon us as they know how hard it can be on this planet.
They are in a place where the pain and suffering of human existence is gone, where there is just love and a connection with the universal loving energy that we all have access to.
We know we will one day be reunited with our loved ones and will be exalted to the highest emotions but until then we are watched over, we are protected. We are loved. And we send that love back from the very depths of our hearts. We send that love back to join with the universal love that is open to us all. We are loved. We are protected. We are one.
Let go of the visualization practice and come back to natural breathing.
SANKALPA
And in the natural breath hear the sankalpa. The same resolve you made at the beginning of the practice with the same wording. Repeat it mentally 3 times with faith it will come true.
EXTERNALIZATION
The grief we carry is part of the grief of the world. Hold it gently. Let it be honored. You do not have to keep it in anymore. You can let it go into the heart of compassion; you can weep.
Releasing the grief we carry is a long, tear-filled process. Yet it follows the natural intelligence of the body and heart. Trust it, trust the unfolding. Along with meditation, some of your grief will want to be written, to be cried out, to be sung, to be danced.
Let the timeless wisdom within you carry you through grief to an open heart.
Listen in all directions for sounds
Listen for sounds in this room, sounds outside this room. Find the furthest sound that you can hear. Start to remember this room: the walls… the ceiling… the floor. Remember your place in this room. Remember what’s in this room with you… Become aware of your body lying on the floor, (or sitting on the chair, or against the wall)… Notice the weight of your body and all the points where your body is supported…. Extend your attention through your entire body… Become aware of your entire body from you head to your finger tips…. Become aware of your body extending from your head to your toes… Be aware of your breath… Become aware of the entire physically body and the breath inside your body…. Consciously make your breath deeper and full… Make your breath deeper. … Inhaling and Exhaling deeply… Make your breath very full…. Keep your eyes closed. Say to yourself mentally “The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.”…. Start moving your body and stretching. Making your movements larger and larger. Inhale your arms over your head. Remembering to be mindful of what’s near you. Stretch (3) Yawn. Gently roll to a side. (long pause) Open your eyes. Slowly push up to a seated position fully alert and ready to go on with the rest of your evening.
NAMASTE
Prepare for the practice of Yoga Nidra by lying on your back in Shavasana – if this is not comfortable put a pillow under your head or if back hurts bend knees or put pillow or blanket under knees, lying on side if you are pregnant, Sitting in a chair, on the floor back to the wall. You might want a blanket because the body temperature tends to drop in Yoga Nidra. Also put a blanket under any area that is sensitive.
Try to be aligned, symmetrical from feet to head. Feel your spine aligned. In shavansasana, arms away from sides palm up or down. If anything is on you tight like glasses or a wrist watch you can take it off. Eyes should be closed to avoid visual distraction. .
Grief is one of the heart’s natural responses to loss.
When we grieve we allow ourselves to feel the truth of our pain.
By our willingness to mourn, we slowly acknowledge, integrate, and accept the truth of our losses.
Sometimes the best way to let go is to grieve.
It takes courage to grieve, to honor the pain we carry.
Grief is an emotion in response to many things: death of a loved one, loss of a part of us (body part), failure of business, a cherished project, the end of a relationship. All these types of grief are valid and need to be mourned.
There are many ways to grieve:
We can grieve in tears or in meditative silence, in prayer or in song.
In touching the pain of recent and long-held griefs, we come face to face with our genuine human vulnerability, with helplessness and hopelessness.
These are the storm clouds of the heart.
Most traditional societies offer ritual and communal support to help people move through grief and loss. Tonight we are the support for each other.
We need to respect our tears. Without a wise way to grieve, we can only soldier on, armored and unfeeling, but our hearts cannot learn and grow from the sorrows of the past.
(Tense and Release Exercise)
Imagine roots sprouting out of the soles of your feet and going down into the soil down, down into the earth’s core past rocks, crystals deep into the molten core of the planet grounding you to the earth.
Inhale deeply as you feel that grounding connection.
Exhale and release the pain, release the raw emotion, the pain, the aching loss.
Inhale and bring in white luminescent energy through the crown of your heads, through what is known your crown chakra.
And on the out breath, think of the word “release”.
Say the word as you slowly let out your breath. Inhale and think of white luminescent energy filling every cell in our body and leaving your body shining and sparkling as it fills with source energy.
Exhale and again think the word “release”
Out and we release. Release sadness, release the pain, release grief.
With the Inhale comes that healing energy, healing our tired and emotional bodies, healing the gaping wounds of our heart, healing the raw emotion and feeling of loss.
With the exhale comes relief
Listen in all directions for sounds
Be aware of distant sounds. . . sounds outside the room . . . sounds inside the room . .. sounds of the body… Become aware of the sound of your breath.
In Yoga
Nidra, it is best if the body remains still.
If you become uncomfortable you may move but come back to stillness as
soon as you can. Say to yourself
mentally “I will remain still for Yoga Nidra.” (pause)
SANKALPA
It is time for the Sankalpa. A sankalpa is a short positive statement in the present or future tense. It is a resolve, intention affirmation. Repeat the sankalpa 3 times with the exact same wording and full attention. If you do not have yet have a sankalpa use the resolve “I will find the right sankalpa for me” or "Grieving takes time; I give it the time it needs."
BODY ROTATION
Tears are your body’s release valve for grief, sadness, stress, anxiety, and frustration. Tears are a way to purge pent up emotions so they don’t lodge in my body as stress symptoms such as fatigue or pain.
Like the ocean, tears are salt water. Protectively they lubricate your eyes, remove irritants, reduce stress hormones, and they contain antibodies that fight pathogenic microbes. Crying stimulates the production of endorphins, our body’s natural pain killer and “feel-good” hormones.
For this body scan a body part will be named and when it is named imagine a tear touching the body part. If this visualization is difficult there is also the option of repeating the name or bring awareness to the body part …
Place a tear on the right hand thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, pinky finger, right palm, back of the hand, wrist, lower arm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, arm pit, right waist, the right hip, the right thigh, the right kneecap, the right lower leg, the right ankle, the right heel,the right instep, the right sole of the foot, top of the foot, the right big toe, 2nd toe, third toe, fourth toe, fifth toe
Bring awareness to the left side of the body, and place a tear on the left thumb. Left hand thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, pinky finger, left palm, back of the hand, wrist, lower arm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, arm pit, left waist, the left hip, the left thigh, the left kneecap, the left lower leg, the left ankle, the left heel, left instep, the left sole of the foot, top of the foot, the left big toe, 2nd toe, third toe, fourth toe, left 5th toe. Stay awake.
Bring awareness to the top of the head, and place a tear on the forehead, both sides of the head, right temple, left temple, the right eyebrow, the left eyebrow, eyebrow center, the right eyelid, the left eyelid, the right eye, the left eye, the right ear, the left ear, the top of the nose, the right nostril, the left nostril, the right cheek, the left cheek, the upper lip, the lower lip, teeth, tongue, jaw, front of the neck, right collar bone, left collar bone, the hallow between the collar bones, right chest, left chest, center of chest, upper abdomen, navel, lower abdomen, pelvis, buttocks, lower back, middle back, upper back, right shoulder blade, left shoulder blade, the whole spine, back of the head, top of the head.
Please tears up and down the whole right arm - The whole left arm - Both arms together
Places tears up and down the whole right leg - The whole left leg - Both legs together
Both arms and legs together
Place tears on he whole front of the body - Place tears on the whole back of the body - Place tears on the front and back together
The whole body together (x3)
Now let go of the tears and let go of the body rotation and come back to natural breathing
BREATHWORK
To meditate on grief begin by sensing the breath.
Feel the breathing in the lungs.
Place the hands on the lungs gently as if the body was vulnerable and in need of comfort.
Continue to breathe and bring to mind any grief, loss or pain.
Let the story, the images, the feelings comes naturally.
Hold them gently.
Take the time necessary.
Let the feelings come layer by layer.
Bring your hands a few inches away from the chest and turn the palms up and raise the hands over the forehead with the palms. The arms can be bent. The arms can be supported by the floor.
Keep breathing softly and compassionately. Let whatever feelings are there come as they will.
Touch them gently.
Make space for any images that arise. Allow the whole story.
Breathe and hold it all with tenderness and compassion.
Take a deep inhale and exhale softly and slowly the Healing Sound
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Visualize any grief, loss, sadness, depression constriction or imbalance leaving the body as a gray substance moving out of the body into the earth to be transformed
Breath normally rotate your palms down and bring your hands to cover your lungs
Smile to the lungs and large intestines.
Be grateful for their vital work in respiration and elimination.
Keep smiling and visualize breathing in a white healing light.
OPPOSITES
(COOL)
Notice any coolness in the body
Notice any coolness at the exposed skin
Find any place of the body that is cool
Spread the coolness across the entire body
Let the body be cool
Experience the body as coolness
Now let go of the coolness and come to the opposite experience of warmth
(WARMTH)
Notice any warmth in the body
Notice any warmth under the clothing or blanket
Notice any place the body is warm
Spread the warmth across the entire body
Let the body be warm
Experience the warmth across the body
Let the body be warm
Now let go of the warmth
(HEAVY)
Feel all the points of contact between the body and the floor. Feel the weight of the body. The body is heavy... The head is heavy... The shoulders are heavy... The arms are heavy.... The back is heavy... ... The legs are heavy..........The body is so heavy that it feels as if it is made of stone.....the body is so heavy that it feels as if it is made of lead.. Experience the body as heaviness... Now let go of heaviness and come to the opposite experience of lightness
(LIGHT)
Now come to the opposite experience of lightness. The hair is light.....the fingers are light.....the toes are light.....the nose is light .....the eyelashes are light.....The body is so light that it feels as if it could rise above the floor like a feather ... the body is so light that it could blow in the wind like a life in an autumn wind...Experience the body as lightness...Now let go of lightness
(GRIEF)
Recollect an experience of grief, concentrate and try to remember the experience of grief (pause) Any grief you have experienced in your life, mental or physical, recollect the feeling of grief. It doesn't have to be a large experience of grief it can just be a small experience. Recollect any grief as if it is happening right now. Feel the grief. Now, let go of the grief and come to the opposition sensation of joy.
(JOY)
Recollect an experience of joy, concentrate and try to remember the experience of joy. (pause) Recollect this feeling and relive it, make it vivid .. .awaken the feeling of joy (long pause) Check that you are awake. Recollect the feeling of joy as if it were happening it right now. Feel the joy. Now let go of the joy and come back to natural breathing.
VISUALIZATIONS
When we grieve for a dead loved one a lot of comfort would be derived if we knew that our loved one was watching over us and was sending us love and reassurance that all is well.
Our loved one who has passed into the next world is looking down on us and helping us, loving us and supporting us?
Bring the awareness to the chidakasha the mind space in front on the closed eyes and in that space bring to mind the image of a dead love one.
See them clearly
See them as if you were watching a movie
What are the wearing
How old are they
Where are they
Still the mind and open the mind to any connection or communication that may come through.
Keep the body still and the breathing deep and ask that you be held at all times in full love and protection
Now consciously push your energy upwards up to the universe, up to the stars, soaring high and higher. Up. Up. Up.
And then when you have pushed your energy as far as it will go, just be still and breathe deep breaths.
Do you feel any thoughts floating into your mind?
Do you feel any communications drifting in?
Quietly make a mental note of any communications.
Don’t analyse.
Just record it mentally.
Ask if there is any more communication.
It tends to flood into your mind in chunks and then goes quiet.
And then another download and then stop.
You might need to write the words down after the meditation.
But for now just memorize the words and when the communication has dried up, go back to the breathing and bring yourself back into your body with deep breaths.
Now we take this feeling of calm, this feeling of comfort and carry this into our day so that if we feel that the pain is unbearable, we can begin our deep breathing and we will feel that relaxation and calm until next time we meditate.
Let us be peace.
Let us be calm.
Knowing that we are only a few thoughts away from our loved ones who look over us and protect and guide us from the next world.
They pour their love down upon us as they know how hard it can be on this planet.
They are in a place where the pain and suffering of human existence is gone, where there is just love and a connection with the universal loving energy that we all have access to.
We know we will one day be reunited with our loved ones and will be exalted to the highest emotions but until then we are watched over, we are protected. We are loved. And we send that love back from the very depths of our hearts. We send that love back to join with the universal love that is open to us all. We are loved. We are protected. We are one.
Let go of the visualization practice and come back to natural breathing.
SANKALPA
EXTERNALIZATION
The grief we carry is part of the grief of the world. Hold it gently. Let it be honored. You do not have to keep it in anymore. You can let it go into the heart of compassion; you can weep.
Releasing the grief we carry is a long, tear-filled process. Yet it follows the natural intelligence of the body and heart. Trust it, trust the unfolding. Along with meditation, some of your grief will want to be written, to be cried out, to be sung, to be danced.
Let the timeless wisdom within you carry you through grief to an open heart.
Listen in all directions for sounds
Listen for sounds in this room, sounds outside this room. Find the furthest sound that you can hear. Start to remember this room: the walls… the ceiling… the floor. Remember your place in this room. Remember what’s in this room with you… Become aware of your body lying on the floor, (or sitting on the chair, or against the wall)… Notice the weight of your body and all the points where your body is supported…. Extend your attention through your entire body… Become aware of your entire body from you head to your finger tips…. Become aware of your body extending from your head to your toes… Be aware of your breath… Become aware of the entire physically body and the breath inside your body…. Consciously make your breath deeper and full… Make your breath deeper. … Inhaling and Exhaling deeply… Make your breath very full…. Keep your eyes closed. Say to yourself mentally “The practice of Yoga Nidra is now complete.”…. Start moving your body and stretching. Making your movements larger and larger. Inhale your arms over your head. Remembering to be mindful of what’s near you. Stretch (3) Yawn. Gently roll to a side. (long pause) Open your eyes. Slowly push up to a seated position fully alert and ready to go on with the rest of your evening.
NAMASTE
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Namaste,
Nya