Yoga Nidra - Honoring the Coming Light of Advent
Yoga Nidra 61 point - Honoring the coming Light of Advent
December 13, 2021
By Tonya Minton
Hello friends - My name is Tonya and tonight our practice of Yoga Nidra will be honoring and anticipating the coming light.
Let’s start today by stretching, reach your arms out as far as you can really stretch when you have stretched as far as you can stretch and stretch a bit more. Reach over your head and try to touch the roof. Move your head and neck and the torso of your body however feels good.
Explore moving gently in different ways to see how you physically come to our practice tonight. When you feel like it's the right time come to a Mountain pose, eyes closed, breathing naturally. Take notice of your body. While you check in with your body, notice your alignment, feet shoulder distance apart, your weight is evening distributed on your feet side to side and front to back. Maybe rock back and forth hand side to side to find your center. Knees in line with your feet, hips in line with your knees, shoulders in line with your hips, head straight, jaw relaxed. Arms hang comfortably at your sides palms facing up/out in receiving posture. Bring your attention to your breath.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Welcome yourself into this restful space tonight. Continue breathing in and breathing out.
Everyone is welcome in this space, this is your space to relax and renew, these are your friends practicing with you today everyone is welcome here. Thank yourself for giving yourself this gift of rest.
As you continue breathing in and breathing out.
Our yoga nidra practice today is an opportunity for you to rest. Within your community here. While we are resting and restoring and renewing, I will be sharing with you some scripture and some beautiful words from Brian McLaren from his book "We Make the Road by Walking" (McLauren, Brian, We Make The Road By Walking, Jericho Books, June 9, 2015). https://www.amazon.com/Make-Road-Walking-Reorientation-Activation/dp/B01LTHXJSC
Some of the scriptures you may recognize. I invite you to hear the scripture tonight from your heart, breathe in the scripture, notice where you feel the scripture readings in your body. How does the scripture feel, is it soft, does it feel rough?? maybe it feels warm, or cold. However, the scripture feels to you ok. Just notice how it feels in your physical body. Next notice how it feels emotionally to you. Lean into these feelings physically and emotionally allow them to wash over you like a gentle shower of water.
Quietly, gently move into a comfortable position for Yoga Nidra. Sit comfortably or lay down, where your whole body can completely relax. Position yourself in such a way that your head, neck and trunk are aligned left and right. With a hand towel or something similar just under your head if that is comfortable for you, not to raise it but to bring it in alignment with your body. If this is comfortable for you. Allow your feet to be a comfortable distance apart, adjust them as needed for comfort. Allow your arms to be a comfortable distance from your sides. Palms up if it is comfortable. Place your eye pillow over your eyes if you have one. Cover yourself with a blanket so that you will not be cold. Make yourself even more comfortable, wiggle if you need to make sure you are comfortable.
Take in a deep breath
Be comfortable and let go sink into the floor.
Be aware of your body.
Be aware of your whole body from the top of your head to your toes and from the tips of your toes to the crown of your head.
However, you feel your body is okay.
You cannot do this incorrectly.
Be aware of your body.
You have arrived here today, and you are in exactly the right place at precisely the right time with precisely the right people gathered all around you, gathered all around you in this circle of belonging and everyone is welcome.
Welcome yourself home.
Give the weight of your body down to the earth, sink in and settle in. Rest now.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Breath in and breathe out.
Experience the stillness.
Experience the stillness
Experience stillness throughout your entire body.
Be aware of the stillness
Allow the stillness to encircle your and calm you.
breathing in and breathing out
Hear now the words from Isaiah 60 verses 1-3:
Arise! Shine! Your light has come;
the Lord’s glory has shone upon you.
Though darkness covers the earth
and gloom the nations,
the Lord will shine upon you;
God’s glory will appear over you.
Nations will come to your light
and kings to your dawning radiance.
(Repeat)
I invite you to think of an intention, a prayer, a goal you would like to carry with you this next week, the next two weeks, or this season moving toward the birth of Jesus. Just a word or two. Just a word or two. Just a word or two you want to carry with you.
Survey your body from head to toe and toe to head.
However, you feel your body is okay.
You cannot do this incorrectly.
Using your inner eye. Look around.
What do you see looking through your inner eye?? Whatever you see is fine and however things look through your inner eye is just fine.
Observe the body as if you are really curious, looking into the small nooks and crannies, as if you are an explorer surveying a place for the first time in great depth.
Let your awareness and the light move deep within the body and travel through the center of the bones and organs.
You may experience sensations in the physical body, maybe even in your organs and maybe in your bones.
Or you may experience a feeling or emotion, or a sensation of energy.
Any sensations you feel or ways of experiencing the body are welcome.
Let your awareness sink into your head, dropping deep within the head.
Allow your awareness to move through the head, behind the forehead, eyebrows, and eyes.
Hear now the words from John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
The Word was with God in the beginning.
Everything came into being through the Word,
and without the Word
nothing came into being.
What came into being
through the Word was life,[a]
and the life was the light for all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.
(repeat)
Let’s move the light and awareness through the center of the cheekbones and the jaw.
Feel light and awareness as you move through your face.
Allow your light and awareness to move down through the neck and to the right shoulder. Then your left shoulder, your right shoulder, your left shoulder.
Let your light and awareness move deeper and deeper into the center of the bones, to the very bone marrow itself.
Hear now the words from John 1:9-10
The true light that shines on all people
was coming into the world.
The light was in the world,
and the world came into being through the light,
but the world didn’t recognize the light.
(repeat)
Allow your mind and the light and to travel through the bones of the right upper arm.
Through the elbow and right lower arm bones. And up and down your right arm.
light and awareness traveling through the center of the bones of the right wrist and the bones of the right hand and fingers.
Bring your light and awareness now back through the bones of the right wrist.
The lower arm and the elbow, the upper arm and the right shoulder.
light and light and awareness moving to the left shoulder and down through the bones of the left upper arm.
Let your observation be keen yet relaxed.
Allow your mind to travel down through the left elbow and the bone marrow of the lower arm bones.
Let the light and awareness travel to the left wrist and bones of the hand.
Observe it moving through the bones of the left fingers.
Let your mind travel back up through the center of the bones of the left wrist and lower arm.
Light and awareness moving through the left elbow and upper arm and back up to the left shoulder.
Let your light and awareness remain deep as it descends through the chest, moving through the two lungs.
Hear now the words from John 3:19-21
“This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people
loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil.
All who do wicked things hate the light and don’t come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light.
Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God.”
(Repeat)
Allow the light and awareness to move through the heart and stomach, liver, and gallbladder.
Pancreas, spleen, and kidneys. Let's spend a moment more loving and caring for these organs.
Continue to allow the mind to move through the intestines and reproductive organs.
Allow the light to radiant here warming and pulsing in your core, through the organs, caring for them renewing them, restoring them.
Let your light and awareness move into the center of the right hip.
Allow the mind to move through the marrow of the right upper leg bone, through the right knee and lower leg bones.
light and light and awareness continuing through the ankle, bones of the right foot and toes.
Observation moves back up through the bones of the ankle, lower leg, and knee.
Continue to let the mind travel through the bone marrow of the right upper leg bone and hip.
light and light and awareness travels through the center of the bones of the left hip.
Allow the mind to move through the marrow of the left upper leg bone.
Through the left knee and lower leg bones.
Bring the light and light and awareness continuing through the ankle and bones of the left foot and toes.
Be observant as the light and awareness moves back up through the bones of the ankle, lower leg, and knee.
Continue to let the mind travel through the bone marrow of the left upper leg bone and hip.
light and light and awareness comes to the tip of the tailbone and moves inside the tailbone.
Let the mind travel up through the center of the sacrum and through each vertebra of the spine.
The light and mind travel up through the spine until it finally returns to the center of the head.
Breathe in and breath out
Hear now the words from John 8:12
Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
(repeat)
Breathe as though your whole body is breathing. Without actually altering the physical breath in any way, simply focus the mind on the breath.
Visualize that you are exhaling from the top of your head down to your toes.
Breathe as though you are inhaling from the toes up to the top of your head.
Exhale from the top of head down to the toes.
Inhale from the toes up to the top of the head. Continue to
exhale from the top of the head down to the toes.
Inhale from the toes up to the top of the head.
Hear now the words from John 9:5
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
(repeat)
Exhale from the top of the head down to the ankles.
Inhale from the ankles up to the top of the head.
Continue to exhale from the top of the head down to the ankles.
Inhale from the ankles to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head down to the knees.
Inhale from the knees up to the top of the head.
Continue to exhale from the top of the head down to the knees.
Inhale from the knees up to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head down to the tailbone.
Inhale from the tailbone to the crown of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head down to the navel.
Inhale from the navel up to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head to the center of your chest.
Inhale from the space between the breasts up to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head down to the throat.
Inhale from the throat up to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head down to the space between your upper lip and your nose.
Inhale from the space between your upper lip and your nose up to the top of the head.
Exhale from the space between the eyebrows to the space between your upper lip and your nose.
Inhale from the space between your upper lip and your nose to the space between the eyebrows.
Hear now the words from John 12:35-36
Jesus replied, “The
light is with you for only a little while. Walk while you have the
light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. Those who walk in the
darkness don’t know where they are going.
As long as you have the light, believe in the light so that you might become people whose lives are determined by the light.” After Jesus said these things, he went away and hid from them.
(repeat)
Continue to exhale from the space between the eyebrows to the point of your nose.
Inhale from the tip of your nose to the space between the eyebrows.
Exhale from the top of the head down to the tip of your nose.
Inhale from the tip of your nose up to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head down to the throat.
Inhale from the throat up to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head to the center of your chest.
Inhale from the center of your chest up to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head down to the navel.
Inhale from the navel up to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head down to the tailbone.
Inhale from the tailbone to the crown of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head down to the knees.
Inhale from the knees up to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head down to the ankles.
Inhale from the ankles up to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of head down to the toes.
Inhale from the toes up to the top of the head.
Be aware of the space between the eyebrows.
Breathe as though you are breathing from the space between the eyebrows.
(pause)
Hear now the words from John 12:46
I have come as a light into the world so that everyone who believes in me won’t live in darkness.
(repeat)
Be aware of the space at the throat.
Visualize at the throat: a bright light at this place, the light of Jesus.
Bring the light and your awareness to the space at the heart center. Allow the light to move here and then let it go deep, deep within the space. Go deep into the silence.
Empty, empty, empty.
Go deep into the stillness and the silence in the space of the heart. Empty, empty, empty. Rest in the light, welcome the light, grow the light allow the light to radiate through each bone in your body, each vain, each muscle, allow the light to become brighter and surround your whole body and your friends, your family, those you care for, bodies that are practicing with you tonight.
Be aware of the light at your heart center.
Be aware of the deep stillness and silence that is in that space.
Allow your attention to carry that deep stillness and silence.
Be aware of the light at the throat bringing with you that deep stillness and silence.
Be aware of the space between the eyebrows.
Be aware of the quietness of your mind while remaining aware of that deep stillness and silence that is beneath, behind, or subtler than the mind.
Be aware of the smoothness of the breath while continuing to remain aware of that deep stillness and silence inside of, deeper than the breath.
Be aware of the stillness of the physical body while holding awareness of that deep stillness and silence.
While you remain aware of that deep stillness and silence that is underneath, behind, or
subtler than the quiet mind, the smooth breath and the still body, gently move your fingers and toes.
Continue to move your fingers and toes.
Begin to move your arms and legs, awakening them gently.
Move however you wish as you integrate the experience of Yoga Nidra into your waking
state.
Bring the light and the deep stillness and silence with you. Keep it with you while you resolve to return to this state of abundant light and deep stillness and silence often. keeping your eyes closed a sitting position of meditation whatever is comfortable to you.
Allow these words from Brian McLauren to wash over you.
The Light is coming....."We Make the Road By Walking" - Chapter 17A. (McLauren, Brian, We Make The Road By Walking, Jericho Books, June 9, 2015). https://www.amazon.com/Make-Road-Walking-Reorientation-Activation/dp/B01LTHXJSC
Closing prayer
Let us light a candle for the Christ child, the infant Jesus, the Word made flesh. Let our heart glow with the light that was in him, so that we become candles through which his light shines still. In Jesus most holy name we pray. Amen.
Thank you for joining us tonight. Good night.
Here is a link to the video.