Yoga Nidra: With Intention

A new year brings new longings. Relax with this Yoga Nidra meditation, rest in your intentions, hold them before the Lord, and simply be.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:01

Hi, I'm Whitney and you're listening to Exploring Peace Meditations. I'm glad you found yourself here Today. We'll practice a yoga nidra and our invitation is to rest in our intentions, to hold them before the Lord and to simply be, to be present together here now. As you're beginning to settle in and find a reclined, restful posture, I'd love to remind you that you can go behind the scenes with us at exploringpeacecom slash community, and you can find me and my books at WhitneyRSimpsoncom. So have you found a reclined posture? Begin to soften your eyes, relax any tension or tightness that you notice and bring a purposefulness to your breath, perhaps extending your exhale or deepening your inhale, or maybe both. Hear these words as we begin our time of Yoga Nidra. Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16, 3. Holy and loving God, thank you for the opportunity to rest in your presence, to open our hands to you to bring forth what's on our hearts and in our minds, and to open our hands before you to offer our intention to you. God, let us release anything that doesn't serve us in this year and make space to draw close to you. Help us flourish, to live, to breathe, to be. As we begin our time with some body awareness and breath awareness. Simply notice your breath, notice its rhythm, notice its temperature, notice responds to your breath Very purposefully. Allow your next breath in to be full and your next breath out to be long and extended. Offer up two more really purposeful breaths and consider breathing out of your mouth or even making a sigh with that long, extended exhale.

Speaker 1 4:00

The intention of Yoga Nidra is to release, rest and simply be. Do you have an intention on your heart or mind for the days ahead? Is there a word or phrase that you could hold in your rest today, that you could hold in your rest today, that you could hold in your hands before God? Maybe you have a word for the year or a longing? This isn't a goal or an aspiration to complete. It's an opportunity, an opportunity to draw close to God with an intention of purpose and presence. If there's a word or a phrase that's drawing to you, allow yourself to draw close to it. Allow yourself to draw close to it and on your next breath in, just visualize your word. If a word has not risen up for you, that's okay. Choose one. For this time only, it could be breathe, be release. Breathe, be Release. Love, peace, hope, joy. Let a single word rise up and let that be your intention for the next bit. This is a way of being a word that you long to offer to God to embody. Imagine it taking root in you now, like a seed planted in fertile soil, and with each breath you breathe during our time, imagine it growing stronger and more vibrant, more purposeful and present. As we hold our intention in our hearts and minds, let us now begin to bring awareness to the top of the head.

Speaker 1 6:39

Soften the space between the eyes. Relax across the bridge of your nose. Allow your eyes to sink into your head. Let your cheeks soften and your jaw relax. Relax. Allow the back side of your head to feel supported and held Almost cradled into the space beneath you. Soften your throat. Relax across your chest. Release your right shoulder. Release your right shoulder. Release your left shoulder. Relax your right arm. Relax your left arm. Soften your right hand. Soften your left hand. Relax all 10 fingers. Soften your belly. Soften your hips and buttocks. Relax the right side body. Allow your spine to rest into the space beneath you. Soften your right leg. Soften your left leg. Soften the right foot… Soften the left foot….

Speaker 1 10:25

Scan from the top of your head to the bottoms of your feet.

Speaker 1 10:30

Notice what needs to let go, what part of you longs to soften and settle into this space with God right now. If there's a physical part of you that feels tension or tightness, bring your awareness to that part of your body. Take a full breath in and a long breath out. Ask God for a healing touch upon this part of you. To receive a healing touch, welcome God's energy, god's light, god's purposeful presence with you. Allow this presence to start in the place that feels the stickiest or the tightest or the most achy, and then invite that light and that energy to spread throughout your whole being. Welcome God's healing. Touch upon you. Watch as it spreads, as it travels, as it fills your entire being. It moves through you like the breath in your lungs. Naturally's healing God's stronger and more vibrant. In the next few moments of quiet, allow yourself to see God's healing upon you. If it's helpful to stay with your breath, begin to count your breaths On the next inhale. Start with the number 10 and then 9.

Speaker 2 13:41

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Speaker 1 16:00

See yourself in the space you are in now. See yourself touched by God. See yourself embodying the intentions you have. See yourself moving through this year aligned with God's desires for you, with God's desires for you, open to God's healing light within you and showing you the way, illuminating each step you take. See yourself in that way you are embodying intention with god, living healed and whole with grace and confidence as a child of god. Rest with this imagery as long as you wish. Imagery as long as you wish.

Speaker 1 17:13

I'll offer us a closing prayer and invite you to continue on with intention. Holy God, thank you. Thank you for rest in your presence. Thank you for helping us commit our ways to you. Thank you for guiding each and every one of our days and touching the parts of our lives that need your healing. Now Let us live close with breath, body and spirit in this day and in all the days to come this year. In your holy name, we pray Amen. If you'd like to remain here, just rest To continue about your day. Simply roll off to your right side, take a full breath in and out and, when you're ready, press yourself up to seated and offer your own prayer of thanks. Thank you for being here Until next time, may God's peace be with you.