Yoga Nidra: Held And Changed

Soften your entire body, close your eyes, and imagine you're resting in a hammock as you relax with this Yoga Nidra meditation.

For more on the theme Held and Changed, see page 123 of With God in Every Breath by Whitney R. Simpson.

Transcript

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Welcome And Practice Setup

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hi, I'm Whitney and you're listening to Exploring Peace Meditations. Today's practice is a Yoga Nidra meditation or yogic sleep, a chance to relax, unwind, and simply be in God's presence. As you prepare for this time, I invite you to find a reclined posture in which you can completely let go. I'll remind you as you're settling in that you can find this podcast, Episodes of Prayers and Meditations at ExploringPeace.com. You can find my books at whitneyrsimpson.com. Today's theme, Held and Changed, comes from my book, With God in Every Breath.

Enter The Hammock Visualization

SPEAKER_00 1:09

With your next breath, soften your entire body. Allow your eyes to close. Allow your breath to be normal and rhythmic, soft and steady. Enter into this scene with me. Imagine that you are resting securely in a lush hammock supported by two strong rooted trees. Those trees are holding your hammock, and your body is soft and relaxed. Your entire being is held. You are safely cocooned, held by the hammock. As you inhale, breathe into the front, back, and sides of your body. Allow your entire core to expand and take up space, inviting this imagined hammock to expand as you breathe in. As you exhale, allow your entire core to deflate. As you settle and rest in your imagined hammock. Soften your body. Let go of any worries, guilt, or regrets you may carry today. With each breath, feel held by the care of the hammock, holding you, embracing you. Notice how it feels in your body or spirit to be held in this way. With no effort or work on your part. Envision the hammock and its trees supporting you as you relax.

Surrender Control To The Spirit

SPEAKER_00 4:26

As you breathe deeply, surrender entirely to the Holy Spirit. Feel the safety that surrounds you. Let go of any need to control, fix, or change anything. In this moment, allow yourself to simply be held. Be held before God, resting in the Spirit's presence. Now say silently to yourself, I am changed by being in your presence. I am changed by being in your presence. In this moment, you are being held and changed simply by resting in God's presence. You are being held securely with love and care.

Heart Space Body Relaxation

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Allow your awareness to travel to your heart space. Soften and relax your chest, your heart. Soften your shoulders, arms, hands. Allow your awareness to travel back to your heart space. Soften your hips, legs, and feet. Awareness travels back to your heart space. Soften your neck, face, head, skull. Awareness travels back to your heart space. Knowing that you are being held by God's Spirit. Soften and relax your entire being into the surface beneath you. Imagine the relaxed feeling, the sensation, the letting go, and then sense it in your entire being. As if you were being held in the hammock of God. You are held and changed. Say to yourself, I am held by God. I am held by God.

Ocean Breath Counting Down

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Allow your awareness to travel to your breath. Notice the breath entering your nostrils. Notice the breath leaving your nostrils. Allow the breath to fill your entire being. Allow the breath to exit your entire being. With the steadiness of an ocean wave, begin noticing the breath flowing in and out of your body. Starting with the number ten. Count from ten to one, allowing each breath to be full. Inhale ten, exhale, inhale nine, exhale. Continue with your counting at your pace until you get to the number one.

Deepen The Scene With Senses

SPEAKER_00 11:03

Seeing yourself held and relaxed, cared for by God. See the scene around you, the strong trees, the grass or sand, the sun? What else do you notice around your hammock as you're being held by God? What nature? What colors? What sounds?

Remember Receiving Care From Others

SPEAKER_00 11:57

As you rest in your imagined hammock, bring to mind a time in which someone has held or cared for you. Bring to mind a time in which someone has held you or cared for you. A time for which you are grateful. See if you can invite that someone into your imagined scene now. Maybe it's a loving parent, a caring friend, a neighbor. Who might you invite into this scene to be reminded that you are cared for?

Extend Care And Gratitude Outward

SPEAKER_00 12:55

Now bring to mind the face of someone that you can show care for. A loved one, a friend, a stranger. Bring their face to mind and invite them into this imagined scene, this place of care and rest, security and hope with God. Give thanks for those who care for you. Give thanks for God. And give thanks for the way you care for others.

Closing Prayer And Returning Awake

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Creator God, we are grateful to be held by you, to be changed simply by being in your presence, by letting go, by resting, by relaxing. Thank you today for this time to notice the ways you care for us, the ways we allow others to care for us, and the ways we get to care for others. Help us seek support when we need to slow down and gain companionship from others on our spiritual journey. And show us how to offer spiritual care and support to our companions along the way. Thank you, God, for loving us, for holding us, for changing us this day. In your holy name we pray. Amen. To return to your day, you'll slowly wiggle your fingers and your toes. You'll deepen your breath. You'll roll to your side. When you're ready, you'll press up and open your eyes, bringing yourself back into the present moment and being reminded that God longs to hold you, to support you, to guide you, and to change you. Thank you, God, for being our guide, our companion, and our friend on this journey. Until next time, may God's peace be with you.