Recover from Burnout with Yoga Nidra: Guided Meditation to Heal and Reconnect with Your Body (Ep. 110)

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If you find yourself feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and burnt out, this is the meditation for you.

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Hi everyone and welcome back to How the Wise One Grows, where we have mindful conversations and meditations that help you live with intention. In episode 1009, we spoke to burnout specialists Kate Donovan all about what burnout actually is and what it isn't, as well as what we can do to prevent it and recover from burnout. And I know that it's an episode I'll be going back to again and again because there's so much good stuff in there to really support us as we move through this life.

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And today's meditation is going to focus on something we talked about in that episode, which is cultivating a skill called interception, which pretty much means relearning how to listen to your body's signals and cues and meet your basic needs so that you don't fall in to burnout. And the way that we're going to do this today is through a guided yoga nidra meditation.

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This practice is super restorative. 15 minutes equates to a 20 minute REM cycle, and it's really tailored to help you listen to your body's signals and cues and to tap back in to your body's intuitive wisdom. I recommend downloading this episode and practicing it at least two more times this week.

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If you love these meditations on how the wise one grows, I have a really exciting offering for you. I am now offering purse analyzed meditations so you can get a custom meditation made just for you to gift yourself with, or one for a loved one. All the details are on my website which is linked in the show notes.

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I'm also really excited to share that I am now offering one on one intentional living, mentorship and coaching so we can work together and use the modalities of yoga and mindfulness to help you learn how to deal with stressors, strengthen your relationship with yourself, and mindfully move towards your goals and the way you want to be in this world.

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So if you want to book a complimentary connection, call to see if this is the right fit for you. There's a link in the show notes as well. I also want to take a moment to thank the beautiful, beaming members of our dream team who support the podcast every single month. You can join the Dream Team for as little as $3 a month, and that helps to support the operating costs of this podcast that make it possible.

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There's a link in the show notes to join. We would love to have you join the Dream Team, and thank you for making this offering possible.

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I recommend practicing this meditation lying down. It's a great thing to do. Falling asleep. you can also practice seated or on a walk, but really someplace you can be still and really rest.

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And I invite you to begin with your eyes open and use your sense of sight to notice where you are in the room. And any objects around you.

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And if it feels safe, you can gently rest your eyes or soften your gaze at a point in front of you.

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And note where your body makes contact with the earth.

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And all points that are touching the earth.

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Now envision a circle of light surrounding your body here, holding you and keeping you safe.

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Notice where your body is touching the earth.

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And all points that are touching the earth.

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And allow your body to surrender to the earth beneath you. Know that you are held. Know that you're safe here.

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Slowly begin to notice where in the body you feel the breath. As it flows in. And as it flows out.

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Notice the details of the inhalation.

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And the exhalation.

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Notice if it has a texture.

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A temperature.

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A weight.

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A smell.

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Perhaps even a taste.

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Now slowly begin to deepen your breath.

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Take a long, slow inhalation.

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Followed by a longer, slower exhalation. And pause.

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Long. Slow.

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Inhalation.

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Longer. Slower. Exhalation.

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And pause.

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Long. Slow. Inhale.

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Longer. Slower. Exhale.

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And pause.

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Continue to breathe in this way.

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Now release any control over the breath. And return to the natural rhythm and intuition of the breath. As it intuitively flows. And. And out of the body. No need to control or change anything here. Simply allow the body to breathe.

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I invite you now to set an intention or a sankalp for your practice today to. Setting this intention or Sankofa is like planting a seed. In the fertile soil of your mind. And this practice is like watering that seed. Allowing the benefits to gradually bloom over time.

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Please repeat this intention or Sankofa three times in your mind.

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I will now begin to name various parts of the body, and I invite you to draw your awareness to each point as you hear it named. But please refrain from moving any part as it may prevent you from fully relaxing. The practice begins on the right side. Right hand thumb. Second finger. Third finger. Fourth finger. Fifth finger. Palm of the hand.

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Back of the hand. Wrist. Forearm. Elbow. Upper arm. Armpit. Waist. Hip. Thigh. Knee. Calf. Ankle. Heel. Sole of the foot. Top of the foot. Right. Big toe. Second toe. Third toe. Fourth toe. Fifth toe.

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Left hand. Thumb. Second finger. Third finger. Fourth finger. Fifth finger. Palm of the hand. Back of the hand. Wrist. Forearm. Elbow. Upper arm. Armpit. Waist. Hip. Thigh. Knee. Calf. Ankle. Heel.

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Sole of the foot. Top of the foot. Right. Big toe. Second toe.

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Third toe.

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Fourth toe.

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Fifth toe.

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Right heel. Left heel. Right calf. Left calf.

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Right thigh. Left thigh.

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Lower back.

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Middle back.

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Upper back to the entire spine.

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Right shoulder blade. Left shoulder blade.

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Back of the neck to the back of the head.

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Top of the head. Forehead. Right. Temple.

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Left temple.

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Right cheek. Left cheek.

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Upper lip.

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Lower lip.

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Both lip. Together.

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Chin.

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Jaw. Throat. Right side of the chest. Left side of the chest. Upper abdomen. Navel.

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The whole right leg.

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The whole left leg.

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The whole right arm.

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The whole left arm.

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The whole face.

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The whole head.

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The whole torso.

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The whole body.

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The whole body.

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The whole body.

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The whole body resting on the earth. And all points that are touching the earth.

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Now imagine the body becoming light and weightless.

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The head is light and weightless. The limbs are light and weightless.

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The torso is light and weightless.

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The whole body light and weightless. As if you could float away from the earth and into the sky above.

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Now imagine the whole body becoming heavy.

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The head is heavy.

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The limbs are heavy.

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The torso is heavy.

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The whole body is heavy.

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So heavy that you could melt into the earth beneath you.

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Now bring about the sensation of cold throughout the entire body. Imagine that it's the middle of winter and you're in a snow storm. Barefoot, standing in the snow without a coat. A gust of wind blows by. And you feel a shiver trickle down your spine. The whole body is ice cold.

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Now bring about the sensation of heat throughout the entire body. Imagine that you're in the middle of the desert without any shade. The sun is beaming on your skin. The heat of the sand is radiating up through your body. Your whole body is dripping. Sweat as a drop trickles from your head.

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Inhale. And exhale.

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Allow yourself to be. And breathe with the sensations present in the body. Right now.

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Take.

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You can slowly begin to deepen the breath.

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Gently wiggle the fingers and the toes. Bringing awareness back into the physical body.

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Take a big breath in.

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And a big breath out.

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And once more, gently scan your body from the tip of your head to the tips of your toes.

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Notice the sensations present in the body.

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And ask it what it needs.

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And allow yourself to meet your body's needs. And honor what it's telling you. To guide what you do next.

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Let's take one more breath together. In through the nose and out through the mouth. And you can slowly open your eyes as you return to this space.