Dreamy Winter Yoga Nidra

This winter-inspired yoga nidra is an invitation to soften, rest, and gently retreat inward, just as the natural world does at this time of year. Guided by imagery from winter landscapes, this practice supports deep rest for the nervous system, helping you release mental and physical tension without effort. Come as you are. Wrap yourself up warm. Allow yourself to be held by the season and rest deeply, knowing that restoration is not something to earn - it’s part of the cycle.

Image courtesy of Gabi from Pixabay
Music 'Echoes of Illumination' courtesy of Megan Wofford on Epidemic Sound

Transcript

Hello and welcome to this winter themed yoga nidra.

We're connecting with that magic of winter,

A season in which we are invited to a place of deep and nurturing rest.

In a moment I'll invite you to imagine or feel a warm and safe place.

Somewhere with views out to nature.

And if this resonates with you,

You can stay there as long as you want.

Or you can return to the room that you are in right now,

Whenever you feel like it.

This is your practice,

I only offer invitations as a guide.

If anything I say or offer doesn't feel right for you today,

Feel free to cultivate the experience that you need.

And maybe take a moment now to think of what feels like a good anchor point for you to return to if your mind wanders.

It might be my voice,

Or perhaps coming back to your breath quite intentionally feels better.

Or a physical point in the body such as bringing together the index finger and thumb,

Or the ground beneath you.

Just take a moment to find what feels most soothing and inviting to you,

That you can anchor yourself back to,

If at any point during this practice you find yourself being pulled away into the hectic nature of life.

There will be some moments of quiet,

But I'll still be here with you,

And here in this place we are all safe.

So let's get started.

If you haven't already,

Grab a pillow and some blankets and get yourself really comfortable.

Prop yourself up,

Maybe some pillows under the knees,

A small pillow under your neck and a blanket over you so that you're comfortable to lie still for a period of time.

And I start by tuning into your breath.

Is it shallow?

Are you in a hurry still?

Or maybe it's already calm.

No matter what you discover,

See if you can make that breath even more easeful,

Light,

Calm and steady.

And now tuning into your body.

Perhaps you want to rub your hands together,

As you might do on a cold day,

Or perhaps even blow some gentle warm air into your cupped palms.

Notice any sensations in the palms of your hands.

And remember,

If you feel there's nothing specific there or special,

That in itself is also a sensation.

And now imagine that you are holding something warm,

Maybe a cup of tea or a hot chocolate,

And imagine your hands getting warmer.

And then place your hands on your belly for a moment and just pause and feel your breath.

Remember,

This is your practice and you can come back to your anchor at any time.

Open your eyes or make any adjustments you need.

In the yoga nidra practice,

As much as it is totally cool if you fall asleep,

It can be really powerful to stay in that place of deep conscious rest.

And so with that in mind,

I will offer and come back to a sankalpa,

An intention,

Around practicing yoga nidra while staying awake and aware.

And I will hold that intention for all of you who are listening to this.

Now imagine a cozy place in nature that you brought to mind.

Perhaps a cottage surrounded by countryside or a town apartment with views out over a park or even the ocean.

Wherever it is,

The nature surrounding you is resting in winter.

It's a beautiful quiet evening and you're just walking back towards the door,

Just about to enter your space.

And you take a pause to look around you.

The ground is covered by a soft marshmallow blanket of snow.

It's as if nature has settled down for her deep winter rest.

And tiny snowflakes sparkle as they're caught in the lamplight.

You start to feel a little bit chilly,

So you open the door and you step in.

The space is warm and safe.

Perhaps you're greeted by a crackling fire,

A happy face or a festive aroma,

And it makes you smile.

You change into your comfy clothes and sit or lie down on a sofa by a window.

You wrap yourself up in a warm blanket and settle in,

Protected from the outside world and from that cold chill.

What does it look like in your space?

Perhaps there's a fireplace,

A table covered in delicious foods.

Perhaps there's an aroma you can smell,

Or certain sounds you can hear.

Take a few moments to really notice all of the things happening in your space.

Tune into each of your senses and notice.

We're now going to move into a body scan to explore our physical body.

And as you are there in your safe,

Warm space,

I'll draw your attention to different parts of your body.

And as I mention that part of your body,

All you need is to hold the intention of allowing it to soften a little more.

Starting with the left side of the body,

Relaxing the left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and fifth toe.

Softening through the sole and top of the left foot into the left ankle and up along the left shin and calf,

Relaxing front and back of the left foot.

The left knee and up into the hamstring and the quads,

Relaxing the whole of the left thigh and in to the left side of the hip and the pelvis.

Allow the whole left leg to relax and drawing your attention to the right leg,

Relaxing the right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe and fifth toe.

Easing through the sole and top of the right foot,

The right ankle,

Calf and shin,

Softening the front and back of the right knee,

The right hamstring and quads,

Relaxing that whole right thigh up into the right hip and the right side of the pelvis.

Your whole right leg softens.

And then noticing your torso and relaxing along the back of your torso,

The lower back and the back of the pelvis,

Mid back,

Upper back,

Up to your shoulder blades.

Allow the whole back of your body to rest heavy and then notice the front of your torso,

Intentionally relaxing through the lower abdomen,

The abdomen,

The lower ribs,

The upper ribs,

All the way to your collarbone.

Inviting the whole of your upper torso to also rest heavy down towards the ground.

Noticing the left arm,

Invite softness through the left thumb,

Second finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger and pinky finger.

Relaxing through the palm and top of the left hand,

Left wrist,

Lower arm and elbow and relaxing through the left upper arm and into the shoulder and the back of the head.

Noticing the right arm,

The right thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger and little finger.

Relaxing in the palm and top of the right hand,

Up into the wrist,

Softening through the lower arm,

The right elbow,

The right upper arm and all the way into the right shoulder in its socket.

Relaxing the whole right arm and then noticing your neck,

Front and back of the neck softens.

Coming to the face,

Allow the jawbone to gently relax,

The lips part and the tongue can rest heavy.

Relax through your cheekbones,

Your lips,

Your nose and your nostrils.

Allow your ears to soften,

Your eyes to relax,

Your eyebrows and the space between the eyebrows to let go.

All along the forehead softens and releases and up all the way over your scalp you invite that relaxation.

Observe your entire body and allow it to soften and rest heavy.

I am practicing yoga nidra and I am awake and aware.

We'll now explore our emotional body by looking at some opposites.

As you're still lying there in your safe warm space,

You open the window and you feel that chill winter breeze coming and hit your face.

Take a moment to notice the sensations of that cool air on your face and any feelings or sensations you may associate with it.

But then at the same time you become aware of the warmth of your body and the room in which you sit,

Wrapped up in your blanket.

You can also notice the sensations of warmth and any feelings you may associate with that.

And take a moment to observe what it is to feel both the cool and the warm at the same time.

And notice if that generates any different sensations or feelings within you to acknowledge that these opposites can exist at the same time.

And now feel that your body is grounded and relaxed.

Perhaps you shut that window and rest heavy on a sofa.

Again notice the sensations and the feelings within your body of feeling grounded and relaxed.

What does that feel like?

And then as you take in a beautiful breath of air,

Imagine that your whole body is lifting,

That it's light like one of those snowflakes caught in the breeze.

You could almost lift up off the sofa.

Perhaps you're drifting up towards the night sky.

Carried on that breeze,

What does that feel like?

What are the sensations and the feelings that come from feeling light?

And then once more,

How might it feel to be both heavy and grounded on the sofa and at the same time to feel within your being as a light as a snowflake?

Acknowledging the opposites within you,

Allow yourself to soften.

And now we'll explore the body of the intellect and I'll flow through a few different words and you can just visualize and feel what comes to mind with these different winter themed words.

A warm blanket.

A mug of steaming hot chocolate.

A crystal snowflake caught in the light.

Shapes of frost on a windowpane.

Stillness.

Fir trees.

A fireplace.

A book.

Snow on a tree.

The warm light filtering out of a window.

A candle.

A busy pub or bar.

Silence.

An orange.

A warm cider.

Mittens.

A present.

And now let your own images and sensations flow.

Allow images and sensations to come and go.

And allow yourself to rest deeper.

I am practicing yoga nidra.

I am awake and aware.

Allow yourself to let go of all images and just rest in your being.

I'll leave you here for a few moments and just come to that place of pure rest.

Allow yourself to be still.

And as you rest,

Allow yourself to really connect with where you feel this peace,

Where you feel it within your body,

Where you feel it within your being.

Our yoga nidra practice has come to an end.

You can begin to take a few deeper breaths to help invite your body back into the present space.

Begin to wiggle your fingers and your toes.

And allow that movement to spread into your body in any way feels good,

In your own time.

There's no need to rush.

You can move back into the world as and when you are ready.

Thank you so much for joining me for this winter yoga nidra.

Good night.