Winter Solstice - Yoga Nidra - Change In Peri/Menopause
This Yoga nidra is written for your Winter Solstice and is meant to support you in creating your own safe space inside. Using imagery, I take you on a journey inside yourself, working with accepting the changes that are happening during perimenopause and post menopause. I introduce the Sankalpa (intention), take you through a body scan and help you develop your inner sanctuary; so you can take this everywhere you go!
Transcript
Winter Solstice Yoga Nidra.
My name is Jessica,
And I will be guiding you through a lovely relaxation to help you to solidify some of the intentions you have for your new season of winter.
You'll find a comfortable place,
A space to rest,
Resting your weary mind and heart.
You may want to have a blanket,
Pillows,
Perhaps a bolster behind your knees,
And take some time to get cozy in your yoga nidra nest.
Our busy minds may plunk us down somewhere and say,
There,
Now go.
This is your invitation to slow down and really fiddle with your position.
So maybe once you try to get settled,
You realize that the pillow isn't quite right or it's too bright in your room.
Take a moment and make any adjustments needed.
Breathe into your body,
Taking up space.
You're meant to take up that space and ask yourself,
Is there anything else that will help you to get even a little more comfortable?
Giving yourself a few moments to feel into your body until you sense that,
Yes,
This is the spot,
And now we are ready to practice yoga nidra.
Feel your body.
Your body is supported by the surface beneath you.
The weight of your body is being held by gravity.
You're in your comfortable nest,
Breathing deeply and sighing out.
Take another breath,
Just noticing your body is breathing,
And you can anchor into your breath and allow yourself to release any tension,
Release any holding,
Any emotions can be released through your exhale.
At least three times,
Feel the body breathing in,
The lungs fill.
Perhaps you feel the body sinking into the surface beneath you,
And you'll breathe in and out,
Allowing a lightness of being to happen when the body releases its air once again.
When you feel that is complete,
Try taking two sips of air through the nose,
And then let the air go,
Releasing completely.
Don't hang on to anything.
In your own time,
We practice the physiological sigh.
Two sips of air in through the nose with a long and complete exhale.
Do this again at least three times,
And notice how the body now,
Feel into the body now.
And see if the mind is quieter.
Is the body a little bit more relaxed than when you started?
Feeling the body,
Notice your right thumb,
Your index finger,
Your right middle finger,
The ring finger,
The little finger,
The whole back of the hand,
And your palm,
Your right palm.
Moving up,
Feeling the wrist into the forearm,
The elbow,
And up the arm,
The biceps,
The triceps,
All the way into the shoulder,
The top of the shoulder into the back of the shoulder,
The right side chest,
Feeling your body moving as it breathes,
The top of the back on the right-hand side,
And your ribcage.
Feel your ribcage moving as you breathe in and out,
Down past the bottom of the ribs into your abdominal cavity,
Your belly,
Your low back,
And your right hip.
Feeling the right hip moving down through the buttocks into the leg,
The top of the thigh,
The back of the thigh,
Down to the right knee,
All the way down the right leg to the ankle,
Into the bottom of the heel,
The top of the foot,
The bottom of the foot,
And your big toe,
The second toe on the right foot,
The third toe,
The fourth toe,
And the fifth toe.
Feeling whole right side of the body,
Feeling all the way back up to the top of the shoulder,
Moving up the back of the neck,
The throat,
Into the chin,
And including your ear,
Right-hand side scalp,
Your eyebrow,
Your eyelid,
Your eyelashes,
Your right cheek.
Feel whole right side of the body,
Whole right side of the body heavy,
Whole right side of the body relaxed.
Then left side,
Left side thumb,
Pointer finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
And pinky.
Feel the back of the left hand and the palm of the left hand,
Moving up to the wrist.
Feeling the entire forearm up to the left elbow,
Moving up the bicep and tricep to the shoulder,
Top of the left shoulder,
Left pectoral muscles,
The upper back on the left side,
Moving down into the ribs,
Left side rib cage,
Front and back,
Down to your waist and your belly,
Left side hip,
Down the buttocks,
The pelvis,
The top of the leg,
All the way down to the knee.
Feeling left side,
Lower leg all the way to your ankle,
Left side heel,
Top of the foot,
Bottom of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
And pinky.
Feel all left side of the body,
Moving back up again to the top of the shoulder,
Feeling the back of the neck on the right side and left side,
Feeling into the chin on the right side and the left side,
Feeling the scalp on the right side and the left side,
Coming down the front of your face,
Eyebrows,
Both sides,
Eyelashes,
Cheeks,
Nose,
Top of the head,
Feeling your whole body,
Feeling that whole body heavy,
Feeling your body relaxed,
Calm,
Drop into a deep state of rest.
We'll now say a sankalpa,
An intention,
I am safe and thriving through the changes of my life.
And repeat that to yourself at least two more times.
I am safe and thriving through the changes of my life.
I am safe and thriving through the changes of my life.
We are going on a journey inside ourselves now to experience our consciousness in a different way.
Without attachments to outcomes or achievements,
There is no way you can do Yoga Nidra incorrectly.
There is no Yoga Nidra Olympics.
We practice to experience and to know ourselves as more than bones and muscle.
Imagine yourself in a winter scene with frost and snow,
Perhaps in a meadow or field,
A place in nature where you feel comfortable and ready to explore.
You can feel the air on your face,
The coolness that holds that space where the earth is resting from its growing season and comes back to a place of stillness.
The cool air is a perfect winter day,
Not too cold,
Not uncomfortable.
But tingly and bright.
You can feel the coolness of the air on your skin,
But your body is warm in its winter gear.
Looking around you,
There are trees,
Trees that are covered in frost and snow piled high around the bottom of the trees.
The sky above is clear,
The sun hidden behind some clouds.
There is a feeling in the air of anticipation.
You become aware that the earth is sleeping under a blanket of snow,
That the trees are hibernating and you sense that you are part of this creation as well.
That the rhythm of life is moving through you,
That you are experiencing winter along with nature and that you are held as one of earth's children in this never-ending cycle of life.
As you come to a place that is welcoming to rest,
Perhaps leaning against a tree or beside a lovely bush,
It seems natural and right to give yourself a few moments and contemplate what winter means to you.
Allow yourself to drift into the wonder of this wintry landscape.
The wildlife that is around,
Maybe burrowing into bushes or otherwise finding shelter.
Feel that sense of amazement that we are hardy enough to survive this kind of winter change.
Know that you in your own way are heading into a season of winter now,
Where things shut down for the season.
Where rest is on the agenda and reflection of yourself is in order.
Perhaps you decide to play,
To make snow angels,
To look closely at the branches of the tree,
Or to make snowballs and practice throwing them,
To make patterns in previously undisturbed snow.
You start to feel a sense of acceptance.
There's a feeling of belonging here,
That you have become a part of winter,
That you carry winter along with you,
That the hibernation of animals is also part of our human experience.
And when we accept the season,
We come to a place of peace.
How has winter helped you in your life?
How has times of rest,
Reflection and taking a pause in the action of day-to-day business enriched your experience?
And the experience of those around you?
Contemplate what winter means to you.
How has winter helped you in your life?
How has times of rest,
Reflection and taking a pause enriched your experience?
Feel that as we prepare to come back out of our winter scene and move into our daily lives,
That this winter wonderland is coming with you.
This place of resting,
Playing,
Watching,
Listening and restoring is now a part of your internal reality and can be a sanctuary for your weary mind and heart.
Again,
We will say our sankalpa three times to ourselves.
I am safe and thriving through the changes of my life.
I am safe and thriving through the changes of my life.
I am safe and thriving through the changes of my life.
It becomes time to say goodbye to the tree,
The snow-covered hills,
The wildlife that is resting and come back to see yourself here,
Collected and cozy in your space.
See yourself in your mind's eye now,
Laying in your yoga nidra nest,
Breathing and just being.
See how it is a simple practice to rest,
Yet somehow sophisticated as well.
Allow your body to begin some gentle movements,
Perhaps wiggling your fingers and toes.
You may want to bring your arms up above your head and yawn in.
You can roll over onto your side and hug your knees to your chest.
Namaste.
The light in me sees the light in you.
May we all experience rest to relax and restore.
May we know peace and bring that internal sanctuary everywhere with us.
May we begin to see how we have winter at any time in our lives when we feel the need to retreat,
Restore,
Relax and allow.
May you experience all the blessings that yoga nidra and meditation can bring into your life.
