Namaste and welcome.
My name is Leah and this is a medicinal yoga nidra practice that is supportive for wintertime fatigue or depletion and for soothing anxiety which may be rooted in insecurity or fear.
This yoga nidra practice is inspired by the water element in traditional Chinese medicine,
The season of winter,
The kidneys and the bladder and the deep wisdom that lives beneath stillness.
Settle into a comfortable position,
Lying down,
Warmly supported.
Allow your body to feel held and protected.
Before closing your eyes you may consider an eye covering to block out any light.
Arms resting beside you,
Palms facing upward without touching anything if that feels comfortable to you.
Feel the space around your feet and toes as well and make sure you feel warm and cozy,
Especially through your low back.
Gently allow the eyes to close and bring your awareness to the breath.
Inhaling softly and exhaling slowly.
Inhaling softly and exhaling slowly.
One more inhale in and see if you can find the longest exhale out and just allowing the body to descend into deeper rest in this moment.
Winter invites conservation,
Reflection,
Restoration.
There's nowhere to go,
Nothing to do.
Simply arriving into your practice here and now.
Allow the body to become heavy and still.
Soften the forehead,
The eyes,
The jaw.
Let the tongue rest gently in the mouth.
Feel the shoulders softening back,
The chest softening,
The belly relaxing.
And as you relax the belly can you feel a little bit more softening and surrender through your low back.
Just taking a breath in,
Feel the low back relaxing.
And as you exhale what are you releasing to allow yourself to soften even more.
Relax the hips,
The legs and allow the feet to release their weight fully into the earth.
Imagine the body resting like a stone in a calm river,
Supported,
Unmoving,
At peace.
Now bring your awareness to the centre of the chest,
Your heart space.
From the depths of your heart allow a sincere intention to arise,
One that supports courage,
Wisdom and emotional buoyancy.
You may be working with your own Sankalpa or you may borrow this intention.
I trust the inner well of courage and wisdom within me.
I trust the inner well of courage and wisdom within me.
Repeat your Sankalpa silently three times now.
We begin the rotation of awareness in the kidneys,
In the low back.
Bring attention to the right kidney,
Deep within the low back,
Warm,
Steady.
Left kidney,
Quiet,
Receptive,
Nourished.
Both kidneys together,
Balanced yin and yang.
Awareness flows to the sacrum,
Tailbone,
Pelvis,
Middle back,
Upper back,
Shoulder blades,
Right shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm,
Fingers.
Starting at the thumb,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
All five fingers of the right hand,
Including each fingertip.
The whole right arm to center of the chest.
Left shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm,
Fingers.
Starting at the thumb,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
All five fingers of the left hand,
Including each fingertip.
The whole left arm to the center of the chest.
Back to the spine,
Ribs,
Abdomen,
Navel,
Lower belly,
The reservoir of vitality.
Right hip,
Thigh,
Kneecap,
Behind the knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Sole of the foot,
Toes.
Starting at the big toe,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
All five toes of the right foot,
Including each toe tip.
The whole right leg to the center of the pelvis.
Left hip,
Thigh,
Kneecap,
Behind the knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Sole of the foot,
Toes.
Starting at the big toe,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
All five toes of the left foot,
Including each toe tip.
The whole left leg to the center of the pelvis.
Heart center,
Center of the throat,
Tip of the tongue nestled behind the front teeth.
Cheeks,
Bridge of the nose,
Nostril flares,
All around and behind the eyes.
Eyelashes,
Eyebrows,
And the space between the eyebrows.
Across the forehead,
Energy spiraling around the crown of the head.
And now sense the entire body as one field of awareness.
Calm,
Grounded,
And quietly alive.
Now bring awareness back to the kidneys in the low back.
Feel the breath gently expanding into this space as you inhale,
And softly releasing as you exhale.
We're going to work with the healing sound of the kidneys,
Which is chewy,
And we'll be whispering it.
And the whisper will sound like chewy.
So begin to mentally whisper,
Or very softly whispering,
The kidney healing sound.
Inhaling gently.
Exhale silently or softly.
Allowing the vibration to soothe the kidneys and the bladder.
Continuing this rhythm,
Breathing in.
Exhaling to whisper to the kidneys.
Chewy.
Chewy.
Breath and sound flowing together.
And with each repetition,
Imagine cool,
Deep blue water rinsing through the kidneys.
Dissolving fear and tension.
Rest here with this whispering breath for several minutes,
And just letting the sound restore and replenish your kidney jing,
Your vital essence,
Your life force energy.
Inhaling.
Exhale to whisper.
Chewy.
Keep going.
Releasing that.
And now turn awareness towards your emotional landscape.
Notice any feelings that may be related to fear,
Insecurity,
Or fatigue.
Without judgment,
Just noticing.
And like winter ice slowly melting,
Allow these emotions,
Fear,
Insecurity,
Fatigue,
To slowly soften and melt away.
Sense the supportive qualities of water emerging out of the ice.
Emotional buoyancy,
Courage,
And quiet confidence.
You are held by something deeper than fear.
Feel the support of your deep well of inner courage.
Imagine yourself walking beside a still winter river.
The air is crisp and clear.
The water flows slowly,
Steadily,
With deep intelligence.
You pause,
Listening,
Not with the ears,
But with the heart.
With the inner knowing.
Here wisdom rises naturally from stillness.
You realize there is no need to push forward.
Like water,
Life knows how to move in its own time.
Rest in this inner knowing.
Quiet.
Observant.
Drawing from your inner wisdom reserves.
Now allow yourself to rest in the essence of water.
Deep,
Dark,
Nourishing,
And infinite.
There is a gentle sense of peace.
A profound sense of ease.
You are supported by the vastness beneath all things.
Return to your sankalpa.
Repeat it softly,
Three times,
Letting it echo through the waters of your being.
Trust it's unfolding.
You may have chosen your own or borrowed this intention.
I trust the inner well of courage and wisdom within me.
I trust the inner well of courage and wisdom within me.
Gently begin to return awareness to the breath.
Feel your body resting on the earth.
Sense the kidneys once more.
Calm.
Steady.
Replenished.
You carry the stillness of this winter element within you.
Begin to deepen the breath.
Slowly awaken the fingers and toes and give them a little wiggle.
Rotating your wrists and ankles one way.
And the other.
Give yourself a gentle stretch.
You're waking up from a deep rest.
Stretch long.
Maybe give your head a gentle turn from one side to the other.
And then,
Only if you're feeling ready,
Roll to one side and pause briefly.
Give yourself a breath here,
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
And if you're ready to come up,
You can come to a seated position.
Resting your hands over the kidneys or over the heart.
It's up to you.
Thank you so much for sharing your yoga nidra practice with me today.
It is always such a deep honour to help guide you into deeper relaxation states.
And I look forward to practicing with you again.
And may you carry this medicinal replenishment with you into your day or evening.
Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi.
May you have peace in your mind,
Peace in your heart,
And peace in your life.
And may this practice serve to bring peace to all beings.
And may we be free.
Namaste.
