Welcome,
Sweet friend,
I'm grateful you're here.
My name is Marci and I'll be guiding you in this inspiring Yoga Nidra for life's transitions.
As the seasons shift,
Nature reminds us that change is not something to fear,
But something to embrace.
The way of winter,
Both within and around us,
Begins to soften.
The earth stirs beneath the surface,
Quietly preparing for new life.
And just as nature sheds what is no longer needed,
We too have the opportunity to release what we've been carrying,
Old thoughts,
Lingering tension,
Or the heaviness of the past.
The return of spring is nature's reassurance that there's beauty in new beginnings.
This practice will gently guide you to let go,
Creating space for renewal.
Imagine yourself stepping out of winter's quiet stillness and into the promise of fresh energy.
With each breath,
You will soften,
Surrender,
And allow lightness to return to your mind,
Body,
And spirit.
Let's begin to prepare for our practice.
If you haven't already,
Find a comfortable place to lie down.
Gently close or cover your eyes and give yourself permission to let go of daily to-do lists,
Schedules,
And responsibilities.
Embrace this time.
Consider this a gift for your mind,
Body,
And spirit.
As you begin to settle in,
Adjust your body,
The surface,
Your surroundings,
Whatever you need to do to be completely comfortable,
Comfortable and feeling safe and at ease,
Letting go of daily life.
There is no place to go and there is nothing to do except lie back and listen.
Attempt to remain awake and aware to the sound of my voice.
As you ebb and flow throughout this practice,
Your body will receive exactly what it needs.
The deep rest,
The heightened awareness,
And inner peace.
If you drift off,
It's perfectly okay.
Just bring your awareness back to my voice.
Now,
Bring your awareness to your precious breath.
Take a deep breath in and as you exhale,
Feel the season's gentle invitation to release and let go.
Normal breath in,
Normal breath out,
Letting go of any tension that you may have in the temples,
The jaw,
The neck,
Shoulders,
Letting it melt into the surface beneath you.
Now bring your awareness to your heart center.
Listen carefully as it speaks to you.
Can you hear a little whisper from your heart?
Perhaps a heartfelt intention or a prayer for yourself or someone else?
Consider it a positive seed to implant deep within your being,
In your mind,
Body,
And spirit to nourish it,
Cultivate it,
And allow it to bloom as if it is true.
You may be working on your own personal intention.
If not,
I invite you to use one of the following intentions for this yoga nidra practice.
Silently repeat the one that resonates to you three times.
I am releasing what no longer serves me and welcome renewal.
Or,
Like nature,
I am embracing the cycles of change with grace and ease.
I am releasing what no longer serves me and welcome renewal.
Or,
Like nature,
I am embracing the cycles of change with grace and ease.
I am releasing what no longer serves me and welcomes renewal.
Or,
Like nature,
I am embracing the cycles of change with grace and ease.
We will now begin to rotate through the physical body.
I will name a body part and you will move your awareness effortlessly from one part of the body to the next.
Moving with the sound and pace of my voice.
If you lose your place,
Simply come back to the sound of my voice and pick up where we are.
Now bring your awareness to your right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Tips of all five fingers,
Palm of the hand,
Left hand,
Back of the hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Upper arm,
Right side of the ribcage,
Wrist,
Thigh,
All the toes on the right foot.
Now feel the entire right side of your body.
Awareness floods the whole right side of the body.
Bring your awareness to your left thumb.
Direct all awareness to your left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Fingertips,
Palm of the left hand,
Left wrist,
Sole of the left foot.
Feel the whole left side of the body.
Awareness floods the entire left side of your body.
Now move through the back plane of your body,
Bringing your awareness to the soles of both feet,
Both heels,
The hamstrings,
The curve of the lower back,
Back,
Shoulder blades,
Back of the arms,
Back of the hands,
Back side of the body.
Now bring your attention to the crown of the head,
Chin,
Scalp,
The curvature of both ears,
The earlobes,
The space between the eyebrows,
The tiny muscles around the eyes,
The bridge of the nose,
The upper lip,
Inside the right cheek,
Inside the left cheek,
The tip of the tongue,
The root of the tongue,
Inside of the mouth,
The jaw,
The jaw,
The chin.
Feel your whole face together,
Whole face together.
Now observe the natural breath.
Notice the gentle ebb and flows of the breath.
As you breathe in and breathe out,
What's the difference between the inhale and the exhale?
One may feel a little stronger,
The other a little softer.
One may feel a little warmer,
The other a little cooler.
Now feel the chest rise and fall with each breath.
Feel the abdomen rise and fall As you breathe in and breathe out,
Feel the whole body breathing,
The natural rhythm of the breath.
Feeling the subtle expansion that occurs in the body during the inhalation and then the sudden release that occurs with each exhalation.
Normal breath in,
Normal breath out.
This rhythmic flow of air entering and exiting the body.
It happens so naturally,
Without any thought,
Creating this deep connection to life,
Cultivated,
Nourished by the breath.
Feel the safety and feel the comfort the breath provides.
Feel the energy the breath creates,
Nourishing every cell within your body,
Connecting you with nature,
To life,
This precious breath of life.
Letting go into this time of deep rest,
Nourishing the body,
Renewing the mind,
Body.
In your mind's eye,
Imagine the visual of each of the following.
Letting go any emotion,
Releasing any excess tension in the body.
The last patch of winter snow melting into the earth.
A gentle breeze carrying away fallen leaves from last autumn season.
The warmth of the sun touching your skin after months of cold.
A frozen river slowly thawing,
The water flowing freely.
A soft rain washing away the dust of winter,
Cleansing the land.
The tender green tips of grass emerging through the soil.
The scent of fresh earth awakening after months of frost.
Birds returning,
Their songs filling the morning air once more.
The golden glow of sunrise stretching across the horizon.
A field of wildflowers beginning to bud,
Each one holding promise.
The sensation of shedding a heavy winter coat,
Feeling lighter and feeling free.
A deep inhale of crisp spring air filling your lungs with renewal.
The delicate yellow blossoms of the forsythia glowing in the sunlight.
The rhythmic sound of waves gently lapping at the shore,
A tide shifting.
A butterfly emerging from its cocoon,
Wings drying in the warm air.
A winding forest path leading towards something new and unknown.
The feeling of walking barefoot on fresh damp earth.
The sensation of stretching after a long rest,
Feeling revitalized.
The soft whisper of wind through budding branches signaling change.
The knowing,
Just like the seasons,
You too are ready to bloom.
Abiding into pure awareness,
Deeply relaxed,
Feeling refreshed and renewed.
Abiding in the silence of renewal.
Now gently bring back your heartfelt intention,
Your guiding light for this practice.
Believe it is true,
Silently whispering the one that resonated to you.
I am releasing what no longer serves me and welcome renewal.
I am embracing the cycles of change with grace and ease.
As we come to the end of this practice,
Take a moment to honor this shift within you.
The weight of winter is lifting as you step into a new season of renewal,
Of lightness,
Of new beginnings.
There is no rush,
Only trust.
Just as nature unfolds in perfect time,
So too does your journey.
Feel free to rest here,
Soaking in this deep relaxation.
Or if you're ready,
Gently return with a sense of ease and openness.
If this practice brought you peace,
I invite you to return whenever you need to release,
Reset,
And realign with your own natural rhythm.
Until next time,
Sweet friend,
Just breathe.
