Welcome,
I'm Phyllis,
And this Yoga Nidra practice is inspired by the energy of the spring equinox,
A time when the natural world begins to awaken again,
A time of growth and rebirth.
Just as seeds begin to stir beneath the soil,
This practice invites you to rest deeply,
And in that rest,
Plant a seed of intention or sankalpa in the fertile ground of the subconscious.
Rather than a goal or something to strive for,
A sankalpa reflects something you would like to nurture in your life.
You might have felt stirrings within you already,
So I invite you to listen to your heart,
The sacred space of yourself.
Just like seeds beneath the surface,
Even though we cannot yet see them,
So this is with our intention.
Something is stirring and germinating and ready to grow.
Begin by finding a comfortable resting position.
Allow your legs to extend and your arms to rest slightly away from your body,
Maybe the palms facing upward.
Take a moment to adjust your body so you feel fully supported.
You may wish to place a blanket over yourself,
Maybe a pillow beneath your knees,
Something over the eyes to block out any light,
Allowing yourself to go inward.
Take a slow breath in through the nose,
And an exhale softly through the mouth.
Again,
Breathing in through the nose,
Breathing out through the mouth.
Allow the body to settle.
Allow the body to surrender to the pull of gravity.
The whole body surrendering to gravity,
This gentle pull to the earth.
Allow the face to soften,
The shoulders and the arms softening,
The torso and the hips and the legs softening.
Even the mind begins to soften and surrender to the quiet stillness.
Feel the rise and fall of the body.
Each exhale softens the muscles.
Each breath allows the nervous system to settle a little more.
And now allow your awareness to settle at the center of your chest,
Deep within your heart center,
This sacred space of yourself.
Ask your heart,
What would I like to call forth in my life right now?
What do I truly desire?
If there is nothing clear that comes through,
You might use,
I trust myself and the unfolding of my path.
I trust myself and the unfolding of my path.
Or I welcome growth and possibility.
I welcome growth and possibility.
Choose one that resonates with you,
Repeat it silently to yourself three times with feeling and sincerity,
Letting the words settle deeper into the layers of the mind like a seed planted in the soil.
Now bring your awareness to the body.
We will slowly move attention through different parts of the body.
Simply notice each place as it is named,
Allowing your awareness to move lightly and without effort.
Let your attention settle at the crown of the head,
The forehead,
The right temple,
Left temple,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
The space between the eyebrows,
Right eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eyelid,
Left eye,
The right cheek,
Left cheek,
Tip of the nose,
Air flow through both nostrils,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Upper teeth and gums,
Lower teeth and gums,
Tongue,
Throat,
Jaw,
Chin,
Right side of the neck,
Right shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm of the hand,
Right thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Elbow,
Shoulder,
Right armpit,
Right side of the waist,
Right hip,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe.
And now sense the whole right side of the body.
The whole right side of the body.
Let your awareness float to the left side of the neck,
Left shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm of the hand,
Left thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
Back of the hand,
Wrist,
Elbow,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Left side of the waist,
Left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe.
And now sense the whole left side of the body.
The whole left side of the body.
And now sense both the right side and the left side together.
Bring awareness to the back of the body.
Sensing both heels,
Calves,
Back of the thighs,
Sacrum,
Lower back,
Right side of the spine,
Left side of the spine,
The whole spine,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
The back of the head.
And sense the whole back of the body.
The whole back of the body.
And now awareness to the front of the body.
Sensing the face,
Front of the neck,
Right collar bone,
Left collar bone,
The heart center,
The upper abdomen,
The navel,
Lower abdomen,
The front of the pelvis,
Pubic bone,
Front of the thighs,
Tops of the knees,
Tops of the feet.
And now sense the whole front of the body.
The whole front of the body.
And sense the front of the body and the back of the body together.
And awareness of the whole body together.
Resting here.
Supported and still.
The whole body resting.
Allow your awareness to come to your breath.
This spontaneous rhythm of your breath.
As you inhale,
Feel the belly gently rise.
As you exhale,
Feel the belly softening down.
Allow the breath to remain natural and begin to count the breath backward.
From eleven to one.
Inhale eleven.
Exhale eleven.
Inhale ten.
Exhale ten.
Continue silently counting down.
If you lose track,
Simply begin again.
If you get to one,
Start again.
And now let the counting go and imagine you are standing in a quiet spring garden.
The birds are singing their songs.
The air is cool but the sun is shining and gently warming your whole body and the soil beneath you.
You feel the ground beneath you is alive.
The soil is dark and rich.
Tiny green shoots are beginning to emerge all around you.
Signs that life is returning after the long winter rest.
There is a smell of the sweetness of blossoms just beginning to open.
You sense the feeling of renewal here.
Imagine that you have a small seed in your hand.
This seed represents your intention.
Your sankalpa.
Something you wish to nurture and grow within your life.
Feel the texture of the seed in your palm.
You notice all the little intricacies.
Small,
Simple,
Yet full of possibility.
You kneel down and make a small space in the soil for your seed.
With care,
You place your seed into the ground.
And cover it lightly with the earth.
As the seed rests in the soil,
It is supported by everything it needs.
The richness of the earth.
The warmth of the sun.
The nourishment of the rain.
Feel the quiet trust that this seed will grow.
You feel gratitude that you are supported in your growth.
And now return again to your sankalpa.
And repeat the exact words silently three times.
I trust myself and the unfolding of my path.
Or I welcome growth and possibility.
Repeat silently with feeling and emotion.
Planting the seed once more into the quiet depths of the mind.
Begin to bring awareness back to your breath.
Feel the gentle movement of the body as you breathe.
Notice the surface beneath you.
Become aware of the room around you.
Maybe sounds in the distance.
Sounds closer by.
Begin to deepen the breath.
You might take a deep inhale through the nose.
An audible sigh out through the mouth.
And start to make some movement with the fingers and the toes.
Maybe rolling the wrists and the ankles.
If it feels comfortable for you,
You could stretch the arms over your head.
Maybe even yawn.
When you are ready,
Roll onto one side.
Pausing there for a moment.
And then slowly make your way up to a comfortable seated position.
Placing your hands on your heart.
Bowing down towards your heart.
Carrying the seed of your intention with you as you move into this season ahead.
I wish you peace.
Namaste.
