Welcome.
In this Yoga Nidra,
We welcome the gentle renewal that the new year invites and embrace rest as a foundation for change.
We honor the wisdom of this season that encourages us to pause and embrace stillness so we can restore and renew.
Start to make yourself comfortable.
You might cover yourself with a light blanket.
Perhaps bring a bolster or cushion under your knees.
Allow your arms to rest by your sides.
You might put a bit of space between the legs and feet.
Gently close your eyes.
If you can make yourself even more comfortable,
Go ahead and make those adjustments.
We'll start by taking a few breaths together.
Inhale deeply through the nose,
Filling up the belly,
Ribs,
And chest.
Pause at the top of your breath.
Exhale through the mouth,
Sighing the breath out.
Inhale,
Filling up bottom to top.
Find that pause.
Exhale,
Release.
One last time,
Inhale deep.
Pause at the top.
Exhale long.
Return your breath to its natural rhythm.
Allow it to feel effortless.
Develop awareness of your presence in your space.
Feel the body connected to the surface supporting you and bring your attention to the space between the and that surface.
Become aware of your breath.
Notice you are breathing.
Now release awareness of your body and your breath.
Yoga Nidra begins now.
This time we affirm our resolve or sankalpa.
Your sankalpa is your deepest intentionality,
Vow,
Or North Star.
If you have a sankalpa that you work with,
Welcome it now.
And if not,
You can invite an intention.
You might consider,
Through rest,
Clarity unfolds,
Or I honor the wisdom of deep rest.
Silently state your sankalpa or intention three times.
Now we move to a rotation of consciousness,
Bringing awareness to different parts of the body.
Let your mind freely travel from one part to the next.
Right thumb,
Right first finger,
Right second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
Palm,
Back of the right hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Underarm,
Right side of the waist,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the right foot,
Top of the right foot,
Big toe,
First toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Little toe,
The whole right side of the body,
Left thumb,
Left first finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
Palm,
Back of the left hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Underarm,
Left side of the waist,
Left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the left foot,
Top of the left foot,
Big toe,
First toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Little toe,
Whole left side of the body,
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Whole spine,
Crown of the head,
Back of the head,
Forehead,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Space between the eyebrows,
Muscles of the right eye,
Muscles of the left eye,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Space between the lips,
Tongue,
Roof of the mouth,
Jaw,
Neck,
Throat,
Collarbone,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
Center of the chest,
Mid-belly,
Low belly,
Whole head,
Whole torso,
The whole right leg,
The whole left leg,
Both legs,
Whole right arm,
Whole left arm,
Both arms,
The whole back of the body,
The whole front of the body,
The whole upper body,
The whole lower body,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Return awareness to your breath.
Notice the rise and fall of your belly,
The rise and fall of your chest.
Begin to lengthen your exhale.
You might inhale to a count of four,
And exhale to a count of six,
Inhaling through the nose,
And exhale slowly through the nose.
With each extended exhale,
Feel the body sinking more fully into rest.
The breath becomes quieter,
Softer,
More subtle.
Rest in the space that follows each exhale.
Now imagine the body filled with subtle movement,
A quiet hum of energy,
A gentle vibration,
Flowing,
Alive.
Now sense complete stillness as if everything has come to rest.
Hold both experiences in awareness,
Quiet energy,
Complete stillness.
Now visualize a gentle light filling the body,
Soft and luminous.
Now imagine a soothing darkness,
Quiet and protective.
Rest in the balance between light and dark.
We come to our visualization.
A number of things will be named.
Allow yourself to visualize them and welcome any feelings that accompany your vision.
A white rose,
A red cardinal,
A black crow on a bare tree branch,
A squirrel climbing a tree,
A doe and her fawn in a field.
A willow tree swaying in the breeze,
A frozen lake,
A golden sunrise over a snow-capped mountaintop.
A white feather,
Birds flying at sunset,
Snowflakes falling gently,
A garden in winter,
Tree roots under the earth.
A notebook,
A steaming cup of tea,
A cat sitting in a windowsill,
Smoke from a chimney,
Frost on a rooftop.
A brick cottage,
A pair of boots,
An armchair,
A crackling fire,
A wooden bridge,
A golden light.
A white candle in a dark room,
A white candle in a dark room,
A white candle in a dark room.
Now welcome back your sankalpa or intention.
Through rest,
Clarity unfolds or I honor the wisdom of deep rest.
Silently state your sankalpa or intention three times.
Start to bring awareness back to your space.
Notice sounds,
Temperature,
Physical sensations.
Become aware of your breath,
Allowing it to deepen.
Becoming aware of the body and invite some gentle movement.
As you emerge from deep rest,
Embrace the clarity and gentle renewal.
I offer my deepest gratitude.
Thank you for allowing me to guide you in this practice of yoga nidra.
