30-Minute Spring Equinox Yoga Nidra

Today’s practice is to celebrate the Spring Equinox, the sacred moment in the year when we gently release winter and welcome the unfolding of spring. The equinox is a point of balance, where light and dark are equal. Just as the earth shifts into a new season, we too are invited into renewal, possibility, and harmony within ourselves.

Yoga Nidra, often called “yogic sleep,” is a guided meditation practice that invites you into a state between waking and sleeping. In this deeply restful space, the body softens completely while the mind remains gently aware. It is a practice of conscious rest, and a place where healing, integration, and insight can naturally arise. As we honor the equinox today, we’ll rest in that place of balance, holding both winter and spring within us, honoring what has been, and making space for what is ready to bloom. Enjoy!

Music credit: Chris Collins

Transcript

Hello this is Amanda and I'll be guiding you through your yoga nidra practice today. Today's practice is to honor the spring equinox. The equinox is the point where we bid goodbye to winter and say hello to spring. It's about balance, The place where light and dark are equal, Holding endings and beginnings at the same time. It's a beautiful time to rest quietly and tune in. With that in mind let's get started. Begin to settle in for your yoga nidra practice. You can lie on your back, On the floor, On a couch or on a bed, Wherever you'll be most comfortable for the next little while. And as you settle in you can place a pillow under your knees to support the legs, As well as the pillow under your head to support the neck. You can cover yourself with a blanket and place a covering over your eyes, Allowing yourself to settle into quiet, Stillness, Darkness. And as you settle in allow yourself to feel supported by the earth beneath you. Make sure that you are nice and warm, Feeling as comfy and cozy as possible. As you settle in begin to notice your breath moving in and out of your body. Feel your belly rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. Now take two inhales in through the nose, Then an exhale and sigh out through the mouth. Twice more just like that. Two sips in through the nose and exhale sigh out through your mouth. One more just like that. Inhale two sips of air in through your nose and exhale sigh out through your mouth as you're ready. And as you finish your last deep inhale and exhale you could release that and return to your regular inhale and exhale. Once again feeling the body, Feeling the belly, Feeling the chest rise and fall as you inhale and exhale. As you feel yourself breathe here, I'd love for you to consider what you could do to get even more comfortable here. Feel your toes soften and melt. Allow the legs to grow heavy. The face moves, The jaw relaxes, And the eyes rest. Allow your body to get heavy, Fully surrendering in to the support beneath you, Nestled into the cozy embrace of your yoga nidra nest. This is a time for rest and there's nothing you need to do now. Nowhere you need to be, Nothing you need to do. It's a time for rest and relaxation. We'll begin by setting a sankalpa or an intention. If you're not already working with a sankalpa, The one that I will offer for today's practice in honor of the spring equinox is I trust the changing of seasons around me and within me. I trust the changing of seasons around me and within me. I trust the changing seasons around me and within me. Repeat this in your mind three times, Planting a seed of intention for today's practice, For the spring equinox, And the season that we are saying goodbye to, As well as the season that we are welcoming in. And now rotating attention throughout the body, Letting your attention move from place to place as you listen to my voice. The only thing there is for you to do is listen, Sense, And feel. Moving your attention to different parts of your body as you hear them named, Following the sound of my voice. Bring awareness to the center of your chest. Feel the rise and fall of your inhale and exhale. Feel the rhythm of your heart's beating in your chest. Now bring awareness to your right shoulder, Upper arm, Elbow, Forearm, Wrist, Back of the hands, Palm of the hands, The right hand thumb, Second finger, Third finger, Fourth finger, Fifth finger, Your waist, Hip, Thigh, Knee, Lower leg, Ankle, Heel, Sole of the foot, Top of the foot, The whole right foot, Right big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth toe, Fifth toe, All five toes, The whole right foot, The whole right leg, The whole right side of the body, The whole right side of the body. Give some time for your attention to move back into your chest. Feel your breath. Notice your heartbeats. Feel yourself deeply rooted to the earth from the center of your chest. Now bring awareness to your left shoulder, Upper arm, Elbow, Forearm, Wrist, Back of the hands, Palm of the hands, The right hand thumb, Second finger, Third finger, Fourth finger, Fifth finger, Your waist, The left hip, The left thigh, Knee, Lower leg, Ankle, Heel, Sole of the foot, Top of the foot, Left big toe, Second toe, Third toe, Fourth toe, Fifth toe, All five toes, The whole left leg, The whole left side of the body, The whole left side of the body, The whole left side of the body, And the whole right side of the body simultaneously. Can you equally divide attention between the left and right side of the body? Now sensing the back of the body, The right heel, Left heel, Right calf, Left calf, Right hamstring, Left hamstring, Right glute, Left glute, Sacrum, The whole back of the pelvis, The lower back, Middle back, Upper back, The entire back, The entire spine, Right shoulder blade, Left shoulder blade, Back of the neck, Back of the head, Moving toward the top of the head, Right temple, Left temple, Right ear, Left ear, Right eyebrow, Left eyebrow, Right eyebrow, Center of the eyebrows, Right eye, Left eye, Right nostril, Left nostril, Right cheek, Left cheek, Upper lip, Lower lip, Both lips together, The chin, The jaw, The throat, Right collarbone, Left collarbone, Right side of the chest, Left side of the chest, Upper abdomen, Navel, Lower abdomen, The whole right leg, The whole left leg, The whole right arm, The whole left arm, The whole face, The whole body, The whole body, Front and back, Left and right, The whole body, Sensing the whole body, Bring your attention to your belly, Begin to notice your belly expanding and contracting as you inhale and exhale, In and out, Up and down, Up and down, Up and down, Up and down, Up and down, Up and down, Up and down, Up and down, Begin to deepen your inhales and exhales, Feeling the expansion in your belly and up into your chest, Inhale, Feel cool air entering your body, Exhale, Feel warm air leaving, Again, Inhale, Feel cool air entering your body, And exhale, Feel warm air leaving, One more time, Inhale, Cool air entering your body, Exhale, Warm air leaving, Now begin to sense the feeling of darkness, Stay with the sensation of darkness, Feeling of darkness all around you, And then shift to sensing lightness as if your body could lift and float effortlessly, We sense the light lengthening and the darkness retreating with the changing of the seasons, Next, Sensing warmth in your chest, Your belly, Your hands, Letting it spread gently throughout your body, And sense coolness like the touch of fresh air on your skin, We sense cool spring mornings and warm spring afternoons, Your body remembering the feeling of warm sun upon your skin, The unthawing as we head into spring, Now shift to sensing stillness, The quiet presence of your body, And sense movement, The subtle rhythm of your breath, The pulse of life flowing through you, The hum of being alive and well, Finding the sacred midpoint of harmony between stillness and movement, And now sense the feeling of releasing, Relaxing your muscles, Finding heaviness into the floor beneath you, Feeling held by the ground, And letting go of all that does not serve you anymore, Feeling tension wash away, And as you release the tension and all that does not serve you, You make space for receiving, Welcoming in, Receiving exactly what you need in this season, Finding recalibration in the body, Come back to your breath, And feel the inhales and exhales moving in and out of your body, Feel the inhales and exhales moving in and out of your body, And as you breathe deeply, Imagine you are standing in a quiet field at dawn, And behind you, You see trees of winter, In front of you, You see the first signs of spring, Small green shoots emerging, You do not pull them up, You do not force them to grow, You simply observe the first signs of spring, You simply stand between the seasons, You see snow melt becoming river, Ice loosening its grip, The earth exhaling as it begins to unthaw, Old leaves making room for new growth, A coat unbuttons, The warm sun on your face, The thaw that does not ask permission, Takes its time, And comes exactly when it's meant to, On the precipice of winter and spring, The balance of dark and light, Cool and warm, Ask gently, What in me is ready to soften? What in me is ready to soften? What in me is ready to bloom? What in me is ready to bloom? Wait, Listen, I'll give you a few moments here in deep rest, Considering all that we've invited in, I will invite you to revisit your intention or sankalpa that we set at the beginning of your practice, I trust the changing of seasons around me and within me, I trust the changing of seasons around me and within me, Consider if this is something that you'd like to carry with you for the rest of your day, Or into this new season ahead, Or perhaps leave here in your cozy yoga nidra nest, Now I'll invite you to bring your attention back to your breath, And as you breathe, We'll take 10 deep inhales and exhales together, Inhale deeply, Exhale deeply, That's one, Inhale deeply, Exhale deeply, Inhale deeply, Continue at your own pace, Counting up to 10, If you lose track at any point, Just start over from one again, Going slow and steady and at your own pace, Now bring awareness to your physical body, Feel your body on the earth, Begin to sense the space around you, Begin to wiggle fingers and toes, Stretch your arms above your head if that feels good, As you continue waking up, I invite you to carry this balance into your next conversation, Your next boundary, Your next moment, An invitation to bring gentle expansion into the rest of your day, And into this season ahead, Slowly and at your own pace, Roll onto one side, And spend a few moments in the fetal position, Just waking up slowly and gently, And then as you're ready, You can make your way to a seated position to close out your practice, And as you come out of your yoga nidra, Begin to tune into how you feel, Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, I'd like to invite you to consider what has come to fruition in this time together, In this time where you went inwards into deep rest and relaxation, I would invite you to reflect and journal on your yoga nidra experience, And anything that came up for you today, Your yoga nidra practice is now complete, Thank you so much for practicing with me, And happy spring equinox, I'll see you next time.