Welcome to this Yoga Nidra in celebration of the Spring Equinox.
Yoga Nidra is the practice of yogic sleep.
In Yoga Nidra,
The mind is alert while the body is at rest.
It may be normal for your mind to drift,
But the goal is to stay awake in that space between being fully conscious and asleep.
As we begin,
Say to yourself,
I will stay awake,
I will not fall asleep.
Now,
Take a moment to make yourself comfortable.
Maybe bringing a blanket over your body,
Getting any wiggles out,
Letting the body grow restful and easy.
Relax the shoulders down,
Unknit the eyebrows,
And release the jaw.
If you are lying on your back,
Let your arms fall at your side with the palms up and relaxed.
Make a gentle tuck of your chin to allow the back of the neck to grow long.
As your body settles in,
Notice the sounds in the room.
Perhaps you can hear your own breath.
You might notice sounds coming from outside of your room.
Let these sounds wash over you.
Turn your attention to your body,
The feel of your clothes on your skin,
Perhaps the weight of the blanket over you.
Just notice,
Without judgment,
Becoming more fully present in the space and in your body.
We begin Yoga Nidra by setting a sankalpa or intention.
This sankalpa is stated in the present tense as if it is already true.
Take a moment to see what sankalpa arises for you.
In honor of the spring equinox,
You might choose an intention that aligns with a shift into spring.
I am planting new seeds.
I am starting fresh.
I am ready to grow.
Once you have your sankalpa,
Repeat it silently three times in your mind.
We will now rotate the consciousness through different parts of the body.
Move your consciousness as cued.
Do not remain focused on one part.
We will begin with the right hand thumb,
Right first finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
Palm,
Back of the right hand,
Right wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Right upper arm,
Shoulder,
Right side of the body,
Right waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Shin,
Ankle,
Heel,
Right sole of the foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe,
The whole right side,
The whole right side of the body.
Now shift your awareness to the left side of the body,
Focusing in on the left hand thumb,
Left first finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Little finger,
Palm,
Back of the left hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Left shoulder,
Left side body,
Left waist,
Hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Shin,
Ankle,
Heel,
Sole of the left foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe,
The whole left side of the body.
Now shift your focus to the spine,
Neck,
Forehead,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Right eye socket,
Left eye socket,
Nose,
Lips,
Teeth,
Tongue,
Chin,
Throat,
Collarbone,
Belly,
The whole trunk of the body,
The whole right side of the body,
The whole left side of the body,
The entire body.
Now count backwards from 17 with each exhalation.
Try to imagine your body sinking deeper and deeper into stillness with each breath.
If you lose count,
Simply start again.
With your mind's eye,
You now find yourself standing at the gate to a garden.
The gate is made of old wood,
Weathered smooth to the touch.
You open the gate.
Before you is a spiral path moving through a series of garden beds on either side of it.
As you gaze before you,
Nothing is yet in bloom.
This is the garden of late winter on the cusp of spring.
The air is crisp and you wear a warm jacket.
You are barefoot,
But the sun warms the ground just enough.
Take a moment to feel the earth beneath your toes,
The winter grass dry and warm in the sunlight.
Smell the scent of soil beginning to thaw.
You step onto the spiral path.
You move slowly,
Deliberately,
Taking in your surroundings with each step.
As the spiral path moves through the garden beds,
You notice that the garden is more alive than it seemed at first.
To your right,
You see the green tips of daffodils starting to poke through the earth.
To your left,
A crocus bud is about to burst into bloom.
Even in the beds where nothing new is growing yet,
You see life.
Sparrows scouring the ground for the remains of last year's seeds.
Squirrels digging for the last of their winter acorns.
The more you walk,
The more alive the garden appears.
It is as if you are stepping deeper into spring with each footstep.
Perhaps you see tulips beginning to nudge out of the ground,
Or the first spring ephemerals,
Like violets,
Starting to bloom.
Maybe you notice the sunny face of a dandelion.
The spiral path takes you deeper into the center of the garden.
Once you reach the center,
You see a small circle of dirt.
A small garden bed,
The size of a dinner plate.
It is outlined with beautiful stones,
And the soil has already been turned.
Beside it is a small jug of water.
It is ready to be planted.
You reach into your right jacket pocket and feel something there.
It is a seed.
The seed might be tiny or large.
It might feel like a pumpkin seed,
Round and smooth,
Or a milkweed seed,
Flat and thin.
Pull the seed out of your pocket and sit on the ground.
Hold the seed in your hands.
Take a few moments to get to know your seed by touch and sight,
Cupping it in your palms,
Letting it warm up in the sunlight.
Even if you don't know what kind of plant it will grow into,
Know that the seed is ready to receive your desires.
What do you want to bloom?
Take a few moments to tell the seed what you would like spring to bring to you.
Once you have communicated your intentions to the seed,
Gently tuck it into the earth.
Use the jug of water to moisten the soil to ensure the seed has a good start.
Sit with the seed for a few more moments,
Thanking it for carrying your intentions and wishing it well.
Slowly you come to your feet and follow the spiral path out of the garden.
Even in this short time,
You can see the gardens have grown more vibrant,
Full of early blossoms and birdsong.
Even the grass beneath your feet is starting to turn a pale shade of green.
And as you approach the start of the spiral,
The crocus you noticed at first is now in full bloom.
Once you reach the gate,
Take one last moment to give thanks to the garden for this journey.
Repeat to yourself your original sankalpa three times.
Let all thoughts go and rest in the stillness for a few more moments.
Take your time to slowly awake the body from yoga nidra.
Maybe wiggle your fingers and toes or slowly move your head side to side.
Take your time sitting up and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day in the springtime season.
Yoga nidra is now complete.
