Welcome everyone to this practice of yoga nidra.
It's been created especially for the winter solstice,
If you're joining us from the northern hemisphere.
It's a time for stillness and reflection and renewal.
I've recorded this a couple of days before,
But if you're tuning in on the day,
Tonight we honour the shortest day and the longest night of the year.
Using this darkness as a metaphor,
A space for grounding,
Healing and recovery.
A bit like finding an internal cave in which we can retreat into and hibernate for a few minutes.
The winter solstice marks a turning point in the wheel of the year.
It's a time when the sun appears to pause in the sky,
Offering us the opportunity to pause with it.
Across many different cultures and traditions,
The solstice has been celebrated as a moment to honour the cycles of nature and also to reflect on our place within those cycles.
We can use it as a time to release the old,
The things that no longer serve us,
And to welcome the return of the lighter,
Longer days.
In the stillness of this longest night,
I hope we can find a fertile ground from which new beginnings and opportunities can grow.
As you sit or lie here,
There's nothing to do,
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to change.
Simply allow yourself to be supported fully by the earth and embraced by the quiet energy of this winter evening.
Let the journey inward begin,
Taking a comfortable position either seated or lying down.
If you're seated,
Choosing a chair which has a comfortable back which you can rest and lean into.
Make sure your sitting bones are firmly grounded into the chair and that you're evenly distributed in terms of your weight between the left and the right sitting bone.
If your feet touch the floor,
Making sure there's a little distance between the feet,
Maybe hip width apart and the feet are flat.
If your cut toes are scrunched up,
Just relax them and gently close the eyes.
If you've chosen to lie down,
Taking Shavasana with the arms slightly out to the side and the palms turned up.
Tuck the chin in slightly towards the chest to lengthen the neck.
Open the legs,
At least hip width apart and let the toes fall out to the side.
Again,
I invite you,
If it's safe to do so,
To close your eyes.
Do feel free to take any other position that you know you can relax in for the next 10 to 15 minutes.
Use any blankets and pillows and props to support your body fully.
And we're going to begin by taking in a couple of big breaths together.
Breathing in deeply,
Filling the chest with air.
And exhale.
One more time,
Breathing in,
Filling the lungs with air.
And exhale.
Last time,
Deep breath in.
Filling with air and exhale.
And now allow the breath to return to a natural resting breath.
No need to change it.
Feel the cool air as it enters through your nose and the warm air as it leaves.
Notice the soft rising and falling of the chest and tummy.
The gentle contraction and expansion of the ribcage.
And now,
Every time you exhale,
Releasing any tension that you're able to let go of.
Any physical tension that may have settled in the shoulders or the lower back.
Just allow it to leave on the exhale.
And also any mental tension and stress that you might be carrying.
Letting it leave with the exhalation.
Now every time we breathe out and we release.
Grounding the body deeper and deeper into this present moment.
We're now going to guide the awareness through the body,
Bringing relaxation and healing energy to each part.
Follow along at your own pace,
Simply observing the sensations.
Begin with the toes on your right foot.
Feel your toes softening and releasing tension.
Move your awareness to the sole of your foot,
The heel,
The top of the foot and the ankle.
Move to the right lower leg,
The knee,
The thigh and the entire right leg.
Let it grow heavy and relaxed as it feels supported by the earth,
Melting into the earth.
Now bring awareness to the toes on your left foot.
Relax the toes,
The sole,
The heel,
The top of the foot and the ankle.
Move up to the lower leg,
The knee,
The thigh,
The entire left leg.
Feel the left leg becoming heavy and grounded.
Now bring your attention to the pelvis,
Hips and lower back.
Release any tension you may be holding here.
Shift awareness to the abdomen,
Feeling it rise and fall with your breath.
Soften the stomach,
Allowing it to expand with ease.
Bring awareness to the chest,
The heart centre and the rib cage.
Feel the space around your heart expanding,
Opening to healing and renewal.
Move to the fingers on the right hand,
The palm,
The back of the hand,
The wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
The whole right arm together.
Let the whole right arm sink into the earth.
Now the left hand,
Fingers,
Palm,
Back of hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
The whole left arm,
The whole left arm together.
Shift to the shoulders,
Neck and throat.
Soften any tension here.
Bring the awareness to your jaw,
Cheeks,
Eyes,
Forehead and scalp.
Let your entire face soften,
Releasing all expression.
Finally feel your whole body together,
Completely relaxed,
Supported and connected to the earth below.
Feel the whole body supported and connected to the earth.
Imagine yourself standing beneath a great ancient tree in a winter forest.
Its roots spread deep into the earth,
Anchoring it firmly.
You feel a deep connection with this tree.
You feel as though you are a part of this tree,
Also deeply grounded and connected to the wisdom of the earth.
Feel energy from the earth's core rising through the roots and into your body,
Filling you with warmth and strength.
Visualise this energy as a golden light moving through your legs into your spine and reaching every part of your body.
A beacon of light and warmth in a cold dark winter forest.
With each breath you feel more steady and grounded.
Nothing can shake you,
Not the wind or the snow.
You are secure and rooted to the earth via deep deep roots.
Now bring your attention to the heart centre.
Imagine a soft glowing light,
Gentle,
Warm and healing.
This is your inner solstice fire,
A flame,
A source of endless cyclical renewal and regeneration.
As you breathe in,
This flame grows brighter,
Filling your chest with a sense of peace.
Filling your whole body with a sense of peace.
With each exhale,
Allow any heaviness or pain or fatigue to dissolve into the darkness around you.
The darkness is not empty,
It's a space of healing and transformation.
Feel this turning of the wheel of the year,
Honour your need for rest and recovery.
Feel yourself nourished by this quiet,
Healing energy.
Trust that as the days grow longer,
This energy will bloom into vitality and strength.
Now slowly begin to bring your awareness back to your breath.
Feel the gentle rhythm of your inhale and exhale.
Notice the sensation of your body lying on the ground or in the chair.
Slowly begin to wiggle your fingers and toes,
Gently reawakening your body.
And when you're ready,
If lying on your back,
You can roll onto your side into a fetal position,
Taking a moment to honour this practice,
Any intentions that you've set.
Stay connected to that inner solstice flame that you carry with you at all times.
Pushing yourself up into a comfortable seated position.
And as we close this practice,
Take a moment to acknowledge the stillness and healing of the winter solstice.
Carry this grounding and recovery with you into the winter months ahead.
