Welcome to this yoga nidra practice for autumn.
As the earth begins to tilt away from the sun,
Nature signals a time to slow down,
Harvest our energy,
And turn inward.
Yoga nidra is best practiced in total comfort and warmth.
So position yourself so you feel fully supported.
Cover yourself with a warm blanket.
Place a pillow underneath your knees or your head.
And close your eyes.
Allow your body to settle.
And feel the floor supporting you.
Take a long,
Deep breath in through your nose.
And let it go with a gentle sigh out of your mouth.
Again,
Inhale deeply filling your belly and chest.
Exhale,
Letting your body sink a little heavier into the floor.
One more breath like that,
A deep inhale.
Exhale releasing all effort.
From this moment on,
Let go of any need to control your breath or your thoughts.
There is nothing to accomplish,
Nowhere to go,
And nothing to fix.
You are simply here to rest,
Listen,
And receive.
In the tradition of Ayurveda,
Yoga sister science,
The vata dosha,
The energy of air and ether,
Increases in autumn.
Outside you can see Vata energy everywhere.
The wind blowing through the trees,
The crisp,
Dry leaves swirling across the ground.
The cooling air,
And the shifting light.
Water is light,
Dry,
Cool Mobile.
And sometimes erratic.
Inside us,
This seasonal surge of vata.
Can show up as a scattered mind,
Dry skin,
Restlessness,
Or a feeling of being ungrounded.
To balance this dry,
Mobile energy,
Nature teaches us to seek the opposite.
Warmth,
Rhythm,
Stability,
And nourishment.
This is the season to engage in gentle self-care.
It is a time to nourish our bodies with warm cooked foods,
Spices,
And rich oils.
It is a time for slow,
Gentle yoga.
And grounding routines that act as a warm anchor against the autumn winds.
And just as the trees willingly shed their leaves,
Trusting that letting go is necessary for future growth,
Autumn invites us to release our attachments.
Our busy schedules,
And the tension we hold in our minds.
Feel your body supported by the floor.
You are completely safe to drop your leaves.
Let go of what you no longer need to carry and root down into the warm earth beneath you.
Now bring to mind a short positive statement or intention for this season of self-care.
It might be I am grounded,
Warm,
And deeply nourished.
I let go with ease and trust the quiet rhythm of rest.
I anchor myself in daily self-care.
Choose an intention that feels true for you.
Repeat it quietly in your mind three times with feeling and clarity as if it is already true.
Now we'll rotate our awareness throughout the body.
As each body part is named,
Bring a feeling of heavy,
Warm,
Grounding light to that area.
Don't move,
Simply let your awareness touch on each point.
Bring awareness to your right hand.
Right thumb,
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
And pinky finger.
Palm of the right hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Right shoulder.
Right side of your waist.
Right hip.
Right thigh.
Knee Lower leg.
Ankle,
Right heel.
Top of the right foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
And fifth toe.
Move your awareness to your left hand.
Left thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Pinky finger.
Palm of your left hand.
Wrist.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Left shoulder.
Left side of your waist.
Left hip.
Left thigh.
Knee Lower leg.
Ankle.
Left heel.
Top of your left foot.
Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Now move to the back of the body.
Feel the back of your head.
The back of the neck.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
The entire length of your spine.
Lower back.
The right buttock.
The left buttock.
Feel the whole backside of your body resting heavily against the earth.
Bring awareness to the crown of the head.
Your forehead.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
The space between the brows.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right ear.
Left ear.
Right cheek,
Left cheek.
Tip of your nose.
Upper lip.
Lower lip.
Chin,
Throat.
Chest,
Upper abdomen.
Naval.
Lower abdomen.
Pelvic floor.
Feel your entire body.
The whole physical form completely enveloped in a mantle of warm,
Soft grounding energy.
Deeply still.
Deeply relaxed.
Now awaken the feeling of vata.
The cold dry wind.
Imagine a cool autumn breeze brushing over your skin.
Feel a sensation of lightness,
Dryness,
And movement within your body,
As if you were a leaf fluttering in the wind.
Feel the cool air.
Now dissolve that cold feeling and awaken to the sensation of deep,
Heavy earth.
Feel your body becoming impossibly heavy,
Dense,
And solid.
Like an ancient rooted oak tree or warm clay.
Feel as though you were sinking inches deep into the supporting ground beneath you,
Safe and completely stationary.
Now blend both together.
Notice the movement of the autumn air outside.
While experiencing the deep immovable stability of the earth.
You are the rooted tree.
Calm and steady.
Unaffected by the winds of change.
You are able to sway with the breeze,
But stay deeply rooted in the earth.
In your mind's eye,
Visualize yourself walking through quiet,
Golden forest late on an autumn afternoon.
The air is crisp and cool.
But you are wrapped in a thick,
Warm jacket.
Beneath your feet,
The earth feels solid and supportive.
You look up to see a canopy of amber,
Crimson,
And gold leaves filtering the soft setting sun.
A gentle breeze whispers through the branches and a golden leaf detaches itself from a tall tree above you.
Watch the leaf float down slowly,
Drifting back and forth without any rush.
Until it gently lands on the soft soil.
Notice how the tree does not struggle to keep its leaves.
It releases them effortlessly,
Knowing that letting go is a natural act.
It sheds what it no longer needs so it can conserve its energy for the cold winter ahead and bloom again in the spring.
As you stand in this quiet forest,
Bring to mind any busyness,
Anxiety,
Or internal clutter you've been holding onto.
With every exhale,
Imagine releasing these attachments into the autumn forest floor.
Let them drop like falling leaves.
Watch them turn into rich,
Fertile earth,
Transforming from tension into quiet peace.
Consider what else you might be ready to let go of.
It may be a relationship,
A project that no longer aligns with what you want in life.
A self-limiting belief,
A perception,
Or even a material thing,
Like a piece of furniture or clothing.
Know that by letting these things go,
You can be more fully yourself.
Feel a warm golden light surrounding your body.
A nourishing bath of heat.
Soothing any restless places within you.
You are protected and you are nourished.
Gradually bring your attention back to the rhythm of your breath.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of your abdomen.
Remember your intention.
And repeat it quietly three times in your mind.
Feel the warm blanket resting on your body.
Feel the points of contact where your body rests against the mat and the floor.
Listen to the subtle sounds around you in the room.
Recognize that the stillness and deep grounding you cultivated today are always available to you.
Right beneath the surface of your daily routine.
Begin to deepen your breath,
Drawing fresh oxygen into your lungs.
Gently begin to wake up the physical body.
Wiggle your fingers and your toes.
Take a long stretch,
Reaching your arms overhead like a tall tree reaching for the autumn sky.
When you feel ready.
Gently roll onto your left side,
Coming into a cozy fetal position for a few moments.
Use your arm as a pillow and keep your eyes closed.
If you feel ready,
Slowly press yourself up into a comfortable seated position.
Bring your hands together at your heart space,
Keeping the warmth within.
Thank yourself for taking this time for essential self-care and seasonal alignment.
When you feel ready,
Softly open your eyes.
Welcome back.
May your autumn be grounded,
Warm,
And deeply peaceful.
Letting go isn't always easy,
But it's a profound act of self-care.
It allows us to embrace the unknown with open hearts and minds,
Trusting that something wonderful may be on the horizon.
Thank you for joining me.
Have a wonderful day.
