Yoga Nidra Journey Through The Seasons
A traditional yoga nidra practice inspired by the teachings of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, including sensory and breath awareness, sankalpa, rotation of consciousness and a guided visualisation that will take you on a journey through the seasons and instill a feeling of deep connection with the natural world. This practice is not intended for sleep as there is an invitation to return to waking consciousness at the end, however there is no closing bell so if you do drift off, enjoy the rest!
Transcript
Welcome to this practice of yoga nidra.
Begin lying on your back making any adjustments or movements you need to make yourself more comfortable.
Either in bed or lying on the floor covering the body with a blanket to keep yourself warm through the practice.
Allow your body to be fully supported by the earth.
Travel your awareness to where the body meets there.
Maybe imagining roots anchoring the body down to the bed or the mat.
Deeper to the floor and deeper still into the earth.
There's no need to support the body it is fully supported by the earth.
As you lie feel the body relax deeper and deeper.
Maybe lengthening each exhale and every long smooth exhale bringing yourself to a level of relaxation you might not have thought was possible.
Feel the weight of the head supported by the earth perhaps even imagining the brain sinking towards the back of the skull.
The magnetic pull of the earth drawing everything towards it.
Allow the eyes to close or just to relax into their sockets.
Begin the practice of yoga nidra.
Try to remain still throughout the practice if that's possible.
Feel free to move if you feel the need.
Try to remain awake by tuning in to the sound of my voice as I guide you through the practice.
If you feel your mind wandering just come back to the sound of my voice.
Eyes soft closed muscles around the eyes relaxed.
Committing the eyes to rest.
Internal vision open.
With eyes closed use the other senses to build a picture of the space around you.
The walls marked with a bed and the earth beneath you.
The roof and the sky above you.
See your body lying.
Picture your physical body.
Close your hair,
Skin.
Awareness drawing deeper into the physical body.
Skin muscles,
Bones,
Organs,
Cells.
All of your senses are open and aware.
Awareness to the taste inside the mouth.
Sensation of air inside the nose.
All of the inhale.
All of the exhale.
The touch of the mat or the bed.
Of the earth,
Of the clothes or the blanket on your body.
The areas of the body that are warm.
And the areas of the body that are cooler.
The soundscape around the body.
Awareness travelling from distant sounds to closer sounds.
Without naming sounds,
Simply hearing the layers of sound.
Whole body awake and aware.
Awareness travelling into the breath.
Aware of the inhale and the exhale.
Without changing,
Simply noticing.
Rise and fall.
Ebb and flow.
Aware of transition between the inhale and the exhale.
Allowing and appreciating the miracle of each breath.
The body being breathed.
The body taking over the natural rhythm of breath.
In this state,
Open awareness,
Mind and body receptive.
Plant the seed of our sankalpa.
Asking yourself,
What would you like to cultivate more of in your life?
And seeing your life with this intention as a reality.
Forming a sankalpa as a short positive statement in simple language in the present tense.
Repeating your sankalpa silently three times.
If you struggle to find a sankalpa,
You can use I am at peace or I allow myself to rest or I live my life with ease.
Give thanks and release your sankalpa.
Repeating to yourself,
I am practicing yoga nidra.
I am awake and relaxed.
I am exactly where I need to be.
Awareness returning to the breath.
And without changing the natural rhythm of the breath,
Count down the breath from 10 to 0.
And on every exhale,
Bring to mind the image of a leaf falling from the crown to the space of the heart.
Inhale 10,
Exhale 10.
Inhale 9,
Exhale 9.
Continuing,
If the mind wonders,
You lose count.
Simply begin again from 10.
Exhale 10.
Exhale 10.
Exhale 10.
Exhale 10.
When you reach zero,
Just release awareness of the breath.
You will travel the awareness throughout the body.
Guide you through parts of the body.
And without moving or adjusting,
Simply place your awareness on that part of the body.
Bring awareness to the right hand side.
First finger,
Second finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger.
Space in between the fingers.
Palm of the right hand,
Back of the right hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Crease of the elbow,
Bow of the elbow,
Upper arm.
Shoulder,
Shoulder blade,
Right side of the ribs,
Right side of the waist,
Right hip,
Thigh,
Kneecap.
Space behind the knee,
Shin,
Ankle,
Top of right foot,
Sole of right foot,
Right big toe,
First toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Little toe.
Space between the toes,
Left hand thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger.
Space between fingers,
Palm of left hand,
Top of left hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Crease of the elbow,
Bow of the elbow,
Upper arm.
Top of shoulder,
Shoulder blade,
Left side of ribs,
Left side of waist,
Left hip,
Thigh,
Kneecap.
Space behind the knee,
Shin,
Ankle,
Top of left foot,
Sole of left foot,
Left big toe,
First toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Little toe.
Space between the toes,
Both heels,
Both calves,
Lower back,
Curve of the spine,
Shoulder blades,
Backs of arms,
Backs of hands,
Back of skull.
Top of the head,
Forehead,
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Centre of the eyebrows.
Right eye socket,
Left eye socket,
Right eyeball,
Left eyeball,
Bridge of the nose,
Right nostril,
Left nostril.
Space between the nostrils,
Right cheekbone,
Left cheekbone,
Top lip,
Bottom lip.
Space above the lips,
Chin,
Top jaw,
Bottom jaw,
Top teeth,
Bottom teeth,
Soft palate,
Tongue,
Throat.
Space behind right ear,
Space behind left ear,
Right side of neck,
Left side of neck,
Right collarbone,
Left collarbone,
Space between collarbones.
Right chest,
Left chest,
Upper abdomen,
Navel,
Right groin,
Left groin,
Whole right arm,
Whole right leg,
Whole right side of the body.
Whole left arm,
Whole left leg,
Whole left side of the body,
The whole body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Now bring to mind the image of an ancient mighty tree.
Imagine yourself sitting at the base of the tree.
Feel yourself lean against the support of the tree.
Feel the touch of the bark.
Feel yourself breathe in harmony with the tree.
Exchanging breath in and out,
In and out with the tree.
As you sit here,
Look up at the crown of the tree.
See bright green leaves filled with life,
Shading you from a bright,
Hot,
Shining sun.
There's fruit on the tree.
The tree is filled with life.
Feel the warm of the sun on your skin,
On your face and on your body.
Feel the light of the sun sink deeper into the layers of the skin,
Into the centre of the body.
Feel the body filled with light,
Embodying the light of the sun.
As you sit,
The sun begins to drop in the sky.
The light softens,
The air becomes cooler.
As you gaze up to the crown of the tree,
The leaves begin to change in colour.
The leaves become dry,
Changing from green to yellow,
Orange,
Red,
Brown.
Feel the life force of the tree retreating into its branches and trunk.
The leaves of the tree drop to the forest floor.
The tree becomes bare.
You feel and reflect the inward drawing energy of the tree,
The desire to shed and release and let fall.
Anything you are holding or carrying that you don't need to be.
Feel your own energy draw inward.
The warming light of the sun that you held deep within,
Warming and giving you life from the inside out.
The sun has dropped lower,
Past the horizon.
The air is cold and there is frost on the ground.
The tree is entirely bare.
All of the life force of the tree is internalised,
In its trunk and in its roots.
Feel your own energy inward,
Honouring this time of quiet,
Of darkness,
Of stillness.
Holding the last of the sun's light that you buried deep within,
Honouring deep rest,
Conserving your life force.
As you rest deeply,
The sun begins to rise above the horizon,
Higher in the sky.
Feel gentle warms on your skin.
You feel your fingers and toes,
The extremities of your branches begin to reawaken.
You feel the life force you are holding deep within begin to flow through your branches,
Your limbs,
Your crown.
You feel your body reawaken after deep rest.
The tree begins to shoot buds of new life,
Leaves regrow green and lush.
The flowers blossom,
The tree has reawoken from its rest.
The sun rises high above,
Its light is full and warm.
It feeds the tree in light,
Its leaves absorbing this life force,
Blooming,
Blossoming,
Creating fruit.
You bathe in the warmth of the sun,
You bask in its light.
You are refilled and nourished by this light.
The warmth seeps through the skin,
Deep within the body.
Where this warming life force will be stored as the cycle repeats and repeats and repeats and repeats.
It is time to repeat your Samkhalpa,
Silently,
Three times.
Now,
To come back to your breath,
To the rise and fall of your inhale and exhale.
To come back to your physical body,
To where your body makes contact with the earth.
Feel the weight of the body grounded into the earth.
To come back to the space around the physical body,
You are relaxed.
With the eyes closed,
Visualize the space surrounding you.
Visualize your body at ease.
With eyes closed,
You feel the call to move your body,
To make small movements in fingers and toes.
To feel the tingle of life force through the body.
Feel every cell of the body radiating calm and peace.
You can stay lying or you can roll your way to one side and take your time to press to a seat.
Keeping eyes closed,
Hands come to prayer and we offer thanks for this practice.
The practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
The practice of yoga is now complete.
4.6 (24)
Recent Reviews
Karen
October 29, 2023
I really love Hannah’s amazing yoga nidra 🙏 So peaceful and organic,. Takes me to a better , richer place inside and helps me through my chronic pain journey. Many thanks🌞