Yoga Nidra: A Journey Through Nature

Relax deeply as you visualize a walk through the woods. In this guided meditation, you'll be prompted to connect to your innate sense of inner peace through descriptive imagery of nature. Perfect for bringing a sense of calm to your day or inviting a restful night of sleep.

Transcript

Begin by finding your yoga nidra posture.

Traditionally,

Yoga nidra is done lying on your back in shavasana.

Make your way there now,

Or if you prefer a different pose,

You're welcome to take any posture that feels most deeply restful to you,

Including a seat.

Use props to maximize comfort as you arrive.

A bolster or rolled blanket under the knees can support a gentle bend in the legs,

Or you might use an eye pillow to block out some light.

Take care in setting up a posture where you can lie still with comfort and ease,

Knowing that you are free to move and adjust at any time.

Settle here.

Let your body drape over the mat and your props.

Feel your body fully supported by the earth below you,

And give yourself permission to be held.

Close your eyes or take a gentle gaze.

Soften the muscles around your eyes.

Find the smallest tuck to your chin,

Elongating the back of your neck.

Unclench your jaw,

Finding space between the two rows of your teeth and a slight parting of your lips.

Soften all your edges.

Take a deep breath in.

Fill your belly.

Exhale,

Let it all go.

One more breath like that.

Expansive inhale.

Full body exhale.

Let your breath return to its natural rhythm.

Notice each breath as it comes and goes in its own time.

Turn your attention to your mind.

Notice each thought as they arise.

Let them pass by like clouds overhead in the sky.

Notice the shape and quality of each thought,

And then send them on their way without becoming too attached to any particular one.

Without trying to erase or avoid your thoughts,

Imagine them floating by,

Each one free,

Untethered,

Dissolving.

Tune in to any emotions that arise.

What comes up for you when this space is available?

Invite your full humanity to be present with you on the mat.

Greed it with kindness,

Compassion,

Curiosity.

If that doesn't feel accessible,

Practice the art of simply noticing.

Let your emotions be without judgment or evaluation.

Become aware of your overall state of being.

Observe whether or not your energy has shifted since you first arrived on the mat.

Have you become more present,

More aware?

There's no right or wrong answer,

No right or wrong way to be,

Just an opportunity to bear witness to your current experience.

Come back to your breath and follow along with your inhales and exhales.

Let go of your breath and feel into all your grounding points,

The places where your body connects to the earth.

Know that you are held here in the container of your practice.

Bring your attention to heart center.

Place one hand on top of your heart,

Palm to your chest.

Stack the other hand on top.

Feel into this space and take this moment to connect with yourself.

What do you wish to cultivate while you're on the mat today?

What inner purpose do you wish to fulfill?

What do you wish to embody in the fullest sense of the word?

In answering these questions,

You'll set your sankalpa,

Which is your intention or resolve.

State your sankalpa in the present tense,

Ushering it in as though it is already true.

For example,

In an I am statement.

If nothing comes to mind,

I'll offer out the intention of I am aware.

Silently repeat your sankalpa to yourself three times,

Stating it with conviction.

Let your sankalpa wash over you with each breath,

Envision your intention taking hold in both your physical and subtle bodies.

Let it radiate from your heart space.

With each inhale,

Your sankalpa strengthens.

With each exhale,

Let it settle into your bones.

Release your hands away from the heart and let your hands settle wherever feels most comfortable.

We'll scan through the body next,

Bringing your full attention into your physical being.

As I name each part of the body,

Bring your full awareness there,

Holding it in your attention.

Feel into any sensations that arise as you bring your mind's eye to each area,

Following my voice to guide you.

Center of the forehead.

Left eye.

Right eye.

Both eyes at the same time.

Left nostril.

Right nostril.

Entire nose.

Left cheek.

Right cheek.

Both cheeks at the same time.

Left ear.

Right ear.

Both ears at the same time.

Upper lip.

Lower lip.

Both lips at the same time.

Top row of teeth.

Bottom row of teeth.

Roof of your mouth.

Tongue.

The space underneath your tongue.

Your entire jaw.

Throat.

Back of your neck.

Right shoulder.

Right upper arm.

Right elbow.

Right forearm.

Right wrist.

Right palm.

Back of the right hand.

Right thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Pinky finger.

Your whole right arm.

Left shoulder.

Left upper arm.

Left elbow.

Left forearm.

Left wrist.

Left palm.

Back of the left hand.

Left thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Pinky finger.

Your whole left arm.

Chest.

Right side waist.

Left side waist.

Right belly.

Upper back.

Mid back.

Lower back.

Your whole torso.

Right hip crease.

Right glutes.

Right thigh.

Right knee.

Right lower leg.

Right ankle.

Top of the right foot.

Sole of the right foot.

Right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Your whole right leg and foot.

Left hip crease.

Left glutes.

Left thigh.

Left knee.

Left lower leg.

Left ankle.

Top of the left foot.

Left big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Your whole left leg and foot.

The whole right side of your body.

The whole left side of your body.

Your whole body.

Bring your attention back to your inhales and exhales and practice the art of being with your breath.

There's no need to make any changes to the beat of your breath.

Simply notice exactly how it is.

Trust that the next breath will arrive in its own time without your conscious effort.

Let this be a vessel for inviting in more ease,

More acceptance.

Let your belly be soft,

Allowing your breath to flow without restriction.

Notice the gentle rise of your chest and navel as you inhale.

Notice the softening down of your chest and navel as you exhale.

Follow the subtle movements of your body with your awareness.

Slow,

Steady breath.

Slow,

Steady movement.

Each breath brings a wave of deeper calm.

Feel your body heavy against the mat.

As you exhale,

Feel your body sinking down into the ground below.

Feel the force of gravity holding you here.

Feel into your grounding points as though you were connected to the soil of the earth through a system of roots,

Accepting all the nourishment that's offered to you through your practice.

Your connection to the earth is strong,

Deep,

And complete.

Now with each breath in,

Feel the front of your body become lighter.

Each inhale brings a little more buoyancy.

Call in a sense of weightlessness as if you were floating.

Imagine your body levitating light as a feather as you hover just above the ground.

On your next exhale,

Release back down.

Feel the heaviness of your body on the mat.

Breathe in,

Feel the lightness of your body.

Feel the heaviness and lightness within you at the same time.

Return to a state of equilibrium.

Imagine yourself on a pleasant walk through the woods on a summer evening.

You're simply enjoying nature without rush or hurry.

You pause to take in the height of the evergreen trees all around you and the vastness of the forest.

See the richness in the green of the trees and the fertile soil below your feet.

Notice the sky above you,

Bits of blue peeking out above the canopy of the trees.

A few small clouds strewn about the sky.

Continuing on your walk,

Feel the dry air on your arms and face.

It's a warm day,

But the gentle breeze keeps you cool as the wind whispers across your skin.

As you breathe in,

Notice the freshness of the air as it hits your lungs.

An exhale brings a wave of relief to your soul.

As you continue walking,

You hear a few birds chirping in the distance,

Singing a song that alerts you to the vibrancy of life all around you.

When the birds calm down for a moment,

All that remains is a brook babbling nearby,

Steady and calm.

You become still to take in the peacefulness of the environment.

As you pick up your feet to keep walking,

You hear the shuffle of your shoes against the ground and become aware of the natural ebb and flow of sounds in nature.

With a subconscious desire to connect with nature even more,

You reach out to touch a tree as you walk by.

You don't feel yourself decide to reach for the tree,

You just do.

Your fingertips lightly graze over the trunks of several trees over the course of a few steps.

You notice how rough the tree trunks feel on your smooth hand,

Delighting in the texture and the ability to reach out and touch something so solid.

Not long down the path,

You come to a clearing and look out over a lake.

You see mountains in the distance and the sun shining brightly as it starts to dip toward the horizon.

You look in wonder as the colors of the sky start to shift into those of a watercolor painting.

You watch for a time as the golden glow of the sun envelops you and the beauty of the scene prompts you to feel deeply the magic of the moment.

You close your eyes and feel a sense of inner peace.

Satisfied,

You reopen your eyes and return back to the trail to begin your journey home.

.

.

.

Bring your awareness back to your physical body.

Feel yourself here in the space.

Guide your attention back to your heart and feel your breath there.

Connect to the beating of your heart.

You call your sankalpa your intention.

Bring it back to your consciousness.

Feel your sankalpa firmly rooted within you.

Silently repeat your sankalpa to yourself three times.

Become more deeply aware of your presence here on the mat and in the space around you.

Feel into your grounding points.

Each place where your body connects to the surface below you.

Feel the air on your skin.

The breath filling your lungs.

Notice any light just beyond your eyelids.

Become aware of what arises in your heart or mind as you begin to re-emerge from your journey into yoga nidra.

Invite a few deeper breaths,

Reinvigorating your entire being.

Continue to wake back up slowly with some small movements in the fingers and toes,

Wrists and ankles.

Gently rock your head side to side or take a full body stretch.

In an unhurried way,

Make your way back up to a comfortable seat.

Take your time giving care to this transition back to a state of wakefulness.

Arriving in your seat,

Let your eyes stay closed or in a soft gaze.

Hands rest down at your lap or at heart center,

Wherever feels true to you.

We'll close out our time with one breath,

Starting with a full exhale.

Take a deep breath in through your nose.

Exhale,

Let it go.

Namaste.

Reviews

Thank you Laura. i was having a tough time getting to sleep today and this helped calm me down. i really liked how you put this together.