Yoga Nidra Autumn Dreams
A sumptuous Yoga Nidra for sleep and deep rest, rich with autumn imagery. A fully guided practice infused with visualisations to support the letting go of thoughts from the day, including Sankalpa (sacred intention), rotation of awareness around the body, relaxing with the breath, opposite sensations, and creation of an autumnal inner landscape supporting you to drift off into rest and dreams. No ending bell. Music composed by Narek Mirzaei (Music Of Wisdom)
Transcript
Welcome to this Yoga Nidra autumn dreams meditation.
Here to bring you comfort and rest.
This meditation can also support your sleep.
Knowing that there's no pressure,
Whether you are resting or whether you drift off,
You are healing and restoring.
As you settle,
Make any adjustments to get comfortable,
Then coming to a place of relaxed stillness.
Allow awareness to come to the breath,
Counting the next three breaths backwards from three to one.
Allowing awareness to open up the imagination,
Visualise or sense a beautiful autumn tree full of leaves,
Perhaps the leaves are orange or deep red.
However you imagine it is just right.
As you breathe,
Imagining the tree gently swaying in the breeze,
Moving with your breath.
If a thought has been disturbing you or you still have a thought from the day,
Find a large leaf on this tree and place your thought on this leaf,
The thought is absorbed by this leaf.
Watch as the tree lets go of this leaf now.
This leaf falling and catching on the breeze.
The leaf drifts far away,
Smaller and smaller,
Until it disappears from sight.
And awareness returns to the breath and the swaying of the tree.
If a second and even third thought has been disturbing you,
Place these thoughts in other leaves now.
Watch as the tree lets them go and these leaves gently blow away.
Send these leaves to the horizon or into the sky,
Even up into space.
And return awareness to the breath.
Each time you breathe in now,
Breathe in a sense of autumn cosiness.
Just noticing what does autumn cosiness feel like?
As this feeling expands,
Bringing in the sense of your most beloved things about autumn.
Sensing autumn colours,
Autumn food,
Picturing autumn animals.
As you nestle in these autumn sensations,
Bring awareness to your chest.
Gather awareness further into your heart space as we come to Sankalpa.
Our Sankalpa is our most sacred intention.
If you are already working with a Sankalpa,
You may use it in a moment.
If you do not have a Sankalpa already,
For this practice you can use,
I let go and take rest.
Say your Sankalpa mentally when prompted now.
You'll be prompted three times.
Sankalpa,
Sankalpa,
Sankalpa.
With this sacred ritual of words felt in the stars and heard by the universe,
It is in motion,
It is so.
Knowing it is written,
Letting go of Sankalpa now as we move to the rotation of awareness around the body.
As we journey,
Allow the energy or colours of autumn to wash through each body part which is named.
Beginning with the right hand thumb,
Autumn energy and colours wash through the right hand thumb.
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of right hand,
Back of hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Right side of the chest,
Right side of the waist,
Inside the curve of the right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Ankle,
Sole of the right foot,
Top of foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Whole right side of the body,
Whole right side of the body,
Awash with the energy and colours of autumn.
Moving to the left hand thumb,
Autumn colours and energy in the left hand thumb.
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger,
Palm of the left hand,
Back of hand,
Wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Shoulder,
Left armpit,
Left side of the chest,
Left side of the waist,
Inside the curve of the left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Shin,
Ankle,
Sole of the left foot,
Top of foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Whole left side of the body,
Whole left side of the body,
Awash with the energy and colours of autumn.
Left calf,
Back of right knee,
Back of left knee,
Back of right thigh,
Back of left thigh,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Lower back,
Middle of the back,
Upper back,
Whole spinal column.
Autumn colours and energy moving up each vertebra of the back,
Whole back,
Right shoulder,
Left shoulder,
Back of the neck,
Back of the head,
Crown of the head.
Autumn colours and energy at the crown of the head.
Right temple,
Left temple,
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Centre of the eyebrows,
Right eyelid,
Left eyelid,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Bridge of nose,
Tip of nose,
Right nostril,
Left nostril,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Right ear,
Left ear,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Teeth,
Gums,
Tongue,
All inside of the mouth,
Chin,
Throat,
Throat hollow,
Right side of the chest,
Left side of the chest,
Heart centre.
Autumn colours and energy held in the heart centre,
Upper abdomen,
Navel,
Lower abdomen,
Whole right leg and foot,
Whole right arm and hand.
Whole left leg and foot,
Whole left arm and hand,
Whole right side of the body,
Whole left side of the body,
Whole front of the body,
Whole back of the body,
Whole body together,
Whole body together,
Whole body together,
Awash with the energy and colours of autumn.
And allowing a sense of heaviness throughout the whole body,
A relaxed heaviness like a safe and secure anchor.
Whole body together,
Awash with the energy and colours of autumn.
And letting go of this journey,
Just sensing in to the whole body breathing,
Focusing on the rise and fall.
Awareness rests with the rise and fall of the breath,
Like the rise and fall of a gentle autumn breeze.
The breath expanding the chest,
Stomach,
Whole body,
Then relaxing again.
Whole body,
Then relaxing again.
Rise and fall of the breath,
Like the rise and fall of the wings of an owl.
This breathing that happens naturally without any need for control,
Reminding us that we can let go.
Letting go as awareness now moves to opposite sensations.
As these sensations are named,
Feel and sense them fully.
Beginning with softness,
Embodying the feeling of softness,
The body as soft.
Soft tissue.
Soft skin.
And hair.
Sensing into softness.
Softness like moss in the forest.
Surrounded by gentle autumn mist.
Feeling softness.
Letting go of softness and feeling in to firmness.
Fully sensing firmness.
Firm structure of the body and bones.
Sensing into firmness.
Firmness like the sturdy trunk of a tree.
Firm like tree bark.
Feeling firmness.
Letting go of firmness and finding softness once again.
Softness like wool blankets and cozy scarves.
Sensing into softness.
The soft curves of the body.
The softness of bed and rest.
Allowing the spread of more and more relaxation.
Relaxation.
Relaxation in the whole body as we come to visualizations.
Visualize or sense the following in the mind's eye.
An acorn.
The shape of a large acorn.
A basket of pumpkins.
A basket of pumpkins.
A basket of pumpkins.
A basket of pumpkins.
A basket of pumpkins.
A golden leaf with smooth edges.
A soft blanket in autumn colors.
A clump of red and white toadstools,
Different sizes.
An ornate bookcase full of books.
The feeling of putting on a warm jacket and going outside.
The feeling of putting on a warm jacket and going outside.
A garden bench surrounded by growing vegetables.
An orchard full of apples.
Going back into a warm cottage as twilight falls.
Looking out of a window at an orange full moon.
The glisten of a distant firework in the night sky.
As you picture this night sky,
Remembering that your sun calper is no longer there.
That the moon by the universe and that all you need to do is rest.
It's okay to let go and drift off to sleep.
I wish you sweet autumn dreams.
