Hello.
Welcome.
I trust you are well and thank you for being here.
My name is Allie and I am here to gently guide you into a state of stillness.
Perhaps you are seeking to slow down,
To tend to and nurture your body,
Your heart,
Your mind,
And to honor this sacred solstice.
This is an invitation to take a well-deserved and necessary pause,
A return to safety,
Compassion,
And self-love.
Yoga Nidra or yogic sleep is a beautiful practice that allows us to journey to a state of deep relaxation and restoration.
The winter solstice invites us to burrow inward,
To reflect with honesty,
And to gently tend to the light at the center of our being.
Before we begin,
Take a few moments to get truly comfortable.
Surround yourself with whatever brings ease and support.
Blankets,
Pillows,
Cushions,
An eye pillow,
Gentle light.
And if you'd like,
You can light a candle or burn a bit of palo santo or sage.
Create a small,
Sacred space around you in whatever way feels accessible and right.
Once your space is prepared and you are cozy,
Come to lie down on your back.
Begin to adjust your body mindfully.
It's suggested that you bring your arms and your legs tucked into the midline of the body so that you stay warm and cozy.
Move around and experiment.
Eventually land in a position that feels free,
Like floating.
Once you arrive,
Begin to feel the support of the surface beneath you and allow yourself to release even further.
Release the weight of your body for the earth to hold.
Remember that you are held.
You are safe.
Let's begin to take a deeper breath into the nose and a longer exhalation out through the mouth.
Breathing in,
Pausing at the top momentarily,
And then exhaling,
Letting go.
Repeating this breath two more times,
Each breath further relaxing your body and mind.
In,
Release,
Release.
You are held.
You are safe.
Returning to the natural rhythm of your breath,
Notice the sensation of the rise and fall of the belly.
Simply noticing,
Appreciating,
Being.
Allowing the face,
The front body,
And the back body to melt back in complete surrender.
Drifting deeper and deeper into relaxation.
For this practice,
We will work with a sankalpa,
A heart aligned intention.
You are welcome to create your own or use one of the following.
I welcome deep rest and allow myself to be restored.
I welcome deep rest and allow myself to be restored.
Or I am enough.
I am enough.
Take a few moments to repeat whatever one resonates with you three times.
We'll begin a rotation of consciousness,
A body scan to connect with your physical vessel.
Softly bring your awareness to the crown of your head.
Allow that awareness to drift down to the forehead.
The space between the eyebrows.
The right eyebrow.
Right eye.
Right cheek.
Right ear.
The left eyebrow.
Left eye.
Left cheek.
Left ear.
The tip of the nose.
Right nostril.
The left nostril.
The inside of the mouth.
Sensing the teeth and the gums.
The tongue.
The roof of the mouth.
The upper lip.
The lower lip.
The jaw.
The entire face.
Awareness migrating to the center of the throat.
The center of the chest.
The right shoulder.
The right elbow.
Wrist.
Top of the right hand.
Palm of the right hand.
And all the fingers.
Bringing awareness back to the center of the chest.
To the left shoulder.
The elbow.
The wrist.
The top of the left hand.
The palm of the left hand.
And all of the fingers.
Gently bringing awareness to the center of the chest.
The belly.
The pelvis.
The low back.
The right hip.
The shin and the calf.
The ankle.
The top of the right foot.
And the sole of the right foot.
And all of the toes.
Sensing the entire right leg.
And all of the sensation of the right leg.
And all of the sensation of the right leg.
Returning to the belly.
To the left hip.
The knee.
The shin and the calf.
The ankle.
The top of the left foot.
And the sole of the left foot.
Sensing the entire left leg.
The entire right leg.
The pelvic bowl.
And the belly.
The back side of the body.
The chest.
The shoulders.
The arms.
The hands and the fingers.
The neck.
The face.
The whole body radiant with sensation and life force.
Continuing to breathe here.
Allowing yourself to be.
Sinking deeper and deeper into stillness.
As you continue to breathe.
Allowing your awareness to rest in the center of the chest.
The heart space.
And begin to become aware of a gentle soothing light at the center of your chest.
Breathing in and out of the heart space,
This light begins to expand.
It expands beyond the confines of your chest.
Into the shoulders.
Across the arms.
Illuminating the fingertips.
Breathing in and breathing out,
The light extends to the throat space.
The face.
And this glow flows into the belly,
The back,
The hips,
The pelvis.
Filling the legs,
The feet,
And the toes.
Your whole body becoming infused and illuminated by this protective healing light of your soul essence.
Continuing to breathe.
Continuing to breathe.
And as you breathe,
This light begins to expand outside of your physical body.
Creating a vibrant bubble of light in the dark.
This bubble is made of love,
Trust,
Peace.
It extends and touches the far reaches of the universe.
Feel the protection of this bubble.
Feel its warmth,
Feel its safety and its power.
Breathe.
Expand.
Returning ever so gently.
We'll bring our attention back to the sankalpa that we began with.
And perhaps it was one of the following.
I welcome deep rest and allow myself to be restored.
Whisper mentally three times and allow for integration.
Now we'll take a deep breath in through the nose.
A long exhale.
Breathing here.
You can begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
You might stretch your arms above your head.
Really take your time and stay in stillness for as long as you'd like.
Thank you again for practicing with me.
Have an incredible,
Wonderful solstice.
Make everything sacred because everything is sacred.
