Simple Yoga Nidra For The Change Of Season
This simple yoga Nidra practice takes you through this deep rest practice from start to finish. Take a break, get comfortable, and tune in to your deeper self. This practice draws on my training with Patty Townsend and Suzanne Manafort of Mindful Yoga Therapy, as well as my training with Karen Brody of Daring to Rest. Suitable for beginners. Also, a great choice when you are short on time but need to access deep rest.
Transcript
This is a simple yoga nidra practice for the change of season.
Find a comfortable position.
You can be lying down or seated.
Wherever you are,
Take time to give yourself and your body full support.
Use as many pillows,
Bolsters,
And blankets as you need.
Tuck yourself in with love,
Attention,
And gentleness.
Notice your body in contact with the earth.
All the places that are in contact with the earth,
Spine,
Legs,
Arms,
Head.
Wherever you are in contact with the floor or bed or couch or chair,
Notice that you are supported by the earth.
Notice the feeling of being supported.
You can close your eyes if it feels comfortable and safe,
Or you can allow your eyes to take on a relaxed gaze.
Begin to tune in to your breath.
No need to control it.
Simply notice it.
Notice the flow into your body,
Through your nose,
Into your lungs,
And the flow out of your body.
From your lungs all the way to the outside world.
Notice any movement created by your breath in your body.
Just allow them.
No need to name them.
Just notice.
Today we will be practicing yoga nidra.
This is a deep rest practice.
There is nothing that you need to do during the practice.
Simply relax and follow along.
If you fall asleep during the practice,
That is perfectly fine.
If your mind wanders or if you choose not to follow my voice during this practice,
That is also fine.
Trust that your mind and your body will receive rest during this practice just by relaxing and doing nothing for a while.
The practice will move through several stages.
You will have an option to set an intention for the practice.
Then I will lead you through a body awareness practice.
You do not need to move your body at all during this practice.
Just listen to my voice and follow along.
Next there will be a short breathing practice.
Again,
Simply relax and follow my voice.
After that,
I will instruct you to imagine and notice some simple sensations in your body,
Followed by a series of images from nature.
Finally,
I will guide you back out of the practice and into the waking world.
At each stage,
All you need to do is relax and follow along.
If your mind wanders,
Or if you fall asleep,
Or if you choose to focus on something besides my voice,
That is fine.
You will still receive the benefits of relaxing.
We will now begin the practice of yoga nidra.
Allow yourself to notice the sensation of relaxation.
Notice the support of the earth and the feeling of your body supported by the earth.
Let yourself notice sound around you.
Start by noticing any sounds outside the room where you are.
No need to name or explain the sounds.
Simply notice them.
Now draw your attention to any sounds occurring in the room where you are.
Again,
No need to name or explain them.
Simply notice.
Bring your attention in,
Noticing any sounds occurring near your body.
Now draw your attention to any sounds happening within your body.
No need to name or categorize them.
Simply notice and allow them.
If you like,
You can name an intention for this practice.
This can be something simple and tangible.
Such as,
I drink enough water every day.
Or something deeper and broader,
Such as,
I show love for myself every day.
You decide.
It's also fine not to name an intention.
If you have chosen an intention,
Repeat it to yourself three times.
We will now begin the body awareness.
As I name different parts of the body,
Let your attention come to those parts.
No need to move the part or to try to relax it or to visualize it.
Simply allow your mind to rest there for a moment.
Bring your awareness to the point between your eyebrows,
To your mouth,
To your throat,
Heart center.
Right shoulder,
Right elbow,
Right wrist,
Right thumb,
Right first finger,
Right second finger,
Right third finger,
Right small finger,
Right wrist,
Right elbow,
Right shoulder,
Heart center.
Left shoulder,
Left elbow,
Left wrist,
Left thumb,
Left first finger,
Left second finger,
Left third finger,
Left small finger,
Left wrist,
Left elbow,
Left shoulder,
Heart center,
Navel center,
Right hip,
Right knee,
Right ankle,
Right great toe,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right toe,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel,
Right heel right toe,
Right second toe,
Right third toe,
Right fourth toe,
Right small toe,
Right ankle,
Right knee,
Right hip,
Navel center,
Left hip,
Left knee,
Left ankle,
Left great toe,
Left second toe,
Left third toe,
Left fourth toe,
Left small toe,
Left ankle,
Left knee,
Left hip,
Navel center,
Heart center,
Throat,
Mouth,
Point between the eyebrows,
Whole right side,
Whole left side,
Whole body,
Heart center,
Rest your awareness at the heart center,
Breathe.
Bring your awareness to the movement of the breath.
Notice the breath as it moves the body.
Bring the awareness to the breath moving through the right side of the body,
Flowing in and out of the right side.
Take three breaths here,
Imagining the flow of breath through the entire right side of the body.
On the next exhale,
Switch your attention to the left side of the body.
Become aware of the breath moving into and out of the left side of the body.
Take three breaths here,
Imagining the flow of breath through the entire left side of the body.
On the next exhale,
Switch the awareness to the front of the body.
Imagine the flow of breath through the front side of the body.
Take three breaths here,
Imagining the flow of breath through the front side of the body.
On the next exhale,
Bring the awareness to the back of the body.
Imagine the breath flowing into and out of the back side of the body.
Take three breaths here,
Noticing the movement of breath through the back side of the body.
Bring the awareness to the entire body.
Notice the flow of breath in and out.
Notice the movement of breath and all movements of the body with the breath.
Now imagine the body feels cold.
Let the sensation of cold move through the entire body.
Cold limbs,
Fingers and toes cold.
Face,
The head feel cold.
Notice how this feels.
No judgment,
Just notice.
Now let that go.
Imagine that the body is warm.
Let the sensation of warmth move through the entire body.
Warm fingers and toes,
Warm legs and arms.
Warm heart,
Warm head.
Notice how this feels.
Now imagine that the body feels cold and warm.
Feel both sensations at the same time.
Notice how it feels to hold both sensations.
No need to judge or analyze,
Just notice.
Let those sensations go.
Notice the breathing,
Relaxed.
Notice the body supported by the earth.
Now I will give you several images from nature.
Allow each image to move through you.
Simply relax and feel the warm sun on your skin.
The warm sun on your skin.
Cool rain against the face.
The scent of pine needles.
Birds singing at dawn.
Fresh blueberries.
Your feet in a warm bath.
The half moon in a clear sky.
Allow yourself to feel the sensation of relaxation.
You are safe here.
You are supported by the earth.
Everything is okay.
Feel this.
Bring your attention to the space between the eyebrows and do absolutely nothing.
Sense the whole body smiling.
Rest here.
We will now begin to come out of deep rest.
Allow yourself to notice the sensation of relaxation in your body.
Feel the support of the earth underneath you.
Begin to notice the room around you.
Floor or couch or chair or bed beneath you.
Walls around you.
Ceiling above you.
If your eyes have been closed,
You can allow them to open.
Breathe and notice.
Our practice of yoga nidra ends here.
When you are ready,
Begin to move your body.
Start with very small movements,
Perhaps moving your fingers or wiggling your toes.
Let your body move as it would like to move.
If you are lying down,
Slowly turn so that you are lying on one side.
Rest here for a moment,
Feeling the support of the earth,
Noticing your breath.
Then press your legs into the earth,
Hands into the earth,
And slowly rise to sitting.
Take a moment here to center and breathe.
If you are sitting or lying on your side,
Notice your breath.
Notice how you feel.
Take this feeling of deep relaxation into the rest of your day or into your sleep.
Our practice ends here.
