Winter Solstice Yoga Nidra | 40 Minutes Deep Rest

Namaste.

Welcome.

Thank you so much for choosing to be here.

My name is Kristen.

If we haven't had the pleasure of connecting or practicing together just yet,

And I am just so excited that you are here.

This is a yoga nidra practice to honor and celebrate the winter solstice,

The longest,

Darkest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

As we look to the wisdom of the natural cycles during this time of year,

We are invited to slow down,

To pause,

To turn inward,

And prepare for the deep rest of hibernation.

As the snow falls,

A hush or a deep sense of silence blankets the earth and all is quiet and still.

The air becomes cool,

Dry,

Rigid,

And encourages us to take refuge at home in our cozy dens.

Now it is time for you to rest deeply.

I invite you to take a few moments to prepare your little cozy yoga nidra nest.

Perhaps you reach for pillows,

Props,

Blankets,

An eye pillow,

And settle down onto the earth,

The couch,

Or even your bed,

Somewhere that feels supportive,

Cozy,

And warm.

As you are settling in,

Just making any final adjustments to the body so that you could become even just a little bit more comfortable.

What might you do?

Just know that it is worth it to take the extra time here now,

For the more comfortable you are,

The more relaxed you may become.

As the darkness sets in,

Allow the eyelids to become heavy as you sink and surrender into the darkness beyond closed eyes.

A sense of heaviness around and behind the eyes,

Like a thick blanket of snow fallen upon the earth below,

For the earth is quiet now.

The forests sleep and the air is still as the sky grows dark.

And all around you,

A sense of quietude fills the air.

Allow the mind to become still as a hush blankets over the landscape,

The body,

And the mind.

Winter is upon us and it is time to let go.

It is time to surrender.

Listen to Mother Nature,

For she knows what you need,

Just as she knows what the forests need,

What the rivers need,

What the sky needs.

It is time to slow down.

Welcome this deep sense of quietude within the physical body as you continue to relax back and down onto the earth below.

All around you,

Upon the blankets of snow,

Footsteps all lead back home.

Animals retreating back home to their dens,

For it's time to withdraw,

To turn inward,

To slow down,

To rest deeply.

The natural cycles inviting us to rest as we approach the longest,

Darkest night and yet we long to remain mobile,

To keep going,

To keep giving.

And yet this goes against the wisdom that's present all around us.

Just look and you'll see.

You'll know what to do,

For nature always knows how to come back into balance.

We are reminded that this is a potent time to surrender into the darkness and quietude of the longest night,

For in the stillness you'll receive the answers that you seek.

All that you need is within you.

This is a time to reflect upon who you are,

This version of you,

How far you have come,

How hard you have worked.

It is a time to celebrate.

Give yourself permission to rest now,

For in the rest we prepare for the return of the light that's to come.

The light that already exists within you.

As you rest,

Welcome this sense of quietude and heaviness that's all around you now.

Thick in the air like fragrance,

The aroma of winter.

All senses wide open.

Notice the quiet space all around you now,

Within the room around you,

And the quiet space in the world outside of the room around you.

A blanket of quiet flowing out and across the landscape,

Over the peaks and valleys,

Everything and every being turning inward as the energy of the season slows down.

As if the world spinning on its axis or coming to a pause.

A moment to recharge,

To reset,

To begin again.

Feel the body resting here on the earth,

Heavy and dense,

Still.

Within the stillness notice the breath in the nostrils,

The cool touch of the inhale,

And the gentle warmth or the humidity of the exhale.

Feel the whole body resting,

Letting go with each breath.

Resting back and down onto the earth,

For the earth beneath the body is holding you here in your cozy little cocoon of presence and awareness.

And yet the mind awake and aware of all that surrounds you now.

Feel the gentle touch of air against the skin,

The heaviness or texture of your clothes,

Blankets,

The heaviness of gravity or the magnetic pull of the earth's core.

Just imagine the heaviness and quietude that fills the air,

Grounding you down,

Inviting you into deep peaceful slumber.

As you rest here in the presence of the breath,

Observe the body breathing effortlessly,

The whole body still,

Humble,

Resting and healing,

Hibernation.

Each exhale brings you deeper and deeper into the deep rest of winter.

With each breath begin to count down from 10.

Breathing in,

10.

Breathing out,

10.

Breathing in,

9.

Breathing out,

9.

Counting down with each breath.

Surrender naturally takes over.

With each breath as you soften into the quiet space at the end of each exhale,

The darkness that abides here,

The fertile void.

You might even pause just for a moment to linger in the curiosity and potential at the end of each exhale,

The pause at the end of each breath.

Welcome a humble sense of the healing darkness all around you in this moment.

The darkness like a cozy cocoon where you can release all holdings.

Simply trusting in the magic of the darkness and the wisdom of the natural cycles.

The intelligence of the winter solstice,

The longest darkest night.

As the world grows quiet and still and we await the return of the light in the sky,

Begin to imagine the most beautiful snowflake.

Gazing upon it with wonder.

Intricate,

Delicate,

Beautiful and unique.

Observing all of its edges,

Boundaries.

A maze of wonder.

As you gaze upon it,

The sunlight returns and illuminates all of the beautiful patterns.

One-of-a-kind.

Such beauty exists everywhere,

All around us,

When we pause just to notice,

To see,

To listen.

As you rest,

Begin to shine the light of your awareness on the heart center.

Calling in your sankalpa,

An intention or heartfelt vow for this practice,

The winter solstice or for your life.

Perhaps you use the phrase,

I am resting deeply now as I surrender into the healing darkness.

Or I honor the light that shines bright within.

Calling in your sankalpa,

Affirming it as if it existed here now,

In this moment.

Can you feel it?

Giving yourself permission to rest deeply now,

As we begin a rotation of awareness throughout the physical body.

Inviting all of your attention and your energy now down and into the physical body.

As you draw attention to each point,

Pause and allow your attention to saturate as you fill each point with awareness,

Relaxation,

Deep rest,

A sense of surrender into the longest darkest night.

Drawing all of your awareness now over to the right hand thumb.

The right hand thumb.

First finger,

Second,

Third,

Little finger.

Sensing the tips of the fingers on the right hand.

The palm of the hand and back of the hand.

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Right side of the chest,

Collarbone,

Center of the chest,

The heart center,

The heart center.

Awareness resting now in the whole right hand,

The whole right arm.

Drawing attention now over to the left hand thumb.

First finger,

Second,

Third,

Little finger.

Sensing the tips of the fingers on the left hand.

Softening,

Resting.

Palm of the hand and back of the hand.

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Shoulder,

Left side of the chest,

Collarbone,

The heart center.

Awareness resting now in the whole left hand and the left arm.

Resting deeply now,

Heavy and dense.

The heart center,

The navel center.

Softening the low belly.

Drawing attention over to the right hip and the whole upper leg,

Knee and back of the knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot and top of the foot,

The right big toe,

Second toe,

Third,

Fourth,

Baby toe.

Sensing the tips of the toes on the right foot.

Awareness resting in the whole right foot and the whole right leg.

Welcoming deep slumber into the right leg.

The navel center,

Rising and falling.

The left hip,

The whole upper leg,

Knee and back of the knee,

Lower leg,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole of the foot and top of the foot,

Big toe,

Second,

Third,

Fourth,

Baby toe.

Sensing the tips of the toes on the left foot.

Awareness resting now in the whole left foot and the left leg.

A sense of heaviness,

Stillness,

Relaxation in the left leg.

Sensing both feet resting,

Grounded,

Both legs,

The whole torso,

Both hands,

Both arms,

Trillions of cells and the body resting simultaneously as a hush washes over the landscape of the body.

The navel center,

The low back,

Sacrum,

Mid-back,

Upper back,

Shoulder blades,

Back of the head,

Crown of the head,

Center of the forehead,

The clearing between the eyebrows.

A sense of softness washes across the forehead,

Smoothing out the eyebrows,

Relaxing the temples,

Softening the cheekbones,

The eyelids,

Heavy and resting.

The eyes,

Radiant and warm,

Heavy,

Relaxing towards the back of the head,

Softening all of the tiny muscles around and behind the eyes.

Welcoming this same softness and relaxation into the muscle of the mind.

Sensing the bridge of the nose,

The tip of the nose,

The flow of air inside of the nostrils,

The right nostril and the left nostril.

Both nostrils and the nasal flares,

The upper lip,

Lower lip,

The quiet space between the lips,

The tip of the chin,

Softening the whole lower jaw.

Feel the upper teeth and gums,

The lower teeth and gums,

Softening the muscle of the tongue,

The tip of the tongue and the root of the tongue.

Letting go of any expression or tension left in the face,

Inviting awareness over to the right ear,

The outer folds of the ear and the earlobe,

Softening.

Deep within the ear,

Notice the right ear listening humbly,

Observing the quietude of the night,

Observing any sounds that are present.

The right ear listening,

Drawing attention over to the left ear,

Sensing the outer folds and the earlobe,

Inviting attention deep within the left ear.

Notice the left ear listening,

Noticing sounds of the night.

Both ears open and receptive as the whole body rests deeply now.

Feel the whole body resting here,

Listening intimately.

From the tip of the chin,

Draw attention down to the center of the throat,

The center of the chest,

The heart center,

The diaphragm rising and falling with each breath.

Feel the whole body being breathed in this moment of quietude and deep rest,

Welcoming in the natural rhythm of the breath.

Notice the breath in the nostrils,

The gentle touch of the inhale and the quiet release or surrender of the exhale.

Each exhale,

Letting go,

Letting go.

Begin to notice or pay attention to the breath inside of the left nostril.

Just imagine the breath flowing in and out of the left nostril.

On the next inhale,

Imagine switching sides,

Breathing in the left nostril and breathing out the right nostril.

Now noticing or paying attention to the breath in the right nostril.

Just imagine.

On the next inhale,

Imagine switching sides to exhale out the left nostril.

Inhale through the left nostril and again imagine switching sides,

Exhaling out the right nostril.

Inhale through the right nostril,

Switching sides,

Exhale out the left.

Inhale through the left,

Switching sides,

Exhale through the right.

Inhale right,

Exhale left.

Inhale left,

Exhale right.

Just imagine the breath switching sides,

Right to left,

Left to right.

Letting that go.

Just allowing yourself to rest here,

In your cozy little den,

Your yoga nidra nest,

In a sense of spacious present awareness.

Invite your attention inward now,

To the heart center and imagine a snowflake at the center of your heart.

The light of your awareness illuminates this wondrous creation at the center of your heart.

This snowflake that defines you,

Unique,

Shimmering,

Delicate and authentic,

Shining at the center of your heart,

Your own internal radiance.

The light of your awareness returns home to your heart,

Like the return of the Sun after the longest darkest night.

This feeling is a homecoming,

A return to the light that shines bright within you.

The light of your own authenticity,

Basking here in this wondrous radiant light.

Allow it to fill you up with warmth and radiance,

The light from within.

Allow yourself to just relax back into the essence of who you really are and what it feels like to just be here now.

Allow your light to shine bright,

For the world needs more light.

We do not need to be afraid of the stillness,

The silence or the darkness,

For it is here where the magic dwells,

Where we can rediscover the light within.

Resting here as pure witnessing presence,

Awareness as vast open as the sky and beyond.

Begin to recall your Sankalpa,

Calling it in like a mantra,

Three times alongside three breaths.

I am resting deeply now as I surrender to the longest darkest night or I honor the light that shines bright within me.

Invite your awareness back down into the body,

Down to the earth below and invite your awareness to expand outwards and upwards,

To sense or notice the room all around you and beyond the room the landscape all around you now.

Notice where you are in the room.

Take a nice deep breath in through the nose,

Long relaxed exhale through the mouth.

I'm just enjoying this moment here to bask in the lingering effects of the relaxation you may have cultivated here in your practice today.

Allow the therapeutic benefits to integrate,

To saturate from these moments of deep rest and hibernation.

Our body knows how to heal,

Our body knows how to rest.

We are simply creating this architecture of time and space to allow the body to do what it was born to do,

To come back into balance as it longs for a state of homeostasis and we look to the natural cycles to observe the wisdom that's present here all around us.

Just look,

Listen,

For nature knows.

I invite you to rest here as long as you need.

There is no rush,

But when you feel ready you might begin to wiggle the fingers and the toes gently,

Brushing the thumbs against the tips of the fingers.

And as you begin to move the physical body,

Just noticing what it feels like to emerge back into this waking state.

Perhaps emerging feeling a little bit more rested,

Rejuvenated,

Peaceful or calm.

A sense of groundedness or connectedness or perhaps a sense of home.

If you fell asleep that's okay too.

And if none of these sensations are present for you today,

That's okay.

Know that you can come back to this practice at any time.

Anytime you need a little bit more deep rest.

When you are ready to emerge,

You might take the left hand to the heart,

The right hand on top of the left.

Extending a little bit of love and gratitude for taking this time here today.

Taking this time for you and celebrate this timing of the winter solstice,

The longest darkest night of the year in the northern hemisphere.

I'd like to thank you so much for practicing with me today.

I really hope you enjoyed this deep rest practice.

I hope that you feel rested and rejuvenated.

And I invite you to leave a like if you did enjoy this practice.

Let me know what you liked or what you might like to see more of.

I really love to read all of the comments and to find out where everyone is joining in from.

Please know that you can also subscribe to get notified when I release new content each and every week.

And I just can't thank you enough for your continued love and support here on my channel.

You might share this practice with a beloved,

Someone in your life,

Someone who could use a little bit more deep rest.

For the world could use the medicine of deep rest.

If you are one of our students in the Transformational Sleep Yoga Nidra teacher training here at the School of Living Yoga,

I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

And if you are interested in learning more about our online Yoga Nidra training,

I will leave a link below and in the comments.

We have live trainings in Canada and Costa Rica and online trainings with amazing people from around the world.

And it's really just such a beautiful experience.

Again,

My name is Kristen and thank you so much for being here.

May you all be happy.

May you all be healthy.

May you all be peaceful.

May you all be free.

Namaste.