Yoga Nidra For Welcoming Autumn

Welcome to your Yoga Nidra practice.

The purpose of this practice is about relaxation and de-stressing.

We often find ourselves busy in our chaotic world,

So this is a space to intentionally carve out time to rest and find balance.

Even if you put in meaningful effort over the course of a day or week,

For projects you've chosen or feel passionate about,

You still need time to rest.

This is how our efforts remain sustainable in the long term.

So here's your chance to create this beautiful space for yourself to exist and just be.

Yoga Nidra will take you to a place that's in between sleep and wakefulness.

It will guide you to slower brainwaves that mimic sleep while you maintain a conscious awareness.

Do your best to stay awake,

But know that you might fall asleep and that's okay too.

Find your way into Shavasana or any other comfortable pose where you'd like to practice.

Set yourself up with love and care,

Tucking yourself in for a practice of sweet rest and release.

It is now time to set your sankalpa,

Or your resolve,

For practice.

What intention would you like to set for yourself today?

Name your intention to yourself in the present tense.

Fill it in as though it is already true and repeat it to yourself three times.

As we move into a body scan,

Start by bringing your awareness to the crown of your head,

Your full awareness at the top of your head.

Feel your awareness slide downward to third eye center,

Over your eyes,

Out to your temples.

Awareness moves to the tip of your nose,

Cheeks,

Ears,

Lips,

And chin,

And the back of your head resting heavy.

Awareness glides down past your neck and to the tips of your shoulders,

Down your arms.

As awareness flows,

Ease travels past your elbows,

Forearms,

Wrists,

Palms,

And fingers.

Shoulder blades are at ease.

Your low back is at ease.

Abdomen is soft,

Making room for breath.

Hips are heavy.

Legs lay effortlessly.

Awareness continues to move down past the soft bend of your knees and brings rejuvenation to ankles,

Feet,

And toes.

Your whole body is supported here.

Your whole body relaxed.

Ease and peace are omnipresent throughout your whole body.

Shift your attention back to your abdomen.

Let your belly be soft and feel your breath move in and out from this space.

As best as you can,

Let your breath flow in and out on its own time.

Your breath is a vessel for inviting in ease and acceptance.

Visualize your breath flowing deeper into your physical being.

Your breath transcends your lungs.

Your breath sends your prana or life force throughout your whole physical manifestation.

Feel your breath in your right hand palm.

Feel your breath in your left hand palm.

Feel your breath flowing outward,

Reaching the edge of each individual finger.

Breathe all the way into the soles of your feet.

Feel your breath filling up the crown of your head,

Your breath expansive in the whole back of your body and expansive through the whole front plane of your body,

Your breath filling your whole physical being,

Rejuvenating.

As your attention recedes from your breath,

Notice your overall energy in this moment.

If your energy had a color,

What would it be?

What shape would your energy take?

What texture would it be?

If you could bottle up your energy,

What would that look like?

If you could hold it in your hands,

How would it feel?

Remembering that your energy in this moment is only one layer of your being,

Let that imagery go and then notice what is left.

Can you start to connect with your essence,

The purest,

Most distilled version of yourself,

Whether you think of this as your consciousness,

Spirit,

Or true self?

Tapping into your imagination even further,

Begin to visualize a golden sun shining in the early morning sky,

A silvery crescent moon hung at night,

A deer at the edge of the woods,

A pile of crunchy leaves sitting in a yard,

A serene lake,

A raindrop creating a ripple in a puddle.

Imagine the perfect fall morning.

You're at home,

Cozy,

Warm,

And safe,

Wrapped in a blanket,

Enjoying a moment of peaceful solitude.

You sip your hot tea or coffee slowly,

Savoring the aroma and flavors and the unrushed and unhurried nature of the moment.

As the day takes shape in front of you,

Everything feels delightfully spacious,

Like the day is full of possibilities,

Little joys to discover as the day unfolds one minute at a time.

From your perch on your couch,

You peek out the window and see the colorful autumn leaves floating in the air as they slowly meander their way from the trees to the ground,

Like an autumnal version of watching the snowfall.

Vibrant reds,

Bright oranges,

And sunny yellows fill your vision.

It suddenly feels magical and majestic to witness this seasonal transition,

This shutting of layers in the course of nature's constant cycle.

Feeling drawn to the outdoors,

You pull on your boots and warm layer and head out your front door.

It's almost as though by seeing the process of nature right before your eyes,

You need to be closer to it,

To be part of it,

To feel it.

Immediately upon stepping outside,

You feel the crispness to the air,

That particular quality that only comes around this time of year.

The brisk chill wakes you up,

And with a newfound pep,

You take off for a morning walk.

The ground is covered in leaves,

And you take in the satisfying crunch that comes with each step forward.

The sound,

The feeling under your feet,

The whole world suddenly rich with texture.

Taking a big breath in through your nose,

You notice that earthy autumn scent and let it transport you to a sense of playfulness and childlike wonder.

You ask yourself,

What would it be like to see the world through this lens more often?

To see,

Feel,

And believe in the beauty of our constant evolution.

The letting go,

Even the necessity of stick season,

The excitement upon the arrival of the first flakes of snow.

Lost in thought for a while,

You continue walking through your neighborhood.

Your awareness readjusts to the moment when you catch the glory of the sun rising a little further,

Its golden hues,

Perfectly complementing the leaves you found yourself admiring just moments before.

You make your way back inside,

And there you feel the warmth of the radiator,

A rosy glow finding your cheeks as you kick off your shoes and hang up your jacket.

A peace washes over you as you settle back in.

The walk was refreshing and rejuvenating,

Leaving you with a spark of clarity like your vision just became clearer.

Having gleaned some wisdom from the world around you,

You sit back down to savor the moment before going about your day.

Begin to refocus your awareness back to the moment,

And remember your sankalpa,

Your intention that you set at the start of practice.

Bring it back to your consciousness.

Notice if it still feels true,

If it still feels alive within you.

And repeat it to yourself three more times.

Start to become more aware of your presence in the space around you.

Again,

Feel your contact with the surface below you.

Feel your grounding points there to anchor you.

Notice the air dancing on your skin,

The breath filling your lungs,

And any light coming in through your closed eyelids.

Begin to immerse yourself a little more in these physical sensations,

Noticing the world around you as you re-emerge from your journey into Yoga Nidra.

As you become more ready to wake back up,

Bring in some gentle movement to fingers and toes,

Wrists or ankles,

Gently stretching and reinvigorating with some deeper breaths.

Taking your time,

And only as you are ready,

Open your eyes and return to the world around you.

Thank you for practicing with me.

Be well.