The Witch Tree: A Deep Rest Yoga Nidra For Wisdom & Healing

Welcome to this practice of Yoga Nidra.

My name is Renee and I'll be your guide today.

Everything that's offered throughout this practice is an invitation.

You have the choice at any moment to follow my invitation or to move with something that feels more interesting to you.

If you feel uncomfortable with anything that is offered,

You may go back to the last invitation and wait until you are ready to move with the following invitation.

If any of my words don't work for you,

Replace them with your words.

Take a moment to settle into a relaxed position,

Whether it's laying down or seated.

And scan your body to see if there is anything that you can do to be just a little more comfortable.

Your eyes can be open or closed.

Now open all the senses,

The sense of sound,

Smell,

Taste,

Sight,

And touch.

Experience all of your senses at once.

Take a moment now to set an intention for this practice,

Perhaps for stress reduction,

Well-being,

Or just to be present with this meditation.

You might also include the intention for staying awake,

If that is helpful.

Now consider a deeper heartfelt intention or desire for your life.

You might feel into your heart center and ask,

What is my heart's deepest desire?

Or what do I yearn to create in my life?

It might be for health or healing,

Or love or abundance,

Or for spiritual bliss,

Awakening.

There is no limit to what you can intend.

You might surprise by what arises for you.

This heartfelt intention can be a powerful force that guides you in daily life.

Your heartfelt intention may come as a feeling,

As an image,

Or as a statement.

Or maybe it comes as all three.

It may not arise clearly at first,

But simply allow a space for your heart desire to be expressed when it's ready.

You can't do this wrong.

Allow it to bubble up into your awareness now.

Simply affirm it three times silently to yourself,

As if you're planting a seed and nourishing it with your words.

We'll come back to the heartfelt intention towards the end of the practice.

And if it changes at all,

Go with a new version that arises from a deeply relaxing mind.

Now take a moment to consider a place of imagination or in memory.

Maybe a combination that feels like an inner sanctuary for you.

Somewhere that instills a sense of ease,

Well-being,

And perhaps a sense of safety.

A place where you can be yourself.

Picture,

Imagine,

And feel yourself there right now.

And notice its impact on your body.

You can come back to this inner sanctuary at any time through this practice or in daily life as a place of peace and well-being.

Now feel your body resting upon the surface that supports it.

Feel yourself sinking into gravity.

Downward pull.

Feel the contact points of your body on the surface underneath it.

The contact points of your skin to the fabric.

And feel the air that goes by the exposed skin.

With each invitation to feel the sensation in each body part of yours,

Notice that spontaneously relaxing without even trying.

Feel the sensation in and around your mouth.

Your tongue.

Roof of the mouth.

The floor of the mouth.

Feel the sidewall on the left and the right sidewall.

Feel your lips and the muscles around your lips.

Feel the whole of your mouth as a sensation.

Feel the sensation in your left ear.

The earlobe.

Ear canal.

Eardrum.

The whole of your left ear.

Feel the sensation in the right ear now.

Earlobe.

Ear canal.

Eardrum.

The whole of your right ear.

Feel both ears at once now.

Feel the sensation in and around your nose.

The movement of the breath within the nostril.

The caress of the air on the outside of your nose.

Feel the sensation in and around your left eye.

Now feel the right eye.

Feel both of the eyes at once.

Feel your forehead.

The crown of your head.

The back of your head.

The base of your skull.

Feel the whole of your head at once.

Now feel your neck.

The whole of your neck and throat.

Inside and out.

All at once.

Feel your left shoulder.

Your left upper arm.

Your left elbow.

The forearm.

Wrist.

Palm.

The back of your left hand.

Feel all your fingers.

Feel the sensation in the whole of the left hand now.

Feel your right shoulder.

The right upper arm.

Right elbow.

Forearm.

Wrist.

Palm.

The back of the right hand.

Feel all the fingers.

Feel the sensation in the whole of the right hand now.

Now feel the sensation in your upper torso.

Your middle torso.

The lower torso.

Now feel the whole of the torso at once.

Inside and out of the torso at once.

Feel your pelvis now.

The whole of the pelvic bowl has one sensation.

Inside and out.

You might be aware of a sense of inner calm and peace.

Whole body relaxing.

Mind is quiet.

And you're gently following my invitation to feel sensations in your body.

Feel the sensation in your left thigh.

And knee.

Calf.

Shin.

Ankle.

Feel your left heel.

Sole of your foot.

Top of your foot.

Feel all your toes.

Now feel your whole left foot at once.

Feel the sensation in your right thigh.

And knee.

Calf.

Shin.

Ankle.

Feel your right heel.

Sole of your foot.

Top of your foot.

All of your toes.

Now feel your whole right foot all at once.

Feel your whole body now.

Your whole body.

Bring your attention to your breath.

Notice how your body is breathing by itself.

You don't have to do the breathing.

Feel your body breathing.

Feel the space or pause after every exhalation.

Allow each inhalation to rise.

And then let it come down from this space.

Begin to count your breath from nine.

In inhalation and exhalation.

And the space in between is one count.

If you lose track of time,

That's okay.

Just start over again.

And slowly let go of the counting.

It doesn't matter if you made it all the way.

You might want to touch in to the feeling of your inner sanctuary again.

Picture,

Imagine and feel yourself there.

And the sense of well-being that it evokes.

Now choose two opposites of emotions that you would like to explore.

Perhaps a fairly benign emotion of happiness and sadness.

When we work with the opposites of emotions,

We can create integration and wholeness and build inner resilience.

Feel your first emotion.

If you choose happiness,

Connect with that happiness feeling.

You can use your imagination or a memory.

Or maybe some images to evoke this emotion.

Picture and feel this emotion.

Notice where you feel it.

And what it feels like.

Once you have the feeling,

Let the story or a memory go.

And just feel the sensation of this emotion.

Now let go of this emotion and feel the opposite of this emotion.

But the opposite can be sadness.

Using your imagination or memory if it's helpful.

And picture and feel this emotion.

Notice where you feel it.

And what it feels like.

Eventually let go of the memory or image.

And just feeling the sensation of this emotion.

Now let go of this emotion.

And go back and forth a few times between happiness and the other sadness.

Notice what you feel when you identify with one emotion.

And what it feels like when you identify with the other.

Do this several times and give yourself the moment and time to really sense the one emotion with the other.

When you're ready,

Feel both opposites at once.

Feel the happiness and sadness at the same time.

Feeling your way.

Widening the reach of your awareness to feel both of these opposites at once.

And now just let it go.

You might become aware of a sense of inner peace or calm.

A sense of openness or expansion.

Let your attention rest here for a while.

And just feel into it.

Knowing that all these different emotions can be appearing at the same time.

As one individual emotion.

And know that all of these are fine.

All of these emotions are here to guide you and move forward in your own direction.

In your own practice.

In your own day.

And it helps you to connect with your intuition.

With your inner guidance.

I invite you now to imagine that you are walking in this beautiful open field.

You are walking barefoot.

And it's beautiful weather.

And the temperature is warm.

You feel very connected with this land.

It's like coming home.

It's being safe.

You can feel the energy flowing from the feet all the way up to the top of your head.

With every step you take.

Walking here feels light and easy.

You stop for a moment and take a breath in.

And when you look around your eye catches this beautiful tree.

This tree looks like several roots that came out of the earth.

And they bundled up and twined around.

And became this beautiful tree.

To split open all the way in the top.

The roots became branches and smaller branches.

And it's full of lush green leaves.

You walk towards this beautiful tree.

This beautiful witch tree.

And when you're close enough you feel how your arms are opening up and you're giving it a good hug.

And you feel how this tree is hugging you back.

You feel how calm your body is getting.

And you turn around and lean against with your whole body the tree.

The trunk of this beautiful witch tree.

You feel how this tree is holding you up,

Is supporting you.

You feel how the energy of this tree is finding its way into your body.

And you feel like you becoming one with this tree.

You slowly close your eyes and take a deep breath in.

This tree is here to help you calm.

To help you connect with your heart center.

You feel how the energy is filling you up.

You start to notice how you're starting to connect with your own voice.

You feel how words are buckling up in your mind.

Some of them you feel you have to say out loud.

Just take a moment and spend some time with this tree.

And what this tree wants to give you.

Be open.

Be receptive of whatever wants to come to you.

Now allow your heartfelt intention for this practice to bubble back up into your awareness.

If it has changed since the beginning of the practice,

Go with how it feels now.

What is coming up for you?

Imagine and feel it as true.

Take a moment to imagine your life with your heartfelt intention as true.

How does it change the way you live your life?

What behavior changes do you notice?

How does it affect the way you relate to yourself and others?

What else do you notice as you imagine your life with your heartfelt intention?

Is your intention as already true?

You might see yourself or life as you may never have imagined it before.

Aligning with your heart's deepest desire and truth.

Are there any new intention that you like to create as a result of this experience?

Now as we move towards completion,

Feel your body resting in your room.

Still aware of your heartfelt intention,

Alive and true.

As a feeling in your heart,

To the degree that is possible.

You might like to set an intention to take this feeling with you into the balance of your day.

Allow with the feeling of inner peace that may have pervaded during this practice.

Gradually bringing gentle movement in your fingers and toes.

Deepening your breath.

Perhaps bringing a stretch into your whole body.

And when you're ready,

Keep your eyes closed for a moment.

But try to find your way to a seated position.

An upright position.

Now slowly open your eyes.

Gradually taking the sights and the sounds in from your room.

Notice how you feel as a result of this beautiful yoga nidra practice.

You might like to set an intention to take this feeling with you into the rest of your day.

Thank you for joining me.

Namaste.