Welcome to this winter solstice yoga nidra.
The longest night of the year invites us to pause,
Reflect,
And turn inward.
As we embrace the stillness of this sacred moment,
We honor the darkness as a space of renewal and prepare to welcome the returning light with gratitude and intention.
As we begin,
Allow yourself to settle into complete stillness,
Letting go of all effort and allowing yourself to soften.
Find a position that feels comfortable,
Seated or lying down,
Perhaps placing a blanket over your torso or full body,
Maybe a pillow under your head or knees for support,
Taking a moment to see if you can be just 10% more comfortable.
Here there is no striving,
No doing,
Only being.
Let your body,
Mind,
And spirit rest entirely.
Feel the earth beneath you,
Holding and supporting you with its steady presence.
Hear the sounds around you,
Both near and far,
Listening with your entire body.
Notice the taste inside your mouth,
Welcome the scents flowing into your nostrils,
Feel the coolness or warmth of air on your skin.
Soften your eyes,
Letting the eyelids be heavy.
Allow thoughts,
Sensations,
And feelings to arise naturally,
Meeting each one with curiosity and kindness.
There is nothing to change,
Everything is perfect just as it is.
Let's begin with three grounding breaths.
Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale completely,
Releasing tension.
Take two more deep breaths like this,
Filling up with air and letting it flow out freely.
Now let your breath settle into its natural rhythm,
Slow,
Steady,
And effortless.
Feel it flowing like a calm winter stream through your body.
The winter solstice is a time to plant seeds for the future.
Invite your heart to speak.
What is your deepest desire for this new season?
Here we form a sankalpa,
An intention,
A short,
Positive statement aligned with what you wish to cultivate in your life.
You may now repeat your intention silently to yourself three times,
Planting this intention deep within the fertile soil of your being and trusting that it will grow and flourish as the light returns.
Now feel your body resting completely,
As though cradled by the earth,
And let my voice guide you as we journey through the body.
There is no need to move the physical body at any point in this practice.
We'll begin by bringing awareness to the sensations in the mouth,
The roof,
Floor,
Ear,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Tongue,
And back of the throat.
Shifting awareness to the ears.
Left ear,
Right ear,
And both ears together.
Feel the nose,
The breath flowing through the left and right nostril.
Relax the eyes,
Sensing left eye and right eye,
And both eyes together.
Bringing awareness to the forehead,
The scalp,
And the back of the head.
Now moving through the arms,
Left shoulder,
Upper arm,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm,
And fingers.
The entire left arm.
Right shoulder,
Upper arm,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm,
And fingers.
The entire right arm.
Both arms together as one field of sensation.
Shift to the torso,
Upper chest,
Upper back,
Middle chest,
Middle back,
Abdomen,
And lower back.
The entire torso.
Moving awareness to the legs,
Left hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Foot,
And toes.
The entire left leg.
Right hip,
Thigh,
Knee,
Foot,
And toes.
The entire right leg.
Both legs together.
Finally,
Sense your entire body.
Front body,
Back body,
Left side,
And right side.
Feel your entire body as radiant and alive.
If you notice tension in any area,
Take a deep breath in and out.
Breathe in,
And send the breath to that area,
Inviting softness and release.
Feel the natural rhythm of your breath.
With each inhale,
Welcome the energy of gratitude.
With each exhale,
Release anything heavy or stagnant.
You might create your own mantra with each inhale and exhale.
Inhaling in,
Everything you'd like to invite into your life.
Exhaling out,
Everything that's no longer serving you.
Inhale stillness.
Exhale tension.
Inhale gratitude.
Exhale effort.
Inhale light.
Exhale heaviness.
Continuing with your own breath here for a few moments.
Remain in this flow of gratitude,
Honoring all the gifts,
Both large and small,
That have supported this year.
Beginning to bring to mind the image of a single symbol of light emerging.
In the darkness of the winter solstice,
You may begin to imagine a soft,
Glowing lantern illuminating your path,
Noticing the details of both the lantern and the path.
You may remain on the lantern for a moment,
Seeing the flicker of its flame,
The warmth it radiates,
The shadows it casts.
You might hold this image in your mind,
Letting it guide you gently down the path.
Now allow the lantern to fade,
Returning to the darkness behind your closed eyes.
Within this space,
Let symbols,
Colors,
Or images arise naturally.
Perhaps shapes,
Light,
Or a word connected to your intention.
These symbols carry wisdom unique only to you.
Rest here,
Feeling peace and renewal washing over you.
Taking your time to remain here as long as you can.
And when you're ready to return,
You may begin to deepen your breath,
Gently bringing awareness back to the face and jaw,
Wiggling your fingers and toes.
Move slowly,
Allowing this sense of stillness and gratitude to remain with you as you rise.
Carry the essence of the solstice,
A time of reflection,
Rest,
And renewal into the days ahead,
Knowing the light will always return.
You
