Yoga Nidra For The Season Of Hibernation

Welcome to your rest practice.

This is a yoga nidra practice for the season of hibernation.

To begin,

Make yourself as comfortable as possible.

Gather around anything that will help you feel rested.

Blankets,

Pillows,

Bolsters.

You can light a candle if that feels good or put on an extra sweater.

Take any support that you need,

That you want.

From now until the end of this practice,

Your only responsibility is to yourself and your own comfort.

There is nothing you have to do.

If all you do for the rest of this practice is relax and breathe,

That is enough.

You can close your eyes if it feels safe and comfortable to do so,

Or you can simply take a soft gaze,

Allowing the muscles of your eyes to relax.

As you settle into the comfortable place you have made,

Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.

On your next in-breath,

Move any part of your body that wants to move.

Stretch,

Shake,

Snuggle.

Take any movement that feels good.

Let your breath flow in and out as you continue to take any movements,

Large or small,

As your body settles into the support of the earth.

Imagine drawing a circle around your body of any substance that feels powerful and protective.

It may be a circle of birch trees,

A circle of river water,

A circle of stone.

Whatever feels right.

Now draw a circle around the perimeter of this circle,

Again using any substance that feels powerful and protective.

A circle of sunlight or holly branches or ice.

And now a third circle around the perimeter of the first two.

Again use any material you like,

Perhaps a circle of salt water or starlight or pine needles.

Now see yourself in the center of these three circles,

Protected and powerful.

See yourself at rest.

Draw your attention to any sounds that you can hear outside of the room where you are.

You may hear the sounds of traffic,

Of your neighbors moving around.

No need to name or analyze them,

Just notice.

Now draw your attention to any sounds you can hear within your room,

Simply noticing.

Now draw your attention inside your circles of protection to any sounds near your body.

And now notice the sounds of your own body,

Your body at rest.

You can set your intention for practice here.

State it in the present tense as though it is already happening.

It can be simple and tangible like,

I make time for rest each day.

Or broader and deeper like,

I trust in the magic I carry within.

It is up to you.

It's also fine not to choose an intention.

If you have chosen one,

Repeat it to yourself now three times.

Allow this intention to settle into your body like the warmth from a sip of hot tea.

During this practice,

Remain awake and alert.

But if you fall asleep,

Know that you are getting the rest that you need.

There is nothing you need to do.

Simply follow the sound of my voice.

You can adjust your position if you need to.

You can move your attention to your breath or to some restful image any time that you need to.

It is not possible to do Nidra wrong.

This is your journey.

We will now rotate attention through the body.

Simply bring your attention to each point that I mention.

You do not need to visualize the body part or to move or stretch that body part.

Simply let your awareness rest there for a moment.

If you no longer have this body part or cannot or do not wish to feel this body part,

Simply bring your attention to a point nearby.

We will now begin.

Bring your attention to the space between the eyebrows,

Hollow of the throat,

Right shoulder,

Right elbow,

Right wrist,

Right thumb,

Right index finger,

Right middle finger,

Right fourth finger,

Right small finger,

Right wrist,

Right elbow,

Right shoulder,

Hollow of the throat,

Left shoulder,

Left elbow,

Left wrist,

Left thumb,

Left index finger,

Left middle finger,

Left fourth finger,

Left small finger,

Left wrist,

Left elbow,

Left shoulder,

Middle of the throat,

Heart center,

Right side of the chest,

Heart center,

Navel center,

Pelvic center,

Right hip,

Right knee,

Right ankle,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Small toe,

Right ankle,

Right knee,

Right hip,

Pelvic center,

Left hip,

Left knee,

Left ankle,

Left big toe,

Left second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Small toe,

Left ankle,

Left knee,

Left hip,

Pelvic center,

Navel center,

Heart center,

Hollow of the throat,

The space between the eyebrows,

Rest here at the space between the eyebrows.

Bring your awareness to the movement of the breath.

Notice the breath as it moves the body.

You do not need to change the movement or length of your breaths.

Simply notice.

Bring your attention to the breath flowing into your body.

Notice the movement of the breath through your nose or your mouth into your body.

Imagine your lungs receiving the air.

With each inhale,

Follow the breath flowing in from the world,

Bringing the nourishment and nutrients that your body needs.

Now imagine the oxygen spreading from your lungs through the bloodstream to nourish each and every cell.

With each inhale,

Feel the nourishment being drawn from the world into every cell of the body,

Each cell taking exactly what it needs with no effort from you.

Your body knows what to take and what to leave behind.

With each inhale,

Feel this.

Now I invite you to switch your attention to your out-breath.

Notice the air flowing out of your body through your nose and your mouth.

With each exhale,

Imagine the cells of your body letting go of what they do not need.

Whatever they release is carried away through the blood,

Through the lungs,

Out to the world.

Whatever you let go of is carried into the world to be used by others.

Nothing is ever wasted.

You can release what you do not need.

Feel this with each exhale.

Now let go of the focus on the breath.

Bring your attention to the space between the eyebrows.

Imagine that your body is cold.

Let the sensation of cold move through your entire body.

Cold fingers,

Cold toes,

Cold nose,

Cold heart.

Notice how this feels.

Now imagine that your body is warm.

Let the sensation of warmth flow through your entire body.

Warm feet,

Warm hands,

Warm belly,

Warm heart.

Notice how this feels.

Now imagine that your body is both warm and cold.

Notice how it feels to hold both sensations at the same time.

No need to judge or analyze.

Just notice.

Let those sensations go.

Notice your breathing,

Relaxed.

Notice yourself supported by the earth.

Now imagine that your body feels strong.

Feel strength in your muscles,

Strong mind,

Strong heart.

Notice how this feels.

Now imagine that your body feels fatigued.

Allow the sensation of fatigue in all parts of your body and your mind.

Your limbs are tired.

Your mind and your heart are tired.

Notice how this feels.

No judgment.

Just notice.

Now imagine that you feel strength and fatigue at the same time.

Notice how it feels to hold both sensations at the same time.

No need to judge or analyze.

Just notice.

Let those sensations go.

Notice your breathing,

Relaxed.

Notice yourself supported by the earth.

Bring your attention back to the space between your eyebrows and rest.

See yourself on a winter's afternoon.

The air is cold and crisp against your skin.

The sun is shining.

You hear birds calling overhead.

You follow a trail through a meadow.

A few green leaves catch your eye.

Holly bushes,

Evergreens,

Ladies' mantle.

You can hear your footsteps crunching through the frost underfoot.

The trail leads to a cave.

The opening is inviting to you.

Dark,

Quiet,

Warm.

At the entrance to the cave,

You let go of something you no longer need.

Let it go.

You let it go.

You let it go.

Breathe.

Notice how much easier it is to breathe,

To move without this burden.

You enter the warm cave and settle in,

Your body supported by the earth all around you.

You notice small animals sharing this space,

A sleeping rabbit,

A small frog.

All of you safe,

Warm,

Protected in this space.

Relax and feel.

Now bring your attention to the space between your eyebrows.

Experience total peace and stillness.

Relax in safety and warmth.

If you set an intention at the beginning,

Repeat it to yourself now,

Three times.

Feel your intention flowing from your core out towards the world,

Just as your breath flows out with each exhale.

As you rest in the cave,

Imagine that your wise counsel arrives.

These are beings,

Living or dead,

Real,

Mythical or imagined,

Human,

Animal,

Or other,

Who support and guide you.

They arrive now and they surround you with warmth and grace.

Feel their presence.

Feel their wisdom.

If there is anything you wish to ask them,

You can do that now as you rest in this safe place.

Now take a deep breath in,

Following this breath to see where it lands in your body.

Notice if there's an image,

A word,

Perhaps a phrase being whispered to you.

This is your soul whisper.

Notice and feel.

Rest with your soul whisper,

Even as your wise counsel departs.

Everything is okay.

Feel this.

Notice the peace you feel in your body.

Observe the body experiencing deep peace and relaxation.

Vow to take this peace into your everyday life.

If you set an intention at the beginning,

Repeat it to yourself now,

Three times.

Know that it has been heard by your internal world and by the external world,

And that this intention will continue to grow as you move through each day.

Now,

Deeply relaxed,

Begin to emerge from your yoga nidra nap.

Imagine the three circles of protection,

Drawing back into your body.

You will carry their power with you,

For their power came from you.

Feel this.

Notice the sensation of rest in your body.

Carry it into your day,

Your sleep,

Your life.

If your eyes have been closed,

You can flutter them open.

Begin to move,

Taking small movements,

Micro movements.

Let your body guide you.

Move with gentleness.

Yoga nidra is complete.

May you carry the sense of safety and support into the days ahead.