Hibernation: Slowing Down And Turning Inward

So as you become comfortable taking any final adjustments,

Whether it's moving a knee or a pinky,

Whatever your body is calling for,

For you to truly settle,

I invite you to just notice your body.

Open your senses and become aware of the sounds in the room around you.

Welcoming whatever is organically arising in the space.

Notice the air on your skin,

Any sensations in your body,

Maybe a rumble in the stomach.

Our approach in Yoga Nidra is to welcome in the sensations and thoughts and emotions that are organically arising within us.

We're going to welcome each of these experiences like it's a visitor that's presenting a message about the state of our body and mind.

And so I'm inviting you to treat our practice today as a self-inquiry by setting aside judgment and really welcoming those sensations,

Thoughts,

Emotions,

Any beliefs neutrally with the curiosity and an openness.

And of course today we meet together with a focus on hibernation.

Hibernation is a strategy that animals use to reduce their metabolism so as to efficiently weather the days,

Weeks or the months when resources are scarce.

They slow their breath and their heart rate and they lower their body temperature in order to save their energy for the days when it matters,

When resources are again in plenty.

And many of us here in IA may feel that our resources are scarce,

Be it time or energy or something else that we need to do our work.

We may feel all the thoughts and emotions and beliefs associated with such lean times or perhaps we feel exhilarated and excited by opportunity and realize we need to pace ourself to keep up.

Either way,

Let us follow the way of the Arctic ground squirrel and the black bear and the common poor will and nourish our resilience by taking some time to hunker down,

To slow down the body and the mind in order to reserve and rebuild our energy so that we're fueled to meet the moment when it matters most.

And so again,

Bring attention to the senses.

Rather than reaching out,

Allow each perception to come to you.

The sounds,

The smells,

The sensations in your body.

Join me in reflecting for a moment on an intention for today's practice.

Something that you'd like to focus on,

Maybe that you've brought with you from the week,

Or maybe just to be present in this moment to give yourself luxuriously some time to meet yourself.

As you set your intention as a statement,

Let it be a positive affirmation in the present that you've given yourself as a focal point for these precious minutes together happening right now.

Now I invite you to welcome in an inner resource or an inner oasis,

Let us call it.

The sensation or image where you feel completely safe and at ease.

It may be helpful to start with an image or a memory of a place or a time or an activity where you feel truly yourself,

Truly comfortable and happy in the world.

It might be somewhere in nature or maybe it's protected in a fortress.

Maybe you're dancing,

Maybe you're doing martial arts.

Whatever that image is,

That memory,

Take a moment to really be present with it.

Now,

Let the image fall away and fade into the background and really embrace that sensation,

Sense that memory or image,

What it feels like in the body,

That sense of comfort and ease manifesting in your body.

Let it fall away.

Feeling that ease and comfort washing through you.

And now we'll move into body sensing.

Walking through our body and bringing attention to the different parts and sensations that are arising.

So let's start with your jaw.

Just notice any sensation there,

Maybe attention,

Maybe an ease.

Bring attention to your lips,

Like turning a spotlight,

Noticing a hum or maybe a tingle.

Or a glow of warmth as you shift your attention to the inside of the mouth,

Noticing the left and the right cheeks.

Turning attention to the back of the throat and to the entire jaw and mouth together.

Sensation lighting up the sensation in your body.

Sensation of the left ear and the right ear.

Sensing both ears at the same time.

And the nostrils,

Sensing that gentle flow of air as the breath moves in and out.

Sensing the left eye and the eyebrow,

The cheekbone.

Seeing the right eye and eyebrow and the cheekbone.

Attention perhaps as a warm glow of sensation.

Bringing attention to the left shoulder and the upper arm,

The elbow and the lower arm,

The hand,

Fingers and palm,

Letting go of expectation,

Just noticing sensation present in your body.

Sensation in the right shoulder,

The upper arm,

The elbow and lower arm,

To the palm and the fingers and back of the hand.

Welcoming both arms together as a warm glow of sensation.

And as thoughts may arise,

Just neutrally notice them,

Acknowledge them,

Welcome them,

And promise them that you'll visit with them later.

Seeing them gently aside and turning back to sensation in the body.

Noticing the upper chest,

The mid chest,

The belly and the lower back,

Sensation there,

The mid back and the upper back.

And inside the torso,

Sensing the ceiling of the torso,

The sides of the torso,

And the floor of the abdomen,

Sensing the entire torso together as a warm glow of sensation or whatever that sensation materializes for you,

Be it a tingle or a lessening of tightness.

Shifting to the hips and the left leg,

The thigh,

Sensation in the knee,

The lower leg,

Ankle and foot,

The toes,

Sensing the right hip and the right thigh,

The right knee and lower leg,

And the ankle,

Foot and toes,

And sensing the entire right leg as sensation,

The entire left leg as sensation,

And sensing both together,

Holding both in your attention.

And now sensing the entire front of the body from the feet up to the head as a warm glow of sensation or whatever that sensation feels like to you.

Seeing the entire back of the body and the left side and the right side and the inside of your body,

The surface of your body,

That warm glow of sensation,

Welcoming the entire body and all surfaces together as tingling,

Shimmering sensation,

Lighting up,

Shining out in all directions,

Outwardly and inwardly,

Filling up the room,

Stretching beyond the boundaries of your body and welcoming whatever experience is present now,

Continuing to sense the body,

Feeling simultaneously that heaviness of your limbs and the lightness of that glow of sensation in your awareness.

And recall your inner oasis that we reflected on earlier,

That image of feeling perfectly calm and at ease,

Manifested as sensation in the body.

Can you recall viscerally that inner oasis in your body,

That resting place in a sense a hibernation,

Feeling secure and at ease.

And just notice how the sensations and thoughts are constantly changing,

Change happening within the body,

Change around the body.

And yet as a foundation to it all,

There's this hum of life,

This beat of the heart,

A still warmth,

A glow that's always present,

Unchanging.

I recently heard a quote that I'll share with you that life is not what happens outside of you.

Life is not what happens outside of you.

In other words,

The human experience is entirely internal,

Those sensations and thoughts within us and your experience is based on how you choose to receive and respond.

As we sit with sensation,

Notice the body breathing itself this whole time.

Feel that flow of sensation as the breath enters and leaves the body.

Notice the soft movement of air in your nostrils as the breath flows in and out.

The chest rising and falling with the breath,

The belly moving in and out.

The entire body accommodating this movement,

This constant change of breath throughout your body,

Filling you with life.

Keeping the body fully in control of this natural process.

And as you observe the body breathing,

Notice that at the end of the exhalation,

There's a pause before the inhalation begins.

The inhalation,

Pause,

Exhalation,

Gentle pause,

A stillness in between the turn of the breath.

Observe that natural pause as your breath continues in its natural rhythm and sense the silence,

The stillness that comes in this very,

Very quick pause.

Just observing the space between the inhalation and the exhalation.

Now let us elongate the exhale.

Let's add just a touch,

Just a moment longer to the exhale.

Sensing the stillness in between the turn of the breath,

But just allowing the exhale to draw out for a beat or two longer than the inhale.

Whatever feels comfortable without disturbing or getting out of breath,

Just moving that natural rhythm to have an emphasis on the exhale.

Take several more rounds of breath with this elongated exhale.

As we slow down the breath,

Slow down our bodies,

Embracing that essence of hibernation.

It's a germ Now,

Join me for some breath counting,

Where we'll be counting down each inhale-exhale pair from seven to one,

Like this.

We'll start with seven.

Inhale breath fills the body,

And exhale breath empties the body.

Six.

Inhale breath fills the body,

Exhale breath empties the body.

Five.

Inhale breath fills the body,

Exhale breath empties the body.

And continue on from seven to one on your own natural rhythm.

If you can,

Still noticing the stillness between the turn of the breath,

The inhale and exhale.

You're welcome to continue to allow that exhale to be longer than the inhale if your body is gravitating there.

If not,

Just allow them to continue with the natural rhythm of your body,

Of the breath.

Counting down from seven to one.

If you reach one,

Start again at seven.

As thoughts arise and interrupt your count,

That's fine.

Just begin again at seven,

Counting down to one.

Completely absorbed in counting the breath,

That inhale and exhale from seven to one.

Welcoming the breath as it fills and empties.

Reminding perhaps that subtle stillness in between the inhale and exhale,

That subtle space.

Now allow counting to fall away while remaining aware of the breath and sensation flowing throughout the body.

Sense the simultaneous heaviness of your feet and your shoulders down your back,

Your head,

Your eyelids,

All while sensing a lightness,

A shimmering of sensation,

A warm glow flowing throughout your body and even beyond your body in all directions,

Outward and in.

Feeling fully supported by my voice and the ground beneath your body.

Continuing to notice the body breathing itself,

The body in control and safe and at ease with this rhythm of breath.

And recall again that inner oasis,

That image or memory of feeling truly comfortable and at ease with yourself.

You might embrace the image but then let it go and just linger with the sensation,

The sensation flowing through your body as it materializes.

That feeling of safety,

Feeling of rest,

Of a hibernation,

Secure and at ease.

And noticing how the breath is constantly changing,

Constantly turning from the inhale to the exhale.

And yet as change is happening in your body,

There's this hum of life,

A force within you that's always present,

That's grounded.

Life is not what happens outside of you.

Life is not what happens outside of you.

Life is what happens inside of you,

How you choose to respond to the moment.

And sensing now the body as this warm glow of sensation or this tingle,

However sensation is manifesting for you,

Radiating in all directions.

Bring attention to the sensations that are present in your body of joy or well-being.

Feel that joy radiating like a warm glow out from the heart.

Feel it expanding and spreading through your entire torso,

Into your arms and your hands,

Through the legs and the feet,

Up through the neck and the head.

Every cell vibrantly alive with joy.

And sensing,

Feeling whatever joy looks or feels like to you.

Maybe start with an image,

Perhaps warm sunshine,

The smell of chocolate chip cookies.

Allow that image to activate those feelings of joy and well-being as they manifest in your body.

Then you can give up the image and remain,

Just stay with those feelings of joy in the body,

Radiating in all directions.

Accessing your senses,

Accessing all your senses,

Sensing yourself as a boundless glow of radiance,

Full of light and energy,

Rested and rejuvenated and ready to embrace the change in seasons with resilience.

Lingering here,

Feel the body safe and secure and full to the brim with light.

And let yourself rest here and now,

Sensing the body breathing itself.

And as we slowly begin that long transition now back to the waking state,

Give yourself a minute or two or three to assure your body that you are safe and at ease and that you can return here to this place of rest whenever you need.

Very slowly,

Begin to gently move your toes and fingers,

Inviting a deeper breath into your body,

All while promising yourself that you will return here when you again need to rest and hibernate.

And as we begin to close the practice today,

Give yourself permission to take your time as you come back.

You might wish to even revisit the intention that you set out at the beginning of our practice,

Acknowledging that intention and maybe making an intention for the day or days ahead.

Right now,

The time is 11.

46 a.

M.

And you have plenty of time,

15 minutes until the top of the hour.

So you can keep resting until your body is mentally ready to rise and return to your day.

And there's no need to communicate with me or the group or even rush to sign out if you feel like remaining in your current state.

And I'll remain here for a minute or two and then sign off.

And so thank you for giving yourself this practice.

And I'll echo with a final repeat of the saying that life is not what happens outside of you.

Life is not what happens outside of you.

Life is what happens inside of you.

Thank you.