Welcome,
My name is Leah and this is a short yoga nidra practice to honour the fire element within the body.
Connect with your inner fire through this sensory experience,
Invoking a sense of warmth and comfort throughout the body and nervous system as we gently lower into deeper brainwave states.
Lie down comfortably,
Supported in every way.
Let your body rest as if warmed by gentle sunlight.
Eyes closed softly,
Hands open,
Palms up,
Feet rest naturally outward,
Legs heavy.
You could lie on your yoga mat in a supported savasana with cushions or pillows under the knees and head,
Or rest on the couch or in a reclining chair,
Or even get cosy in your bed.
Begin to notice the breath,
Inhaling through the nose,
Hold briefly at the top of the breath,
And exhale slowly through the mouth.
And again,
Inhaling through the nose,
Hold briefly at the top of the breath,
And exhale slowly through the mouth.
And one more,
Just like that.
And on the exhale,
Let go of anything that will not serve you for your practice.
With every breath,
Feel the warmth spreading through you.
You are safe.
You are held.
You are ready to journey inward.
Feel your body settling into stillness.
Let the forehead release,
Jaw soften,
Shoulders soften down and back.
Feel the chest open gently,
Ribs expanding with each inhale.
Let the hips soften,
The legs release.
Imagine you are lying by a gentle fire,
The soft crackle in the air,
The warmth caressing your skin.
Allow the body to grow heavier and warmer with each breath.
Now bring to mind a sankalpa,
A resolve born from your inner fire.
You may be working with your own sankalpa,
Or it may be something like,
I shine with inner light,
Or I am radiant and strong.
Silently repeat your sankalpa three times,
Each time with feeling as though fanning a sacred flame within.
We begin the rotation of awareness at the solar plexus and the third energy center,
Manipura,
The center associated with fire and transformation within you.
Feel the warmth here.
Notice the gentle heat radiating outward.
Move awareness upward,
Chest,
Base of the throat,
Jaw,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
The teeth and gums,
Tongue,
Bridge of the nose,
Nostril flares,
Cheeks,
All around the eyes and behind the eyes,
Eyebrows and in between the eyebrows,
Forehead,
Crown of the head.
And now down from the solar plexus to the navel,
Pelvis,
Right hip,
Right thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Baby toe.
Back to the solar plexus,
Moving to the left hip,
Left thigh,
Knee,
Ankle,
Foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
Baby toe.
Return to the navel center,
Then feel sensations through the back of the body,
Upper back,
Down the spine,
Middle back,
Lower back,
Hips,
Sit bones.
Bring awareness through both arms,
Shoulders,
Upper arms,
Elbows,
Forearms,
Wrists,
Hands,
Thumbs,
First fingers,
Second,
Third,
Little fingers.
And now sense the whole body radiant and glowing.
Bring your attention to the breath.
Inhale,
A cool breeze flowing in.
Exhale,
A release of gentle heat.
Feel the breath like the steady rhythm of a bellows,
Feeding your inner flame.
Let each inhale nourish your energy.
Each exhale soften you into comfort.
Now notice your emotional and sensory landscape.
Warmth on the skin,
The comfort of stillness,
Perhaps a sense of being protected by the glow around you.
Let emotions be like sparks in the night sky,
Appearing,
Glowing,
Fading.
You remain steady,
Present,
And warm within.
Imagine yourself seated near a campfire under the night sky.
The firelight dances on your skin.
You hear the gentle crackle of wood.
Sparks rise into the darkness and disappear.
The scent of cedar and pine drifts into the cool night air.
You feel the warmth of the flames and the cool of the night,
Perfectly balanced.
You are both the one watching and the one warmed.
Time slows,
The fire within and the fire before you merge.
You are the witness,
Steady,
Timeless,
Illuminated.
Now rest in the quiet glow of deep contentment.
Warmth fills you from within.
You are a steady flame,
Peaceful,
Unwavering.
Nothing to do.
Nowhere to go.
Only the glow of being.
Return to your sankalpa.
You may have chosen your own,
Or something like,
I shine with inner light,
Or I am radiant and strong.
Silently repeat it three times in the silence of your heart,
Like placing kindling on your inner fire.
Feel it glow brighter with each repetition.
Gently return through the layers,
The koshas,
From bliss to witness,
From feelings to breath,
From warmth to the physical body.
Feel the earth beneath you,
The temperature of the air,
The space all around you.
You are here,
Present,
And whole.
Begin to deepen your breath.
Take a slow breath in through the nose,
A gentle hold at the top,
And then a long,
Slow exhale.
Wiggle your fingers and toes,
Then take a long,
Full body stretch,
As though you're greeting the sunrise.
Roll to one side if and when you're ready.
Pause in the warmth of your inner fire that you have carefully cultivated.
Slowly rise to sit.
Bring the palms together at your heart,
And carry this warmth and inner fire with you into your day or evening.
Om Shanti,
Shanti,
Shanti.
May you have peace in your mind,
Peace in your heart,
And peace in your life,
And may this practice serve to bring peace to all beings,
And may we be free.
Namaste.
