Hearth Fire - 45 Minute Yoga Nidra To Come Home To Yourself

Enjoy this 45-minute yoga nidra for full body relaxation. Inspired by the warmth of the hearth and home, I hope that this practice can facilitate a state of peace and ease, a sense of coming home within yourself. Royalty-free music by the wonderful Charlie Gates, “Fire” from the album “sounds for yoga nidra”.

"Yoga nidra is like meditation, but yet it’s not. There are overlaps, but there also are key differences. With yoga nidra, you are lying down and the goal is to move into a deep state of conscious awareness sleep, which is a deeper state of relaxation with awareness. This state involves moving from consciousness while awake to dreaming and then to not-dreaming while remaining awake — going past the unconscious to the conscious." – Judi Bar, yoga program manager at the Cleveland Clinic.

Transcript

And welcome to this yoga netra practice hearth fire a yoga netra designed to help you come home to yourself in the time now to set your body up for a yoga taking the time to support your body with pillows and props so you can be completely comfortable covering yourself with a blanket and perhaps also covering your eyes are there any small adjustments you can make to be even more comfortable indulge yourself fully and releasing any tension that you find starting at your feet release your calves release your knees release any tension your thighs release your hips release your abdomen your chest releasing fully your arms your jaw and your forehead dropping any expression on your face taking a moment to slow down your breath and calm your nervous system with a few rounds of breathing where the exhale is slightly longer than the inhale I will guide two breaths now with a count I chose but feel free to use what works for you inhale two three four and exhale two four five six inhale four and exhale two three continuing for a few more rounds with whatever count works for you tension a syncopa for your practice to arise phrased as a short positive statement you might consider the intention I am at home in repeat your intention three times now silently invite your attention to flow around your body following the sound of my voice begin at the throat jaw tip of the tongue lower teeth gums upper teeth gum inside the right cheek inside the left cheek right nostril left nostril tip of the nose bridge of the nose the whole nose the sensation of breath through your nose folds of the ear ear canal folds of the ear ear all the little muscles behind the eye softening softening between the brows mind's eye center inside the throat the whole head and neck notice both of your ears as if they were connected by a straight line find the middle point of the line the center of your head drop straight down to the base of the throat dropping further down to the energetic heart center right part of the chest right shoulder upper wrist palm first finger second finger wrist forearm forearm left side of the chest left shoulder upper arm wrist palm back of the hand thumb thumb first finger second finger third finger wrist forearm shoulder heart center the whole ribcage the whole ribcage expanding when you in right shoulder blade left shoulder blade the whole spine heel sole of the foot top of the foot big toe second toe toe third toe fourth toe heel sole of the foot top of the foot big toe second toe third toe foot left hip whole left leg both legs together the whole body buzzing with sensation notice your breath how it flows effortlessly inhaling 17 exhaling 17 continuing at your own pace down to zero if you get lost simply start again from the beginning become aware of your body resting your body is heavy notice the heaviness now bring awareness to the lightness of your notice again the heaviness how your body sinks into the welcoming earth time for the sensation of heaviness to saturate your body notice once more the lightness the spaciousness notice how your body almost seems to be floating now see if you can feel both the lightness and the heaviness at the same time floating and sinking at the same time there's no duality simply unity the union of opposites resting now for a few moments in this unity start to see a fire this fire is your inner hearth where you come home to yourself to rest to restore what does this fire look like? Allow yourself the time for the details of your inner fire is it a fireplace in a cozy home? Or a castle? Perhaps you are outside by a campfire in the forest or on the beach spend some time here with your inner fire notice how this fire burns is it bright and intense threatening to break out of the hearth? Or perhaps it is dim threatening to go out or perhaps still it is burning evenly and brightly with healthy vigor take a moment to diagnose your inner fire sensing into what it needs in this moment or simply your undivided loving attention for a little while whatever your inner fire needs provide it now notice how your inner fire reacts for your inner fire's balance to be restored now resting by your inner fire from this place of deep rest planting once more the seed of your Sankalpa your intention from the beginning of your practice repeat your intention three times now, Silently feel the support of the ground along the way feel how supported and cozy you are breathing into your belly some movement to your body wiggling the fingers and the toes gently swaying your knees from side to side if you have an eye covering, Remove it now but keep your eyes closed placing your hands over your eyes with your fingers slightly apart you can flutter your eyes open and allow them to get used to the light gently I'm coming to a sitting position thank you for practicing Yoga Nidra with me today