A meditation for self-love, with Rob da Bank

0:00Hello, it's Fern here. I won't keep you long because I know you'll want to get straight into this yoga nidra practice with Rob to bank. we absolutely love Rob maybe you've just listened to my happy place podcast chat with him well as promised for the next 20 minutes you can take some time for you with one of Rob's practices from the happy place app if this feels like a bit of you do download the app because there's so many more on there all different styles of meditation as well as breath work and yoga and sound baths and loads more so look get yourself comfy lie down if you can here's Rob to guide you through a gorgeous yoga nidra for self-love.

0:51So preparing, getting ready for yoga nidra, just taking 20 minutes or so for yourself in a guided meditation, if you will, an easy relaxation exercise where we just move through some different easy disciplines and you're left in that lovely space between sleep and wakefulness, hopefully effortlessly gliding into deep rest.

1:23Getting yourself into your most relaxed state,

1:31probably lying down,

1:38Maybe a bolster under your knees if lying flat isn't comfortable today.

1:59just watching your breath flow gently in and out

2:11as it flows from the inhale to the exhale

2:26seeing how your body relaxes that little bit more

2:44Before we dive in, we set a simple sankalpa, meaning seed or intention.

2:58intention. So it's a present tense intention, something you'd like to achieve.

3:08When we set ourselves this intention, this sankalpa, it can often come true in our daily life. So something achievable, something to work towards.

3:27But something in the present, so possibly as this is a yoga nidra for self-love, I am loving and loved. I feel at home in my body.

3:41I am my own friend.

3:52Start with a rotation of consciousness.

4:03You bring your awareness to each part of the body, as I say, the body part.

4:15and as you touch on that body part sometimes I might speak slowly sometimes a bit quicker

4:28don't linger on that body part too long maybe just touch it with a little feeling of love a little gentle smile

4:50so moving your awareness to your mouth your tongue lower jaw lower row of teeth, upper row of teeth, your gums, upper lip, lower lip, the space between in your lips, both cheeks, right ear, left ear, forehead, both temples, top of the head, Back of the head. Tip of the nose.

6:01Right nostril. Left nostril. Right eyelid. Left eyelid.

6:19Right eye, left eye.

6:28Right eyebrow, left eyebrow.

6:46moving to the right hand

6:52right thumb second finger third finger fourth finger little finger arm of the hand the back of the hand wrist

7:17forearm elbow upper arm

7:25shoulder, right armpit, ribs, waist, hip, right thigh, knee, calf, ankle, heel

7:58sole of the right foot top of the right foot right big toe second toe third toe fourth toe and little toe.

8:23Taking your awareness to the left hand, left thumb, second finger, third finger, fourth finger and little finger. Palm of the hand.

8:47back of the hand wrist forearm elbow upper arm shoulder left armpit ribs

9:16waist hip left thigh, knee, calf, ankle, heel, sole of the foot, top of the foot, left big toe, second toe third toe fourth toe little toe lower back mid back upper back the shoulder blades

10:08the back of the neck

10:16the back of the head

10:22right ear left ear the roof of the mouth the throat

10:38right collarbone left collarbone right chest left chest upper abdomen Navel Lower abdomen The whole back The whole head Right arm Left arm Both arms together Right leg Left leg both legs together.

11:29The whole of the front of your body. The whole of the back of your body.

11:41The whole body together. the whole body together

12:03that. Now coming to the opposite sensations, bringing your awareness to the sensation of heat. your right leg warm your left leg warm

12:33your right arm warm

12:41your left arm warm

12:49Torso warm. The whole body becoming hot.

13:02And then your body just becomes cold. Legs cold. Arms cold. The whole body cold.

13:24your body becomes so heavy so heavy you couldn't move even if you wanted to

13:38and then the whole body so light so light it could float away

13:52The whole left side of the body.

14:02The whole right side of the body.

14:12the whole body together

14:25now bringing your awareness back to your breath

14:33letting everything else go

14:40feeling that calm warm

14:51feeling that calm or sensation

15:02following the effortless flow of your breath not trying to change it

15:18seeing your breath as a dazzling golden light

15:27filling up your whole body on an inhale that golden light flowing from your tailbone up to the top of your head

15:49with your exhale

15:57but in your whole body from the top of your head back down the spine to tailbone

16:10that golden light just rushing through yourselves

16:19filling you up that pure radiant golden light

16:36Imagine that golden light filtering into your heart space.

16:49Just imagining a tiny door at the back of your heart which you open.

17:00and you picture yourself as a minuscule human being the size of a matchstick you slip inside this dark warm space enveloping you in love

17:23You feel at home here. You feel held.

17:40You float easily in this safe, warm, loving space. that feeling of love rising up flooding your whole being

18:11you look at the face and you look in at the face of the tiny hue

18:24so happy and calm contented

18:35flushed with love

18:43Flushed with love.

18:51This is the end of the Yoga Nidra. Thanks so much for listening. Have a great day.

19:07Thank you.