The Total Solar Eclipse | A Sleep Story Meditation

In this guided sleep story meditation, you will experience a solar eclipse in the heart of the countryside during the summer. As the eclipse passes and the sun's light returns, you are left with a feeling of balance and harmony, knowing that even in the darkest moments, there is always the potential for light to return. The sleep story begins with a simple relaxation exercise and ends with the ambient sounds from the meadow on a summer day.

Transcript

Hi,

Thanks for joining me,

Clara,

On this guided meditation for sleep based on experiencing a total solar eclipse.

A total solar eclipse is a rare astronomical event where the moon passes between the Sun and the earth completely blocking the Sun's rays and casting a night shadow across the landscape.

It's an awe-inspiring sight that can only be seen from certain parts of the world and many people travel great distances just to witness it.

Solar eclipses have been observed and documented by people for thousands of years.

They've played a significant role in many cultures throughout history.

In ancient China,

Solar eclipses were thought to be caused by a giant dragon trying to devour the Sun.

To scare the dragon away,

People would make loud noises,

Bang on drums and shoot arrows into the sky.

In ancient Greece,

The philosopher Thales demonstrated his knowledge of astronomy by accurately predicting a solar eclipse in 585 BC.

He used this event to impress the Lydian King Croesus.

In medieval Europe,

Solar eclipses were often seen as signs of impending doom or divine punishment.

They were associated with supernatural beings like werewolves and witches and people often hid indoors during an eclipse to avoid being cursed.

For some cultures,

A solar eclipse can be seen as a symbol of spiritual transformation or a powerful shift in energy.

It represents a time of heightened spiritual awareness and can be a time for reflection,

Introspection and meditation.

In Hinduism,

For example,

An eclipse is considered an auspicious event when many people fast or perform religious rituals to ward off negative energy or influences.

In some Native American cultures,

A solar eclipse is a time for prayer and contemplation.

It's believed that the alignment of the Sun,

Moon and Earth during an eclipse can create a powerful spiritual energy that can be harnessed for healing and personal transformation.

Solar eclipses have recently become popular with tourists and amateur astronomers as well.

People travel worldwide to view eclipses and some even charter planes to fly into the path of totality.

A person who chases eclipses is called an umbraphile.

The Latin word for shadow is umbra and phile means lover of.

So basically,

Shadow lover.

Whenever a solar eclipse occurs about once every 16 months or so on average,

Umbraphiles will stop whatever they're doing and journey by plane,

Boat,

Train,

On foot or even camelback to assemble along a slim strip in a faraway corner of the globe determined by the laws of celestial mechanics to be in and witness the path of totality.

Before we begin the sleep story,

Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down.

Close your eyes and take a deep breath through your nose,

Filling your lungs with air.

Hold your breath for a few seconds and then slowly exhale through your mouth,

Allowing your body to relax and release any tension.

Take another deep breath through your nose and focus on the sensation of the air moving in and out of your body.

As you breathe,

Notice the rise and fall of your chest or belly.

With each inhale,

Imagine you're bringing in calmness,

Relaxation and peace and with each exhale,

Imagine letting go of any stress,

Tension or worries.

If your mind wanders,

Gently bring your attention back to your breath.

Continue to breathe deeply and evenly,

Allowing your body and mind to become more and more relaxed.

Simple breathing meditations like this can take practice and patience to master,

So be kind to yourself if your mind wanders or if you find it difficult to relax at first.

But remember,

Using your breath at any time during the day is a powerful tool that can help with relaxation and stress relief.

You've dreamed of experiencing an opportunity like this for a long time.

A total solar eclipse and it's going to be here,

Where you live,

So you don't have to travel to a far flung corner of the planet to see it for yourself.

After counting down the days to the day of the actual solar eclipse all year,

The day has finally arrived.

There's a lot of hype about it and lots of excitement for everyone who lives in the areas where the solar eclipse will occur.

As it turns out,

The eclipse won't be completely total where you live,

So you decide to drive about two hours to a place where it will be at a maximum totality or umbra.

The exact location on the earth where the moon's shadow will block the whole sun's face.

When you leave your house,

The sun shines brightly.

There isn't a cloud in the sky.

Even though it's early in the morning,

The light energizes you.

The roads aren't busy at all.

As soon as you merge onto the highway,

You see a sign that says solar eclipse.

Don't photo while driving.

You've yet to decide where you'll drive to,

But the location must be within the shadowy area highlighted on the online map specifying where the maximum umbra will be.

Your only criteria is the site has to be as far away from people as possible.

You seek an experience with a total solar eclipse as an opportunity for solitude and reflection.

A chance to really disconnect from the noise and distractions of the outside world.

Turn inward to connect with the natural world and be fully present in the moment.

As you continue your journey,

The landscape shifts dramatically.

The sky opens up and you're surrounded by vast open fields,

Rolling hills and dense forests and even the air seems fresher.

Before long,

You notice you've crossed over the border into the highlighted area of the map.

So you start looking for a turnoff that might lead you to the kind of place you seek.

You take exit 44 off the highway and enter an even more rural scene.

Tall hedgerows on either side contain the narrow road.

They're so tall and it's impossible to see anything over them as you drive slowly along.

Then you notice another road.

When you reach it,

The sign says Stardust Lane.

Now that sounds perfect.

So you turn left and drive down it.

On either side of the lane are fenced fields with palomino horses grazing in them.

The narrow lane dead ends at a meadow.

There's no one around at all.

You feel glad you trusted your intuition and kept turning left.

You get out of the car and gather your blanket and a few other things.

As you walk through the field,

You're greeted by a gentle breeze that rustles through the lush grasses.

You notice all the wildflowers,

Daisies,

Poppies and buttercups adding splashes of vibrant colors to all the greenness.

Butterflies and bees float around the flowers,

Collecting nectar and pollen.

The chirping birds and buzzing insects add a peaceful symphony of sound in the background.

After walking through the meadow for a little while,

You arrive at a small stream.

Next to it is a patch of shorter grass where you lay out your blanket,

Sit down and begin your wait.

It's precisely the time the eclipse is supposed to start.

You look at the Sun through the special dark protective glasses and don't see much.

So you wait.

The gentle sounds around you lulls you into a deep relaxation.

Time seems to stand still.

Shadows start lengthening and the sunlight across the field becomes more golden and warm.

And as you watch,

You notice something is happening as the light begins to dim.

Crickets and other insects you normally hear during the night start chirping and birds start to fly back to their roosts overhead.

The sky now has a strange uniform dome of sunsets in each direction.

The warmth of fading sunlight has been replaced by a slight chill in the air as if the earth has been paused at this particular place and moment in time.

The landscape around you grows darker as the moon moves across the Sun.

Then the Sun's warmth vanishes,

Leaving you in an extraordinary shadowy world where a few bats zoom across the sky overhead.

This must be totality.

You put on your protective glasses and use the zoom lens and the camera you brought to see it.

The Sun is now hidden by the moon,

Outlined by a rim of a sliver of shining silver light.

And everything is thrown into night.

At first you feel uncertain in the dark but then magically this darkness reveals the stars and planets normally only visible at night and they appear brighter now against the darkened sky.

The constellations Orion,

The Big Dipper and the planets Venus and Jupiter.

The appearance of the stars and planets during the middle of the day is astonishing as they sparkle in the sky.

You see the beauty and light in the darkness.

A gentle mystical energy that emerges only during the rare eclipse.

You take a deep breath and allow yourself to feel the emotions that come with this moment.

A sense of awe and wonder as you watch the eclipse combined with a sense of connection to the world around you.

The eclipse ends so quickly and already you notice that the Sun is beginning to emerge from behind the moon with a light spilling over the landscape around you again and you begin to feel the Sun's warmth on your skin.

The bats have disappeared and the birds fly away resuming life as if the pause in their day hasn't even happened.

This momentary absence of light during the day created a sense of awe and wonder.

It reminded you of the power and beauty of the natural world.

As you reflect on this experience you realize there's something powerful about the contrast of light and darkness in our lives.

The darkness can be scary or uncertain but it's also a time we can connect with ourselves and the world around us differently.

And when the light returns we can feel a sense of gratitude and joy for the world's simple beauty.

The darkness of the eclipse can also represent the unknown and mysterious aspects of life.

It can be a time to reflect on the parts of ourselves or our world that we don't fully understand or are afraid to explore.

It can also be a time to let go of fears or doubts that hold us back from moving forward.

At the same time the eclipse can also represent the return of light as the moon passes and the Sun's light returns.

It symbolizes hope,

Renewal and it reminds us that even in the darkest moments there's always the potential for growth and change.

In this way the darkness and light of a solar eclipse can be seen as two sides of the same coin.

Each one is necessary for the other to exist constantly in flux and balance.

Meditating on darkness and light can help us cultivate a more profound sense of mindfulness and presence.

It can remind us to embrace the unknown and trust in life's cycles knowing that even in the darkest moments there's always the potential for light to return.

Remember that light and darkness are essential to life.

We can find beauty and hope in both.

Reviews

Perfect Meditation for sleep .Thankyou and Namaste