Sunset-inspired Yoga Nidra For Deep Relaxation

Join me in a guided relaxation, in the style of yoga nidra. This relaxation is inspired by the images and colours of the sunset, and uses body scanning, breath work and imagery to bring you deep rest.

Transcript

Welcome to this yoga nidra.

Yoga nidra is a guided meditation or guided relaxation.

This practice today will take about 20 minutes and will hopefully make you feel a little bit more relaxed and possibly even let you fall asleep.

So take a moment to make yourself really comfortable,

Maybe lying down on your bed or maybe on the floor on a yoga mat.

Place something under your head and maybe even something under your knees like a big pillow or a cushion or a bolster if you have one.

And because we're going to be still for a little while,

Maybe placing a blanket over your body will help you stay nice and warm.

So just take a moment to get yourself ready,

Gathering everything that you need.

And if there's something that will make you feel even five percent more comfortable,

Then maybe take a moment to adjust,

Shuffling around,

Making yourself really nice and cozy.

And when you're ready,

Take a nice deep inhale and a nice long exhale.

One more nice deep inhale and maybe even sigh it out.

Exhale.

Allowing your body to completely relax.

Completely letting go.

Using the exhale as a way to let go of any thoughts of the day that's passed.

To let go of any thoughts of anything that's coming up.

Giving yourself permission for the next 20 minutes or so to stay fully present,

To be in your body,

To relax.

Allow your feet to relax.

Your hips relaxed.

Your legs fully relaxed.

Allow your belly to soften.

Your shoulders relaxed.

Your arms relaxed.

Allow your jaw to release.

Your tongue to relax.

Allow your eyes to soften.

And feel your whole body relaxed.

And take a moment to feel the contact of your body with the mat or your bed.

Relax.

Maybe even finding a sense of being held by your bed or the floor.

And if you haven't closed your eyes already,

Close the eyes or allow your eyelids to just soften down.

And in your mind's eye,

Bring a nice sunset.

Just picturing a sunset by the seaside.

Visualizing or simply feeling the sun as it sets down into the sea.

And looking at the colors in the sky.

Feeling a sense of warmth in your body from those dying rays of the sun.

Watching the sun slowly disappear into the horizon,

Into the water.

Watching the colors of the sky.

The reds,

The blues,

The purples,

The orange.

And keeping that color scheme in your mind's eye as we take our journey through the body.

So as I name different parts of the body,

Bring your attention there.

Notice how that part of your body feels and fill it with the colors from the sun setting into the sea.

The blues,

The reds,

The orange,

The purple.

Filling each part of your body.

Absorbing the warmth of the sun.

Starting with the toes of your left foot.

The sole of your left foot.

The top of your left foot.

The left heel.

Left shin.

Left calf.

Left knee,

Front and back of knee.

Left thigh.

Left hip.

Now feel your whole left leg.

And feel your whole left leg filling up with the colors from the sun setting into the sea.

Whether you visualize it or feel it,

That sense of warmth,

Of color in your whole left leg.

Now let's move on to the toes of your right foot.

The sole of your right foot.

The top of your right foot.

Your right heel.

Right shin.

Right calf.

Right knee,

Front and back of knee.

Right thigh.

Right hip.

Your whole right leg.

Feel your whole right leg filling up with the colors of the sun setting into the sea.

Both legs.

Filling up reds,

Oranges,

Purples,

Blues.

Finding the sense of warmth in both legs together.

Now bring your attention to your belly.

Your chest.

Your left armpit.

Your right armpit.

The left side of your waist.

The right side of your waist.

Feel your lower back.

Middle back.

Upper back.

Your whole torso.

Your whole torso full of the colors of the sun setting into the sea.

Now bring your attention to your left shoulder.

Left upper arm.

Left elbow.

Left forearm.

Left wrist.

The palm of your left hand.

The top of your left hand.

Your left hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Little finger.

Your whole left arm.

Your whole left arm full of the colors of the sun setting into the sea.

Now bring your attention to your right shoulder.

Right upper arm.

Right elbow.

Right forearm.

Right wrist.

The palm of your right hand.

The back of your right hand.

Your right hand thumb.

Second finger.

Third finger.

Fourth finger.

Little finger.

Your whole right arm.

Your whole right arm full of the colors of the sunset.

And now both arms together.

Both arms full of those lights.

Orange,

Red,

Purple,

Blue.

Your both arms together.

Now bring your attention to the back of your neck.

Your throat.

Your lips.

The inside of your mouth.

Your eyes.

The crown of your head.

Your whole head.

Your whole head full of the lights,

The colors of the sun setting into the sea.

Now feel your whole body.

Your whole body full of all of the colors.

The reds,

The blues,

The purple,

The orange.

The colors of the sunset.

The warmth of the sunset.

Filling your whole body.

Your whole body relaxed.

And now bring your attention back to your belly.

And feel that gentle movement of your belly as you breathe.

A soft belly breath.

On your next inhale feel the tips of your left fingers.

Filling up with the colors of the sunset.

Filling up with the colors of the sunset.

And with the breath feel or visualize the colors traveling up to your nose.

On the inhale.

And on the exhale feel or visualize the colors of the sunset.

Traveling with the breath down to your right fingertips.

On the next inhale feel the right fingertips.

Filling up with the colors of the sunset.

And the breath traveling up towards your nose.

And on the exhale the colors of the sunset.

With the breath traveling from your nose.

From your nose down to the tips of your left fingers.

So keep following the breath like that.

Feeling or visualizing the colors of the sunset.

Traveling with breath.

From fingertips to nose.

And from nose to other fingertips.

I'll be quiet for a few moments but I'm still here.

All you do is follow the breath.

Visualizing or feeling the colors of the sunset.

Traveling from fingertips to nose.

And from nose to other fingertips.

Alternating with every breath.

Just a few more moments with the breath.

And now letting go following the breath.

And feel your body again.

With that visual of the sun setting into the sea.

The colors in the horizon.

The sun disappears into the water.

The reds,

The blues,

The purples,

The orange.

The feeling of warmth in your body.

Staying with this for a few more moments.

Using your senses to explore this feeling.

And now we'll begin our journey back.

Letting go of this visual.

Letting go of this feeling.

Take a nice deep inhale.

Filling your body with breath.

And do that a few times.

Awakening sensations.

Becoming a little bit more aware of your body in this space.

Whenever you feel ready.

No rush at all.

Take your time.

You can start to bring some movement.

Maybe wriggling your fingers and toes.

Maybe taking a stretch.

Maybe moving your head a little bit from side to side.

And taking as much time as you need.

Coming back.

Thank you so much for joining me.

I hope you enjoyed this yoga nidra.