Yoga Nidra With The Sun

Welcome yourself as you settle into yoga nidra.

Let all of you be here.

Grab a pillow and blanket if you have not already done so and get yourself comfortable.

You can either lie down or sit up,

Whatever works for you.

And then once you are settled in,

Take a long,

Deep inhale and then exhale.

Inhale,

Exhale.

Inhale,

Exhale.

See if you can make yourself 10% more comfortable.

Notice your breathing.

Notice how your body feels in connection to your position and adjust as you need to.

Take a few more deep breaths and if you would like to set an intention for this session,

Think about what you would like.

Create a statement in the present tense,

Such as I am,

And then fill it in.

What is it that you need or desire?

And then state your intention three times.

Take a few more deep breaths and follow along and notice each part of your body as I say the words.

Notice the whole right side of your body.

Notice your right hand,

Right thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

Fifth.

The palm of your hand,

The back of your hand,

Wrist,

Right lower arm,

Right elbow,

Upper arm,

Right shoulder,

Right collarbone,

Right chest,

Waist,

Hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf muscle,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Second toe,

Third,

Fourth,

Fifth.

Notice the left side of your body.

Notice your left hand,

Left thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth,

Fifth.

The palm of your hand,

The back of your hand,

Wrist,

Left lower arm,

Left elbow,

Upper arm,

Left shoulder,

Collarbone,

Left chest,

Waist,

Left hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Calf muscle,

Ankle,

Heel,

Sole,

Top of the foot,

Left big toe,

Second toe,

Third,

Fourth,

Fifth.

Notice the top of the head.

Feel the space around the head,

The forehead,

The center between your eyebrows,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Right eyelid,

Left eyelid,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Right inner ear,

Left inner ear,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

Nose,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Space between the lips,

Chin,

Jaw,

Outside of the throat,

Inside of the throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right chest,

Left chest,

Middle of the chest,

Navel,

Abdomen,

Lower abdomen,

Right pelvis,

Left pelvis,

Right thigh,

Left thigh,

Right knee,

Left knee,

Right calf muscle,

Left calf muscle,

Right ankle,

Left ankle,

Right toes,

Left toes.

Now notice the backside,

Right foot,

Left foot,

Right sole,

Left sole,

Right heel,

Left heel,

Right calf,

Left calf,

Back of right knee,

Back of left knee,

Back of right thigh,

Back of left thigh,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

Right hip,

Left hip,

Lower spine,

Mid spine,

Upper spine,

The whole spine together,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Back of the neck,

Back of the head,

Top of the head.

Notice the whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

Both legs together.

Notice the whole of the right arm,

The whole of the left arm,

Both arms together.

Notice the whole spine and backside,

The whole front side of the body,

The whole head,

Legs,

Arms,

Back,

Front,

Head together,

The whole body together,

The whole body together,

The whole body together.

Notice your body as it's being supported.

Feel all the sensations connected to the contact with how you are being supported.

Notice your skin.

Notice how your skin feels.

Feel the skin of your feet.

Feel the skin on your legs,

The arms.

Feel the skin of your face.

Now feel the skin on your lips as you breathe deeply.

Notice your breathing,

Inhaling,

Exhaling.

Feel your whole body continue to relax.

Just notice your breathing.

Let your body continue to rest.

And notice the sensations and emotions that arise.

As I read a poem called The Sun by Mary Oliver.

Have you ever seen anything in your life more wonderful than the way the sun every evening,

Relaxed and easy,

Floats toward the horizon and into the clouds or the hills,

Or the rumpled sea,

And is gone?

And how it slides again,

Out of the blackness,

Every morning,

On the other side of the world,

Like a red flower,

Streaming upward on its heavenly oils,

Say,

On a morning in early summer,

At its perfect imperial distance.

And have you ever felt for anything such wild love?

Do you think there is anywhere in any language,

A word billowing enough for the pleasure that fills you as the sun reaches out,

As it warmed you,

As you stand there,

Empty handed?

Or have you too turned from this world?

Or have you too gone crazy for power,

For things?

Just sit with that and the words and notice your thoughts,

Feelings,

Sensations,

And breathe into that space.

Be very aware of your body and how it feels.

Notice the space around your body and the space inside your body.

Now have your body feel a sense of heaviness.

Your whole body feels very heavy.

Just feel those sensations of heaviness.

Now have your body feel sensations of light and lightness.

Notice how your skin feels.

Notice how your whole body feels.

Now go back to the sensation of feeling heavy.

Feel completely heavy everywhere.

Now switch to feeling light and lightness.

Feel the space around you and the lightness all around you and inside of you.

Now feel both sensations together.

Heavy and light at the same time.

Be aware of how you are experiencing heavy and light.

Now feel how cold you would feel if you were outside in a snowstorm.

Notice how your skin feels when you feel cold.

What other sensations do you feel when you are cold?

Now notice heat in your body and feel the heat everywhere inside your body.

Notice the sensations of heat as if you are out in the sun and enjoying the rays of the sun and on a warm day wherever would feel most amazing.

Go back to the sensation of feeling cold all over your body as if you are outside in the cold.

Now go back to feeling heat,

Heat from the sun and the warmth that fills you everywhere.

Have the heat fill you up inside and outside.

Now feel both sensations of cold and heat together.

Be aware of feeling cold and heat together.

Notice the sensations and just be aware.

Now picture yourself in a field of gold flowers on a beautiful day and the sun is shining on you.

There is just a big gold sun above you and you can feel the sun,

The light of the sun,

The heat of the sun and it feels wonderful.

Picture that gold sun above you filling in your head and then the gold sun starts to fill in and completely fills in your left arm and then the gold sun fills in your whole right arm.

Your chest,

Your stomach,

Your pelvis,

Your whole upper body is now filled with a golden sun.

Now have the gold sun keep going and fill in your left leg and your right leg.

Fill in completely with the sun so that it is not just throughout your whole body but it expands into your aura.

Feel the gold sun through you and around you.

Be aware of your breathing,

Your inhaling,

Your exhaling,

The awareness itself.

Feel the expansiveness of you on every level,

Within yourselves,

Within your body,

Extending beyond you.

You are more than a body.

If you made an intention earlier,

Repeat this intention now and feel it emanate throughout you.

Feel the gold sun healing you on every level.

Notice the gold flowers around you.

Notice your thoughts.

Notice your feelings,

The sensations in your body.

Notice that you are more than your body.

You are awareness.

You are beyond awareness.

Thank the sun for providing you so much and continue to hold on to that feeling of connection with the sun.

Take a few minutes to just rest and notice your sensations,

Your body,

Your breath.

Notice your breath.

Start to come back to your awareness in the room.

With your eyes still closed,

Have a sense of the room.

What do you hear?

What do you smell?

What sensations do you notice?

And when you are ready,

Stretch,

Stretch,

Stretch.

Rub your hands together if you need to.

Rub your feet together if you want.

Open your eyes when you're ready.

Notice the light in the room.

And when you step outside,

Notice the sun and give gratitude for all the sun has provided you.