Sacred Journey To Sleep: Yoga Nidra

Sleep is a precious gift & yet sometimes it can feel so far from our reach. This Yoga Nidra allows us to call back every layer of being & arrive fully in a state of healing presence. We set the scene for revivification & renewal as we call in The Goddess of Rest. Prepare to bathe in the sacred space of Yoga Nidra & set the scene for deep & restorative sleep.
This Yoga Nidra will utilize the beautiful myth of Osiris, who was called through the darkness to newness of life by the Goddess Isis.

Transcript

It's time to rest.

Gather in all scattered parts from the four corners of your life.

Enfold your being in all that comforts you.

Wrap around yourself a mantle of safety and warmth.

You have already travelled so far,

Held so much,

Been through enough.

This is your time to put down all that is heavy.

Assemble the layers of your being and provide for each the comfort and healing they deserve.

This is a refuge from toil.

Give gratitude to yourself for carving out the time to enter the sacred grotto of deep rest.

The place where we piece back together,

One fragment at a time.

Where we carefully curate every sinew.

Fuse together the lost broken parts we have let fall along the road and come to wholeness.

Through your efforting there may be disconnect and now is the time to welcome all parts of you.

Strata that is bone tired,

Weary,

Out of faith,

Poor in spirit.

Call back every piece of you from far and wide over time and space.

Prepare to bathe in the sacred space of Yoganidra.

This Yoganidra will utilize the beautiful myth of Osiris who was called through darkness to newness of life by the goddess Isis.

Yoganidra is a unique form of meditation.

It allows us to explore the natural release of beneficial healing hormones which reside within the sacred home of rest.

We tap resources that allow the brain to slow down,

To become magnificently attuned and for the body to incline towards a calm and revivifying nascence.

It is not quite the same as sleep and at the same time you might find that the conditions arise where you hover so close to sleep that it naturally comes to you.

Yoganidra offers us the opportunity to know ourselves more deeply,

To reside within the potent power between brainwave states.

You may dip in and out of sleep or glide effortlessly into a deeply peaceful nap and maybe times when you are aware of my words and times you sense the energetic hum of each cell in the body.

There'll be a part of you that is always listening and so if you need to come out of a deeper state at any time you can open your eyes,

Move the body or tune back into your breath and the movements in the body associated with the breath coming and going,

The feeling of your heart,

The waves of rest passing over you.

Remember throughout this Yoganidra you have full agency so please take what you need and leave the rest behind.

Know that you cannot get this wrong.

You can think of this practice as an art form which over time becomes responsive to how you are on any given day.

By practicing Yoganidra you are allowing the mind and body to benefit from one of the most restorative practices you can do and there'll not be any sudden noises or bells and I'll softly guide you through progressively more relaxed brainwave states.

These are states which we also experience in sleep so by practicing Yoganidra just know that you are not only replenishing your whole system,

You're teaching your body and mind to release tension and take up the nutrients of rest and as with any practice the more you practice the deeper and more accomplished it becomes.

Think of it as a discipline that teaches the mind body one of the most valuable skills there is,

To rest well.

Over time we can create lasting shifts from an unconscious level.

We learn to release energetic memory held in the body,

Tension in the mind.

Give yourself permission to surrender anything that might take energy from you in your waking state.

It's time to reclaim the gift of rest to cultivate a journey that takes us from feeling fully alert into a relaxed hypnagogic state.

Over time you may start to notice that your waking state benefits from an ongoing Yoganidra practice.

This calm sweet spot for renewal summons an easeful drawing down into a trusting open creative presence.

You might experience dreamlike whirlpools of insight or images behind the eyes as you ignite your inner vision.

Trust this as a play state for the deeper layers of consciousness.

There might be moments of colors behind the eyes or refractions of gentle glimmers of light as you witness the inner constellations of your deeper being.

This dusk-like perspective is one of our superpowers.

Be assured that you are bearing witness to the energetic layers within,

To your higher self.

This is where we meet our fullest potential,

Our intuition,

The latent powers we hold,

Fresh inspiration.

And if this doesn't resonate for you,

You can think of this as an opportunity to be fully in touch with how you feel and to rest and replenish every layer of your being.

So turn off your lights and create a level of darkness that feels safe,

Nurturing,

Soothing.

Let the remedies of the dark come to you.

You might like to look around the room to make sure that all is well and when you're ready,

Close your eyes.

And if it adds to that sense of soothing darkness for your rest,

Place a light scarf over your eyes.

Invite the cosmic empty fullness of dark to present its rejuvenating powers of deep rest to you.

Dearest soul,

This is your birthright.

This Yoganidra is devoted to the sacredness of sleep and the potential in you to draw close its many gifts.

I'm calling in the mother goddess Isis,

Whose powerful protective words revivified her dear Osiris as he journeyed towards new beginnings.

His passage through the 12 doors of darkness into new light frames this Yoganidra.

It is a Yoganidra for sleep,

So make yourself as cozy as you can in your bed.

Make sure you are warm and won't be disturbed.

Have high standards in comfort and snuggle down to set the scene,

To receive a sense of renewal that awaits you.

Create as restful an atmosphere as you can.

As we learn to become more receptive in this state,

We invite an alchemy inside liminal deep space.

This is where the raw material of exhaustion through toil is placed inside the vessel of a vast and loving presence.

We invoke our creative potential and the gifts of Yoganidra to bring us into a healing state of wholeness.

This great work has the capacity to extract pure gold from what might seem depleted.

This practice of compassion offers the platform to heal our deepest wounds.

A trust in this process is part of the work,

And a dedicated practice will over time offer you many treasures.

Notice any sounds you can hear in the environment,

Near and far.

Listen with ears and with every cell in your body.

Allow the body to become more aware,

More curious,

More sensitive to each sound wave that reaches your ears.

Notice if you are inclined to interpret the sounds as good or bad.

Hear sounds as a form of polyphony,

Of layered music,

Each sounded on its own instrument,

Calling you to a state of presence.

Immerse yourself in the profound silence that lies between and underneath all sound,

This same silence that underpins rest.

Envision its subterranean power inside your own being.

Picture this same depth of silence deep in the earth below you,

In space itself above you,

To your right,

In front,

Behind you,

And nestle close to this quality of silence.

This is the silence which awaits you and calls in the stillness that was already yours.

And when you are ready,

Take time to fully exhale slowly through the nose,

To completely empty the lungs,

Empty residue of the past,

Anything stagnant,

Stuck,

Out of date.

Squeeze out the bottom corners of the lungs,

Wait for the inhalation to bubble up,

Allow the lower and upper portions of the lungs to fill from the base of the spine to the top of the chest,

A wider,

Fuller breath than you might normally take,

And hold the breath,

Maybe sip in a little more air before fully releasing the breath,

A cleansing sigh or a smooth release on the sound,

And take one more complete inhalation and exhalation in this way.

Take your time,

Come back to a natural breath,

And invite the body to become a little heavier with each exhale,

As if the bones of the body were becoming denser with each out-breath.

Surrender to gravity,

Allow it to magnetise your body toward the stability of earth,

To ground you for your practice and beyond,

To bring you into soothing,

Restorative presence.

Allow the breath at the abdomen to flow naturally,

Receive the next inhalation into a softening belly,

And notice the breath here,

Or if you prefer,

At the nostrils,

Cooler air on the inhalation,

Warmer on the exhalation,

Or stay with the ballooning out of the abdomen on the inhale and a dropping back on the exhale.

Take time to fully establish a home base for your attending to breath,

The nostrils or the belly.

You can return to this at any time you need throughout this yoga nidra.

Now we come to set a sankalpa.

As Carl Jung said,

Whatever you do,

If you do it sincerely,

It will eventually become a bridge to your wholeness,

A good ship that carries you through the darkness.

Setting a sankalpa brings sincere intention to yoga nidra.

It is the art of asking for your heart to speak.

Draw your attention to the centre of your chest and listen to your heart.

It has its own frequency.

If this is not easy to access,

Trust that over time you can practice listening to your heart,

And if any words that come to you assist in building your sankalpa,

Form the words that come.

Create a phrase of manifestation,

Like a spell of good intent,

As if it's already happened.

The goddess Isis is linked to the word Saku,

Which translates as glorifications,

And through her powerful words,

Isis brought her beloved Osiris to fullness of life in a new form.

Saku is a form of intention,

Affirmation or sankalpa.

The positive language of a Saku describes desirable outcomes as if they are certain to take place.

So like Isis,

We are called to create the speech which directly affects desirable outcomes as we prepare to rest and renew our whole being.

Setting in motion speech is a form of energy work and you might have your own sankalpa which you repeat inwardly three times.

Or perhaps you're building a new sankalpa,

And when you're ready,

State your sankalpa as if what your heart sincerely desires has already happened.

And you might choose to employ something like,

I allow the gifts of loving presence to soothe me,

Heal me and rest me bone deep.

Or I surrender to the radiance of rest and in wholeness invite new beginnings to emerge.

Or I am at rest,

I am peace,

I am refreshed,

I am renewed.

Now at the horizon of the rotation of awareness through the body,

A reminder of the ancient Egyptian word for horizon,

Nakhet,

A feminine word and one used to describe the place where the boundary between the visible and the hidden is located.

Originating from the root Ak,

This power or force operates without any visible connection between cause and effect.

We can harness as well as merge with this potent energy.

This is where we encounter the goddess of rest.

This energy of new life was conveyed to Osiris through Isis's Saku,

Her sankalpa.

This is the energy responsible for manifesting our heart's true desires.

This seemingly impenetrable boundary sits between the spheres of endings and new beginnings.

Think of this as a sunset.

You might like to imagine the golden orb of the sun dropping over the horizon,

The harvesting of the day,

A sense of trust that light will return,

Handing over to greater forces.

This is the boundary at which we now stand as we prepare for the symbolic or actual 12 hours of darkness,

In trust that this trajectory takes us to where we need to be.

Enter the womb of vast darkness,

The space between the stars,

The fertile soil,

The chthonic ancient grid of wisdom available to us.

Call in Isis to stand at your back,

Arms open in a gesture of protection,

To point the way.

She knows that this is the sacred medicine which unifies,

Upgrades,

And renews every cell of the body,

Creating wholeness.

Here,

We re-member ourselves to ourselves,

Limb by limb,

Fragment by fragment,

One tendon at a time.

Gather all parts,

The parts that are hurt,

Sore,

Tired,

Weary,

Weary in grief,

In need of time,

Care,

Tenderness,

And compassion,

And trust your rest to Isis.

Hand it over to her,

She who knows what is to come for all eternity,

She who invokes our well-being,

Ruler of the sky,

Mistress of the earth,

Strong,

Unique,

Benevolent.

Now for the rotation of consciousness,

The first door of the sacred twelve.

To re-establish a sense of wholeness,

We'll trace the journey of the nerves to the brain by drawing awareness around the body,

One part at a time.

Think of this as an internal infantry.

You might notice that some areas are easier to feel,

And this is normal.

Turn up to experience any sensation available,

Including a lack of sensation.

This is the practice,

This practice of scanning the body to cultivate patience,

Presence.

Allow yourself to be just as you find yourself,

To cultivate a depth of awareness.

This is an act of self-love,

Which allows an intimacy of being.

Prepare to bring the gift of awareness to each part of the body as I gently guide you,

Draw your awareness to the very top of your head,

Allow imaginary eyes to open on the inside to knit together nerve endings,

Sinew,

Fascia,

Tendons,

Ligaments,

Bone capsules,

Muscle,

Skin,

And the space which supports and surrounds all aspects,

Setting the scene for the intelligence of the life force within to flow to where it knows it is most needed,

A drawing together of all parts of your being to wholeness,

To reclaim your entire self inside and out.

As we scan the body in this way,

We light up different parts of the brain,

Helping us to relax down a little more and draw towards a hypnagogic state.

This simply means that we drop a little deeper into healing,

Relaxed awareness.

This is the tender caress of the goddess of rest.

Experience the hair on your head as pure presence,

Your scalp sensitive to every follicle,

The centre of the forehead smoothing out,

Widening,

The right ear,

Left ear,

Both ears together,

Right eyeball,

Left eyeball,

Both eyeballs together,

Soft glow of sunset behind each eye,

Dropping back into the quiet of the skull,

Day draws to a close,

The right nostril,

Left nostril,

Both nostrils together,

Cool air,

Warm air,

The tip of the nose,

Top lip,

Bottom lip,

The point where the lips lightly touch,

Jaw,

Bottom jaw,

The hinge of the jaw,

The space between the jaws,

Tip of the tongue,

Centre of the tongue,

Root of the tongue,

Floor of the mouth,

The roof of the mouth,

Taste buds,

Pit of the throat,

The right shoulder,

Elbow,

Wrist,

Right palm,

Back of hand,

Right thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Fourth finger,

Little finger,

The whole of the right arm,

The whole of the right arm,

Left shoulder,

Elbow,

Wrist,

Left palm,

Back of hand,

Left thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Fourth finger,

Little finger,

The whole of the left arm,

The whole of the left arm,

Right chest,

Left chest,

Centre of the chest,

Heart energy,

Alive,

The soft scoop between the floating ribs,

Lower abdomen,

Right hip,

Left hip,

The whole front of the torso,

The root of the spine,

The sacrum,

Back of the right hip,

Whole of the right thigh,

Front and back,

Kneecap,

The hollow in the back of the knee,

Ankle,

Top of foot,

Sole of foot,

Right big toe,

Second,

Third,

Fourth,

Little toe,

The whole of the right leg,

Whole of the right leg,

Back of the left hip,

Whole of the left thigh,

Front and back,

Kneecap,

The hollow in the back of the knee,

Ankle,

Top of foot,

Sole of foot,

Left big toe,

Second,

Third,

Fourth,

Little toe,

The whole of the left leg,

The whole of the left leg,

Both legs together,

Front of the torso,

Back of the torso,

The whole torso,

Right arm,

Left arm,

Both arms together,

Nape of the neck,

Back of the head,

Top of the head,

The whole orb of the head,

Now draw a line from the top of the head to the tips of the toes,

And now from fingertips to the shoulder heads,

Draw the whole body together as one,

Whole body awareness,

Whole body awareness,

Unified,

Complete,

Communicating beautifully with itself,

Bring your attention to the natural breath,

The abdomen ballooning out on the inhale and dropping back on the exhale,

Watch the natural cadence of the breath,

Coming to the phase of counting the breath,

On the exhalation,

Count 12,

Wait for the in-breath to arrive,

And on the next exhalation,

Count 11,

Counting down one breath at a time from 12,

If you reach 0 or lose count,

Start again at 12,

Stepping down one breath at a time,

One count at a time,

Through the 12 gates of rest,

Counting down one breath at a time from 12,

If you reach 0 or lose count,

Start again at 12,

Stepping down one breath at a time,

One count at a time,

Allow the goddess of rest to guide you with each exhalation,

Through the 12 gates of dark healing spaciousness,

Each exhale a deeper inside,

A deeper trust,

A deeper rest,

Pure energy of love flowing through every cell,

Clean fresh energy,

Body at rest,

Anointing each layer of the body with the fragrance of tender awareness,

Caressing the whole body in the radiant glow of protective compassion,

Unified by the goddess of rest,

Drawing closer to her and she to you,

Allow her healing presence to soothe you with her protective power,

Bathe in the luminous presence from beyond the boundary of night and day,

Past the border of the skin,

Inside and outside,

At once,

Fractal network of fascia weaving its path through the deepest layers of body all the way to the skin,

Joining the light grid beyond the skin,

Each thread of the loom intertwining,

And the spaces between the threads,

Every fiber in multi-dimensional expansive relationship,

And the silent buzz of time itself,

Awareness reaching in every direction to intersect with the soft low glow of the full moon's rays,

Radiant light merging with that of the moon,

Become the gloaming vast potent space between this universe and the next,

Timeless,

Nameless,

Storyless,

Unique,

Complete,

Healed,

Whole,

Resourced,

Renewed,

At rest,

Restored,

Deeply,

In trust,

In wholeness,

In wholeness,

In wholeness,

Wholeness,

Notice anything that appears on the rich tapestry of the backs of the eyes,

Soothing darkness,

Colors,

Images,

Inner constellations,

Stay curious,

Allow these gifts to flow to you,

Through you,

Allow all that is rich and healing to flow effortlessly to you,

Within you,

Around you,

Rest in wholeness of being,

Healthy,

Whole,

Complete,

Sleep well,

Dear one,

Sleep well.

Reviews

Wonderful weave of soothing voice and magical words that help navigate oneself towards deeper rest. Thank you so much old friend 🥰