A Sleep Meditation With Rumi - Become The Stars

Welcome,

Dear dreamer,

To this yoga nidra practice for deep unconscious sleep.

This is a journey into profound relaxation where your body releases tension,

Your mind unwinds,

And your awareness drifts effortlessly toward rest.

Yoga nidra,

Or yogic sleep,

Is a state of deep relaxation between wakefulness and sleep.

In this state,

Your nervous system recalibrates,

Your subconscious mind opens,

And the body's natural ability to heal and restore itself is activated.

As you settle in,

Know that you may remain in this deeply relaxed,

Aware state for some time,

Or you may naturally transition into a full night of deep,

Restorative sleep.

There is no effort,

No need to control anything.

Simply allow yourself to be guided and let whatever unfolds be exactly as it needs to be.

Find a comfortable position,

Lying flat on your back.

If needed,

Place a pillow under your head or knees to ensure ease.

Let your arms rest,

Close your eyes,

And take a slow,

Deep breath in and release.

Feel free to adjust as needed.

If you find a position more comfortable for you,

Feel free to find that place of comfort.

Allow yourself to make all the adjustments you need to become more and more comfortable.

If you can find positions that make you even just a little bit more comfortable,

Feel free to make those adjustments.

There is nothing to do,

Nowhere to be.

This time is for you.

To surrender fully to rest,

To let go completely,

And to allow sleep's embrace to carry you effortlessly.

Bring your awareness to the natural weight of your body,

Resting against the surface beneath you.

Feel yourself sinking,

Being held,

Completely supported.

Now,

Turn your attention to your breath.

Simply notice its gentle rhythm.

No need to change it,

Just observe.

Each inhale draws in peace,

And each exhale releases tension.

Feel your body begin to soften and dissolve into the stillness.

Your forehead smooths,

The muscles around your eyes relax,

Your jaw unclenches,

Tongue resting effortlessly,

Your shoulders drop,

Arms becoming weightless,

Your chest rises and falls naturally,

Belly expanding with ease,

Your hips,

Thighs,

Knees completely at rest,

Your feet,

Your toes melting into relaxation.

Take a slow,

Deep breath in,

And as you exhale,

Imagine all tension flowing out of you,

Leaving you light,

Free,

And deeply at ease.

Before we journey deeper,

We'll state our sankalpa,

A heartfelt intention.

This intention is a seed gently placed into the fertile soil of your subconscious.

It is a simple,

Present tense statement,

One that reflects your deepest need in this moment.

It may be,

I sleep deeply and wake refreshed.

My body is healing as I rest.

I surrender to deep,

Effortless sleep.

Allow an intention to arise naturally,

Without force,

Without effort.

Once it forms,

Repeat it silently to yourself three times,

Imprinting it gently within.

And now,

Release it,

Trusting it will unfold effortlessly as you drift into profound stillness.

From this deep state of yoga nidra,

You may choose to rest in awareness for a while,

Or you may drift seamlessly into a deep,

Unconscious sleep.

There is nothing you need to do,

Simply allow and surrender.

And now,

Your journey inward begins.

Let's start by bringing awareness to your right foot.

Feel the toes of your right foot,

One by one,

The big toe,

The second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And little toe.

Feel the sole of your right foot,

The top of the foot,

The heel,

The ankle.

Sense the entire right foot,

Heavy and at ease.

Move your awareness up to your right lower leg.

Feel the shin,

The calf muscle,

The space around the knee.

Notice any sensations or absence of sensations,

Simply observing.

Shift your focus to the right thigh.

Feel the weight of the thigh resting against the surface beneath you.

Sense the quadriceps at the front and the hamstrings at the back.

Soften and release any tension.

Now become aware of your entire right leg.

From the toes to the hip,

Feel it growing heavier as though it is melting into relaxation.

Now shift your awareness to your left foot.

Next,

Bring your attention to each toe,

The big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

And little toe.

Now,

Feel the arch of your foot,

The top,

The heel,

The ankle.

Allow any tension to dissolve.

Move your attention up to the left lower leg,

Sensing the shin and calf.

Feel the space around your ankle,

Around your knee,

Noticing any sensations without judgment.

Continue up to the left thigh,

Feeling the quadriceps at the front and the hamstrings at the back.

Allow the entire left leg to surrender into deep relaxation.

Now,

Bring your awareness to your pelvis.

Feel the hips resting on the surface beneath you.

Sense the lower abdomen,

The sacrum,

And the connection from the pelvis to the legs.

Let the entire pelvic area soften and release.

Move your awareness to your lower back.

Feel the curve of your spine,

The warmth or any sensations present.

Shift to the mid-back,

Noticing how your ribs expand and contract with each breath.

Now,

Bring your attention to your upper back and shoulder blades.

Allow any tightness to dissolve with each exhale.

Now,

Shift awareness to your abdomen.

Notice the rise and fall of your breath,

The gentle movement of your belly.

Feel the space within,

Relaxing with each inhale and exhale.

Bring your attention to your right hand.

Sense the thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

And little finger.

Feel the palm,

The back of the hand,

The wrist.

Move up through the forearm,

Elbow,

And upper arm.

Let the entire right arm become relaxed and heavy.

Now,

Shift to the left hand.

Feel the fingers,

The palm,

The back of the hand,

The wrist.

Sense the thumb,

The index finger,

The middle finger,

The ring finger,

And the little finger.

Move up through the left forearm,

Elbow,

And upper arm.

Allow the entire left arm to relax completely.

Now,

Bring your awareness to your neck and throat.

Sense the front,

Back,

And sides of your throat.

Feel the gentle movement as you breathe.

Move your attention to your face.

Relax the jaw.

Allow the tongue to rest.

Soften the lips,

The cheeks.

Feel the nose,

The space between the eyebrows.

Relax the forehead and scalp.

Sense your entire head resting in deep stillness.

Now,

Become aware of your whole body,

From the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.

Feel the entire body in a state of deep relaxation.

Completely at ease.

Completely present.

Sense your entire body as a whole.

You may feel the presence in your entire body like a subtle energy.

Perhaps a subtle energy field like a light,

Representing your entire body.

Feel this energy.

Recognize that this energy and yourself are one and the same.

Take a few moments to just be this energy.

Bask in its fullness,

In its presence,

In its oneness.

Bring your awareness now to your breath.

That steady rhythm of life that moves effortlessly within you.

Feel the gentle flow of air in and out of your nostrils.

Feel the sensation of the breath and yourself being one and the same.

Feel yourself as the breath.

As that subtle energy that moves throughout your body.

The steady rhythm of life that moves within you.

Feel the gentle flow of air in and out of your nostrils.

Notice perhaps there is a subtle coolness as you inhale.

A faint warmth as you exhale.

There is no need to do anything.

Your breath is perfect just the way it is.

Sense the vastness of the air around you,

Cradling you,

Supporting you.

With each inhale,

It flows toward you.

And with each exhale,

It gently drifts away.

Feel that exchange of breath and energy with your surroundings.

Feel that sense of exchange.

That flow of air and breath between your body and the surroundings.

Blurring the lines between where you and your surroundings begin.

Illustrating your oneness with everything surrounding you.

Like the tide,

The breath flows in and out.

Waves rolling in.

Waves rolling out.

A steady,

Endless rhythm of nature.

Your body deeply resting as you simply witness the organic,

Effortless movement of your breath.

Now,

Begin to count your breath backward from 18.

With the inhale,

Silently whisper to yourself,

18.

And with the exhale,

18.

On the next inhale,

17.

And exhale,

17.

Continue on counting down at your own gentle pace.

If you lose track,

There's no need to begin again.

Simply let go of the numbers and return to the natural flow of your breath.

When you reach zero,

Release all effort completely.

Now,

Breathe freely,

Naturally,

As though your breath is breathing itself.

With your next inhale,

Imagine your body becoming weightless.

Floating effortlessly like a feather lifted by the breeze.

Light,

Spacious,

Drifting on the breath.

With the next exhale,

Feel your body growing heavier.

Sinking deeper into the earth.

The weight of your body increasing.

Your limbs dissolving into relaxation.

Sinking comfortably into the soft surface beneath you.

Each breath pulling you further,

Anchoring you in deep rest.

Inhale,

Lightness.

Floating,

Expanding,

Drifting into spaciousness.

Exhale,

Heaviness.

Sinking,

Settling,

Merging with the stillness beneath you.

Allow this rhythm to continue,

Naturally.

Breath lifting you.

Breath grounding you.

And now,

Release even this awareness.

Let go of all effort.

Let the breath breathe on its own.

Carrying you into deep,

Effortless rest.

You are weightless.

You are supported.

You are free.

Drifting.

Floating.

Sinking.

Sleeping.

Drifting.

Floating.

Sinking.

Drifting.

Sleeping.

Drifting into sleep.

Drifting.

Floating.

Sinking.

Sleeping.

Surrender now.

And let the journey unfold.

Welcome,

Dear traveler,

To a celestial journey through the vast tapestry of the universe.

Interwoven with the timeless wisdom of Rumi.

Find a comfortable position,

Allowing the weight of your body to be fully supported.

Close your eyes.

And begin by taking a deep breath in.

And exhale slowly.

Imagine,

With each breath,

You are drawing in the serenity of the cosmos.

Picture in your mind's eye a vast,

Infinite expanse of twinkling stars.

Deep blues,

Purples,

And hints of green.

This is the universe,

And you are about to embark on a journey through its mysteries.

Guided by Rumi's insights.

Do not be satisfied with the stories that come before you.

Unfold your own myth.

As Rumi once whispered,

So does the universe beckon you to explore its endless wonders.

With that,

Imagine yourself lifting off from Earth.

Soaring higher and higher.

Leaving behind our blue planet and venturing out into the stars.

The Milky Way,

Our home galaxy,

Stretches out before you.

With each passing star,

Let go of any earthly worries.

Any tensions.

Any uncertainties.

Lose yourself.

Lose yourself in this love.

When you lose yourself in this love,

You will find everything.

As you drift deeper into space,

Imagine the galaxies as vast whirlpools of light and energy.

Each one is a dance of stars,

Planets,

And mysteries waiting to be uncovered.

Just as Rumi wrote,

Dance when you're broken open.

Dance in the middle of the fighting.

Dance in your blood.

Dance when you're perfectly free.

So do these galaxies dance in the vast ballroom of the universe.

Now imagine coming upon a cosmic bridge made of pure light.

This is the bridge of understanding.

The link between the known and the unknown.

The bridge to the soul is love,

Rumi whispered.

As you cross this bridge,

Feel a profound connection.

Not only to the universe,

But to your own inner self.

Every star,

Every planet,

Every nebula is a reflection of the wonders within you.

Floating through a nebula,

The birthplace of stars,

Colors swirl around you.

Crimson,

Gold,

Azure.

Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love.

It will not lead you astray.

Trust in this cosmic journey.

Trust in the wisdom of the stars and the path set by your heart.

As you continue,

You approach a black hole.

A place of immense gravity where not even light can escape.

But instead of fear,

You are filled with curiosity and wonder.

Rumi reminds you the wound is the place where the light enters you.

In the darkness,

In the unknown,

There is a chance for growth.

For understanding.

For light.

Drawing away from the black hole,

You find yourself amidst a field of shooting stars.

A meteor shower.

Don't grieve.

Anything you lose comes around in another form.

As these meteors burn bright and then fade,

Be reminded of the impermanence of life and the beauty in every fleeting moment.

Now picture a serene planet with rings of shimmering light,

Much like Saturn.

Circling this planet,

You're reminded of the circles of life.

The connections we share.

And the cycles we all go through.

Don't think of him as a circle.

Think of him as the center of the circle.

In the vastness of space.

In the middle of infinity.

Find your center.

Find your grounding.

The journey continues to the edge of the known universe.

But here,

Instead of an ending,

You find a new beginning.

A gateway to other realms,

Dimensions,

And endless possibilities.

This is love.

To fly towards a secret sky.

To cause a hundred veils to fall each moment.

Let your spirit soar.

Let your soul expand beyond the boundaries of the known.

Now,

As your celestial journey with Rumi begins to draw to a close,

Find yourself gently floating back toward Earth.

Passing galaxies,

Stars,

And the mysteries of the cosmos.

Feel a deep sense of connection.

Not just to the universe,

But to your own inner cosmos.

To the endless wonders within your heart and soul.

Approaching Earth,

Let Rumi's words echo once more.

You were born with wings.

Why prefer to crawl through life?

Even as you drift back to the familiar,

Carry with you the knowledge that within you lies the boundless spirit of the universe.

As you re-enter the atmosphere of the Earth,

Feel the gravity gently pull you back to your resting place.

But remember,

Gravity is not just a force.

It's a gentle embrace,

Reminding you to rest,

To dream,

And to rejuvenate.

Now,

Slowly allow the wonders of space and Rumi's wisdom to envelop you like a warm cosmic blanket.

Guiding you into a deep,

Peaceful sleep.

Dream of galaxies,

Of love,

Of infinite possibilities.

Rest well,

Dear traveler,

Until the next journey.