Healing Shamanic Yoga Nidra For Deep Rest And Sleep

So,

Welcome to this shamanic yoga nidra.

And I don't know how you like to settle in,

But it's useful to be as comfortable as you can,

And to kindly notice your body,

To see if there's any adjustments it might want,

So that it can release any unneeded tension,

And rest from its efforts,

And just enjoy being allowed to experience comfort.

And as you're settling,

And as the body is resting,

Knowing that rest is profoundly counter-cultural,

Counter to dominant culture,

As is connecting to our body kindly,

Sometimes connecting to our body at all.

And I don't know how you like to settle,

And relax,

And rest.

And some people find it useful to remember the feeling of safely relaxing,

For example,

Sinking into a warm bath,

And feeling the warmth surrounding,

Warmth on the skin,

And how the muscles release,

Let go,

Or some other pleasurable sensation,

Sensation of releasing tension.

And however you settle in,

All of you is welcome now.

All,

Every part of you,

Welcome,

Honored,

And accepted without condition.

In this practice,

We remember that our value is not conditional.

We're learning to be healthy human,

And practicing living in right relationship with our body,

With the earth,

And with all the beings with whom we share this home.

So welcome,

And welcome yourself,

And welcome any aspect or part of yourself that could use an extra welcome now,

Offering a warm welcome,

And that every thought,

Every sensation,

Every sound also be welcome as it guides you now,

Deeper into rest.

And so,

Your body is in contact with the surface that you're on.

Maybe you're laying,

You're breathing.

And some people like to enjoy the experience of breathing,

Being aware of the motion of the breath,

The motion of the body,

And the way how with the in-breath,

Everything expands gently,

Each cell gently expanding with the in-breath.

And then with the out-breath,

Everything's settling,

Each cell settling.

Or they feel how each breath is part of a very pleasant breeze,

Slowly blowing over the landscape of the body.

Or they might be aware of the gentle sound of the breath,

Its movement like a wave.

Some experiencing the wave traveling up and down the entire length of the spine.

At the same pace as the breath.

And with the wave,

A ball of energy or soft golden light carried in the wave.

And if you want to,

You can experience the breath like this as well.

You don't have to,

But you're welcome to.

You can.

Aware of the in-breath traveling up the length of spine from sacrum to crown of head.

And then of the out-breath traveling back down at a leisurely pace without effort,

Effortlessly.

So the breath travels up and it settles down,

All at a comfortable pace.

And as you allow that to happen,

It's useful to know that Yoga Nidra is a co-creation.

There's the words you're hearing,

And there's the thinking brain,

And there's a deeper part that's listening and experiencing,

Even when you sleep or fall into a deeper state of relaxation.

So it's useful to keep this wave-like breathing along the length of the spine.

And allowing the out-breath to settle and slow.

So that eventually the out-breath takes a little bit longer than the in-breath.

And sometimes in Nidra,

You are invited to have sensory experiences or to enjoy creative experiences.

Visualizations,

For example.

And they're just options.

There's no right way to experience these.

Some people experience it through seeing,

And others just listen to the words that I'm saying.

While some experience it without needing to see it.

And it's as if they can choose to enjoy exploring a place while also enjoying having their eyes closed.

Tuning into the place,

Sensing it.

Even feeling what it's like in the body.

Or just a sensing,

A knowing.

Feeling the ground beneath their feet.

Exploring it with their hands.

Aware of color,

Temperature,

Smell,

Or even light.

And it doesn't really matter how you experience it.

It's your experience.

You don't have to try it all.

As long as you know you're safe.

And experiencing everything in just the right way.

So you're welcome to experience things visually,

Or just imagine that you are.

You're welcome to just let go.

Enjoy the experience.

Trusting and allowing the deeper mind to do what it knows to do.

And for now though,

Just feel what it's like to be,

To lay,

To breathe.

And as you lay and breathe,

And feel your bones settle more firmly,

Deeply,

Down,

Comfortably,

You might like to allow words of affirmation to nourish you.

And you can speak your own words to yourself.

Or receive the affirmation that I will speak.

And knowing that you can adjust the words I speak,

Keeping the ones that resonate,

Letting go of the ones that don't,

This affirmation and nidra you're enjoying was created for a person with particular identities.

And you may or may not share in those identities.

And so some of the words,

The labels,

May resonate.

But it's also possible that you have words and labels for yourself that feel more true.

And so you can use your own words for you.

You can validate and appreciate the knowing and identity and lived experience of another.

So allowing my words to become your words,

To whatever extent resonates.

The truth is in my bones.

I claim the knowing in words I have found for myself.

Trans,

Autistic,

Queer.

The validation and belonging that is mine.

I trust what my bones know to be true.

I recognize gaslighting and gatekeeping.

And I deserve better.

I recognize myself when others cannot or will not.

And I validate the parts of me that seek validation.

I am autistic.

I am trans.

I am queer.

I am enough.

And I am connected,

Visibly and invisibly,

To the mycelial network of people,

Neurodivergent,

Queer,

Trans.

Mycelial networks connecting me.

Our roots spread across the globe.

We're supported and loved by the earth.

Even in the face of dominant culture,

Seeking to erase,

Oppress,

Gaslight.

Supported and loved by the earth.

Connected.

The truth is in my bones.

And as this affirmation settles in you,

Maybe you already have an intention for this practice of Yoga Nidra.

You don't have to,

But if you do,

You can bring that with you,

Along with your breath.

And it's useful to form intentions in a positive manner,

As if they've already happened.

And your intention could be formed with words,

Or an image,

Or even just a feeling.

If you use words,

You might use the word,

I,

Followed by a verb,

As in,

I embrace every part of myself with loving acceptance.

Or you can use the form,

I am.

However you choose to express it,

Rather than expressing an intention based on shoulds,

Let it be something that your heart wants,

And your mind agrees that this is a good thing.

And if no intention is clear right now,

Then you might use the phrase,

I am enough,

And am supported by the earth.

I am enough,

And am supported by the earth.

I am enough,

And am supported by the earth.

Hold this intention in your mind,

Plant it in your heart,

Trust in your gut that it is carried and assimilated into every cell of your body.

Now,

As your intention is assimilated into every cell,

Trust,

And for this moment,

Let go of all effort,

Of all striving,

Of all work.

Let go,

And prepare to enter into the shamanic realms.

And I'll tell you about the realms in just a moment.

So you're breathing,

And your body moves gently with the breath,

While at the same time it's also still,

And able to rest,

And release,

Sinking down.

And there's a part of you that can witness this,

The part that exists beyond the stories of self,

Beyond thoughts and sensations,

Not to ignore or suppress them,

Not to bypass,

But to witness,

To witness everything with love,

With kindness.

So just witness,

Witness your breathing body,

And as you do,

I'll tell you a little bit about the shamanic realm,

And the animistic worldview upon which it is based.

So in animistic worldviews,

There's an awareness of earth as alive,

An awareness of relationship,

Kinship,

Having kin as a verb,

Meaning right relationship.

And there's an awareness of not just human people,

But also the animal people,

The standing people,

Or the trees,

The plant people,

The stone people,

And so on.

And in this worldview,

We are all kin,

All related in relationship,

And individualism is de-centered,

And people are de-centered,

Both becoming a part of the great relational web of life,

Community of earth,

If you will.

And the plant and the stone people are the oldest,

Without ego,

And the wisest,

Holding memory of all that has happened,

And most compassionate.

And the human people,

We have much to learn from all the other peoples,

Learning how to live in right relationship,

Learning to be human again,

Healthy human.

And whether you experience life in this way or not,

It's something worth thinking about,

Exploring,

And more importantly,

Experiencing.

Now,

The stone people include all the elements that make up the earth,

As well as living beings.

So our body is a community,

And it's not that different from earth.

So you might experience the body now as a landscape.

So the body might be landscape with its mountain peaks and its valleys,

And landscape that's part of and resting on the earth.

Or maybe you experience that there's the earth,

Has landscapes,

Supports mountains and trees and your body.

And so your body rises up from the earth and is connected to the earth at the same time.

Or you might experience this in some other way.

And the witness can notice the community of the body,

And the body can notice as different parts of the body are named.

So beginning with the parts of the body,

Starting on the right side,

Traveling down the right arm to the right hand,

With its thumb,

Fingers,

And palm.

The right arm,

With its lower and upper parts connected by an elbow joint.

And like everywhere in the body,

There's skin,

And bone,

And muscles,

And fluids,

And helpful microorganisms.

And they're all connected to the torso by a shoulder joint.

And traveling down the right side of torso,

Finding it connected at the bottom via hip joint to the right leg.

Again with upper and lower parts connected by the knee.

And the right foot,

Which is connected to the rest of the leg by the ankle joint.

And then on the left side,

There's the left hand,

With thumb,

Fingers,

And palm.

Left arm,

With its lower and upper parts connected by an elbow joint.

And also connected to the torso by a shoulder joint.

And traveling down the left side of torso,

Finding it connected at the bottom via hip joint to the left leg.

Again with upper and lower parts connected by the knee.

And the left foot,

Which is connected to the rest of the leg by the ankle joint.

And then there's the head,

With eyes,

Ears,

Nose,

Mouth,

All connected to the torso by the neck.

And the torso has an upper region,

A chest,

Middle region with diaphragm at the bottom of the ribcage and belly.

And the lower region with lower abdomen,

Genitals.

And between the head and the torso runs the spine and the nervous system.

And in the torso there's a digestive system,

A respiratory system with lungs,

A cardiovascular system with heart.

And both hearts and lungs are protected by the bones of the ribcage.

And then there's organs and systems working together,

Connected throughout the whole community of the body in mutually beneficial,

Mutually coordinated ways.

So for example,

Transporting fluids and oxygen and nutrients throughout the body to every cell in the body,

While at the same time carrying unneeded materials back out and away from the cells.

And it's amazing that there's something like 30 trillion cells in the human body,

And even more bacterial cells,

So something like 38 trillion.

And there's a hundred times the bacterial genes compared to the number of human genes.

And in the digestive system,

Food is processed.

And there's a deep,

Deep intimacy with the world through this system,

As it provides a gateway through which we take in food,

Such as plants,

Whose roots and leaves themselves have absorbed nutrients and energy from the soil,

Rain,

Sun.

And then it's broken down into nutrients,

Which are absorbed,

Stored,

Or used in the body.

And a critical part of this system is the community of up to 100,

000 billion microorganisms that live in our guts in mutually beneficial relationship,

Supporting food processing,

Vitamin and hormone production,

Mood regulation,

Inflammation regulation,

And more.

And through the respiratory system,

We take in air so oxygen can be absorbed into every cell of the body,

And we release,

Let go,

Carbon dioxide back out.

And this air we breathe now is breathed by the plants and the trees who make use of our waste products,

Generate the oxygen we need.

And the same air we breathe is,

Has been,

Will be breathed by plants,

Trees,

Animals,

And humans.

So mutually beneficial relationships.

And so all of this points to the fact that we are not isolated individuals,

That there's no self-made individual,

That we are in relationship,

Mutually supporting relationships,

Connection with our kin,

The earth.

Each other.

So awareness now of the community of the body.

Arms,

Legs,

Head,

Torso,

Skin,

Bones,

All the systems,

The constant exchange with earth,

The community of our bodies,

The community of the body.

Continually supporting and offering mutual care,

Resting here,

Breathing,

Resting,

Supported by the earth.

You may have a place in nature that you've enjoyed.

Remember a place in nature that you enjoy,

That you have enjoyed,

A place in nature you've been to or seen.

And in a moment,

You're gonna pass through this place into the completely safe shamanic realm,

Which I'll tell you about first.

It's known as the lower world,

And it's a safe place,

A realm of nature as it was meant to be,

Nature as it existed,

Untouched,

Long before humans,

Beautiful,

Undomesticated,

Untarnished.

And so it's completely safe,

And what we'll do is in a moment,

You'll pass through this nature place that you remember,

You enjoy,

And you'll pass through it,

Maybe through a tunnel,

Or just the feeling of passing through,

Or maybe it'll just happen without even being aware of it.

And you'll find yourself emerging into your experience of the lower world.

So as you remember this place in nature that you enjoy,

You may see that there's an entrance through which you can pleasantly travel downward for a while.

And if you don't see an entrance,

You can imagine an entrance,

You could create it however you like.

Or you might just find yourself passing down through the area into a tunnel,

Which you follow downward for a while,

Or some other way.

And however you go down,

Downward,

You will become aware of the passage opening,

A light at the end of the tunnel,

The passage opening into the safe nature realm of the lower world.

And at first you may or may not see anything,

But whatever landscape,

Whatever stones,

Plants,

Trees,

Or animals you might see,

Remember that they are all alive,

And here there is only nature,

And only in its kindest,

Wisest representation.

Everything is alive and well-intentioned.

And so now you can use your senses to notice and feel what it's like to be down here.

And if you close your eyes,

How does it feel in your body?

What do you know about what surrounds you?

What smells or sounds are there?

How does the ground feel if you touch it with your hand?

What is the quality of light or color like?

And experiencing these things however you like,

And as you explore and experience this place,

You'll notice that there's trees nearby.

And you may notice them from farther away or closer by.

You could stay where you are,

Or you could move closer.

And you'll notice that one particular tree feels extra comfortable to be around,

That you would like to be close to it.

And so you can approach it,

You can find a way to be in contact with it.

And there's many ways,

No right way to do this.

You might lay down under its branches,

Feeling how the tension in your body lessens.

Or you might notice its roots and ask if it would be okay if you could become one of the roots for just a little while.

And feeling what it's like to descend into the cool ground.

Feeling the support of nearby tree roots,

Connected by the mycelial network.

What it's like to not have to do anything,

And to just be,

To receive the nutrients being absorbed from the soil.

Or you might climb up the tree and lay in its branches,

Feeling the support of the tree,

Letting go of all muscle tension.

Or even feeling,

After asking permission of course,

Feeling what it's like to be a leaf,

Gently rustling in the wind.

Connected to the tree,

Noticing what that's like,

While gently being able to sway in the wind as you're held.

And however you explore and connect to the tree,

Whatever your experience is,

Your experience of the tree,

Being free to just let go and rest,

And feel how the body surrenders its holding to the tree.

How the body is held by the tree,

And so the breath deepens,

The muscles soften,

The bones settle.

Deep ease,

Deep rest,

Deeper now.

And you can experience this for as long as you like,

Even as my words move on.

Even as you experience the sound and the feel of the wind as it picks up,

Feeling how it brushes across you,

How it moves more and more of the leaves,

And as the leaves sway in the wind and you feel the breeze,

You notice that there's a leaf that's just about to let go from the tree,

Just about to surrender and let go.

And you know this has something to teach you.

And so as the leaf prepares to let go,

You know that you can witness it,

Or if you want,

You could ride safely on the curling surface of the leaf.

Or you could even ask if you can become the leaf and experience all the things that it will on its journey.

Experiencing the sensation as the leaf releases from the tree and in that moment is met by the wind and held up and carried on the wind,

Held by the wind.

And as you're held,

Feeling so safe,

And the wind picks up,

And you rise higher and higher,

Carried by the wind away from the trees,

Experiencing so many things,

Things that inspire and move,

And the feeling of being held through it all brings such a deep feeling of trust and ease.

And as your attention is drawn to the landscape,

Noticing mountains,

Moving closer and closer,

And as you travel carried higher towards the mountains,

Towards a ledge,

An edge,

A mountain pass,

Space between two mountains,

And with a little gust of wind,

Gently alighting,

Landing on the mountain pass,

And seeing behind you the distance you've traveled,

Appreciating the journey you've made.

And rugged terrain surrounds you to your left and your right,

And in front of you a beautiful orange and red light from the sun.

And there's enough time to just be here and deeply enjoy and marvel at the colors and the terrain.

And as you enjoy,

There's a little gust of wind that picks you up again gently and carries you over the edge,

And as your vision is filled with orange and red and many other beautiful colors,

And it fills you with wonder at the beauty of life,

Of this moment,

And there's the sensation of floating effortlessly,

Gently,

Downward.

And as you do,

The golden orange and red that you see,

You realize that it's also reflecting off the surface of an ocean that you're moving closer and closer towards.

And as you get closer,

There comes a moment when you gently alight on the surface of the water,

And the leaf is floating on the surface of the water,

And in the feeling of bobbing gently on the surface of the water,

Up and down,

Up and down,

It surprises you to realize just how pleasant this is,

And just how much more surrender is possible.

And all around you are the beautiful,

Vibrant colors,

And everything about the experience allows your body to soften more and more,

More than you ever thought was possible.

And as it softens and you float,

The leaf floats and begins to dip gently beneath the surface of the water,

And as it does each time,

You can still see the beautiful colors.

While at the same time,

Noticing even more beauty beneath the surface,

And it's just so beautiful,

And so alive,

And it's so nice that there's nothing to do except enjoy the moment.

However it is.

And as you feel the water soothing,

Surrounding,

And holding you,

You begin to see more and more the vibrant life,

The kelp swaying gently in the currents.

Schools of vibrant,

Colorful fish swimming back and forth,

Or around,

And swirling plants,

And places of shelter and calm,

And so many things you could explore or interact with,

Or just rest.

More deeply here for a while,

And it feels so good to just enjoy the life that's here,

And to feel your connection with all of it.

And when you've enjoyed the moment for as long as you'd like,

You notice that you've sunk more deeply into an ocean current,

And as you sink more deeply,

It carries you along further.

And deeper,

Through the ocean,

And as you enjoy this new experience,

It's nice to see you're not alone.

And that all around you are beautiful turtles,

Gentle giants,

And you love to see just how they relax and play in the stream as they're carried.

And it reminds me of a story that I heard once from a friend of a friend about a person who saw giant sea turtles and was so amazed.

They loved not only the colors of the turtles,

But the sense of ease and peace,

And also the solidity of their shells.

And this friend of a friend said that all they wanted was to lay on the shell,

Feeling their belly on the shell as their body could release and be carried.

And I remember,

As I heard the story,

That I felt in my body the way my body released,

And how comforting it was to be so in contact with this living being.

And this deep sense of rest and being a part of nature,

And in relationship with it all.

And as you rest in the connected flow of life,

And you notice that you're carried deeper and deeper to rest,

It's like you barely notice the gradual,

Gentle sensation of ever so gently and slowly gliding onto the shore with a wave,

And feeling so comfortable on this bed of sand that's just the right temperature,

Just the right feeling.

And the sound of the waves is so soothing,

And it's so nice how the waves have no worries,

And it's so nice how they too surrender to the flow of life,

To the pull of the moon,

And how they're shaped by the land that could be seen as an obstacle,

But it's what gives them their shape,

And how they contain life,

And they're so beautiful,

So powerful,

And their voice is strong.

And they're coming and going,

The sound of the waves reminds you of the sound of your breath,

And how your breath is like a wave.

And as you lay,

You can just enjoy how good it feels being in this moment,

Surrendered to the flow of life in a life-giving way,

A choiceful way,

With agency,

Knowing that the earth is beneath you,

Feeling the earth holding you,

Kindly supporting and loving you.

And far above you are the stars,

And this vastness,

And it's so vast,

And all of it interconnected,

All of it in relationship,

It's made of energy,

And it's like this vast ocean,

Energy mass vibrating at different speeds,

And as it does,

It creates forms,

And the forms are like the waves of the ocean.

One ocean,

Many waves,

And it's so amazing to be aware of the ocean and the wave,

The individual and the oneness,

The interdependence,

The relationality,

The community that forms all there is.

And it's such a gift to be part of this community,

Learning from all the other peoples how to be healthy human.

And you can enjoy resting in this connection and oneness for as long as you want,

Or you can feel what it's like to just be a being who's being,

And at the same time,

Being in relationship with all the other beings,

The other peoples,

Or maybe feeling what it's like,

The oneness,

And being a part of the oneness.

And however you experience,

However you rest and breathe,

You are enough,

Supported by the earth,

Connected to all of this life.

And it feels so easeful,

The way a nap or a deep sleep can feel so good.

And know that you can visit any of these places,

These beings you've experienced in this practice,

Whenever you like.

You can listen to this recording over and over again,

Or as you drift to sleep,

You can remember the feel of the breeze,

The sound of the leaves,

The trees,

And the leaf that let go,

Was carried by the wind.

And just like the leaf,

You too are carried and able to surrender,

Experiencing all the beauty and rest that's available.

And whether you continue to rest and sleep more deeply,

Or just float gently into a more peaceful sleep,

Feeling the breath,

Soothing the body,

Awareness drifting,

You're ready for all that you're welcoming into your life.

Enjoy knowing the truth that's in your bones,

Experiencing the community of your body,

And the support of the earth,

And what it's like to rest here,

To allow the last tension from the body to release,

And feeling it drift away,

Feeling all the cells breathe a sigh of relief and awareness,

Closing its eyes,

Closing its eyes,

So that the body,

And the mind,

And the witness,

Awareness,

Can sleep deeply,

Rest well.