I have been boarded in Sleep Medicine for 29 years and an ordained InterSpiritual minister for 17 yrs., and finally get to marry these vocations, which should never have been separated in the first place. So, this conjunction really excites me!
Through my exploration of Bon Buddhism, the Spiritual tradition of Tibet (for 18,000 years) and prior to Buddhism’s arrival, I have recognized more deeply than ever before this connection between our wake (spiritual) activities and our Sleep (spiritual) activities. As taught by my teacher, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, there’s is a continuum of consciousness, not two distinct states as our science, and our cultures, have taught us. What we do during the day affects and is mirrored by what happens during our sleep and dreams at night, and how we experience our sleep and dreams directly impact our daytime function. So, improving our meditation/prayer breaks during daytime and preparing for sleep in a sacred manner reciprocally impact each other.
The seeker is asked to raise their level of awareness and connection to the Divine, in essence 24/7. This is a very different approach than Westerners typically live, but the rewards are great. Research has shown that there is an overall increase in mindfulness, peace, compassion and altruism in practitioners. In fact, the ability to maintain awareness through all states, even a little, is directly correlated with and reflective of spiritual growth. In today’s world of ever-increasing intensity and information overload, the witness becomes a survival technique. The practices that follow provide a way to thrive amidst the chaos.
Far too often we struggle with sleep instead of recognizing the sacredness of this process. By creating a sacred sleep environment, preparing for sleep as a spiritual process prior to bedtime and changing our approach to the inevitable awakenings during the night we can enjoy a deepening of sleep and an extension of our spiritual life. This class will guide you to bring Spirit into this much misunderstood or ignored aspect of our lives.
Brief Outline of this 4 session workshop:
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| What you’ll practice / experience (i.e. rituals/activities): |
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| What you’ll integrate/take away/take action on after: |
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This 4-class workshop will proceed generally as described in the following table:
| Class | Session Title | Session Description | Rituals/Practices |
| 1 | What is Sacred Sleep? What can I do tonight? | Setting up the night by transforming your bedroom into a “temple” | Preparing for sleep as a sacred practice meditation To-Do list to reduce mind noise |
| 2 | What do I do when I can’t fall asleep or I wake up in the middle of the night? | Bringing Spirit into the sleep/wake process. | Sacred Sleep Nighttime Prayer/Meditation Practice |
| 3 | Sacred Sleep Daytime practices | What does my daytime spiritual practice have to do with my ability to sleep? | Notice when activated during day Record dreams and review as a reflection of those daytime events |
| 4 | Putting it all together-or sacred living | Recognizing that nocturnal activities are interactive with daytime events. | Taking time each day to do a brief meditation/prayer/nature walk |
January 20, 2026— Sign Up Today!
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Rev. Dr. Ed O’Malley
An integrative sleep specialist trained at Cornell Univ Grad Sch of Medical Sciences and NYU Sleep Disorders Center in NYC. He ran the Norwalk Hospital (teaching hospital of Yale) for 12 years, training resident physicians in sleep medicine and creating the first Insomnia Center in the region. Dr. O’Malley has published sleep medicine clinical research papers in peer-reviewed journals, several book chapters and has been Principal Investigator on a number of Clinical Trials. He currently is in private practice, offers sleep education webinars through his educational company Your Optimal Nature, and is the invited sleep specialist on the monthly Night Club Community Podcast Ask the Sleep Doctor. Rev Ed holds Advanced Certification in Bio- and Neurofeedback, and Nature Awareness Training.
In 2006 Dr. Ed was called to enter 1Spirit seminary and was ordained in 2008. He joined the faculty of the 1Spirit Interspiritual Counseling Program (ISC) and in 2020 was invited to re-envision the ISC program. Together with two colleagues he created and now co-facilitates the Interspiritual Companioning & Counseling Program.
During the pandemic he returned to his earlier Buddhist studies via Bon Buddhism, Tibet's oldest spiritual tradition. It brings together a view and practice that grew from its shamanic tantric roots into a full-fledged Dzogchen path. One of the six paths he is drawn most to is Sleep, Dream, and Bardo Yoga. Ed takes a broad approach to sleep and wellness, moving easily between the technological, natural and spiritual worlds. Ed guides clients to slow down, becoming mindful of what really matters.