YOGA TODAY
research studies on iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation, and has been enormously successful in helping those who suf- fer from PTSD, chronic pain and even chemical dependency in his work with the concepts of Yoga Nidra. Suffice to say that Miller is using the ancient methods to help thousands who suffer, and his very accessible practices speak to individuals who are deeply in need of healing. His work has been used in conjunction with other healing modali- ties to help people get themselves back on track and break long held patterns of stress and trauma. Second, and along more traditional lines, is Yogarupa Rod Stryker’s Para Yoga Nidra, which utilizes direct prac- tices from the Tantric tradition, such as the 61 points (Shavayatra) and the 75 breaths (Shithali Karana), to help participants towards that state beyond waking, dreaming and deep sleep. Para Yoga Nidra has five specif- ic goals, and there are five specific practices to reach them. The aims of Para Yoga Nidra are: Healing (mind and body), Cognition, Transforma- tion, Sankalpa (resolve), and Spiritual Awakening. Yogarupa Rod Stryker has delivered these time-tested, traditional teachings with a sophisticated grace, and has designed specific practices for each goal. While he remains dedicated to the original intentions of this practice as set forth in the ancient texts, he has
Yoga Nidra: A Pandemic Survival Strategy ...continued from page 13
also been trained himself by teachers who have experienced the essence of Yoga Nidra itself. In his own words, all the practices are accessible, and each practice will end with you “resting on a cloud of sublime healing, expansion, effortlessness and peace….” There is much to learn from his master train- ings and his certification trainings in Yoga Nidra. Stryker also has numer- ous offerings on other websites, but has just launched his own app, Sanc- tuary, which includes an abundant ar- ray of practices in meditation and Yoga Nidra. You can also access several of his Sanctuary Yoga Nidra practices on YouTube. In Practices of the Himalayan Tradition, Volume 2: Yoga Nidra , by Swami Rama, Rama states: ‘The practice of Yoga Nidra should be done systematically. You start by doing the 61 Point Exercise (Shavayatra), you then do the Shithali Karana Exercise. This is then followed by the actual Yoga Nidra Exercise. Yoga Nidra is conscious sleep. It ex- pands your mind, deepens your intu- ition and magnifies your consciousness. Yoga Nidra is best done before sunrise or around sunset, after your meditation. Allow about 2 to 3 hours after a meal before you begin the practice. …Try to find a place for your practice which is quiet and free from disturbances and
your mental faculties. At the very least, you will experience a sense of prob- ably what could be described in simple terms as ‘deep relaxation’; but in truth, many will attest it is much more. You will touch the aspect of your self that ‘knows’: the part of you that guides you, the part of you that is always and forever aware. Even if you fall asleep, which many do, there is a part of your awareness that will be there. This is why a good Yoga Nidra practice is more than just relaxing. A consistent practice begins to sharpen your intu- ition, and sparks the conversation be- tween you and your ever-present self. The Practice There are many modern adaptations of Yoga Nidra in the Yoga landscape to- day. Most of what is available is good and will give the participant a way to rest the body and the soul deeply. I am quite fond of the following two recom- mendations. First, a very popular and exciting in- terpretation of Yoga Nidra to research is called “iRest”, which stands for In- tegrative Restoration Institute (www. irest.org). Its founder Richard Miller developed “iRest meditation”, and of- fers it along with several products and trainings that anyone can do, who is so inclined. He has conducted landmark
Sleep Harvard Medical blog entitled, “What is Sleep?’” describes it beauti- fully, “Every night, nearly every per- son undergoes a remarkable change: we leave waking consciousness and for hours traverse a landscape of dreams and deep sleep. When we wake, we typically remember little or nothing about the hours that have just passed. Except in rare instances, we never con- template and appreciate that we are sleeping while we are asleep….” Imagine…what would it be like to actually be present when we “traverse the landscape of dreams and deep sleep”? Who is it that goes there? What part of our innermost self would we learn about if we could actually train ourselves to be conscious while in that state of deep sleep? Yoga Nidra is the practice of exploring this unknown as- pect of our being. If this is all just a little too “out there” for you to comprehend, then think of this practice as one of the most user friendly, beneficial ways to nourish yourself on every level: physically, psy- chologically, emotionally and mentally. Through the ancient practices that re- quire no effort, such as the rotation of consciousness, sometimes referred to as the ’61 Points’, you will be training your mind to focus without straining
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