Yoga Nidra is the only known way to rest the unconscious mind. It is a state of conscious sleep in which a person is both alert and deeply relaxed on a physical, nervous system, mental and emotional level.
We store trauma in our body, in our unconscious, because it was too uncomfortable and overwhelming to stay present with it at the time. Trauma disconnects us from ourselves and our sense of wholeness. Yoga nidra can be a practice that brings us back.
Photo credit: Jerry Katz
For thousands of years, meditation masters have used the methods of sleepless sleep (Yoga Nidra) to learn the secrets of the Self, to discover depths of sciences and arts, and to rejuvenate and heal themselves.
This is for you if shavasana is your favorite part of yoga class, if you are tired and want an effective rejuvenation practice, and if you want to relax and access deep stillness in your mind.
Our consciousness during yoga nidra functions at a deep level which increases the capacity of the mind. In this state, we improve our power of focus, connect with our higher Self, and increase well being. It becomes easier to access our intuition to make decisions, find answers to philosophical questions, learn, and to maintain a positive state of mind. Reducing stress through yoga nidra supports and improves physical and mental health.
In yoga nidra, we reach delta waves of deep non-REM sleep while simultaneously remaining fully conscious. We discover how to get the deep rest we need each day while reducing our need for sleep. The quality of rest we experience in yoga nidra is completely different from ordinary sleep.
Practices conducive to entering the deep brainwave state of yoga nidra
Blue star 61 points of light
Stillness in the 5 koshas (layers or sheaths)
Sweeping breath
Movement then into stillness in the heart chakra
Meditation on a still lake in the moonlight
Cave of the heart meditation
Witnessing awareness
We teach what we know to the depth we have experienced. Through our own deepening experience of yoga nidra, we offer students focused guided practice and attuning with the stillness of our own energy field.
You will enjoy this whether you are a student who wants to learn more and deepen into stillness, or a teacher who wants to bring this into your classes.
This is not a demanding 6 week course. This is an opportunity to learn, practice and rest into stillness.
COURSE COMPONENTS
Education: what is yoga nidra; brain wave states; recent research; prosody; regulating the nervous system, disconnection from body, fight/flight/freeze; how trauma affects the brain and access to deeper states of consciousness.
Practice: live guided practice during class; class and practice recordings; transcripts.
Homework: daily experience of the yoga nidra practice of the week
Teaching: trauma-informed safety; guiding students from the beginning centering practice through asana to set up optimal conditions for a deep experience of yoga nidra in closing shavasana; short experiences of yoga nidra in other settings like school or workplace; enhance the client experience if you are a massage therapist or other healer; when teaching breathing, relaxation and healing to the public.
Sharing and questions: during class and in my weekly Q&A Thursdays at 4PM Eastern
(ALL CLASSES LIVE ON ZOOM WITH VIDEO REPLAYS FOR ALL SESSIONS)
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Practice: Awareness of stillness in the 5 koshas (sheaths or layers)
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Practice: Direct perception without thought, awareness of Being
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Practice: Sweeping Breath
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Practice: Blue Star 61 points
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Practice: Yoga nidra in the Ajna, Vishuddhi and Anahata chakras (eyebrow, throat, heart)
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Practice: Yoga nidra in the cave of the heart
ABOUT LYNN
Lynn Fraser brings the depth of twenty five years experience teaching meditation and yoga. She specializes in holding a safe, trusted space for healing trauma in her online groups and classes. Lynn lives near family, ocean and forest in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Lynn is a senior teacher in the Himalayan Yoga Meditation tradition and founder of the Stillpoint Method of Healing Trauma.