Lifelong learning and yoga nidra training on safety

I love learning.   It is one of my super powers.  I am always reading, listening to podcasts, videos and films, and absorbing new things.  

As a yoga teacher, I see it as my joy, job and professional responsibility to keep expanding my knowledge.  Also as a yoga student, it deepens my own practice.  They go hand in hand, of course.  

Several months ago I came across the Yoga Therapy Institute (based in the Netherlands) and their offering of a weekend module on Safety in Yoga Nidra and Relaxation for Yoga Therapy.  The title alone intrigued me, particularly since I am trained in trauma-informed yoga practices and am a survivor myself.  I signed up and recently completed the training, an intensive two days of lecture with Montserrat Mukherjee and Suze Retera.  

There were MANY takeaways, more than I will blog about, but safe to say that my learnings will inform how I offer nidra to my students.

One of the big takeaways is that yoga nidra isn't for everyone, even though it is billed and promoted as such.   They discussed the physical contraindications and some strategies to use.  For example, for folks with diabetes, the blood sugar can drop during yoga nidra, so it's important to be aware of this risk and be prepared.  Montserrat shared a story of a student who's blood sugar dropped and how they had to find some sugary food right away after nidra to address this.  So she recommends that all students have a beverage and snack for their post nidra period, to help them ground and balance blood sugar levels.  Luckily I already encourage my students to have a beverage nearby for post nidra, and I will now encourage folks to have a snack available too.

Another is that having a sankalpa is not necessary (I often see this in Uma Dunsmore Tuli's nidras, and Montserrat was trained by Uma).  It can stress folks out to figure out a sankalpa, and it's not necessary for a nidra experience.  Yet another is that as yoga therapists they believe in short nidras, 30 minutes or less.  After that we enter the deep sleep state, and it's not rejuvenating to be woken up from that state.

Want to experience more?  I will be offering a yoga nidra and distance reiki series online via The Bhakti Yoga Movement Center on September 12.  Come experience deep rest and see for yourself.  

Summer recharge nidra series

 I love summer.  The weather, being outside, the foods of summer, everything.  But it can be a hectic time of the year...long days full of activity, full sun.  Then throw in COVID and all that the pandemic brings.  We need to hit the pause button on it all.  

I created a 4 week nidra series to allow a time to recharge and go within to rest.  

Each week the nidra reflects a different summer landscape.  The beach, forest, river and lush garden.  All the things I love about Pacific NW summers actually.  

I will be sharing recommendations for incorporating plants and crystals into nidras as well, and we always start with an anointing practice to arrive.  I love all the senses to be involved....really embody the experience.

Yoga nidra and reiki - a potent combination

I wrapped up my third yoga nidra series with the Bhakti Yoga Movement Center recently, and this time I created a series that combined the power of yoga nidra and distance reiki - a healing and powerful combination.  

This was a first for me to offer distance reiki in this way, and I loved it (so did my students).  Each week we came together to rest in nidra, to journal and receive the healing energy of reiki.  

Here are some testimonials from some students: 

"Rita is a steady and grounded guide. Her voice and rhythm set a pace and tone that helps support deep quiet and rest. Thank you Rita. "Danielle

"Taking this 4 week course helped me to incorporate the feeling of rest and mind/body connection into my life more deeply. I find I can access my sense of peace more easily now. I really appreciate learning about and discussing the precepts of Reiki. They are really helpful and I find repeating them to myself when I feel overwhelmed is so helpful. "Just for today...""

"A major part of what made the experience so positive to me was being in the space that Rita created. It was safe and caring and Rita's open heart made the experience welcoming and positive."

I will be offering another series in July, so please follow @thebhaktiyogamovement center for details on that series in late June/early July.  You can take it from the comfort of your home anywhere in the world!

Some feedback from my students

Being able to offer yoga and then yoga nidra to my community, the Latino community, in the midst of a global pandemic was absolutely one of the "gifts" of the pandemic.  I stretched myself as a teacher, learning to hold space and teach online, as well as teaching myself how to offer yoga nidra.  I built community and offered a healing space, free of charge, to Latina community health workers.  

Here is some feedback from a couple of my students, translated from Spanish to English. 

The first testimonial is from a student was terribly impacted by the pandemic, as they lost multiple family members to COVID-19.  

"I want to thank you for all your time in offering yoga. I learned many beautiful things with you, being introduced to yoga, as I have told you, I had never done it before.  I liked doing it with you, especially yoga nidra.  I am in love with your angelic voice that brought much peace to my life.  God put you in my path to heal my soul from so much pain that I carried with me from the past months.  Little by little I have some peace in my soul.  You have changed my life with yoga nidra.  Many thanks"

Another student shared, "I learned that the practice of yoga nidra helps me sleep with tranquility and rest.  It is very relaxing and my favorite practice."

Yoga nidra amid a big life transition

I am in the final stages of the Daring to Rest Facilitator training, which I have completed (almost) in the midst of a huge life transition, moving to Oaxaca, Mexico.  This transition was one of the most challenging, liberating and stressful things I have ever done.  Having yoga nidra as my daily companion has been a much needed balm to my soul, nervous system and body.  All the koshas! 

All the while I have continued to offer my weekly online Spanish yoga classes to community health workers, and the yoga nidra that I offer in the class has evolved with my weekly learnings.  Feedback from my students has been gratifying, and I will be sharing some of those comments here on the blog.  

My yoga nidra dream is to expand my nidra offerings, online and someday in person, when the COVID pandemic goes away (and we settle more into our new home).  

If you are interested in one on one sessions online, please email me at ritaj65@yahoo.com.

Daring to rest journey begins today

I came upon yoga nidra about 12 years ago at a yoga studio in my neighborhood.  I was immediately captivated by the profound relaxation I experienced, like nothing else I had done before. 

Now I am embarking on this yoga nidra journey with Daring to Rest, a program created by Karen Brody.   Her sleep mentor Dr. Naiman is also co-teaching many of the lectures, and I am already blown away by the wisdom and heart they bring to this healing work.

I will use my blog to share what I learn along the way, starting out with some links to articles by Dr. Naiman: "Falling for Sleep." and "In Exile from the Dreamscape."

Somatic meditation, awakening the body

During yoga teacher training I learned MANY things.  One is that I really prefer somatic meditation.  I already knew this before teacher training, but I learned the language around different meditation styles in more depth.  A few months ago I had the opportunity to take a virtual course on somatic mediation with Dr. Reggie Ray, based on his fantastic book Awakening the Body.  

I had first heard of him via a Sounds True audiobook, and I found his voice and approach captivating.  I jumped at the chance to take a course with him, even if it had to happen virtually.  

I don't think I realized how very ancient the somatic approach to meditation and spirituality is, and Dr. Ray explained the Buddhist lineage that this type of meditation comes from...which I find fascinating, history and religion geek that I am. To give you the briefest summary, the soma is the pathway to enlightenment or awakening.  

This runs quite contrary to my own spiritual tradition of Christianity, where the body is generally viewed as a barrier and full of sin.  It is all about the spirit and transcending the body.  Nonetheless I am really intrigued about the somatic approach to meditation and spirituality.  

So much to learn....more in future posts.