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Image by József Szabó

Yoga Nidra
meditation
(brief stretch & massage- time permitting)
1:1
with Julie

What is Yoga Nidra?

  • Also known as The Yoga Of Sleep, yoga nidra supports ancient yogic practices that were designed to elicit a sense of peace, wholeness, and balance within.  

  • More ways to describe Yoga Nidra:  Guided relaxation; Guided restoration of body and mind.

  • Yoga Nidra involves tools that fall within the eight-limbed path of Raja Yoga combined to bring us on a journey through the many layers of the body toward a deep sense of wholeness and realization of our true self.  

  • Yoga Nidra is practiced in a relaxed position (reclined back or lying down in savasana).  If you tend to snore - a modified savasana (with your head,neck, & torso slightly raised) might be preferred. 

  • This type of yogic meditation works on the central nervous system and assists the body in relaxing from the inside out.  

    • How do we fully relax the central nervous system? by moving through our  subtle energy bodies from the outside inward​

    • These layers are known as the Panchamaya Kosha System:

      • Annamaya kosha - physical body

      • Pranamaya kosha - energy body

      • Manomaya kosha - mental body

      • Vinjnanamaya kosha - intellectual body

      • Anandamaya kosha - bliss body

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What should I expect from a 1:1  Yoga Nidra session with Julie? 

  • The first thing we will do after we greet each other is to gently prepare your physical body by practicing one to three gentle stretches to loosen up tight areas that might become uncomfortable during the meditation.  In Yoga Nidra, once you assume the relaxed position for meditation, it is important to try to remain in that position for the entire meditation.  It is  this reason we will first perform gentle stretches.  

  • We will take between 5-10 more minutes and prepare your body & mind even more with either a scalp and neck massage (over the clothes without massage oil) OR a very short vibration sound massage using weighted tuning forks &/or metal bowls (time permitting - please come in @ least 5 minutes before your start time).

  • Next Julie will guide you into the most relaxed and comfortable position for your Yoga NIdra meditation.  You can try a savasana position or a modified version with your legs elevated on a wedge pillow or reclined up slightly (or both).  The link above does not show the legs elevated on a wedge pillow, however, it is very comfortable (in my most humble opinion).

  • Once a comfortable position is found and attained, you can close you eyes and relax as Julie reads a yoga nidra script (most will be modified versions of more experienced Yoga Nidra teachers). Your only job is to follow along as Julie speaks softly to you, lulling you into that "in between" hypnagogic state of being. This is not Hypnosis ... rather you will travel to a state of hypnagogia (neither asleep nor awake).  It is here where your body, mind, and spirit are able to fully relax and "just be".  

  • Per Healthline.com "Hypnagogia is the transition between wakefulness and sleep".  "During Hypnogogia, people can still hear sounds, even though they aren't entirely conscious".  This is why even if you feel like you've fallen asleep during our session, your mind will still be listening and hearing the meditation.  

  • Lastly, when the meditation portion of our session is over, we will perform a couple seated stretches to ground you fully into the present moment so that you are able to drive home feeling alert yet relaxed and rejuvinated from your experience.

  • TITLES  of Yoga Nidra meditations currently offered (more will be added as this service becomes more popular):  â€‹

    • Journey to a Place Called Peace (35-40 minute meditation, the rest is stretch, vibration &/0r scalp neck massage)​

    • Chakra Immersion for True Joy: Travel through the crystal caves of each chakra (35-40 minute meditation, the rest is stretch, vibration &/0r scalp neck massage)

    • Clear Away Tensions with the Sweeping Breath ( 20-25 minute meditation,the rest is stretch, vibration &/0r scalp neck massage) 

 

 

 

Possible BENEFITS OF PRACTICING YOGA NIDRA

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  • Helps manage stress and/or anxieties by down-regulating the nervous system​

  • Improved sleep

  • Increased stamina throughout the day

  • Increased focus, creativity, productivity

  • Increased receptivity

  • Gives you the time  to "practice" resting

  • Assists us in becoming more aware on multiple levels (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually)

  • Spiritual benefit of coming to a realization that you are whole through experiencing each body part separately, then together ... by fully experiencing our breath and each of our senses

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Click on the images below for a brief description

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FAQ: 

(These are according to the training I took with Scott Moore; E - RYT 500, RYS, YACEP Senior Teacher)

  • What if I fall asleep?  It's ok if you fall asleep - there is no judgement in Yoga Nidra.  We are trying to achieve a state of relaxed alertness.  Sleep will inevitably happen sometimes.  The part of the mind the facilitator is speaking to is always hearing  what is being said and is paying attention.

  • What is the difference between Hypnosis and Yoga Nidra?   Both Yoga Nidra and Hypnosis work on relaxing the body, calming the rigid, rational thinking mind. 

    • Hypnosis works toward a HEALING end to access the subconscious  mind in order to REWRITE OLD PATTERNING.  It shuts down parts of the brain in order to gain control of other parts.

    • Yoga Nidra stimulates both halves of the brain.  It has the aim of  teaching us to identify as AWARENESS by noticing all the things you can be aware of.  It uses a specific layering technique to tune into this AWARENESS with the purpose of helping us to truly know ourselves.  According to (Kaminidesai.com) "Yoga Nidra works with & through limitations in order to experience what is beyond them, while hypnosis often works with the limitations themselves". 

  • I can't meditate.  My mind wanders too much and I just can't do it.  Why should I try Yoga Nidra?  Each time you become aware that your mind is wandering - you are growing in your ability to meditate.  It is totally natural for every one of us to have a wandering mind, a busy mind, and have days where we "just can't sit still in silence and concentrate in order to meditate".  The trick is to become aware of the thought, sensation, or whatever is distracting you.  Once you become aware of it, you can sit for a moment with  it, accept that your mind has wandered, then either return back to the guidance of whomever is facilitating the meditation OR the sensation of the breath as it enters and exits your nostrils.  You are not doing anything wrong ... instead are doing everything right ... noticing that your mind is traveling all over the place is a practice in awareness and meditation.  The more you practice it every day, the more you will be able to sit (or recline) and tolerate it.  There is  NO SUCH THING AS FAILURE in Yoga Nidra and meditation.  

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