iRest Yoga Nidra
I am a Certified iRest Yoga Nidra Teacher (Level III). IRest Yoga Nidra is a researched-based transformative practice of deep relaxation and meditative inquiry that releases negative emotions and thought patterns, calms the nervous system, and helps the individual develop a deep capacity to meet any and all circumstances that one might encounter in life. Research has shown that iRest yoga nidra is an effective intervention with such challenges as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, and chemical dependency.
Yoga Nidra is a meditative process that has been part of ancient Indian traditions such as Hinduism,Buddhism, and Kashmiri Shaivism. I was first introduced to the practice of Yoga Nidra at the age of 12 by my older sister, who taught me a meditative technique that she referred to as Raja Yoga, and practiced this consistently up to when I attended university, at which time I was introduced to progressive muscle relaxation as an undergraduate psychology student. I noted that the practices were virtually identical, and I learned that the western pioneers of behavior therapy and mind-body medicine, such as Herbert Benson, MD, borrowed from meditative practices.
When I became a practitioner and teacher of hatha yoga, I learned of Yoga Nidra and investigated and borrowed from various resources, such as Swami Satyananda Saraswati's classic text, Yoga Nidra, I readily adapted Yoga Nidra into my clinical practice and with my yoga students. I then learned of the research and teachings of yogi and psychologist Richard Miller, PhD, who reformulated aspects of yoga nidra and termed it integrative restoration, or iRest. I participated in Level I training in 2009, Level II training in 2010, and completed Level III Certification in 2013. Since completing Level I, iRest has been a consistent modality that I use with therapy patients.
I use iRest with psychotherapy clients and yoga/meditation students, both individually and in groups. I will typically formulate an iRest Yoga Nidra session specific to that client's needs, and the session is recorded and provided to the client for practice between sessions. I work with children, adolescents, and adults who present with anxiety, depression, PTSD and other sequelae of trauma, chronic pain, medical conditions, and who are in recovery from addictions.
I am available for both individual and group iRest sessions or classes. If iRest is used as part of a psychotherapy session, then insurance can be applied.
For more general information about iRest Yoga Nidra, go to www.iRest.us.