The basic template for the session (which is always in process)

• 10:00 - 10:15 Personal Welcoming Time (your own warm-up time)
• 10:15 'Being Together'
• Feeling into the body for the state of steadiness and ease (YS II:46)
• Breathing
• Chanting Patanjali Yoga Sutra (YS I:1-4)
• 10:30 Satsanga- the wisdom teachings (hand-out)
• 10:50 Prepare for Yoga Nidra
• 11:00- 11:30 Yoga Nidra practice
• 11:30 Silent break - walking meditation, bathroom, water......
• 11:40 Yoga Nidra dyads
• 12:00 Share in circle specific insights, questions and new findings from the Yoga Nidra Practice
• 12:ish Closing appreciations of The Three Treasures:  the teacher, the teachings, and the group

Yoga Nidra Handout

(transliteration)

1.1 Atha  yoga  nushasanam

1.2 Yogash-chitta  vrtti  nirodhah

1.3 Tada  drashtuh  svarupe   vasthanam

1.4 Vrtti  sarupyam-itaratra

1.5 vrttayah pancatayyah klista-klistah

History of Yoga Nidra

The origin of Yoga Nidra can be traced back to Eastern Spiritual teachings, particularly the nondual teachings of:

* Trika-Shasana, found in the revelatory Siva Sutras
* Tantra in such texts as the Mahanirvana
* Vedanta, Upanishads, and Tripura
* Yoga Sutra of Patanjali

Yoga Sutra emphasizes the mind’s propensity to identify with its projections; the root cause of suffering.

All these teaching have their roots in the Vedas, the oldest sacred scriptures known to humankind.

The root of Veda is ‘vid’ = knowledge. 

Another name for Veda is ‘shruti’ that which is heard.

These truths were revealed to the ancient sages in their deep meditations.  The content of the shruti is called the ‘Sanatana Dharma’ or ‘Eternal Truth’.

There’s been a revitalization of Yoga Nidra over the past half century most notably through the teachings of:

* Swami Sivananda and his disciple
* Styananda Saraswati - of the Bihar School of Yoga
* Swami Rama - Himalayan Institute and his disciple
* Swami Veda Bharati - Meditation Center

The teachings I offer today are from my teacher Dr. Richard Miller of Center of Timeless Being. 
He calls his understanding and orientation of the work
‘Integrative Restoration’ or ‘iRest’.

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga, often inadequately translated as ‘union’, represents both the action of awakening to, as well as a description of, our underlying True Nature - undivided pure Being. (YS 1.1 Atha)

Nidra or ‘sleep’, on the other hand, is the state in which we are unconscious to True Nature, we are identified with and swayed by thoughts, emotions, beliefs and misperceptions. (YS 1.4 sarupe)

Yoga Nidra represents a paradox, a play on words,
‘sleep’ and ‘awake’. 

Nidra means ‘the sleep of the yogi’ and implies that:

The ‘normal person’ is asleep to True Nature through all states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.

While the yogi is one who is awake to True Nature across all states, even when their mind is asleep.
 (YS 1.2 Nirodhah)

Yoga Nidra is the ancient yogic practice in which we engage, in order to awaken from ‘sleep’ of conditioned patterns, so that we may live in and as our True Nature of unconditional Being. (YS 1.3 Svarupe)

Suggested Inquiry today

Few people ever question the validity of the notions they have about sleep and waking. 

Could it be that waking state thoughts and objects are also fabrications and projections of the mind, as empty of substance as dream images?

Today we have the opportunity to explore and discover the truth of this fact, first hand.

What is your experience?