Practice Yoga Nidra for Effortless Relaxation

I practice yoga nidra because I find sitting in meditation difficult and so it is easy for me to give up.

I love Yoga Nidra so much that I taught it at a local prison where I volunteer. I love it so much that I gave away my only copy of what I refer to as my Yoga Nidra Bible to someone who I thought could really use the technique.

For those who are into reading I cannot recommend highly enough Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep by Kamini Desai. I used to keep it by my bedside and simply pick it up open a page and read it. It would invite me into the experience of Presence.

Presents
by Norman MacCaig

I give you emptiness,
I give you a plenitude,
unwrap them carefully.
-one’s as fragile as the other-
and when you thank me
I’ll pretend not to notice
the doubt in your voice
when you say
they’re just what you wanted.

Put them on the table by your bed.
When you wake in the morning
they’ll have gone through the door of sleep
into your head

Wherever you go
they’ll go with you and
wherever you are you’ll wonder,
smiling about the fullness
you can’t add to…
and the emptiness
that you can fill.

This poem sums up for me the journey into effortless awakening.

In this Yoga Nidra practice of inner body sensing inner body sensing  you unfold the fullness you cannot add to and the emptiness you can allow to be filled. This is a practice of inviting the experience of fulfilment by learning, quite literally,  how to do nothing.

When nothing works try doing nothing: – How Learning to Let Go Will Get you to Where you Want to Go. – Frank J Kinslow

In a series of blog posts I intend sharing with you my journey through a yoga nidra online program that I have just discovered and which I am really very excited about.

This is a Yoga Nidra program entitled: –

Yoga Nidra – Effortless Awakening.

This program of awakening is lead by James Reeves and is available at Eckhartyoga.com. This is a website which I will be subscribing to on a monthly basis. I started an almost free trial for the princely sum of 0.01 euro. The monthly fee I think is $12.50

Let me first say that I love the title of this program by James Reeves. It makes me smile. Yoga Nidra is normally translated as “Yoga Sleep” but the title says it all – “Effortlessly Awakening.”

This is the quintessential yoga practice focused on relaxation. It is akin to meditation without sitting. Yoga Nidra is practiced lying down. The real challenge I find is in not falling asleep. Falling asleep is OK but its not the intention of the practice.

One of the KEY reasons I so love Yoga Nidra is that it invites you to commit to practicing the Power of Intention. To this writer, the power and practice of intention, are KEY to the true yoga experience.

It's our intention. Our intention is everything. Nothing happens on this planet without it. Not one single thing has ever been accomplished without intention.- Jim Carrey

Before I share my experience of Yoga Nidra – Effortlessly Awakening by James Reeves I would like to share with you a video. This I think is essential viewing. It is presented by Kamini Desai who is the author of what I consider the Yoga Nidra Bible - Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep.

So now having written about my appreciation of yoga nidra I am off to listen to and view the introductory video by James Reeves that starts Effortlessly Awakening.

This program includes 8 classes of video tutorial that are around 45 minutes long. That is a course of instruction lasting 6 hours.

The classes are as follows: -

• Set and Intention
• Develop your sanctuary
• Free the Mind
• Concentration and Energy
• Meet your emotions.
• Meet your beliefs
• Discover your inherent joy
• Complete Yoga Nidra

Writing out this class list leaves me feeling so excited. So looking forward to listening and sharing with you my experience of this course.

Whatever style of yoga practice you engage with I highly recommend that you add Yoga Nidra to your program of practice.

It will begin to allow you to become an embodiment of stillness. You will discover your inherent joy and find your destiny.

My body of a sudden blazed;
And twenty minutes more or less
It seemed, so great my happiness,
That I was blessed and could bless.

W.B Yeats - Vacillation IV

I will be sharing with you this journey of effortlessly awakening over the coming weeks. If you are interested in this program you can trial it for as little as o.01 euro. It cost me a euro because I live in Ireland – The holy land of Ireland – W. B. Yeats

If you decide to commit to the Yoga Nidra progam of Effortlessly Awakening I think you could do a lot worse than consider the monthly fee of $12.50.

For me this would be the equivalent to the cost of two doctors’ visits.

I think it is a great investment in your health and well-being.

It is a great investment for learning to Companion YOUR Greatness. I will certainly be leaving my introductory trial subscription in place.

To sign up for the almost free introduction to the wide program of yoga classes and programs here is the link to Eckhartyoga.com