Did you know? 30 min Yoga Nidra = 2-4 Hours of Sleep

Weather is getting warmer & warmer & we are doing all the spring things, cleaning up our yards, playing sports, exercising outdoors, golfing (finally!) & much more. When we go to bed at night, you might still have a list of to do's stuck in your head & find it hard to fall asleep (the brighter evenings might not help either). A great way to get more rest is with a meditation called Yoga Nidra (Yoga Sleep). It is said that a 30-minute yoga nidra practice is equivalent to 2-4 hours of sleep. In yoga nidra, the benefits are immediate, from reduced stress to deep rest. I learned a style of Yoga Nidra called IRest from my trainings with Richard Miller, founder of irest.us This style of meditation can even be used to help you fall asleep, so you get a better nights rest. For a sample of this meditation. Go to https://irest.us/try-irest-now to be led through an IRest meditation (Yoga Nidra). Or do it on your own, here is a simple way to practice: Yoga Nidra body sensing + Inner Resource - visualize a place in your mind (a place in nature, your home, with loved ones…) where you can feel safe, at ease & joyful. Staying here or go through you body connecting with sensation. Start at mouth, then ears, nose, eyes, crown, back of head, neck, shoulders, arms/hands, chest/upper back, belly/low back, hips, legs/feet. Anytime exploring sensation in the body feels too much or overwhelming, picture your Inner Resource again & go to that safe haven. The more you can make this Inner Resource real, the more your body will feel as if you are there & respond by relaxing & letting go. Remember, anything you notice do no judge or shy away from. This is not who you are, it is just sensation (physical, mental & emotional). Sensation is just energy, not good or bad, it just is. Simple as that, breathe, name the parts of your body & feel sensation. Try it & see the benefits of feeling less stressed & more rested.

For you Golfers out there, how is your game going? Feeling a bit stiff & not able to get back to the swing of things?

Join me on May 26 at YogaMcc 1-4pm for a workshop just for you! I know if it's a nice day you'd rather be golfing, but taking time out for a few hours to learn these techniques will be worth it! See the attachment for the details, hope to see you Saturday!

You love the game of golf, but does it sometimes feel like the game of golf doesn’t love you? Do you get part way through a round and feel strain or pain in your back, hips, knees, neck, shoulders or elbows? Do you want to improve your focus, reduce your score and improve your swing? This workshop will introduce you to yoga asanas, and breathing techniques specific to the game of golf. It will help improve joint and spinal mobility, strength and stability so that you can enjoy your game pain-free. Learn techniques that not only help relieve stiffness, but also improve the consistency of your swing. In addition to working with your body, you will also learn yoga strategies to help you relax and focus, to calm the mind and keep you in the moment (even when the ball ends up in the pond). By learning this combination, your game will take care of itself, helping you bring your score down and your enjoyment way up!