Written by Melissa Russell, C-IAYT, Certified iRest Teacher
Beginning August 5th, iRest will be held on Mondays at 4:00pm with a NEW in-person option! Join Melissa in-person at Evolve Studio (address below) or online to take time to reset and shift slowly into your evening routine.
Also in August, there will be TWO opportunities to experience Heart Centered Yoga.
Mondays at 8:00am online with Amanda
Wednesdays at 6:30pm in-person at Stonegate Studio or online with Sam
One of the tools I use as a yoga therapist is iRest Yoga Nidra. I work with people one-on-one when they have a situation that needs individualized care. I also teach classes to groups. When I tell people about this ancient practice and the myriad of benefits it offers—such as increased cognitive processing, stress reduction, improved sleep, relief from PTSD, reduction in autoimmune flares, improved heart functioning—people often still hesitate.
Many people are not interested because they are active people in the world. iRest Yoga Nidra can be perceived as resting, especially since rest is in the name, and we all are not people who rest. Resting can even be a bit scary. It is easy to wonder: Will everything be OK if I slow down and rest? What if I told you that iRest Yoga Nidra is active resting? You are doing something. You are actively listening to a voice, following the prompts, re-wiring your brain, and improving your health.
What Happens in iRest Yoga Nidra
The mind is active. It attunes to sensations in the body, the breath, and thoughts. We are not pushing things away or trying to stop the mind. We are training the mind to become more aware. You might even say we are strengthening our brains.
We are clearing and healing memories, feelings, and emotions that need to be processed. We welcome feelings, emotions, and beliefs. Our experience becomes more expansive, and we are suddenly free of anxiety, pain, past traumas, and all the many things that cause us stress and prevent us from living our lives fully.
We are actively healing our bodies. Our brains move into alpha, theta, and delta brainwave states. Delta is the deepest and most restorative state. We assume we get enough of this when we sleep at night, but that is not always the case. As we age, delta waves decrease, and iRest Yoga Nidra is an amazing way to reverse this tendency.
Give it a Try
Attend class on Mondays at 4 pm online or in-person at Evolve Studio in Chapel Hill (1022 Damascus Church Road). I’m hoping this will be a little bit like afternoon tea—a time to reset and move towards evening.
Join multiple times. Like any new practice, it may take time to feel the full benefits. Give yourself grace and allow the process to unfold naturally.
If you would rather work privately, I can tailor a session to suit your needs and provide a practice that you can use daily.
If you have any questions or would like more information about a class or a private session, contact info@dogwoodstudioyoga.com.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9033521/
https://shop.irest.org/blogs/research
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294678
https://sleep.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41606-017-0009-4
Melissa is a certified yoga therapist; a 500 hour registered yoga teacher trained in ashtanga, anusara, and pelvic floor health; and an iRest level 2 meditation teacher. Melissa began her yoga teaching journey over 20 years ago while leading innovative teams in the world of publishing and educational technology.
SAM Sather, founder of Dogwood Studios, is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) and an Insight Yoga Institute (IYI) endorsed teacher. She individualizes the yoga practice with appropriate modifications for participants’ unique bodies and medical histories with a focus on finding calm and improving health. She offers several live, online and in person yoga classes as well as private sessions so you can focus on your needs one-on-one.