Yoga Nidra Classes Offered At Leading Ayurveda College In Northern California

Online, October 16, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Yoga Nidra is the Yogic form of deep relaxation. The participant lies comfortably on a mat and listens while the guide leads them on a journey through the body in a way that releases tension and creates deep stillness in mind and body. It is a wonderful way to unwind from a stressful day. It also promotes deeper sleep and less aches, pain and discomfort. Yoga Nidra is a successful tool for chronic conditions, especially involving pain, emotional turmoil, or autoimmune deficiencies. It brings all the systems of the body to balance and provides an environment for deep healing and rejuvenation to take place.

The class is being offered every second Wednesday of each month from 5:30-6:30pm at Nevada City, California. Program costs $15 US per class.

In the state of Yoga Nidra the body appears to be asleep but awareness is acutely present. The mind does not wander aimlessly or drift into dramas or dreams. Rather, the "witness" emerges. This is that part of the self that watches our experience from a place of detachment. Unemotional and absent of thought, awareness of the witness brings about great joy and peace.

Yoga Nidra is not a technique but rather a state of consciousness. There are several techniques that can lead a person into this state. In the method taught at the California College of Ayurvedai the participant is led on a conscious journey of awareness inside their body. At first, the mind is directed to focus on singular parts of the body learning to identify blockages to the flow of prana (energy). These blockages create tension. As the practitioner succeeds in letting go of the tension, prana flows freely and higher awareness develops. One of the early realizations is that the body is not a solid structure but rather a densely packed field of energy. At this time the practitioner realizes that he or she is neither their body nor their mind. The practitioner then asks him or herself the most basic and important question: who am I? The answer is not found through the intellect but realized through the experience. We are that which lies beyond the body and the mind. We are nothing more than the embodiment of consciousness. The product of this state of awareness is pure bliss.

According to the teachings of Yoga Nidra and the other great philosophical traditions of India, we are Pure Consciousness experiencing life though a body and mind. Blockages exist in the subtle channels of our body called nadi. There are 72,000 nadi. While most of those nadi are related to the functions of the body and mind, there are specific channels related to consciousness. To one degree or another, we all experience a certain amount of blockage within these channels. This blockage causes us to forget our true nature as Spirit and the wholeness inherent in all of existence. As a result, we experience separation and suffering. The practice of Yoga Nidra is an active practice of purifying these channels bringing about a return of greater awareness. While higher awareness is certainly the most important goal of this practice, the benefits are felt not only in the channels of awareness but in all 72,000 nadi. In other words, prana flows more freely in the body and mind supporting the healing process. The practice of Yoga Nidra is one of the most beneficial practices for self-healing.