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You are here: Home / Archives for yoga nidra

yoga nidra

Discovery Tuesday: Integrative Restoration

September 20, 2011 by admin

I’ll tell you my dirty little secret about the “daily rest” that I’ve decided to do: the idea came about as a result of trying to lose weight.

Yep, you read that right. At 52, I have found that losing weight ain’t as easy as it used to be. Despite our hours of hiking in Switzerland, I came back three pounds heavier! Of course, I convinced myself that I needed some extra food to give me energy for the hikes, and I suspect that I overdid things a bit, despite my best intentions.

I told Henry that I wasn’t going to travel in October. Besides the fact that I want to plant my fall garden, I also wanted to eat at home, where I can better manage food ingredients and portion sizes. Before we went on our travels, I also did a lot of reading and investigating about losing weight at midlife, so I could come home with a plan in mind.

The net result is this: I will leave my cardio program as is. On a fitness test, I scored in the “excellent” range on cardio, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I also scored well on flexibility, which makes sense since I love yoga so much. As I suspected, though, I learned that I need to add strength training, and I found a regimen to follow in the book 8 Weeks to a Younger Body by Joan Pagano. I’m just getting started, but I’ll report back, hopefully with some fantastic results.

In terms of diet, I still find the Weight Watchers program to make the most sense, though I’m making sure that my meals and snacks have a protein-fat-carb ratio close to The Zone, which has brought me success in the past. My reading has suggested to me that I am probably a bit carb-heavy on my diet.

The other problem I see is that I’m a high-strung sort of woman, and I need to keep my stress levels down. Stress, as most of you know, raises cortisol levels in the body, and this can affect our ability to lose weight. In theory, lowering our cortisol levels can improve our ability to lose weight.

Yoga helps, and I also get regular massages. I’ve gotten back into a meditation habit, but I wanted to do a little more. Hence, the decision to make time to rest on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.

One of the best ways to do that is through Richard Miller’s Integrative Restoration program. I’m including the link to his store, as opposed to one particular recording or book, because they are all worthwhile. I’m particularly fond of his six-volume Integrative Restoration program, which provides six one-hour guided yoga nidra practices.

In yoga nidra, or yogic sleep, we are guided into a state of heightened awareness of the various sensations in our body and mind. Miller has us notice the insides of our mouth, for example — it’s a detailed journey that keeps us conscious even as our bodies gain an extraordinary level of relaxation.

Yoga nidra has proven invaluable in therapeutic environments. Soldiers suffering from PTSD, for example, have benefited from Miller’s work. In our day-to-day lives, which have become increasingly stressful, we may live in a chronic revved-up state of tension, and integrative restoration can help us break that cycle — at the very least we’ll feel better, and who knows? Maybe we can lose some weight, too!

Filed Under: Yoga Tagged With: 8 weeks to a younger body, integrative restoration, joan pagano, rest, richard miller, stress, stress reduction, the zone, weight watchers, yoga, yoga nidra

Good Morning, Monday! The Art of Rest

September 19, 2011 by admin

Israel
Sunrise Over the Dead Sea, Israel

Lying on my mat, I have pillows under my knees and another, smaller pillow under my back. A bag of lavender encircles my neck. Breathing in and out, I pay attention as minutes pass. I feel my back starting to sink into the floor, then my arms, then my legs. Fifteen minutes or so in (I have set a timer for 25), I feel my being start to shift and let go. I have moved from relaxation into something deeper, the mystery of savasana, or “corpse pose.” I stay there until the timer dings, then slowly move back into my day with a calmer, quieter mind.

Modern lives are filled with tension. Some of it is obvious: the demands of work and home, lack of adequate sleep, and a 24/7 news cycle reminding us that we’re all going to hell in a handbasket. Perhaps there are health issues, financial problems, marital difficulties, challenges with elderly parents or struggling children. No wonder we women have a tough time just hanging out and resting. Something always needs to be done!

This past week I listened to Shiva Rea talk about Yoga Energy Activism, and she crystallized many of my own thoughts about the need to relax and recharge our batteries. She suggests that we conserve energy of all kinds, from unplugging unused appliances to taking time to rest our bodies. As I listened to her ideas, letting her thoughts swirl and blend with mine, I made some commitments to myself. Specifically, I decided to make time on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis for what I call active rest.

On Saturday I took a morning sabbath and spent it in various relaxation practices, including yoga nidra and restorative yoga, both practices designed to take the body to deep levels of nourishing rest. When I had finished my practices, I picked up a pleasurable book that has sat in a stack for too long. The computer stayed off for the entire morning!

For the rest of the week, I plan to take time in restorative poses for about a half hour in the late afternoon. I also plan to build some sort of resting ritual around the new moon, though I haven’t quite worked out those details just yet.

We may feel as though we can’t afford to take the time, but can we afford not to? The cost of stress on our health is enormous, making us look and feel older than we are. Taking even a few quiet minutes per day can add years to our lives and greater pleasure to those years.

I also know that when I take the time I need, I get more done with less effort. So, if you’re into productivity, efficiency, and accomplishment, you’ll see the benefits of taking time to rest.

This week we’ll delve further into the concepts of “active rest.” We’ll discuss ways we can not just slow down, but put the brakes on so we can refresh ourselves. On Tuesday I’ll recommend a CD series that I find helpful, and on Wednesday I’ll write more about “il dolce far niente” – an Italian phrase meaning “the sweetness of doing nothing.” Sound radical? Trust me. If you’re a busy woman, you’ll love this — and don’t worry, you’ll still get it all done! Or, if you don’t, you won’t worry so much!

I hope you’ll come back and visit tomorrow! May you have a restful day!

Forest Hike
Enjoy This Restful Image From San Juan Island, WA

Filed Under: Yoga Tagged With: active rest, relaxation, rest, restorative yoga, shiva rea, women, yoga energy activism, yoga nidra

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