YOGA NIDRA NOW
“I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.” Oliver Wendell Holmes
I love yoga nidra. I am in love with yoga nidra. I AM Yoga Nidra.
This claim of I AM Yoga Nidra is more than poetic marketing. It expresses ,as best one can, the inexpressible experience of Self knowing beyond Story. Self knowing of Essence. “Essence”, as in scent that permeates a Space. A Spaciousness. The Spaciousness of One’s Being.
( spoiler alert: If you are one who hears all this airy fairy nonsense sense..read on anyway. We are moving towards scientific research)
These days I find myself saying: “If I could only offer one healing modality for the rest of my life, it would be yoga nidra”.
Context matters: This declaration follows a rich 43 year career as an energy healer ,psychotherapist ,hypnotherapist, expressive arts therapist, yoga therapist, yoga and meditation teacher, ceremonial artist, organic gardener ,dancer ,storyteller and poet (and then some). Hence, to declare that ~amidst this cornucopia of healing treasures any one modality is a favored gem, might give pause.
It is as if I have spent a four decade career traveling the world, seeing the sights, engaging with the peoples, stories, cultures and lands and have now circled back to the fullness of Stillness and Spaciousness. I’ve been mentored and Trained by Masters at depth levels in many disciplines, acquiring much knowledge and integrating many Wisdom Traditions. I ‘ve trekked and feasted through vast fields and forests of complexity and have at last distilled and refined my wanderings into the simplicity on the other side of complexity that, at it’s best, is Yoga Nidra. It is the medicine for these Times. The anitidote to modern lifestyles.
Meeting These Times:
The Stone Age…….. Iron Age…. Information Age.Instant Everything! Exponential increased speed of life without any parallel significant increase in the evolution of our nervous systems. This is a recipe for Stress....the kind that causes or exacerbates physical ,emotional, mental imbalances, illnesses, debilitating anxiety and despair. (“Eustress” refers to positive stress symptoms that motivate and mobilize through pleasure or joy). We are all out of sync with reality of Beings dwelling in Bodies.
Fast Food, Fast Travel,Fast News Cycles, Fast Connectivity. Whew! I hear “I’m Overwhelmed” on a daily basis from someone. Negative stress is easily understood as experience which has not been integrated into the system, the body/brain system at all levels of being (more on this in another article) ……S-L-O-W-N-E-S-S , Stillness and Quietude are the antidote. Slower brain waves. Slower brain wave fluctuations. All skilled, on -going meditation practices cultivate this slower brain wave activity. However, meditation or mindfulness are such commonplace terms and mainstreamed concepts now, they are very often mis-understood and incorrectly taught and practiced. Even when well taught, meditation is still hard to practice. Most meditation is hard to do for most people. Yoga Nidra, when effectively guided, is a meditation practice offering the full benefits of meditation, effortlessly. Effortlessly… as in the poem by Yehuda Amchai “…peace because the field needs it~ wildpeace”
Beyond Personal Passion:Where’s the Proof?
It has already been stated yoga nidra is almost universally accessible. Maybe this is just my personal bias. Where’s the proof? There is a mountain of research on the efficacy of meditation, mostly, but not exclusively relating the “brand” known as Mindfulness meditation. But what about yoga nidra? Is it really so effective for modern ills? Although most modern, urban (and increasingly also non-urban) dwellers live in some form of stress factory, some populations and individuals have a heavier load of extreme acute or chronic stress , also known as trauma: devastating life shattering events typically where basic safety is in question. This includes those living in war zones, forced or otherwise traumatic migrations and family separations, those in grief dealing with sudden, violent ,traumatic or unexplained deaths, witnesses of direct victims of war violence, and violence of every kind -including what we euphemistically call sexual assault and abuse of every type. Witnesses of course includes first responders. Even for those of us fortunate enough to not have any of these direct experiences..the entire world is One and we are connected. With traumatic events occurring daily, we are all in the field together. However, one or some combination of these varieties of trauma are to be found in the lives of nearly every person dealing with substance addiction. Not all people who experience become substance addicted, but nearly all people dealing with addictions are copings with trauma.And chronic substance use is a stress in itself, impacting both brain function and structure. Why not explore yoga nidra’s usefulness for those struggling with substance addiction?
Yoga Nidra for Addiction and Trauma : a preliminary study
So it was that I came to find myself working in an addiction and trauma rehab center for the past recent nine months, where I guided yoga nidra 2–4 times /week for groups of 6–20 people, for an ever changing group of people. For the most recent 5 months of these, I systematically gathered data on the impact of yoga nidra on individuals’ self-reported experience. After proper blind analyses of the data,based on this preliminary study it appears that yoga nidra is correlated with a statistically significant reduction in self assessed experiences of cravings, anxiety and depression — even after one session of yoga nidra!
For the full story on this research see my article :Yoga Nidra Efficacy: a preliminary research study.
A Cautionary Note: Not all Yoga Nidra is Equal
Yoga Nidra is rising in popularity. Like with all trends , many teachers and guides jump on board without the guidance, training or depth of understanding or embodiment to transmit the gift fully. Many of the hundreds of yoga nidra recordings already available on line, inaccurately equate yoga nidra with any gentle pleasant guided visualization. Someone walking into a room where yoga nidra is being guided might also erroneously conclude it is group hypnosis. I can legitimately claim expertise in both yoga nidra and hypnosis/hypnotherapy and there are marked differences in conceptual grounding, method and outcome. “All Good” intentions are good enough for relaxation but are insufficient to result in genuine nervous system integration, healing ,freedom to know self beyond Story…and to live from this knowing. Finding a guide well grounded and trained in a legitimate lineage is not a guarantee of true mastery, but it is good starting point. Next level up is do they embody and live the wisdom? Can they clearly articulate what they are doing and why? Are they continually evolving as a person and teacher themselves? Set your intention to find or be drawn to a worthy Teacher. Be a worthy Student: sincere, disciplined, willing, enthused, open,dedicated.
Dr. Hanna Chusid Ed.D , Licensed Psychologist, Internationally Certified Yoga Therapist and Yoga Nidra Teacher, living in Los Angeles. Available in person and on line. www.mindful-selfcare.com
