Rooted in a vast body of knowledge, Yoga Nidra has five different aims or outcomes. Depending upon which one of these five you wish to achieve, the approach changes. On the most basic level, Yoga Nidra is a comprehensive method for maximizing health and well-being. On a deeper level, it is a profoundly spiritual practice and somewhere in between, it is one of the most profound and accessible ways to positively reshape the unconscious. In this master training, we outline several of the aims of yoga nidra as well as the theory of sankalpa––how you bring thought into form. We then relate this to the concept of dharma and engage in some specific exercises to help you achieve yours.
- Healing
- Transformation
- Sankalpa
- Transcendence
- Accessing the timeless wisdom of the sages––the most subtle application of yoga nidra
In addition, we delve into ParaYoga Nidra in light of the timeless teachings of the Mandukya Upanishad, which explains the three states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, and sleeping. This scripture provides sublime insights into the practice of Yoga Nidra and the process of achieving the “4th state”––transcending all the other states, and revealing the sublime experience of ParaYoga Nidra.
Over the 5 days of this training, you can expect to be fully immersed in this profound tantric practice with 12-14 Nidra practices. We will draw on the wisdom of the koshas to inform both your teaching and practice as well as your life off the mat. Each day will include joint exercises and subtle movement practices to prepare you for yoga nidra. As this practice involves total relaxation on the floor, you will need to ensure that you are warm and comfortable lying down for extended periods. Along with your mat, consider bringing a thicker mat or extra padding to lie on, a small pillow for your head, etc.
This experiential training is part of the larger ParaYoga Nidra Certification Program.
Yogarupa recommends that for that the month or two prior to the start of the training you begin or recommit to your meditation practice. It will be an invaluable aid to understanding the course curriculum as well as contributing to your overall experience of the training.
What students are saying about ParaYoga Nidra:
“ParaYoga Nidra is deeply transformational. When the constrictions of breath and body and the stains of the mind dissolve, we can see clearly. When the source of suffering is revealed by our Soul and higher mind, we can plant the seeds of new ideas in the fertile field of consciousness. At the most elemental, ParaYoga Nidra relaxes and heals. At its most profound, you will be awakened to the fourth dimension, Turiya. Between those two, Yoga Nidra, when administered skillfully, serves as a tool to change unhelpful mental patterns and wrong self-perception and even heal the effects of trauma. Transformation is gradual but sometimes there are sudden leaps…I felt myself bursting out of the golden egg as a new person.” ––Inge Sengelmann
“This training has been profound for me on a healing level, I have had so many breakthroughs & deep insights. I’m very grateful that I came into this training with a background in yoga as that depth allowed me to access the layers I did. Recognizing, seeing, and feeling “the stain” was revolutionary for me––I’m so excited to work with my new sankalps, it’s going to transform everything! I could never have arrived there on my own! Also, the re-cap on how to teach yoga nidra on the last day was extremely valuable.”
––Lindsay Herlinger
“This training was divine. Its impact will inform both my teaching and practice and most importantly my life off of the mat.”
“A wonderful training! Thank you for devising a way to study and experience the deeper impacts of ParaYoga Nidra. I found the discussions and practices relating to the koshas to be so helpful, especially the clear, practical emphasis on the Inner Teacher. I have studied other PYMTs over a period of years and I found this training to be very integrative and “juicy,” pulling from the foundations. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“I am extremely grateful that I was able to have this transcendent experience with Yogarupa. I am not a teacher, but the ParaYoga Nidra training gave me so many invaluable tools to use in my personal practice.”
“Any senior yoga teacher must graduate to the practice and understanding of ParaYoga Nidra. Rod teaches from the voices of the ancient teachers, bringing a rich tradition to life.”
––Jeanne Heileman
“This was an excellent training. Most helpful was repeating the simple basics over and over because that is what everyone needs, that and the emphasis on healing. Yogis are used to advanced, stimulating, transformative practices but most people are not ready for that, and simply need healing and self-acceptance. Rod’s “Inner Teacher” meditations were great for developing self-acceptance. Most brilliant was when we followed one of these meditations with a silent walk in nature, what a gift…thank you!”
Required Reading: Enlightenment Without God: Mandukya Upanishad by Swami Rama