iRest will change your life. To make a bold statement like that you need to be confident that it will deliver. And yes, I am confident that it will deliver and support each one of us in times when we are both challenged and when things are going well.
I first came across Richard Miller’s work when I purchased a copy of his book Yoga Nidra many years ago. I read it and being a viniyoga teacher it complemented my teaching and I used elements of the book in my teaching. A few years later I attended Yoga Nidra training with Uma Dinsmore Tuli. Una’s a wonderful teacher and I remember how relaxed and calm I was during this training and yet I didn’t incorporate it in my teaching or do any further Yoga Nidra training. I guess life took over, trying to balance a fulltime job in IT with a family and teaching part time. A rational person would argue that this was the time when I really needed these teachings but I didn’t see that or just choose to ignore it; not sure which, and it really doesn’t matter. Then something happened and I’m not entirely sure what the catalyst was but I started to reread Richard’s book and to delve into his teaching. I think one of the things that really resonated with me was the level of research and investigation carried out as it was more concrete for me to understand and to accept. Maybe my background in IT required that I had something concrete to hold onto and Richard’s approach seemed to cover this for me. The other aspect that I really liked is that iRest follows a protocol and as part of this it invites participants to use their own inner resource rather than following a visualization presented by the teacher. I know the suggestion to imagine yourself, walking along a beach or through a forest may be wonderful for most, but not if you had a bad or traumatic experience in either of these places.
The iRest protocol follows a ten-step process and all steps don’t need to be presented in every session. Working with a group or individually you may start by working with developing their inner resource and some of the other steps. A full iRest practice will take about 45 minutes.
When facilitating a group iRest session the teacher will start by helping the participants to settle and to connect to the present moment. It can be difficult for many to switch off so a few minutes spent letting one settle in preparation for the practice is important. The students are then asked to explore what their inner resource might be and this will be different for each person. Can you think of a place where you feel secure and where you can return to anytime during your practice if you become anxious or disturbed? For me this may be walking through a forest with my dog or a childhood memory, for others it may be spending time with loved ones or baking bread. iRest recognizes the uniqueness in each one of us and encourages us to find our own inner resource and this becomes even more important when you work privately with individuals. The next step is a body scan where we rotate our awareness throughout our body, As we do so we may experience physical sensations and similar to other yoga nidra practices, we simply experience and observe. We then work with the breath and this really resonated with me as viniyoga places a huge emphasis on observing and experiencing our breath. Depending on the group we may then proceed to look at feelings, thoughts and emotions before welcoming joy and happiness.
A complete iRest practice may be presented over a period of a few weeks, depending on the group or individual you are working with. My own experience of being a participant is that on occasion I have fallen asleep into what I believed was a deep state of sleep, I have drifted in and out of awareness or I have been fully alert throughout. Although the experiences may be different the outcome is always a sense of calm, rest and clarity.
More advanced work through the use of DYAD’s have been transformative for participants especially when dealing with past or current trauma. Dyad meditations are a form of iRest where two people meet one-on-one and welcome everything, just as it is. It’s a skillful process and is part of iRest teacher training. You meet without an agenda to fix or to change anything and a session begins by inviting your partner to notice sensations, emotions and cognitions (thoughts, beliefs, memories that they believe to be true). The facilitator creates the environment for the participant to explore and to experience what is arising for them without too much probing or projecting their own feelings, beliefs etc., It is about holding a safe space and this is an area where iRest has had a profound effect on people suffering with PTSD. Even if one is not suffering from any form of trauma a ono-to-one session with a skillful facilitator can be an amazing experience and offer so much clarity on something that to most people may seem trivial but for the participant it can be an opportunity to find a resolution or a way forward.
Using research and clinical studies iRest has been shown to be effective in the treatment of chronic pain, sleep issues, depression, anxiety and those suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). It has been used successfully by the US military to support personnel returning from areas of conflict. It is also offered in US and UK prisons and in the support of victims of trafficking.
I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to complete Level 1 and Level 2 training with James Reeves. James is a senior teacher within iRest and is a skillful and experienced facilitator and for me this training has been life changing. I am now in the process of full certification from the iRest Institute.
During this coming 2 day’s workshop my intention will be to present iRest as a practice that is simple to learn and easy to deliver. It can be practiced by anyone, regardless of physical ability or experience with meditation. It is a meditation practice that is based on the ancient tradition of Yoga Nidra which has been adapted to suit the needs and conditions of modern life.
My aim will be to give attendees an appreciation of iRest and an opportunity to experience deep relaxation. I’ll outline the difference between this and other more traditional practices. Also how the practice of iRest has evolved and its application to both individuals and groups. The two days will be fairly interactive and we will have time to incorporate a little bit of movement and breath work.
Also Richard Miller’s books ‘Yoga Nidra’ and ‘The iRest Program for Healing PTSD’.