Hello curious person
I've been doing some work on my website to bring Yoga Nidra to the front and centre of what I offer. This has got me thinking a lot about how Yoga Nidra has changed my approach to teaching movement classes and holding Nidra gatherings. FYI, I've put the teaching in quote marks because there's not a lot of teaching when it comes to Nidra. It's all about me holding the space and facilitating the practice through the delivery of my script.
I started hosting an event called Friday Night Rest + Restore in September 2021. This was a big, brave step for me as it was my transition to hosting an extended practice. I was very nervous. However, I was (and still am) absolutely in love with Yoga Nidra so I knew the practice would prevail. The one thing I didn't quite realise, as the Yoga Nidra section of this event, was that I would have this time to read the room whilst everyone was in their own little worlds listening to my voice.
I noticed everything. My mind was racing with every twitch, move and sound that was made. I was plagued with all those questions we're used to asking ourselves as yoga teachers. I loved delivering the session but there was that nagging voice at the back of my head on loop with all these question.
My first session quickly taught me many lessons. The following are the main three:
Let go and trust the process. Yoga Nidra works and quite frankly the why doesn't matter.
Let people be. They are not in the room to react in a certain way to fulfil my needs. They are in the room to respect their own needs and take that time for themselves.
Let people experience what they experience. I am not here to micro-manage their practice nor intentionally create a response within an individual. Each person walks into the room with their own intentions that, much like the Sankalpa section of Yoga Nidra, is none of my business.
I have learnt so much from sharing the practice of Yoga Nidra. This has not only impacted the way I teach all my classes but also the way I approach situations in life. I simply attended a Nidra course to improve my skills in relaxation. At no point did I expect to deliver the practice. Yet here I am focusing most of my business on this magic and enjoying every moment of it. The lessons this practice of stillness has positively impacted me both on and off the mat.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about the inner workings of my mind
Sam
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