Meditation-Mindfulness-Spirituality
After having been applauded at school and in daily life for busy-ness and a certain kind of productivity, there is guilt about carving personal time to rest, to contemplate the meaning of our life, to explore human possibilities or even to reinvent our current notion of success, at different times in our life cycle.
This old attitude is endemic to our materialistic, youth-oriented culture, and counterproductive to our approach to conscious growing and maturing and dying in a wholesome way. We are part of the fabric of life and in a continuous co-creation which requires a great deal of stillness and loving-mindfulness.
The productivity of refining our experience of being and doing, compassionate awareness, welcoming all what we are as body, emotion, mind, spirit has multiple fruits. Wisdom, joy, spaciousness, equanimity, skillful action abiding in Love, receptivity to intuitive impulse to evolve, connection with others and nature, inner peace, experience of being authentic….. With continuous cultivation of these states, we become increasingly anchored in these qualities.
Yoga Nidra – iRest & Heartmath
Yoga Nidra- iRest and Heartmath are two forms of centering meditation that I teach. We learn to partner with life instead of fighting reality. Both enable you to experience in your whole body a growing sense of internal serenity, wonderment regardless of the events of your life. A deep kindness and compassion towards self develops while the effects of the judgmental mind recede.
Instead of being just a retreat from the world, they empower you to live with intention and empower you to negotiate life difficulties while feeling that life has you back. Therefore, you find yourself more relaxed, “in the zone”, fully enjoying the goodness of life or, capable to reset yourself and come back energized when dealing with difficulties. With Meditation, a growing sense of humor, enthusiasm and flow pervades your daily life.
Heartmath is learning to live from the wisdom of the heart and is based on biofeedback training.
Integrative Restoration (iRest), also called Yoga nidra is a transformative practice derived from the ancient teachings of meditation that leads to psychological, physical, and spiritual healing and Self-realisation. Yoga Nidra, also called iRest® teaches skills that you can use throughout your life, that assist you in experiencing a sense of mastery when encountering difficult situations and a sense of ease that pervades your everyday life.
The purpose of iRest is to help you live a contented life free of conflict, anxiety, fear and dissatisfaction. The protocol is (1) integrative in that it heals the various unresolved issues, traumas, and wounds that are present in the body, mind and senses; and (2) restorative in that it aids its practitioners in recognizing their underlying peace of mind that is always present amidst all changing circumstances of life.
iRest accomplishes its goal through two basic steps:
1. The recognition of an intrinsic sense of peace during all circumstances, and
2. The release of negative body sensations, emotions, beliefs, and stress that give rise to self- destructive patterns. iRest is composed of ten components: • Development of Intention • Body sensitivity training • Breath and energy awareness • Systematic neutralization of: Negative body sensations and stress Negative feelings and emotions, Negative beliefs, images, and memories • The experience of joy and well-being • Freedom from the sense of separation generated by the senses and mind • The ability to experience peace amidst the changing circumstances of life
In 2006, the Department of Defense conducted research on the iRest protocol at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) with active duty soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Following the study the Deployment Health Clinical Center (DHCC) at WRAMC integrated iRest as a 3-week intensive treatment program for service members.
iRest classes have subsequently been set up at VA facilities in Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Washington, DC, North Carolina, California, and Colorado, among others. Successful studies have also been conducted at the COTS homeless shelter in California, the University of Missouri with college students, and with chemical dependency relapse prevention in New York.
Further research is under discussion to study iRest with PTSD at the North Chicago VA, with chronic pain, PTSD or chemical dependency in Washington, DC, and with resiliency and sleep.
