Student Stories
In Yoga and Yoga Nidra I Found 'Home'!
My life before yoga nidra looked like the following: stressed, impatient, overachieving in all areas of life, grasping, controlling, the start of physical ailments such as high blood pressure and ulcers, always thinking of the future rather than the present, self-doubt, and way too busy! When I had finally had enough of that - I walked into my first yoga class as a graduate student – while at the same time holding down three jobs. In yoga practice, I immediately found ‘home’! I asked the teacher if I could stay for the second class that evening… and finding that my
Free of Anxiety!
I have always been prone to anxiety. Over the years, I have experienced peaks and troughs in the level of anxiety in my life. I have also noticed over the last several years a kind of low-grade vibration of anxiety persisting underneath everything. It came to the point that I dreaded facing the day, talking to people, dealing with phone calls, and even talking to my family. My yoga and meditation practices over the years have brought a lot of this to the light. Its also helped me release some of the angst, so I do not experience the high
I am the most important student!
Before I started practicing Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra I was running on empty. I was a very tired “Mom and Yoga Teacher” who was giving, giving, giving, and rarely was I refilling. I was searching for a quiet, gentle practice I could do daily to re-fill. Becoming a yoga teacher was never in my plan. I worked for many years in arts and fashion and discovered yoga in the late 90’s while working in NYC. My yoga practice began purely as a physical one that I would do in my apartment in the early morning hours using various DVD’s. I
Divine Sleep Helps Me Navagate My New Normal
I was recently diagnosed with a rare Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Unlike most cancers while you may be at a Stage 4, they do not start treatments until symptomatic or a blood levels go off the chart, which is called ‘Watch & Wait’. The good news, I am on Watch & Wait, and I have learned not to get caught up in the ‘every-three-month blood tests cycle’ or the possibility that I could wake up tomorrow with one of the many symptoms. I became a yoga teacher late in life when I was fifty-nine after experiencing a major reconstructive Achilles tendon surgery.
Before I put yoga in my life in 2010, I had fallen into the abyss of sadness depression with no love for myself. My marriage was not healthy, nor happy. The domino effect of the negativity in that relationship led me into a very powerful case of ‘sloth-couch-potato’ syndrome! Gratefully I had a friend who, in one single moment with only a few words, opened my eyes to see that I needed to recover from that dismal existence, to find my self-worth and self-love again. I often was in a state of ‘monkey mind’ chatter that felt so frustrating. That's
Pouring From a Full Cup
While working in the therapeutic world of a mental health practice, I got lost in my student’s well-being, and neglected my own self-care. For several years I have been working at holistic mental health practice. My job is split between being a therapeutic-focused yoga and meditation instructor, and a stress management specialist. I also teach yoga at several studios, as well as at my home studio, and run a summer time beach yoga program. I also lecture for a large insurance company and Harvard University. Needless to say, my plate is overflowing with robust work, and I am making a
I've Found Peace!
I suffered a stroke and found the effects of a brain injury really hard to deal with. My mind was dizzy. I could think of words, but communicating them was difficult. I had very bad head pain, and I was learning how to balance again since one side of my body was impacted. Not to mention on top of that, I had so many intense emotions to deal with. That's when I found yoga nidra! Previously, I had been meditating for most of my life with many other styles. It helped me with my life and during difficult times growing
Every Breath is a New Beginning
I come from a long line of teachers, with a grandfather who was a principal and grandmothers who both taught in one room school houses. So, of course, I too somehow ended up in the classroom in the public school system for 15 years. Then the diagnosis of cancer arrived, and I found that illness became my opportunity to reflect deeply on my life: the stress levels and what I could change to support my health. It just so happened that the opportunity to do my yoga teacher training showed up at the same moment! Becoming a yoga teacher and
I Have Found My Place In the World
Four years ago, even after completing 200-hr yoga teacher training with Jennifer, I was still very unsure of myself. Over time, by applying techniques learned during the training and committing to a nightly Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra practice, I've finally begun to make space for myself. The single most unique experience of the month-long teacher training was Jennifer's Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra. Thankfully she led us in yoga nidra on the evenings prior to our practical exams. (Aside: a few months ago, I attended a yoga nidra session at a yoga studio. The presenter was wonderful and the words and
Finally Relaxed for Real!
I have always been a pretty calm person. Well, at least on the surface. Much like ducks who appear to be gracefully gliding across the water while their feet paddle furiously under the surface, I have moved through most of my life full of self-doubt. As well as suffering from ‘Imposter Syndrome’, meaning I felt like I was play-acting most of my life. And a good dose of body/weight shame thrown in for good measure. I was introduced to yoga nidra several years ago and immediately fell in love with the restorative and rejuvenating nature of the practice. The practice allowed