Jennifer Reis Yoga

Before discovering Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra, I was teaching yoga, stress management, and Reiki to individuals with autism, special needs, disabilities, addiction and mental health issues. I discovered yoga after struggling with many of the same issues, such as an addiction to drugs and alcohol, suicidal ideation and other self-destructive behaviors. I also have high-functioning autism (formerly known as Asperger’s Syndrome), which I was diagnosed with when I was 17 years old. At first, I did not want to accept my diagnosis and this caused me to never feel comfortable in my own skin. I was bullied intensely during my

I discovered yoga a couple of years by accident, when I was working for a high school residential summer program. As a part of my job, I accompanied students to daily activities - one of which was yoga - with a Kripalu certified instructor! Lucky for me, I was able to participate in the yoga classes with the students. After my summer of practicing yoga, I began to notice a difference in the autumn within my body when I was no longer practicing yoga as my body became more sore, tight and achy. In contrast, the yoga had made me

For many years I struggled with anxiety, which greatly affected my ability to achieve peaceful and satisfying sleep. Through a significant amount of personal work, I recognized this to be the result of a substantial amount of personal loss and an overwhelming case of angst. Fear, which affected my life and my relationships, manifested as an obsession with past, present and future worries (real and imagined), on a continuous, repetitive loop. And of course, these repetitious “movies” play out at the worst possible time - at night, when all I want and need is a good night’s sleep! Cultivating a

This is the amazing story of two sisters who have helped each other in life, healing and with love through Emily's Traumatic Brain Injury: Twelve years ago, my world suddenly shrank. I was out in the woods happily trail riding. The horse and I didn’t know each other well. ‘Big Red’ didn’t know that I wouldn’t ask him to do anything dangerous. I didn’t know asking him to go around an obstacle in the trail would be scary. So I was very surprised when he reared, throwing me off. My head hit a rock (thank goodness I was wearing a

Before discovering Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra, my life, on the surface seemed pretty ideal. I was married to the love of my life, had a successful career as a medical social worker, and was mom to an amazing toddler. What no one could see, however, was a totally different story. I was suffering from crippling postpartum depression years after having given birth; I was under a great deal of job pressure and stress; and I was sick as a dog! I had been living with a rare autoimmune disease since 2000, I wasn't sleeping, I struggled with my weight and

Elyse transformed feeling small into knowing her radiant true infinite self through the practices of yoga and yoga nidra. I think she's always had that beautiful big smile though! Please enjoy her story. When I was a child I received verbal and implied messages from my father that “children should be seen and not heard” and “you don’t need a college education because you’re just going to get married and have children.” He was born in 1913, and his beliefs came from that era. Message received loud and clear! Whispers followed me: ‘Be quiet, stay small, think small, do as

I love my work, but never more than when I see the effects of theses potent practices seeing a student inspired! Heidi's inner glow beamed wider and more brightly each session during our vibrant Five Element Yoga weekend at Kripalu... Before being introduced to Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra, while I knew meditation was very beneficial and something that I ‘should’ be doing for my health & wellness, I just couldn't sit or focus for any length of time to find the peace, tranquility and relaxation I knew my body and mind needed. I always knew I wanted to help others

Frannie has an angelic voice. I play her music in my classes all the time! I've been blessed to watch her heal and grow over the years and hope you enjoy her story. In 2006 I took an antibiotic drug called Levaquin that I was given at a walk-in clinic. I am a professional singer, and had a number of concerts coming up and felt like a sinus infection might be coming on. I rarely took any medications for anything. I’m a longtime meditator, did lots of yoga, ate organic food, and exercised. Unbeknownst to me, this was an antibiotic

Before I discovered yoga nidra, I was drowning in anxiety and overwhelmed with all of the changes that have occurred in my life. As a registered nurse for over fifteen years, helping others through difficult times -- often families with loved ones who were at end of life -- was both rewarding and stressful. After losing both parents early in my life, I felt called to help people with end of life care. I recognized my ability to connect with people, and also ease them through our convoluted healthcare system. My understanding of the grieving process, and ability to empathize,

When I was only 43, I had to be admitted into emergency at the hospital. It seemed that I had chronic urine retention, and the doctors were not sure if it was caused by a C-section, the epidural, something in my back, or was it multiple sclerosis? A string of neurological and urological tests turned up no origin. Surprisingly, I had no pain, but I was debilitated because I could not do something so simple as to urinate completely. Doctors left me with a prescription for catheters and a ton of anxiety! Initially I felt I wasn't able to go