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 peaks of anxiety as much as I used to. However, even with my regular practices, the dread remained. And I thought it would be my companion for the rest of my life.
In the summer of 2017 this all changed when I first encountered Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra when Jennifer came into my Yoga Teacher Training at Kripalu. I was immediately drawn to yoga nidra because it deeply relaxed and nourished me. I purchased one of Jennifer’s CDs to take the practice home with me. When the anxiety rose to uncomfortable levels, now I had a tool! I practiced Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra and my levels would subside to that familiar underlying, low-grade hum. Again, that’s the best I thought it could ever be.
I was drawn to Jennifer’s Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra 40-hour Teacher Training and traveled back to Kripalu last spring to attend. She guided us in beautiful yoga nidras every day, sometimes twice! In addition, we also guided each other through each of the various stages of Divine Sleep®.
Towards the middle of the week, I noticed something shifting: I felt easier and more free. And by the end of the training, I was walking on air! I WAS COMPLETELY FREE OF ANXIETY! It felt like whatever it was that I was dreading had completely evaporated! My heart was light for the first time in several years.
The feeling of lightness has not left me to this day, and I am still free of anxiety! I continue to practice every day during savasana pose after my yoga postures and breathing by listening to Jennifer’s recordings. On the days when I do not do postures, I still practice Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra and breathing. I have noticed that practicing daily, as Jennifer recommends, has made the difference between occasional relief and lasting healing of anxiety for me.
When I returned home from the training, I started guiding Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra right away in my yoga classes. My students love it! Jennifer’s training prepared me to write scripts and I now have written about ten scripts of varying lengths. I also find that as I am guiding yoga nidra, I too feel it in my body and mind, so I get the benefits as well! Now my students expect yoga nidra and they find it an enjoyable and healing component of the whole class. I am truly grateful for Jennifer and Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra!
