by | Sep 29, 2015
I worked in a busy community health center as the HIV/AIDS program director a decade ago. It was a great job that was very satisfying and yet there was always lots of pressure and relentless stress. My workweek often pushed beyond 60 hours and there was little to no quality time left for myself or family.
I was in a constant state of stress — feeling as though I was keeping my head above water but working too hard to stay buoyant. The weekends were never a sufficient amount of time to really catch my breath. My sleep was often disturbed, and I frequently woke up in the middle of the night unable to fall back to sleep. I was on a treadmill, exhausted and did not know how to switch to off.
Around that same time I was on an R&R retreat at Kripalu and had the opportunity to experience Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra with Jennifer. It was wonderful. I found that with only one class I reconnected to my deeper self, and left me refreshed in a way that I had not remembered was possible.
I purchased and practiced Jennifer’s CD’s on a regular basis. The result was an improved ability to restore and recharge my sense of well-being that brought balance to my life. Because in spite of my clinical training, I often forgot to apply in my own life what I encouraged patients to do for balance and deep rest.
Over time and with regular Divine Sleep practice, I released stress in my body and mind, and didn’t feel the burden of internalized pressured anymore. I became more connected to my body, and mind and spirit. Eventually my sleep patterns improved, and now I’m able to sleep through the night and also return to sleep when I awaken too early.
Back in 1991, I trained at the Mind-Body Institute in Boston to learn skills that I integrated throughout my clinical practice. Although I was well versed in a holistic approach to wellness within the western medical model, something always felt incomplete. Years later I became a yoga teacher.
When I realized that I wanted to connect yoga with my clinical background, I was drawn to Jennifer’s Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra teacher training. Through her training I began to fully comprehend the benefits and application of yoga nidra as a healing modality. As I listened to fellow participants sharing their experiences of the practice and the many ways it’s helped them (and me) through challenging times in their lives, it was one of those “light bulb” moments as I realized that what I was looking for was right in front of me!
Jennifer’s teacher training prepared me to then offer this great and potent practice to others. Now I have a private counseling practice where I am able to fully integrate my western clinical training with all my yoga skills because I lead Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra in my sessions. I recommend Jennifer’s CD’s and practice to my clients, who range in age from youth to elders, as a take-home to continue practicing.
Jennifer is an excellent teacher with a great depth of sensitivity and knowledge of yoga. Most recently I attended an Integrative Yoga Therapy training, which Jennifer is a member of that faculty. It was delightful to be lead in yoga nidra regularly by Jennifer during the training and enjoyable for me to hear the positive feedback from teachers who were not aware of Jennifer’s work.
Kristen Shantz, RN, RYT-500 lives and practices on Cape Cod
by | Sep 29, 2015
Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self. – The Bhagavad Gita
Being in a military family has been difficult for me and caused tremendous stress. When my husband deployed for a year, I was in a constant state of stress and anxiety. My body shut down physically and emotionally. Eating and sleeping were a constant struggle and I began to drastically lose weight. It came to a critical point when I needed to receive intravenous fluids because my body continued to deteriorate. Eventually ended up in the hospital for over a month. Doctors told me if I did not change something, things were not going to end well.
After being released from the hospital, I tried my first yoga class and it was there that I began to find the peace and calm that I had been seeking. I continued to practice on a daily basis and eventually became a yoga teacher myself in order to share with others what had helped me so much.
Practicing my first Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra with one of Jennifer’s cd’s, I knew I had found the last piece of the puzzle. Yoga nidra is so nourishing for me and helps me connect deep within beyond the stresses that life brings. Jennifer’s expression through Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra was incredible for me and I knew immediately that I had to take her teacher training. I was thrilled! Jennifer’s level of professionalism and her deep caring for her students made the training a perfect fit for me.
Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra, along with Jennifer’s Five Element Yoga with the mudras and affirmations she guides, have been life changing for me. Now I sleep better than I ever have! I am able to slow down and find that place of stillness deep inside myself. I practice daily through the use of cd’s and body scans. I also lead all of these practices in my yoga classes to help others experience a deeper level of peace, harmony and health.
One of the best things for me is hearing my students tell me the profound effects that yoga nidra and yoga has in their lives. They also sleep better, have less stress and are able to experience deeper levels of relaxation than ever before. Yay! It works.
In the fast-paced, often demanding lives that we lead, it feels so good to have a practice where, as Jennifer says, “There is nothing required of you but to lie down and listen.” It is truly a practice for everyone!
by | Sep 29, 2015
Before discovering Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra my life was pretty good. I had a good job, good friends, and was passionate about teaching yoga. There was something missing, though. I felt like I was just constantly searching for “something more” and was never finding it. I needed a shift within myself, but had no idea how to find it. Even though I was a yoga teacher, I felt it very difficult to meditate.
Then I found yoga nidra. It’s a guided meditation usually practiced laying down that leads you through each level of being in order to both connect with your whole self and relax deeply. When I registered for Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra teacher training, I was thinking, “I really don’t want to do this whole meditation-thing, so I’ll power my way through it.” Yes, I began to push and force in my typical type-A fashion through meditation training! However, I was in for a pleasant, and life-shifting surprise.
Actually, I volunteered for the Student Spotlight so that I could describe the training itself, because it impacted me so much. So here goes: The first thing I noticed about the training with its originator Jennifer Reis was how incredibly organized it was. The training materials including the 200-page manual, power point presentations, and clearly outlined instructions, were pristine, intuitive, and contained everything you need in order to both practice yourself and lead others in Divine Sleep.
We embodied what we learned cognitively by practicing it in the yoga postures, hand mudras, breathing, and by being led in Divine Sleep journeys. We practiced leading each other with partners and small groups in manageable segments of the eight-stage practice. Jennifer’s method allowed the material and the practice to sink in gradually and fully.
To say the training was an eye opening experience is an understatement. I was the person who thought meditation was about as possible for me as learning to flying with my own arms! However, with Divine Sleep, I find I can follow along and practice meditation — deep meditation — without any trouble at all. And the benefits are amazing! I am more focused and have less tension in both my body and my mind. I have more ability to deal with daily stress. Basically, I feel healthier and happier. Which is saying a lot.
I learned so much about Divine Sleep and its incredible depths, which are a reflection of the depths of the long history of ‘yoga’ itself. Divine Sleep guides you through your five levels of being called koshas. Visiting those levels brought me lasting transformation as each day I felt profound shifts within myself after each specific journey.
I was at the point in my life where I could not move forward without dealing with what was holding me back. Divine Sleep allows you to simply ‘be’ with it, without trying to change or fix anything. As that was happened for me it felt uncomfortable for a few moments, but Jennifer provided a safe environment where I could simply sit with the feelings and then let them move past, and as each one passed, I felt more and more free within myself!
By the end of the training, my path forward in life was clear and I was hooked on Divine Sleep! I was truly happy for the first time in years! Previously I never understood why so many people say that meditation is a core part of their day and now it is the core of my day. I lead Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra in my yoga classes during savasana, and my students absolutely adore it. Numerous students have told me that for the first time ever they were actually able to relax and let their minds rest in stillness.
The other great thing about Divine Sleep is that you do not need to go anywhere or find a class, or even carve out much time in your busy schedule for it because all you need is 12-40 minutes to practice to receive the benefits. Jennifer’s CDs and MP3s are fabulous for a home practice – she does a great job at providing varying themes and lengths of time to accommodate every schedule.
Jennifer is a kind soul and an extremely thorough teacher. I would highly recommend her to anyone interested in meditation, who is looking for a change, or, as in my case, anyone who doesn’t think they want or need meditation in their life!
Kate Curtis
by | Sep 29, 2015
For more than a decade, I chose to live an adventurous, challenging, and fun lifestyle. In the summer, I worked as a firefighter putting out wildfires throughout the western states in our vast network of forests. In the winter, I traveled the globe in pursuit of beautiful locations, ocean waves and volunteer opportunities.
This seasonal flux between fire and water came to a crashing halt when I broke seven vertebrae and severely injured my psoas muscle while parachuting into a wildfire in Northern Idaho.
With the loss of most of my physical abilities, including my consistent yoga practice, I allowed myself to essentially hit “rock bottom.” From anger to anxiety, futility to self-pity, an emotional rollercoaster rolled through my being, coupled with my old stories consistently playing in my mind like a Rolodex. Like many people in the firefighting profession, I identified myself by my job and my physical abilities.
While recovering, I had plenty of time to turn my attention inward. I began to explore yoga, healing and self-help. Restorative yoga brought me back on the mat and eventually led me to sign up for my first yoga nidra workshop. Instantly, I fell in love with yoga nidra after experiencing the calming effects, vivid imagery and an increased sense of awareness.
After my first yoga nidra experience, I knew this practice would play a major role not only in my healing now, but as a path for the rest of my life. I left class feeling like I could shoot laser beams of energy through my fingertips! It awakened my energy and sensitivity within. Colors seemed brighter. My every breath felt pure and certain. My pain was merely a ‘sensation’ and not something that dragged me down. I felt joy and bliss after yoga nidra!
I continued going to seek out yoga nidra and soon realized that the practice is not consistently available and affordable where I live in Bend, Oregon. Seeing this gap, I realized that part of my intention moving forward, was to both make yoga nidra affordable, and to reach out to individuals who do not regularly practice yoga or have limited access to meditation: like some of my fellow firefighters who have been severely injured on the job.
Then the question of how came up: How will I manifest this intention? I left it up to the universe and found myself traveling across the country to Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in MA, enrolled in Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra Teacher Training with Jennifer Reis.
Before the training, I never heard Jennifer’s voice, not on a CD, video or YouTube. Never. On a whim, I chose her training… It was one of the best choices that I have ever made! When I walked into the opening evening and I heard Jennifer speak for the first time, I thought “Wow! What a beautiful, peaceful voice. I can’t wait for her to guide us through a yoga nidra practice.”
With a clear, soothing and mindful presence, Jennifer guided us through some of the most amazing journeys in the Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra practice. Sometimes I drifted off into the realm of the conscious/subconscious mind, while other times I could recall the entire experience. With Jennifer’s guidance, I was able to see vivid visual imagery through the chakras, into ancient forests, and soaring through and into the inner landscape of one’s being.
After each Divine Sleep journey, I was a peaceful space, where I felt positive energy flourish in my soul, and again any pains became mere sensations, and contentment filled my heart.
In addition to the Divine Sleep practice, the chanting, mudras and five element-based asana brought me to such a blissful state that I can still feel the positive energy radiate through me just to think of it now. I highly recommend Jennifer’s training. She has such a great presence and her voice is magical. Jennifer is a very knowledgeable yoga instructor and phenomenal presenter. Her method of guiding yoga nidra is graceful and accessible to people from all walks of life.
I’ve found Jennifer’s CD’s to be an invaluable tool not only for my relaxation but also provided me a solid framework for guiding others in this healing practice. I use her calm, steady voice regularly to help with my ongoing healing process and to maintain a deep level of relaxation.
Like a divine shovel, yoga nidra has allowed me to dig into the deeper parts of my true Self, has revitalized my internal energy and has allowed me to accept myself just the way I am. I feel incredibly fortunate and so grateful to have been able to be a part of the Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra Teacher Training with Jennifer, the assistants and the great group of students who took part in this amazing training. I’m excited to use my newly acquired knowledge to guide others who need deep rest and relaxation, and for those who have suffered.
by | Sep 29, 2015
“Only human beings have come to a point where they know longer know why they exist … they have forgotten the secret knowledge of their bodies, their senses, their dreams.” – John Fire Lame Deer
In 2011 I was physically and mentally overwhelmed with an intense flare-up from the chronic pain condition that I’d had for about 17 years — since I was 12 years old. In my quest to heal and to manage the pain, I created a list of restorative practices to help me through. Although I had been practicing yoga off and on for ten years, I evaluated all my other routine activities, as well as my environment.
I recognized that my list of stressors was much longer than my list of restorative practices! I began to adjust the balance. I asked – What had I done in the past that was comforting and restored a sense of calm and ease to my mind and body? My most fundamental life-shaping experiences always had something to do with nature and the Great Outdoors. I felt like I was missing that now…
As part of this process of deep reflection, I stumbled upon a yoga nidra class offered in my neighborhood. Although I had been trying and practicing a variety of meditation techniques at the suggestion of my doctor, I found that yoga nidra had the deepest impact and most unparalleled results for reducing the levels of pain and anxiety I was experiencing. The 40-minute yoga nidra sessions were thoroughly restorative and rejuvenating for my tired mind and body. My yoga nidra practice became an integral step on the path back to optimal health and well-being.
Last year I felt called to learn how to become a guide for others in the practice of yoga nidra. I happened upon Jennifer’s website and training for Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra, which felt rich in its understanding of and accessible in its approach to the ancient practice. I signed up for the 40-hour training in Boston knowing I was in for something transformative! What I appreciated about Jennifer’s style in particular, is how heavily she draws upon her experience in the natural world in the powerful journeys she leads. She recognizes the importance of the connection between our own psychic nature and the natural world and the elements around us. And that in turn helped me reconnect with nature.
The unique methodology Jennifer developed is precise and complete in its understanding of the mind-body nexus. For me, I can’t overstate the profound effects my regular Divine Sleep practice has had on my mind, body and spirit. It goes completely above and beyond the other types of meditation I have practiced. To me it seems Divine Sleep was designed with great comprehension of the historical, spiritual and scientific knowledge needed to produce health and wellness at core levels. And that helps me to truly heal, thrive, and flourish. You have to try it for yourself to best understand just how deeply restorative and transformative this practice can be.
I look forward now to continuing my own Divine Sleep practice, attending advanced trainings with Jennifer in the future, as well as guiding my students in this ancient practice of health and well-being.
