by | Sep 29, 2015
Years ago I was very caught up in the world of vigorous yoga, and working out – ‘relaxation by exhaustion’. I did not allow myself to have that space to travel inward and to see what was going on. I did weekend trainings for my Yoga Teacher Training when my children were small because that’s all the time I could take out of a busy schedule. But I did not begin teaching yoga – I couldn’t find my voice – my teaching voice.
I was a very avid student and had been practicing a long time, attended and completed other related professional trainings, but it wasn’t until I came to Jennifer’s Yoga and Deep Relaxation Retreat: the Gift of Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra with my mother, that things began to click. I found my path!
I’ll never forget when my Mom came out of one of the Divine Sleep journeys and said, “I was an eagle, and I was flying over Jerusalem!” It was so real and vivid for her, and such a powerful experience. We had a profound experience during the retreat together. In the midst of mother-daughter bonding, I was reaching these deep places of rest and relaxation I had never experienced. It really touched me, and so much happened within me in those two days. Our group became a harmonious community throughout the weekend.
I left that workshop and the following year had huge transformations in store. My husband lost his job, and our lives completely changed. I did a hypnosis certification and I thought ‘what I really need to do is the Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra Teacher Training!’ It’s similar work, but I longed for the yoga nidra way to go deep inside and transform.
Finding My Words and My Voice
I came back to Kripalu and did the training with Jennifer. During the Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra Training I found Jennifer’s words allowed me to find my words. It resonated with me the way she expresses herself, as well as her connection to nature and the elements. Being with Jennifer really helped me to find my own voice. My voice began to feel natural to me! It didn’t feel like the funny vocabulary from my old yoga training or the old men sort of language of the hypnosis world, which had never felt natural to me.
So much about what Jennifer was doing, and the generosity of what she shared, all of her creative ability helped me to be creative in my own way. Now I’m able to weave in myself so that it feels authentic and natural for me. From that point, I have just continued on and on, establishing my teaching voice for not only yoga nidra but in all of my yoga classes. I found it natural to teach class, when previously I was in denial of being the ‘yoga teacher’ because so many people were teaching and I had been questioning if that path was for me.
Candlelight Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra: My Premier!
I began by leading candlelight Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra at my friend’s yoga studio. It was something like my big coming out, my big premier! I felt nervous — then I realized everyone’s eyes were closed – there was nothing to be nervous about. It’s not like teaching a class to thirty people that everybody is watching your every move! So I found my comfort zone, and that allowed me to settle in and be the guardian of that space, creating a safe and healing space for my students. I began to find my place as a teacher. I’ve been teaching for three years in her studio.
Catalyst For My Evolution
Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra has been a beautiful practice in my life that gave me a ground to explore and to incorporate my passions into the practice. For an earth inspired journey I bring my drum, and drum through parts of it. If I have small groups I can use sacred objects in the group or set up and alter with all those things. From there it kept multiplying and expanding and now I’ve led just about every kind of journey, and some of them I have no idea how I even came to it. I started to do angelic journeys and I thought — how am I doing this? I got this intuitive message, ‘Don’t worry we’re going to show you what to do and you just go and do it!’ So I went with it and people just showed up! Many people show up for an opportunity to connect with the angels and I realized people are in need of healing. Jennifer was the catalyst for my evolution! People love nature! I lead a Divine Sleep journey with ‘your power animal’. People feel a deep connection to animals as well as nature.
Divine Sleep helped me to find and create the work that I’m offering to the world. Ultimately I love being a student, I’m always seeking- what’s the next thing to learn? I feel very dedicated to this practice and how it will unfold for me and my students.
My Self-Care Practice is Divine Sleep
Divine Sleep has been my method of relaxation – to give myself the gift of practicing when I needed to rest, or needed to come back to myself. And that process allowed me to shed things. I didn’t even know what the stuff was, that had been clogging me up, but it just needed to go. When I need self-care, this is the practice for me.
Divine Sleep has tremendously increased my ability to visualize and see my inner symbols. This practice has opened up my mind to what is possible. Yoga nidra helped me let go of who I thought I was and move into a bigger, larger, more expanded version of myself- my authentic self. And that has meant the world to me. My life is so much fuller now with clear direction. My intuition has evolved.
Five Element Yoga Teacher Training
I jumped at the chance to do Jennifer’s Five Element Yoga Teacher Training and it was really by far the most fun training I have taken! We still talk about it today, my friend Bonnie and I who were there together, we had the best time with that training. A great training, there was always this abundant space to practice everything, and to really explore all the elemental aspects. It was a genuinely fun group people. We had so much fun together, and learned and experienced so much, and I came back from that and I was ready to go!
Five Element Yoga gave me the last piece to solidify what I was doing. And I went right to it. I came home and I started to teach Five Element Yoga right away – dove right in! I felt prepared. And the great thing is, I’m still learning from the practice. I’ve worked it into my life and into my classes. My students now live it and they really love it, and I feel grateful to have these tools.
I just started with Earth Element and began to work with an elemental theme every month, and weave that theme into everything I do and lead. Exploring Earth for the whole month allowed me to truly sink in and feel it. I led it in Divine Sleep journeys, in yoga teachings, private energy healing work. I fully learned it inside and out. That gave me the framework and I have to say Jennifer’s text, her manual, is just so amazing and thorough. Even down to the poetry and mudras, and I pull it out for inspiration for what I’ll use that day. It’s a well-rounded manual and I’ve taken it and really used it.
by | Sep 29, 2015
Under a significant amount of stress during the past couple of years, I was in a space where I knew something had to change. Fear, in its all-pervasive forms, was sticking to me like crazy glue and I needed to find a way to dissolve its hold.
My physical body had begun to pay the price, with a plethora of symptoms appearing with no seeming resolution despite my best efforts. My mental and emotional bodies were wrung out and despite having a whole lot of intellectual knowledge on how to counteract it, I was just not able to find the “off” switch to unwind. I was living in a perpetual state of anxiety, at a crossroads in many areas of my life and decision-making felt impossible. With no direction and no clear road ahead, at times I felt like a prisoner with nowhere to go.
So I took the deep dive inward to locate the cause of my discomfort and used my life experiences as a mirror. In the reflection I watched as deep-seated core beliefs emerged from the dark recesses of my mind.
Important to know, but what to do now? I caught a glimpse of the Kripalu Calendar and looked through it. The description of the Yoga and Deep Relaxation Retreat: the Gift of Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra, declaring that I would ‘experience deeper levels of inner freedom than I could possibly imagine’ was exactly what I was looking for! The timing was perfect…it started in less than a week….read more
I was captivated from the moment I stepped into the room the first evening of the retreat. What I learned immediately was that, although it is helpful and perfectly appropriate to receive external assistance, at some point, I needed to get involved in the process of my own healing. An empowering idea for me!
I learned about Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra and as we began to practice it, I realized the attraction for me was its ‘completeness’. Perfect in its wholeness, all-inclusive and lacking nothing. I journeyed through the layers of myself, opening up the windows and the doors and touching base with the core of my being, my essence. The week was magical and each day, I couldn’t wait to embark on another inward voyage, revealing my wholeness each time. I was “on a mission to my heart and a journey to my soul”, to use a play on Justin Hayward’s lyrics.
In the past, I had thrived on a super vigorous asana practice, but yet Jennifer’s Five Element Yoga took me places I had never been within myself. I loved the exploration of nature, and how each movement revealed something new and interesting. I embraced the power of breath, the potency of mudras, and the newly revealed sensations in my body, as we travelled along through the elements. I felt expansion of my being in multiple directions, transcending linear space. The yoga became an experience, not a series of postures to perfect.
The entire experience of the retreat was so beautifully integrated and orchestrated.
This was the most heart opening experience I had ever had. I found a softness within me that I had spent my life resisting. It was a truly transformational week. On the last day of Jennifer’s workshop we shared our experiences, and I felt hopeful — something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Jennifer embodies the practice and this translated into a fully authentic experience for me. Her passion is reflected in all that she teaches and this is passed on effortlessly. Her assistants are compassion in action and I felt cared for and nurtured on all levels. Thank you!!! Thank you!!!
I have listened to Jennifer’s CDs nearly every single day since I got back home, incorporating breath-work, postures and mudras. I even bought pencil crayons for sketching yesterday! As I continue to practice, I experience that deep sense of connectedness, and each time I listen I discover something new. I sense an organic shift taking place deep inside me.
I feel empowered and stronger, my fears and anxiety have lessened and many moments I feel intimately connected to the fabric of my whole being. Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra is truly a journey home. This practice has cultivated a deep reverence for all that I am, for life and for living, engendering a feeling of gratitude for all that I have experienced.
I’m so excited to have this powerful tool in my pocket. I feel the icy grip of my limiting core beliefs softening. A new sense of purpose now guides my life. Not only do I feel more hopeful, my creativity has been awakened, I am inspired, and in tune with the nature of myself. I feel like I’ve been given a great gift…the gift of myself.
by | Sep 29, 2015
I always knew the importance of resting at the end of yoga class in savasana and how it could help integrate the poses and bring peace and the calm ability to flow through life. But I had no idea of the profound effects of Divine Sleep yoga nidra. After practicing with Jennifer I have more energy and sleep better. I look forward to practicing her CD’s and do not feel guilty about resting. I am looking forward to doing the thrilled about attending Jennifer’s Yoga Nidra Teacher training and to be able to share it with my yoga students.
I have been teaching yoga for twenty years and now teach seven classes per week, read, exercise and see my honey on the weekends. I was laid off from my corporate job ten years ago and had saved money so it turned out to be a blessing because now I can teach yoga and do the things I want to explore. I handle life and its bumps so much better because of yoga. I am receiving the many physical, mental and emotional benefits of yoga nidra. I thankfully live a pretty stress-free life!
I enjoy learning new yoga practices: mudras and yoga nidra. Part of why I am drawn to yoga nidra is because of Jennifer. I enjoyed her teaching of Mudras at the Kripalu Yoga Teachers Association Conference and in doing that realized I wanted to spend more time with Jennifer, which means practicing Divine Sleep yoga nidra. She is an inspiration for me – certainly a glowing being! She is up front and she laughs at herself and I felt an immediate connection – she’s human. I brought four of my students to Jennifer’s Five Element Yoga weekend at Kripalu and they were all blown away. My biggest ‘aha’ has been realizing how blessed I am in life and feeling this incredible gratitude that flows through me each day! I am in relationship with a wonderful man, have a great family including five grandchildren, loving friends and enough money to do the things I like. Studying with Jennifer has opened me up to new possibilities in my life. I am now exploring aromatherapy with essential oils.
I love the mudras! The whole practice brings me home to myself. I feel so centered and grounded. For me it’s much easier to practice mudra meditation because I have another part of focus that is within the body. Mentally I am drawn to the positive statements and the benefits the mudras give me. The mudras have also opened me up to energy on a whole new level. I found my hands wanting to go into mudras on their own after Jennifer’s workshop.
Yoga has had such a huge impact on my life and spiritual development. It brought me back into my body when I was living in my mind. I did not know if I believed in ‘God’. I was brought up Catholic. Previously I had felt Catholic guilt more than love. After practicing yoga, I knew God existed in my heart. And that God is love. Although yoga itself is non-denominational, non-religious, and non-god oriented, I have had profound religious experiences through my personal practice of yoga. Yoga brought me back to myself, and my spirituality in a way that nothing else had.
It made me want to search for a spiritual community who was like-minded and I have found that now. If someone told me years ago that I’d be going to church and attending Bible study, I would have thought it was absolutely not possible!
Now I feel more integrated, more authentic, and feel my life is rich, deep and everything I always wanted it to be! I am so blessed, and love creating the opportunity to share this with others.
by | Sep 29, 2015
I have struggled with anxiety and depression all my life. It all began with childhood trauma and by my mid-twenties, anxiety attacks became a regular occurrence for me. I could feel when it was coming on and I would just become more and more tense, with shallow breathing and my heart racing. It would feel like I was going to die and then I would become very frightened which led to even greater anxiety. It was a vicious cycle. My doctor would come to my house and give me an injection of anti-anxiety medication to calm me down.
In my earlier years I anestheticized myself with drugs and alcohol. Later, I began to try other healthier things such as Biofeedback, mindfulness training, bodywork, TM and many different therapies and therapists. There was not much I did not try in an attempt to manage my anxiety and depression. I learned a lot about myself, the source of the problem, and managed to make profound changes in my life to continue to be productive. I sure do wish I would have known about Yoga Nidra then.
When I was 58 years old I enrolled in a year-long yoga teacher training because I wanted to enter my 60th year having done something really great for myself and go into that decade strong! During the training, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had bilateral mastectomies and chemotherapy. I did my best to continue with the training even though I could not move very much and felt awful and that is where I was introduced to the practice of Yoga Nidra. It was a real blessing because the cancer diagnosis really kicked in my panic disorder.
I discovered Yoga Nidra was an incredibly effective tool to manage the new level of anxiety and depression that I was dealing with. I recall my second Yoga Nidra experience vividly. When we were prompted to come back to everyday consciousness, I knew my body was really, really, really happy! There was a Mona Lisa smile on my face instead of a grimace. It was so profound that a lightning bolt went off for me. I practiced Yoga Nidra during my entire treatment and vowed to pursue it as a teacher when I was more able.
I truly believe if it was not for yoga nidra – Jennifer’s CD’s and a recording I made for myself – I would not have healed as well and quickly as I did from the multiple surgeries that have been part of my cancer journey. I listened to other CD’s as well, but Jennifer’s became my “go-to” choice. Her voice is so soothing and the method she used did not cause me to become agitated as did some of the others. I still find the ‘Insomnia Track’ very helpful when I need an aid to lull me back to sleep.
Yoga Nidra gave me a sense of peace and both my body and mind a chance to rest in a way that nothing else could. Somehow the practice brought me to the knowing that my body needed and wanted this deep state of rest … and my mind a needed to take respite from its anxiety ridden thoughts. I was delighted when I learned that Jennifer offered a Divine Sleep yoga nidra workshop at Kripalu. I had a great experience there. I was even more delighted when she offered a Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra Teacher Training! I signed up immediately. I loved it. Jennifer has a way of delivering information that makes it easy to grasp. She made the illogical logical! I keep asking her when Part 2 will be offered because I want more.
One interesting change is that before yoga nidra, I really did not like my voice – I have a low register – and when I was younger I would try to change it to sound like the voices of the other girls. It’s only been the past few years since I have been leading Yoga Nidra that I began to like my voice. Students would comment and I have come to realize my voice is relaxing, earthy and beautiful, and that my voice is a gift.
Yoga nidra has helped me more than any other practice or therapy. The profound sense of peace goes well beyond what I received from anything else. I continue to practice for my ongoing well-being and it keeps me in balance and assists my health. I have a regular asana/posture practice but when push comes to shove, Yoga Nidra is the part that I always do in a time crunch because I know that what I need most is rest and rejuvenation. My life is definitely better, definitely improved, and now I am able to cope with all situations with more calm, grace, and ease.
by | Sep 29, 2015
After a recent yoga class at Kriplau, Ellen came to me with tears in her eyes to thank me for the powerful effects and changes she has witnessed in herself with three years of practicing Yoga Nidra. She also had unfortunate news to share – she had just suffered a concussion. She told me Yoga Nidra is her ‘go to tool’ and she practiced it every day after the concussion to bring her into her body’s own healing mode. Here is Ellen’s tory:
Before I practiced Yoga Nidra, I found it really difficult to control or manage my stress. I had no tool to calm and settle myself that would work consistently. I am a ‘type A’: running businesses, raising kids, and volunteering. Professionally, I am an organizer. I help others to get their lives into order by removing clutter from their lives so they can focus on what gives satisfaction. Most of this is emotional clutter or ‘should’ clutter: ‘I should be this way’ ‘I should do that’. So I was immediately drawn to Yoga Nidra since it is a practice of non-doing and non-pushing – but with just a tiny bit of structure.
Three years ago I took Jennifer’s Yoga Nidra workshop and I have been practicing her CD’s since then. It is a very intimate experience and it feels like she is here with me. Previously when I tried to ‘relax’ my mind would run fast or I would fall asleep. Now with this practice, I can get myself to a relaxed place without falling asleep. When I find myself in a stressful period in life, it helps me manage things.
Jennifer’s Yoga Nidra CD’s are an important part of my life. When I have an acute illness like the flu, I use the ‘Infinite Healing Relaxation’ journey and I can actually heal myself! The flu goes away. I fell and got a concussion four weeks before writing this. What a learning experience that was! This incident helped me to reassess everything. My daily functioning is back, and even though my concentration is not fully there, I got clarity that was not here before — what a gift.
After the concussion I practiced every single day and I am convinced that so much of the healing that has happened is in the mind and that is exactly the level that Yoga Nidra takes me to. I willed myself better with my intention and this practice. It’s been so powerful for me.
Yoga Nidra has helped me to learn the most valuable lesson. I am fifty now, and realize that actually nothing is under control, and that knowing leads me to be more free and open to simply enjoy every moment just as it is. I ask myself ‘where would I be without Yoga Nidra?’ I feel empowered, stronger, and flow with more ease. My sleep is better. Everything is better! I have sent Jennifer’s CD’s to people in my life who have similar issues. It’s wonderful- it’s always here at any time of day for me, anywhere I go, and it works! It’s so easy and truly a wonderful path to take.
Ellen Faye
