Saturday Hatha & Nidra
Saturday ~ 10:30 - 12:00 PM
$15 Suggested Price / notaflof
Om Shala (New Location)
101 H St, Arcata, California
Hatha Nidra
In this live and in person yoga class series we harness the magic that occurs when we choose to gather physically with the shared intention to generate wellbeing. We will explore mind/body practices including Hatha Yoga and Yoga Nidra. We will breathe, move, be still, and investigate how the timeless wisdom of Tantra applies to our present day enigma.
Class Structure: This class evolved to include both a Hatha Yoga practice followed by a full Yoga Nidra practice. Generally this 90 minute class has the first 60 minutes dedicated to Hatha and the final 30 minutes dedicated to stillness and rest in Yoga Nidra.
The practice of Hatha Yoga encourages energy to flow through the physical body. By combining awareness cultivation, breath, and movement while using biomechanical principles to intelligently explore various shapes (asanas) we develop a more dynamic and nourishing relationship with our body. The practice cleanses, purifies, and aligns the body and can help us develop mobility, strength, balance, and grace.
Yoga Nidra as a practice explores and utilizes the rich realms of awareness in between waking and sleeping. The practice consists of a series of simple guided meditations usually done in a comfortable supine posture. Yoga Nidra is simultaneously relaxing and enlivening; it leads to greater self understanding and receptivity. The relaxing nature of the practice is extremely beneficial for our nervous system and heals many of the effects of stress on the mind/body. This includes improving digestion, increasing the ease and quality of sleep, improving mental clarity and performance, and easing our ability to share and participate in the world around us.
What to bring: Om Shala is a nicely equipped ground level yoga studio which has mats, blankets and other props available for use. Even still, it can be nice to bring your own mat and props. With the extended Nidra practice in savasana it can be nice to have additional comfort items such as a favorite blanket or eye pillow. No specific clothing is required to practice yoga, but most people prefer to practice in clean comfortable clothing that does not restrict movement. The room has been just above 70 degrees at class time.
Of note is that this Om Shala class is sliding scale $10-$20 and in my classes no one is turned away for lack of funds (notaflof). In addition to this, I personally offer first class free to anyone authentically interested.
You can pay cash or digitally at the studio, but Om Shala would love for you to Preregister Online.
Archive Nidra Recordings
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Let Ma Hold You07/16/22 11:30 AM
This Nidra practice was recorded on a Saturday Morning after the full moon of Guru Purnima and draws inspiration from some of my favorite teachers. I mention my teacher Uma and borrow some language from her teachings. The essence of this practice is held in the understandings gleaned from the least talked about and possibly the most powerful branch of Richard Millers work with Yoga Nidra, which is the exploration of non-dual tantric cosmology within the practice. And very notably this practice is inspired by my dear friend, teacher, and collaborator Shemaia Skywater whose singing bowls she had me borrow and are featured in the practice. Shemaia and I continue to explore the intersection of Yoga Nidra, Sound Bath, and ritual in monthly events and private sessions.
Basic Instructions > Dedication to Nidra Shakti Ma > Settling > Body Sensing > Bowl Sound Bath > Externalization
This practice was delivered to a group which had several returning students, skeptical new students, and other teachers. I kept the practice accessible while also pointing to the deeper realms of Nidra. I played the bowls for the room and thus both the bowls and my voice are robust in this live recording, which is perhaps my best capture yet of this style of practice. Due to the overall structure of this class containing postural yoga, compared to the other recordings in my archive, this recording for me has a more corporeal and visceral feel.
To be able to deliver a full dynamic and responsive Yoga Nidra practice as part of a coherent 90 minute yoga class including 50 minutes of asana requires nuance and grace. It has taken me a lot of practice, inquiry, and feedback to get to where now I am very pleased with the wholeness of the experience and my offering. At this point I have taught 100+ of these types of classes. This recording comes from a class I call Embodied Hatha Yoga which is an in person class I began in April 2021 and have ran weekly since. This recording is dedicated to the students and yogis who gathered to practice with me through the Covid Scenario. To these students who inspire me to and insisted that I continue to evoke the fullness of the power of Nidra Shakti every Saturday morning – Thank you for listening – Hari Om Tat Sat.