Yoga Nidra Archive

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.

For me, one of the most treasured and powerful forms of the Yoga Nidra practice is that of full release. It is not always the most ecological in terms of our life because the contentment and perspective that can arise when we are able to fully let go and allow can transform many things. This recording is designed to capture the energy of the Fall so that we can let go with mother earth. Careful with this one, pick the right set and setting.

This is my first addition to my archive since "the great yoga break" and I feel glad to share in this way again. It was captured in my living room on a rainy autumn evening in a session designed for a friend going through loss using some of her singing bowls and my fancy new microphone.

Extended Settling w/Seasons of the Breath > Rotation Modified Himalayan > Heart Breathing > Archetypal Release Evocation > Reintegration

On March 12, 2020, after having spent the last 5 years completely dedicated to practicing and developing the skills and wisdom required to induce an experience of radical healthfulness, healing, freedom, and wonder person to person, I walked into The HPRC Connection knowing that it was going to be my last opportunity for some time to make and share some the most meaningful art I have ever created.

I was more than ready. As is often the case, I was inspired to the point of tears on my drive to Eureka. There is nothing I believe in more strongly than the value of Yoga Nidra.

I am so grateful for the one student who showed up that day to my free weekly class I had been running for almost 2 years straight. She was very excited for her second nidra practice with me.

A recording can only be a tiny glimpse of what it is to practice nidra in a live setting with other humans right there next to you. It is a most precious gift and as my teacher Uma pointed out, if your heart is right, the Nidra Fairies always have your back. There really is no better explanation for all the completely magical shit I have seen.

From the lifelong insomniacs who now sleep fine to spontaneous cessation of chronic pain to environmental sounds that humorously respond to my words and all of the multitude of seemingly unrelated health improvements my students confidentiality attribute to the practice, the abundant magic of Yoga Nidra for me has completely invalidated any conventional model of health and healing based on objective measurement or linear thinking.

The human being's ability to heal and generate health is quantum and boundless and in my research it seems to be aided the most by close proximity to other beings where we are able to share the embodied experience of loving and being loved. Another thing that helps is seeing other people smile.

Fortunately, sometimes a glimpse of magic is all you need. Just to remember that it is real, to remember you are the magic, you are a miracle, just the fact that you are alive and aware is astounding.

This recording is special. It simultaneously contains both my boldest innovations in the practice and the wisdom, sensibilities, and language of my teachers who came before me. I find it important to note that I did not plan or write any of this beforehand. The process for creation is: talk to the student, see the student, lock the door, pray for grace, dig deep, and let er rip.

This may not be the best practice for beginners as it is rather evocative in all the right ways. Yoga Nidra is my prayer. It is my medicine walk. I offer this recording for free for the benefit of all beings. May it help you practice sovereignty in your health and wellbeing.

Settling Explorations > Rotation > Heart Breath > Web of Life > Feeling State Evocations > Externalization

The most unique quality about this live nidra session was the stillness in the room. It was a fair sized group of over 10 nidranaughts and I remember near the end realizing that nobody had moved or even really made any noise. In retrospect this is sort of surprising due to the fact that this is not a snoozer and rather is a semi-lively practice.

I realized how special this recording was after having an extremely auspicious session with it during my February 2020 trip to the Oaxaca coast in Mexico. I am happy to add it to the archive as my "first contact" in the time of covid-19.

NLP heavy settling > Classic Richard Miller Intention > Himalayan Rotation > Sensory Exploration > Breath Awareness > Multi sensory Evocations > Pure Being > Externalization

This is a standout Nidra recording for several reasons. I chose to highlight 3 major tools of Nidra making it very accessible while also asking the deeper questions Nidra can illuminate. It very much shows synthesis and development in my presentation of the Nidra practice. This is Total Yoga Nidra to the core and draws from all of my usual inspirations: Neuro Linguistic Programming, Non-dual Shiva Tantra, Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, Richard Miller, Contact Improvisation, and Mother Earth Herself.

This is the first archived recording from the Yoga Nidra Lab - a Monday 11 a.m. weekly class that I began September 2019. I was not able to get a clean recordings in the space using my portable recorder so I bought a lapel microphone and this was its first ever field test. As a result this recording has improved audio quality and represents a new era in my quest to share the Nidra practice. In the Nidra Lab I have began a deeper utilization of sound and this recording features some use of singing bowls.

Settling (Unique Sankalpa) > Rotation (Modified Himalayan) > Heart Breath > Archetypal Spot Evocations (Unique - Early Winter, Powerful) > Essential Qualities of Being(With NLP future pacing) > Simply Being > Externalization.

This live recording was captured the week following the autumnal time change. Thus it was the first class of the year where we began when it was dark outside, giving the practice a unique quality. This Nidra was designed to be accessible to those in the class who arrived rather preoccupied and thus is also a great choice for beginners.

Settling > Rotation (Right, Left, Back, Shoelace to Heart) > Heart Breathing > Archetypal Natural Evocations > Feeling State Explorations > Externalization

This 36 minute recording includes a ~31 minute heart centered practice followed by an original poem and comes from the end of my favorite month of the year - May. As usual the practice draws from multiple lineages and inspirations. Notably I borrow some language from Uma Dinsmore-Tuli and the rotation has elements derived from the Vijñāna-bhairava-tantra exploring the body as space.

Settling > Rotation (Body as Space) > Opposites (Full + Empty) > Archetypal Spot Evocations > Simply Being > Anchoring Ease > Externalization > Poem

Note: This recording has some sound artifacts (Breathing + a low hum) for about the first 5 minutes and then it mellows out nicely.

Delivered to a small group including a Nidra newbie and a pregnant mother this Nidra draws on almost countless inspirations. The name of the Nidra refers to the multi-sensory evocational portion which is presented as a story about a girl named Sally. The settling has language borrowed from Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, the sensing and evocation draws inspiration from Swami Janakananda, the story is a NLP hypnotic metaphor, and Non-Dual Tantrik philosophy and cosmology informs and inspires the whole practice.

This is a really nice 30 minute live recording and was the first full Nidra practice I delivered after a month traveling and being with family.

Permissive Settling > Himalayan Inspired Rotation > Sensing of Spaces Between > Opposites (Being + Doing) > A Girl Named Sally Multi-sensory Evocational Story / NLP Style Hypnotic Metaphor > Joy + Ease > Externalization

This truly special recording was captured on the eve of spring in a room filled with friends, returning students, and love. The practice explores our elemental composition as a way of connecting to our terrestrial nature and innate wholeness.

Elemental Settling > Himalayan Inspired Rotation - Light of Conscious Attention > Opposites (Water + Fire) > Terrestrial Evocations - Earth into Space > Externalization

This practice is inspired by the creative aspect of awareness itself and includes a communion with the energy of Mother Earth.

It was recorded live at the HPRC Connection in Eureka, California for my dedicated Nidra class. It has a special quality due to the fact there was only one student present and that student is an experienced meditator and Nidra practitioner.

Softness Settling > Fuzzy Intention > Himalayan Inspired Rotation > Breath Awareness/Counting > Open Chidakasha > Honoring Mother Earth / Being the living Earth > Aware of Awareness > Externalization

This 32 minute Nidra practice explores stillness and silence and is inspired by my time as a middle school substitute teacher. It was recorded by Yogi Jeffrey Balinsky at the HPRC Connection on 01/24/2019. This was the first recording added to this archive and I believe it to be an excellent recording.

Reading > Settling > iRest inspired Rotation > Peaceful Heart Lake Visualization > Breath Awareness > Feeling State Evocations > Dynamic Externalization.

This practice recorded at the first HPRC Connection Nidra class of 2019 is designed to explicitly explore and induce relaxation. It was recorded with about 12 practitioners in the room and is very pleasant.

Settling > NLP inspired Rotation with Nervous System awareness > 2 Opposites (Earth/Sky + Being/Doing) > Peaceful Heart Cave Lake Visualization with Feeling State evocations > Externalization.

This 32 minute live heart centered Nidra recording begins with a nice NLP influenced settling process and an adapted Richard Miller style body sensing practice. It then moves through Satyananda influenced multi-sensory spot evocations into awareness of breath. This practice includes spacious amounts of silence throughout. The externalization process includes a strong rousing and experientially walks through the tantrik model of the “Nested Layers of Awareness” as explained in Tantra Illuminated by Christopher Wallis. The recording ends with and explanation of the concept of cid-ananda – the joy of awareness.

This was the last Nidra I delivered before traveling to meet and train with Uma Dinsmore-Tuli at The 1440 Multiversity outside of Santa Cruz, California October 2018. Offered from the heart as a free class at The Humboldt Patient Resource Center Connection in Eureka, California

This ~17 minute practice has an emphasis on the core your being and was recorded live at The Arcata Presbyterian Church in Humboldt County, California on 3/29/2018 for a hatha/nidra combo class. The practice combines a juicy rotation of consciousness inspired by Richard Miller and Satyananda style archetypal images. This is one of my favorites to practice myself.

This Classic Yogi Jeffrey recording comes from back when Inner Freedom Yoga was operating out of the Community Yoga Center, before we got kicked out. I had been teaching dedicated Nidra classes for only 2 months at this point and I was still mostly following the Satyananda Yoga Nidra structure. I have never led Yoga Nidra from a script and this practice is rich with NLP language patterns which I was studying at the time with Corey Lee Lewis.

This practice stands the test of time and I still enjoy it to this day.

Settling + Sankalpa > Satyananda Inspired Rotation > Breath Awareness + Counting > Opposites (Abundance/Lack + Leisure + Anxiety) > Temple Visualization