What is "Guided Meditation based on Yoga Nidra" like?

I have recently been promoting a new Guided Meditation class that I am teaching in Bethnal Green (near Shoreditch, London). I have been describing it in my publicity as "Guided Deep Meditation adapted from Yoga Nidra". If you haven't heard of Yoga Nidra or are wondering what a "deep meditation" might involve then read on.

What is Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is the name given to a particular and quite remarkable state of consciousness. The name comes from the ancient Indian language sanskrit."Yoga" means union or one-pointed awareness. "Nidra" means sleep. So when you experience the state of Yoga Nidra in one of my classes in Bethnal Green, or listening to a Meditation MP3, you feel the deep stillness and tranquillity of sleep and yet you retain a unique kind of consciousness, an unusually profound level of awareness, a kind of pure consciousness untainted by habitual thought patterns. In fact the experience is so distinct that words hardly describe the depth and breadth of what occurs in the human mind during Yoga Nidra. 

Why Practise Yoga Nidra

Many people I meet in London are looking for ways of relaxing, calming down, switching off and/or stilling the mind. Some people find themselves thinking too much or having excessive internal chatter whilst others want to learn ways of tackling feelings of stress and anxiety. Beneath all those layers of thoughts, feelings, beliefs and habits (so many habits) is pure consciousness a source of insight and understanding.

Whilst Yoga Nidra itself comes from India, you will find many other ancient traditions engaging with this kind of consciousness e.g. the Huna practices of Hawaii. It seems to me there is more than one way to reach this part of the mind and a variety of ways of using it. Yoga Nidra provides an excellent foundation for working with your own internal wisdom and gaining greater control over your thinking. But to start with you may just find that it simply helps you to relax and unwind.

So why is this class described as "adapted from Yoga Nidra"

The class itself is mostly the traditional sequence of Yoga Nidra. However I have made some adaptations based on my knowledge from other disciplines including shamanic trance work, hypnosis and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). However unlike hypnosis the aim is not to induce a trance, but to slow the brain wave frequencies whilst remaining in a state of consciousness and awareness. My hypnosis skills are used along with some NLP language patterns to help make it easier for you to let go of the busy aspect of the mind and to accelerate the process of your relaxation. 

Where to find more information about the classes

The classes take place at Unit 3 Temple Yard, Temple Street, Bethnal Green, London E2 6QD. There is also further information on my website Spirit Space - Meditation in east London

Meditation Retreat in Spain

Unique Meditation Retreat in Spain - September 2013

If you are new to meditation, or wish to learn more about it, this year's retreat near Xativa in Spain could be just what you are looking for.  I am running and hosting the retreat from 14th September to 21st September with daily meditations before breakfast and a variety of morning classes through the week. 

This first picture is just one of the views you can enjoy from the villa's garden. 

Where it all happens

I have chosen this amazing location in the region of Valencia in Spain, because I want you to totally relax as you enjoy a week of peace and tranquility. 

The beautiful surroundings here are conducive to meditation, to learning and to creating a peaceful inner state. And my classes are designed to help you maintain a sense of wellbeing after the week, when you have returned home. 

This next picture shows you part of the villa's garden.

The villa is set amongst orange groves and almond trees. 

Shortly after you arrive at the villa we will enjoy showing you around the land. Then I imagine you will want to take the occasional stroll by yourself, or with others, as you gradually unwind and slow down. The picture below is just an example of where you might go as you explore the surrounding land.

What happens while you are here

Your time here will be free of any day-to-day pressures, it will be time for yourself. The combination of gentle meditations, fun classes, delicious local food and beautiful surroundings creates a unique experience.

And sometimes you might just want to relax by the pool.

Where do you stay

All accommodation is provided at a wonderful villa called Entre Pins 5kms from the small town of Manual and 11kms from the ancient town of Xativa, in the region of Valencia. The villa offers a variety of bedrooms, so you can choose according to your budget and requirements. The meditations and classes will normally take place in the villa or in the garden. Here's a picture of the villa.

What next

If you would like further information, a price list or just want to know how to book, you can click on the link below to download the brochure or you can contact me, Andy Lucas - Retreat Leader, with your questions. I am always happy to discuss what I do, so feel free to ask.

Contact me

Download the retreat brochure

Hassocks Meditation - Week Commencing 24 June 2013

Hassocks Meditation Class Rescheduled

Just a quick reminder to anybody in or near Hassocks, Ditchling and Hurstpierpoint planning to do some meditation with me Andy Lucas (meditation instructor) at Wild Dove in Hassocks this week.

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The class has been rescheduled for this week only to Tuesday 25th June instead of Thursday. (There is going to be a very exciting three hour shoulder stand variations workshop on Thursday instead.)

The following week the meditation class will return to its regular slot of Thursday at 7.30pm and will continue weekly as before.

Newcomers are still very welcome.

The class is continuing to focus on the style know as Yoga Nidra. Each week we start with about ten minutes of instruction about Yoga Nidra and how to get the best from the practice. Then I guide you through the meditation process step by step including body awareness, breath awareness, the rotation of consciousness, chakra awareness and concluding with a meditation on "the golden egg" representing a deep state of pure consciousness.

An MP3 meditation download, a recording of my class, is still available for just £2 at my website:
Meditation MP3 Download

You can also read more about Yoga Nidra and my approach to teaching it:
Yoga Nidra

Regular information about my Hassocks meditation class schedules is here:
Meditation Classes in Hassocks

Weekly Meditation Class in Hassocks

I am pleased to announce a new weekly meditation class in Hassocks. Well strictly speaking it will be a "meditation plus" class  - we will be using a style known as Yoga Nidra which guides you to a state beyond conventional meditation, a state described as "pure consciousness".

The details of the class in Hassocks are as follows:

VENUE - Wild Dove, 40 Keymer Road, Hassocks, West Sussex
BN6 8AP
START DATE - Thursday 13th June 2013
TIME - 19.30 to 20.30
INSTRUCTOR - Me (Andy Lucas)
LEVEL - Suitable for all levels including beginners
PRICE - £8

Even though this style is know as Yoga Nidra there are actually no postures or movement involved. The whole meditation is practised lying still on the floor.

You can hear a sample of my introduction to this meditation style on my website: Introduction to Yoga Nidra

You will find further information about Yoga Nidra in other postings on this blog or by visiting my website: www.spiritspace.co.uk

Bikram Yoga Court Ruling

Thank you to Swami Jnaneshvara for his useful description of last Friday's court hearing regarding Bikram Yoga. I have reproduced Swami Jnaneshvara's notes below which may be of interest to blog readers:

"On Friday, the Central District of California held that a series of yoga poses designed to improve health is not copyrightable, dismissing claims of copyright infringement bought by Bikram Choudhury against Evolation Yoga. This ruling followed in the footsteps of the Copyright Office's recent announcement that it will no longer issue registration certificates for sequences of yoga poses designed to improve health.
The California lawsuit was brought by Bikram Choudhury, the originator of the popular hot yoga style, Bikram Yoga. Bikram Yoga incorporates a series of 26 yoga poses and two breathing exercises performed in the same order and manner in a room of 105 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of approximately ninety minutes (the "Bikram Sequence"). According to Choudhury, the Bikram Sequence is designed to correct, alleviate, and/or prevent various diseases and ailments. Defendants are former students of Choudhury who taught the Bikram Sequence—the same 26 poses and two breathing exercises in the same order, manner, and environment—in their own studios, without Choudhury's permission. Claiming the Bikram Sequence was copyrightable, Choudhury sued for copyright infringement and also brought claims for trademark infringement, false designation of origin, dilution, unfair competition, unfair business practices, breach of contract, inducing breach of contract.
Considering a motion for partial summary judgment on the copyright claim only, the Central District of California firmly held that a series of yoga poses, including the Bikram Sequence, is not copyrightable because (1) a series of yoga poses designed to promote health, like any exercise routine, constitutes a non-copyrightable fact or idea and (2) a series of yoga poses does not fall into the enumerated categories of copyrightable works under 17 U.S.C. § 102, but is, instead, a non-copyrightable system or procedure.
Key to the court's ruling is its finding, guided by the Copyright Office's June 2012 announcement, that yoga poses are exercises. Exercises do not fall into the enumerated categories of authorship under 17 U.S.C. § 102 and are not copyrightable. Thus, according to the court, a series of yoga poses, even if the manner in which the poses are arranged is unique, is merely a compilation of non-copyrightable exercises.
The court distinguished the copyrightability of the underlying Bikram Sequence from that of Choudhury's books and video depicting the Bikram Sequence. The first—the Bikram Sequence itself—is a compilation of non-copyrightable exercises (facts) and, therefore, is not copyrightable. The second—books and videos depicting the Bikram Sequence—are "creative work[s] that compile[] a series of exercises." The creative expression contained within the books and videos meets the threshold for copyright, but not the "factual" series of yoga poses.
The court also explained why the Bikram Sequence could not find protection as a choreographic work. The court gave three reasons: (1) "Congress contemplated protection for dramatic works to be something significantly more", (2) "the preferable forms of pantomimes or choreographic works . . . are ones recorded in the Laban system of notation or as a motion picture of the dance" and (3) the Bikram Sequence "hardly seems to fall within the definition of a pantomime or a choreographic work because of the simplicity of the [Bikram] Sequence and the fact that it is not a dramatic performance."
Each of these reasons produces more questions than answers, especially when considering the very thin line between a series of yoga poses designed to be taught in yoga studios to students wishing to improve their health and a dance comprised of series of yoga poses set to music (or not) for performance on stage in front of an audience in attendance at a dramatic event. Is one of these copyrightable, but the other not? If so, what's the difference? The intent of the person who compiled the sequence or the people executing the sequence? Would the court's opinion have changed if Choudhury had the Bikram Sequence recorded by Labanotation?
What about other forms or exercise that blur the lines between exercise and dance? In a footnote, the court noted that copyright registrations issued for the TAE-BO exercise program may not be valid. This implies that exercise trends derived from dance, such as the ever-infamous jazzercise or the more recently popular Zumba, may not be copyrightable when choreographed for group instruction at a gym but may be copyrightable when choreographed for performance on stage.
For now it is clear that a sequence of yoga poses created for the purpose of improving health is not copyrightable in the Central District of California, but the applicability of the court's decision to variety of other, seemingly similar situations remains murky."

You can find more information about Swami Jnaneshvara teachings on yoga and meditation by visiting his blog and website:
3 NEWSLETTERS: http://swamij.com/newsletter.htm
PODCAST: http://www.swamij.com/podcast.htm
BLOG: http://swamij.blogspot.com/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/swamij

Yoga Nidra MP3

Here's an introduction to my Yoga Nidra MP3:



You can buy the full Yoga Nidra MP3 for £2 by clicking on the following link:

Yoga Nidra MP3 

Enjoy.

Metaphors and “Pocket Rituals” - Meditation Workshop, Sussex

Just a quick reminder that my meditation and NLP (neuro linguistic programming) workshop is this coming Saturday 26th November from 10am to 1pm at Shoreham Chiropractic Clinic, Shoreham-by-Sea. You can book your place now by calling reception on 01273 461155.

The workshop is called "Meditation and Pocket Rituals for Self Realisation".

Many of the greatest therapists utilise metaphor to help their clients achieve emotional, mental and behavioural change. This is not surprising when you consider the power of your own dreams and how they can help you overcome difficulties and prepare for action.

In the western world Carl Jung led the way in understanding the amazing role of dreams and metaphor in our psychological and emotional development. Meanwhile many ancient civilisations have engaged in symbolic rituals for initiations and personal transformation.

In this workshop I will be sharing a variety of “pocket ritual” methods for generating inner resources and greater self awareness through the use of metaphors. All the methods in this workshop will be easy to learn and suitable to practise at home in your living room.

The workshop will conclude with a guided meditation allowing you to utilise your own metaphors in a highly focused state.

For more information about the influences on my work visit my websites:

Lucas Bright, Brighton - NLP

Spirit Space, Brighton - Meditation