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