About Integrative Restoration ~ iRest Yoga Nidra
iRest or Integrative Restoration (also known as Yoga Nidra) is guided form of meditation that is easy to use and accessible, helping practitioners heal unresolved issues, traumas and recognize their innate wholeness. The practice of iRest helps practitioners identify the underlying peace of mind within themselves that is always present, despite all the changing circumstances in life. Research shows that iRest effectively supports healing and wellness across a wide range of populations, including those experiencing PTS, insomnia, depression, chronic pain, anxiety and high stress.
This practice of meditative inquiry and deep relaxation is a researched-based transformative style of yoga that is currently utilized on military bases, in hospice centers and homeless shelters, in community programs and schools, and in civilian and VA hospitals. The practice of iRest can not only decrease a variety of health issues and ailments, but can also increase interpersonal relationships, energy levels, sense of control over life, resiliency, sense of well-being, confidence and joy.
Integrative Restoration follows a 10-step guided meditation protocol. You can think of the protocol like a ‘filing system’ for your mind that guides you through an experience of your body, the breath, as well as any feelings, emotions, and beliefs that may be present. It then gently leads you into deeper states of mindful awareness and stillness.
We move through these steps unconsciously all day, every day. This practice gives us an organized road map to become fully present with what we are experiencing on any given day. Each step utilizes a variety of techniques to evoke the relaxation response. The end product is an increase in the body’s ability to stay resilient, or to bounce back quickly from challenging circumstances. Resiliency is like a muscle. The more we practice evoking the relaxation response, the stronger our ‘resiliency muscle’ becomes.
Let’s take a look at the 10-steps of the iRest Yoga Nidra Protocol.
10 Stages of the iRest Protocol
Step 1: Inner Resource: Every practice begins by cultivating an ‘Inner Resource,’ which is an internal place of safety, comfort, and well-being. Using an Inner Resource connects us with an inner sense of security that can help us feel more comfortable as we move into deeper states of rest and relaxation.
The Inner Resource is an internal place of peace that is always carried with you. The meditation practice helps you define it, grow it, and expand it.
Even though most of us are not living in a place of immediate ‘danger,’ the Inner Resource is important because the body and mind need to feel safe for the relaxation response to occur. Our brains are instinctually hard-wired to be constantly scanning for potential danger. On a neurological level, the Inner Resource lets the brain know that you are secure.
Step 2: Intention: The second step is to set an Intention for your practice. The Sanskrit word for intention is “Sankalpa” which can be translated as “that which brings you into harmony.” As you set your intention for the meditation, you can think about what would bring you into harmony on that given day. Perhaps it is to work with a difficult emotion, like anger or fear. Sometimes if I have an important decision to make, I bring that question in as my intention so I can see the answer that arises when I’m not actively ‘thinking’ about it. You can also make your intention a prayer for yourself or someone else. Setting an intention begins to bring the mind into a more one-pointed, focused state.
Step 3: Heartfelt Desire: The third Step is the Heartfelt Desire. Think of your Heartfelt Desire as a long-term Intention. What do you truly want more than anything else in life? What is your heart’s deepest desire? The answer may be something specific or it may be a general phrase such as, “I am healthy, happy, and peaceful.” Your Heartfelt Desire can be used proactively as a way to point to ‘true north.’ When choices arise, you can ask yourself, “Does this support what I ultimately want for my life?” Once you know where you want to go, your actions will naturally begin to coalesce around bringing that goal into fruition.
Step 4: Body Sensing: Exploring Physical Sensation: During the 4th Step, we bring our attention to the physical body. We systematically rotate our attention through the physical body using patterns that correspond with the sensory and motor cortices in the brain. Depending upon the practice, we also use progressive relaxation and autogenic techniques. Body Sensing is designed to decrease heart and respiratory rates, reduce the level of alpha brain waves, and evoke a state of deep rest.
Practitioners are invited to explore physical sensation, rather then implying their bodies should ‘relax.’ Tension may feel like a physical experience, but it is directly connected to stress in the mind. Likewise mental stress creates tension in the body. Meditation teaches us to be aware of the constant ongoing circuit between the body and mind. If every time we get stressed, our shoulders and back start hurting, that can be an immediate signal that we need to take a step back and start evoking the relaxation response. Maintaining awareness keeps us present, attuned, and objective in the face of whatever stress may arise.
Step 5: Breath Sensing: During the 5th Step, we turn our attention to the breath. At times, we observe the natural flow of the breath. Other times, we use a variety of breath sensing and mindfulness breathing techniques.
The fascinating thing about the breath is that it is the only function of the autonomic nervous system that we can directly influence. Mindfulness breathing techniques are also one of the most effective ways to evoke the relaxation response. Our bodies have been breathing themselves every moment of our lives, and yet, we can also use the breath as a proactive tool to shift the body from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic nervous system.
Step 6: Exploring Feelings and Emotions: The 6th Step brings our attention to feelings and emotions that may be present in the body, as well as to their opposites. For instance, if happiness arises during the practice, we also will spend time feeling sadness. Experiencing opposites of emotions is an essential practice for cultivating resiliency. Spending time sitting with opposites of emotions teaches us to become aware of emotions when they first occur, as well as to identify the whole range of associated experiences that may be present.
When my son Santiago was a baby, I noticed that if I could catch the fact that he was hungry, tired, or needed a diaper change at the first sign of it, his discomfort rarely grew into a full-scale primal baby scream. When his needs were being met, he would usually stay on the side of the scale that included contentment, baby giggles, and happiness.
As adults, we are not so different. We just learn to suppress and hide our emotions. If we can learn to become aware that something may be causing discomfort or the initial whispers of suffering, it is far easier to bring the situation back into balance and also cultivate feelings and emotions that bring about a state of well-being. If we don’t listen to these subtle hints, they keep turning up the volume until we do listen. Suddenly discomfort becomes irritation. Irritation becomes Frustration. Frustration becomes anger. Anger becomes rage. And we’re back at the primal scream.
True calm does not come by avoiding conflict or potential stressors. We cultivate resiliency when we are able to show up for the whole spectrum of emotion and keep our peace in the midst of it.
Step 7: Intellect: Beliefs, Images and Memories. The 7th Step directly addresses our beliefs, images, and memories. In much the same way that we work with emotions, we also work with any beliefs that may be present. Opposite beliefs like, “I am strong,” and “I am weak” arise as two sides of the same coin. We give them both equal voices to be felt, seen, and heard. This practice engages the world as a part of the meditation experience. It doesn’t keep anything out. Meditation is not an escape from reality. This world-embracing view can be a profound paradigm shift when we realize that there is nothing we need to escape to “find” peace. It’s already here.
Step 8: Joy, Equanimity, Well-being: During the 8th Step, we explore the experience of uncaused joy, equanimity, and well-being. Welcoming life, just as it is makes space for an experience of peace to naturally unfold. This equanimity is not dependent upon anything that is happening in or around us. It is a state of well-being that exists from connecting with a place of stillness within ourselves.
Step 9: Witnessing the I-Thought, Being, Awareness
- Awareness: During the 9th Step, this felt sense of wellbeing begins to give way to a deeper experience of stillness. Here we explore the I-thought and the experience of being Aware.In the midst of all of all the pleasure and the pain of life, there is also something else present. When we turn the ‘I’ thought- “I AM happy” or “I AM SAD” around on itself and ask the question, “Who is aware of this body, this breath, this mind,” we immediately step back into the part of ourselves that is the observer.It’s a lot like going to the movie theater. Before the movie begins, the movie screen is blank. As the film plays, you may laugh, cry, and have many other experiences. After the film is over, the movie screen remains untouched by the scenes that played out on it. Stepping back into a state of awareness feels like being the movie screen instead of the movie. It gives us an opportunity to be objective instead of being overtaken by the experiences of life.
When we step back into that objective state of Awareness, we deepen our ability to experience resiliency and equanimity under all conditions. There is a place inside of every human being that exists in a state of peace. It is untouched by anything that has ever happened in life or anything that ever will. iRest gives us an opportunity to have a direct experience of this peace.
Step 10: Integration into the World: The final Step includes our reintegration into the world. Finding peace during meditation is one thing. LIVING from a place of peace amidst daily life is quite another. The more adept you become at navigating challenging situations during meditation, the easier it will be to keep your peace when stressful feelings arise. As we ease out of our practice, we set an intention to carry a feeling of peace with us throughout the day.
How to Practice
Know that there is nothing you have to ‘do’ or ‘achieve’ during the practice of iRest Yoga Nidra. You may even fall asleep! You may feel like you are in a space between asleep and awake where you hear the sound of my voice but you aren’t fully conscious of everything being said. You may also be completely conscious of everything I am saying. Let your experience be what it is. If you find yourself drawn to one particular experience, stay with it for as long as you feel appropriate. You can pick back up with the guided practice at any time.
Most people enjoy practicing lying down. You are also welcome to practice sitting up, standing, or in any position you find comfortable. The body tends to cool down during relaxation so you may want to place a light blanket over the body. It is also helpful to place a pillow under the head. Make sure that your phone is off and that you’ve eliminated as many distractions as possible.