Restorative Yin and Yoga Nidra for the Harvest Full Moon

This class will be held over a 2 hour time frame, with the 1 1/4 hours of restorative yin where poses will be held for 10 to 15 minutes and you will be fully supported with bolsters, blankets, blocks. At the end of the restorative portion, you will be placed in comfortable supported position that will allow you to relax and enjoy yoga nidra or yogic sleep. Yoga nidra is a state in which the body is completely relaxed, and the practitioner becomes systematically and increasingly aware of the inner world by following a set of verbal instructions. This state of consciousness is different from meditation, in which concentration on a single focus is required. In yoga nidra the practitioner remains in a state of light withdrawal of the 5 senses (pratyahara) with four senses internalized, that is, withdrawn, and only hearing still connects to any instructions given. The goals of both yogic paths, yoga nidra and meditation are the same, a state of meditative consciousness called samadhi. It is among the deepest possible states of relaxation while still maintaining full consciousness. In lucid dreaming, one is only, or mainly, cognizant of the dream environment, and has little or no awareness of one's actual environment. Yoga nidra results in conscious awareness of the deep sleep state, which is called prajna in the Mandukya Upanishad.