Teacher Training

with James Reeves

3 Ways to Study

Yoga Nidra Teacher Training with James

In-person 5-day Immersion
Yoga Nidra Teacher Training

Various Times and Locations

This is our signature Deep Rest yoga nidra teacher training. It is a comprehensive course for anyone who wishes to access deeper relaxation, a higher understanding of the human experience and ultimately begin teaching Yoga Nidra to others.

Yoga Nidra, also known as ‘yogic sleep’, explores the conscious state between wakefulness and sleep, allowing deep relaxation as well as access to the multiple layers of our being.

  • Historical context of Yoga Nidra.

    The Hypnogogic state.

    States of consciousness and brainwaves.

    Neuroscience of waking, dreaming and deep sleep states.

    Modern adaptions of tradition.

  • What are intentions and how to set up meaningful ones, and why they are important in our practice.

    Guiding your students to create the right intentions for them.

    Model of the conscious and unconscious mind.

    Intentions as a tool to get in touch with your deepest desires.

  • States of expansion through moving beyond the self

    Silence vs instruction

    The pitfalls of objectifying awareness

    Grasping the ungraspable through enquiry and experience

    5 ways of being in our true nature

  • Brainwaves

    The physiology of sleep and sleep stages

    The anatomy of dreams and dream work

  • Default Mode Network

    Attention Network

    Present Centered network

    The Evolving brain & current research

  • Using your voice – tone, style and language

    Classical Yoga Nidra set-up and alternatives

    Pricing and marketing your classes

    Teaching group classes vs teaching one-to-one

    Teaching drop-in classes and courses

    Teaching workshops and retreats

    Teaching online vs teaching in person

    The Ethics of teaching Yoga Nidra

    Finding support as a teacher

Course Curriculum

WHAT CAN I EXPECT?

The practice gives us the tools to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves as complex, sometimes conflicted, multi-dimensional beings.

Using the Koshas (energetic ‘layers’ that move from the outermost layer of skin to the deep spiritual core) as framework, James will walk you through the philosophy and science that underpin this fascinating practice.

Providing you with expert knowledge and unique tools and techniques, along with step-by-step guides, scripts and recordings, this comprehensive course will give you the confidence to start sharing and teaching the practice of Yoga Nidra with others.

UNDERSTANDING THE LAYERS WITHIN YOGA NIDRA

ANNAMAYA KOSHA:
THE PHYSICAL BODY

  • Learn different body scan approaches and how to rest the body

  • The sensory Homunculus – sensation and it’s pathway in the body

  • Tending to pain during the practice for you and your students

  • Thoughts and feelings and their roots as sensation

PRANAMAYA KOSHA:
LIFE FORCE DEFINED

  • Physiology of breathing

  • Structural changes to brain and body chemistry through application of different breathing approaches

  • The energy body and how it relates to breath and sensation

  • Relationship between breath and awareness

  • Mindfulness, concentration and absorption

  • Breathing: Control vs Surrender

MANOMAYA KOSHA:
THE EMOTIONAL BODY

  • Grounding emotions in the body to avoid loops of thought

  • Techniques to avoid over-identification with feelings

  • Meeting our shadow and resistance

  • Somatically experiencing emotions

  • Understanding projections

  • Interventions when we feel flooded with feeling and emotion

  • The use of opposites in Yoga Nidra

VIJNANAMAYA KOSHA:
THE REALM OF THOUGHTS

  • Befriending our thoughts and our mind

  • Meeting our core beliefs and how they inform our thoughts

  • Self Judgement - a mechanism trying to keep us safe

  • Working with Opposites of thinking

  • Exploring the idea of intuitive knowing

  • Ego and the thought of ourselves as separate entities

ANANDAMAYA KOSHA:
THE BLISS OF YOUR TRUE SELF

  • Exploring the different facets of bliss through tradition

  • The architecture of happiness

  • Natural arising of joy and lightness through dis-identification

Who is this training for?

Anyone who wishes to access a deeper relaxation and higher understanding of the human experience. It is deigned as a Yoga Nidra teacher training but is equally suitable for non-teachers seeking personal development.

Online Self-Paced
Yoga Nidra Teacher Training

on the Ekhart Yoga Academy

This yoga nidra course offers the chance to both go on a journey of self-discovery and, for yoga teachers, equip yourself with the necessary skills and understanding to confidently add yoga nidra to your personal teaching repertoire.

Providing you with expert knowledge and unique tools and techniques, along with step-by-step guides, scripts and recordings, this comprehensive 20-hour pre-recorded course will give you the confidence to start sharing and teaching the practice of Yoga Nidra with others.

Offered via Ekhart Yoga Academy.

How will this training benefit me?

This is an exceptional opportunity to take the time to explore yoga nidra and the profound effect it can have on our ability to meet and be with all aspects of ourselves and our lives.

Whether you’re on a personal journey of spiritual growth or emotional development, are perhaps looking for ways to find peace after suffering or ongoing pain, or simply seeking to further your career goals and add to your yoga teaching skills, this course offers a rich combination of theory and practice together with downloadable resources for you to keep and return to time and again.

This pre-recorded course includes:

  • Practice and theory in equal measure

  • Printable manual

  • Downloadable audio recordings

  • Downloadable scripts for teachers

  • 30 min one-to-one session with James

James Reeves introduces the 20-hour online yoga nidra teacher training course available on the Ekhart Yoga Academy

“I have come away from this training deeply resourced and with a grounded sense of knowledge and confidence of how to share this transformative practice with others.”

— Jahna Clark, Yoga Teacher & Somatics Exercise Coach
www.sensingwithin.com

iRest®
Yoga Nidra Teacher Training

various times and locations

iRest is a simple and accessible form of meditation designed for modern day living. It was developed by Dr. Richard Miller, a spiritual teacher, author, yogic scholar, researcher and clinical psychologist, who combined traditional yogic practice with Western psychology and neuroscience. It is practised and taught by thousands of people worldwide in a wide range of settings, including health centres, schools, community centres, yoga studios, correctional facilities and military hospitals.

Based on current studies with iRest in the military, the Defense Centers of Excellence has approved iRest as a Complementary and Alternative Medicine warranting continuing research for its use in the treatment of PTSD. In addition, the U.S. Army Surgeon General has has listed Yoga Nidra (based on research with iRest) as a Tier 1 approach for addressing Pain Management in Military Care. iRest has been shown to be effective in scientific trials for conditions including chronic pain, sleep problems, depression and anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Information regarding research and iRest

You can review completed, current and pending research here: https://www.irest.us/research

Deep Rest offers the only iRest Yoga Nidra training in the UK. Our programmes are undertaken by yoga teachers and therapists from other disciplines as well as individuals from all backgrounds/disciplines interested in the process for their own personal practice.

iRest Teacher Trainings allow you to incorporate the simple 10-step iRest protocol into your personal life, professional teaching, and/or clinical practice. In order to begin teaching others iRest, you must first receive a certificate of attendance to an iRest Level 1 Training. Following Level 1, you have the opportunity to enter into the iRest Teacher Certification Program, comprising the Level 2 training course and a process of structured mentoring.

iRest Level 1 training

The iRest Level 1 Training suits those looking to enhance their personal meditation practice and those looking to include a new offering into their professional work. You begin the training with an in-depth understanding of the history and theory of iRest, specifically the evidence-based research showing the efficacy of iRest and its use for different psycho-physical issues and populations, iRest within the context of meditation, the teacher-student relationship, and the Eastern and Western psycho-spiritual perspectives that form the path of meditation and iRest.

This training prioritizes a hands-on and experiential approach to learning. You will learn to deliver iRest to both groups and individuals. Equally, you will learn how to use iRest in your daily life and personal meditation practice. The iRest Level 1 Training offers you the ability to fully integrate into all areas of your life the iRest 10 Step Protocol, a series of techniques designed to help you meet and greet each moment of your life with a sense of equanimity and balance.

 Upon graduation, you can begin delivering iRest in public and professional settings and use the title "iRest Level 1 Teacher" in advertising, promotional materials, and official channels. You will also be listed on the iRest website as an iRest Level 1 Teacher and can post your personal profile allowing people who are seeking iRest group or individual sessions to find you as a qualified provider.

Upon completion of the iRest Level 1 Training, to support your continued education and personal growth, you may audit any future iRest Level 1 Training at a reduced cost and utilize private mentoring from iRest Institute Certified Mentors. You will also have access to the iRest Teachers Resource Page and have the ability to join the iRest Teachers Community Network (TCN) - a membership program designed to support the development and professional success of iRest teachers while nurturing and connecting our rich and growing community.

Further information on the course content can be found on the iRest website.

“James took me on a journey where I was able to uncover parts of myself I hadn’t even been aware of and the change in my thought patterns and behaviour and the way I see myself since returning home has been huge.”

— Natalie Edwards, Coach & Mentor
www.natedwards.co.uk

iRest Level 2 training

The iRest Level 2 Training is designed to provide you with a deeper understanding of the principles underlying the theory, practice and delivery of iRest Yoga Nidra so that you can hone your delivery of iRest to groups and individuals in public and professional settings.

You will:

  • Receive advanced training in teaching iRest to groups and individuals

  • Participate in advanced group lectures and peer discussion groups

  • Understand the teacher-student relationship, teaching issues and ethical considerations

  • Receive advanced iRest experiential group and one-on-one practice sessions

  • Enhance your understanding of the historical context and the path of meditation in which iRest is embedded

  • Learn Eastern and Western psycho-spiritual views that inform iRest and the path of meditation

  • Learn about evidence-based research showing the efficacy of iRest with different populations

  • Deepen your personal practice of iRest

You can find out more about iRest Level 2 training and certification on the iRest website.

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