Integrative Restoration~iRest
Yoga Nidra Meditation

Everything's Part of Everything...

Recently I presented a workshop on iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation for the non-profit organization Sakhi for South Asian Women.  Sakhi was founded in 1989 and works to end violence against women.  A small group of abuse survivors attended.

iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation forms a complete program of deep relaxation, intensive self-inquiry and profound meditation. iRest Yoga Nidra can also be described as the practice of pratyahara. Pratyahara may be defined as the process of silently witnessing sensory impressions such as sights, sounds, smells, thoughts and images without the mind becoming distracted by them.

Sakhi has rented a room at Champion Studios, a rehearsal space for New York City performers. Our room is the last studio at the end of a long hall and has huge windows that overlook a maze of downtown streets.  It’s Sunday afternoon and below us all is quite. 

I speak informally yet specifically about how to include whatever sensory impressions arise during the session as part of the practice.  Being in the heart of noisy New York City, I describe in detail how to witness sounds and invite them to be part of the experience. 

The women lie on mats or sit upright in chairs and get as comfortable as possible.  We begin.  Midway into the session the tranquility in the room feels palpable.  As I’m guiding, “Bring your awareness to the sensation in your thighs” the sound of what I believe are at least 50 men loudly chanting explodes into our space from the next room. “HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA. . . HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA” over and over again (of course, as I later recall, repeating HA is a traditional voice warm-up).

I feel shaken.  My mind is distracted by thoughts… how will these sounds affect the process…should I stop until the HA-HA’s stop…what should I do... Then I remember to invite the HA-HA chanting to be part of my experience by silently witnessing the sound.  I resist the urge to speak louder and instead create a samkalpa (willful intention) that my voice is easily reaching every ear. I continue to lead the Yoga Nidra meditation without interruption.

I look at the women. Not an eyelash is moving on any of them.  I continue and the space becomes quiet once again…for two minutes.

“HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA. . . HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA…and now an alarm in a nearby firehouse goes off and the sounds of at least six separate sirens pierce the space… HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA…Sirens… HA-HA-HA-HA-HA…Sirens.

I remain relaxed and accepting of what is happening, and gently focus on maintaining the meditative container.  I look at each woman . . . I see stillness.

The room is quiet.  We come to closure. We sit in chairs in a circle.  I ask “how was this experience for you?”  One by one each woman describes what it was like for her…“I felt a peace I seldom can find within me”…“I noticed that my mind gives me images instead of letting me feel my body”…“It was the first time I was ever able to stay focused in meditation”…

I listen. We fall silent. I realize that not one woman has mentioned the men’s booming voices or the shrieking sirens.  I ask “what was your experience of the sounds?” They shrug and turn their palms up; expressing without words that it wasn’t a problem.

One woman says, “I did what you said to do…I made the sounds part of everything”…as I look around the circle each woman is nodding her head in silent agreement.

Abuse survivors… men’s voices…stillness…sirens…peace…everything part of everything…

For more information about Integrative Restoration (iRest) Yoga Nidra developed by Richard Miller visit Center of Timeless Being.