This is a time to pause.
To rest, relax, restore and recover.
As the year winds down, it calls us to pause and let what has been slowly drift into slumber.
In a state of restfulness, we can allow the mind to wander; to dream, to inspire. And when we awaken, we are more lucid; we move about our lives with refreshed perspective.
This is what "Yoga Nidra" is. It means, “yogi sleep.”
Join us for a live, online, Yoga Nidra.
Gently-spoken prompts are interwoven throughout this restful Kripalu Yoga practice, which is the final segment in my Gearing Up For The Year’s Culmination series.
These sessions are not your typical yoga classes. They go much deeper, drawing on other rich resources to lay the foundation for personal growth. As your guide, I readily share from my own experiences along my personal growth journey."
— Michael Patrick
The live session has already occurred; however, it was recorded and is available for on-demand viewing!
“Who looks outside… dreams. Who looks inside… awakens.”
About this series
With the year's end in mind, this series of yoga sessions follows the trajectory of this time of year. It begins with appreciation, and then activates and refocuses energy to accomplish the final activities of the year; and after solstice, it concludes in rest and stillness.
Although the sessions are part of a series, each stands on its own.
About Kripalu Yoga
Many of us have attended yoga classes that seemed more like aerobics classes with Sanskrit flavorings -- merely exercises void of the inward journey of awareness and the power of transformation that yoga offers. Kripalu yoga emphasizes personal growth and transformation through the practice of yoga. As a result, it is slower paced and more introspective.
Based on the principles of Kripalu Yoga – safety, personal responsibility, observation of the self without judgment - the practice of yoga in this program serves as a physical model for personal growth that can be applied to the yoga practice of life.
Kripalu Yoga is accessible for all levels (beginners through advanced), where modifications and the use of props help each person find their ideal expression of the poses when they are doing them. While other forms of yoga certainly result in personal growth and transformation, Kripalu Yoga hones this focus in a gentle and accessible way.
This is not “work out” yoga, but rather “work in” yoga.
From the outset, a Kripalu Yoga class has the same elements as other yoga classes: breathing techniques, warm ups, yoga postures and final relaxation, and it results in strength, flexibility and peaceful feelings. However, Kripalu Yoga is done at a slower pace. This slower pace invites practitioners to fully explore the poses and be just at the edge of physical sensation in a safe and secure way. Each person determines how deeply they want to go into the practice. Kripalu Yoga also supports pausing periodically to integrate the positive effects that yoga brings, progressing at a manageable pace. The practice can be made more challenging by sustaining the poses for longer periods of time or with expanded expressions, but this is invited as skill and experience gradually develop.
One feature that characterizes Centered Presence, Ltd.’s yoga classes is the opportunity to explore “meditation in motion” near the end of the class. This allows the mind to make sense of and integrate the new awareness that yoga has brought during the session. This is a key element in harnessing the power of transformation that yoga can foster.
Kripalu Yoga encourages practicing yoga both on and off the yoga mat. Adapting to the yoga practice becomes a metaphor for adapting to life; indeed, concepts transfer in broader ways. For example, safely being at the edge of physical sensations that may arise while in the postures, observing them, feeling them, breathing with them, watching what happens and allowing it to happen has parallels to being with emotions that arise in everyday life and applying the same approach.
Kripalu Yoga is great for those who have not found the right fit in other yoga classes, because classes may be too vigorous, too fast paced or overwhelming.
How to prepare
Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothes.
Turn off your phone, buzzers, alarms, dings, notifications, announcements, etc.
This session is recommended for those who already have some experience in the practice of yoga.
Items to consider having available:
Yoga Mat, Blocks, Cushion and/or Blanket
These props can help support the body in while in the different positions, especially in seated positions.
Don’t have these things? Just make use of something similar that you already have laying around.
Use a firm pillow, a comforter, or a tightly-folded bath towel for a cushion or blanket.
Standard Folding Chair
If getting up and down from the floor is difficult for you, use a sturdy folding-chair. Everything we’ll do can be adapted to sitting in a chair!
Those should attend who:
Are interested in becoming more peaceful, grounded and embodied.
Desire to have more compassion for themselves and others.
Already have some experience in the practice of yoga.
About the Facilitator
Michael Patrick, LMT, KYT, CPC
As a Licensed Massage Therapist, Kripalu Yoga Teacher, Certified Professional Coach and former Scientist, I bring all the gifts of who I am to my work. Driven by the desire to elevate others, my career initially spanned the biotech industry, interdisciplinary research and laboratory safety. Over the past decade, it evolved to wellness and now I work in my own company, Centered Presence, Ltd. As a presenter, my workshops are characterized by elements of touch, intimacy, authenticity, embodiment, grounding, presence, spiritual practice and cultivation of inner awareness, which result in personal growth and empowered movement forward.