What is iRest® Yoga Nidra?

iRest® differs from other mindfulness meditation practices in that you are invited to relax in a comfortable resting position, such as lying down or seated in a chair while being guided verbally by a teacher or a recording. The practice awakens the realization of one’s deepest desires and great potential for healing.

During iRest meditation, sheaths or layers of Being are openly explored with no goal, except to simply be with whatever arises during the process. These sheaths (also called koshas) include the physical body, the energy body, the sensation, feeling and emotional bodies, the bodies of thought and imagery, and the bodies of bliss and personal ego identity.

The difference between iRest Yoga Nidra and other types of therapy is that we start from the place in ourselves that is already completely whole and without need. This releases us from the trap of trying to ‘get somewhere’ that is other than right here where we are. By revealing our innate wholeness, iRest helps us understand that it is the misperception of the mind that leads us to believe we are separate and limited entities.

To see current iRest Workshops, click here.

Private iRest and Dyads

An iRest dyad is a co-meditative experience in which the student is completely supported by the teacher in welcoming and inquiring into layers of humanness and pure Being. These sessions offer the opportunity to meet what is arising in the present moment from a place of complete openness.  A dyad can be useful to work with anxiety, depression, pain, to tap into a deeper source of creativity in one’s work, or investigate self-limiting beliefs and emotions.  Rather than coming from a place of brokenness or a need to fix something; we start from the place in ourselves that is already whole.  Welcoming old conditioned patterns or some new surprise allows the possibility to discover profound insights regarding what action we may take in our lives.  Dyad work allows us to receive answers that come from our own true knowing.

Recent testimonial regarding a dyad experience:
. . .
“During a stressful time in my life I treated myself to a private yoga session with Jeanne Dillion. I had been sitting in front of the computer too many hours a day and not getting any exercise–I knew I had to stretch and thus justified the luxury of a private session. I had no idea the kind of profound healing experience I ultimately received was even possible through yoga! I was expecting to do some downward facing dogs and feel better because I had gotten myself out of my desk chair. Much to my surprise, I left the session having released an inner conflict that had been making me simply miserable. I mean, I walked out and it was gone. And I was expecting a mere, good stretch! Jeanne is so special, so gentle and nurturing.” K. Robinson

Jeanne Dillion, E-RYT (500), Level III iRest® Certified Teacher offers individual sessions that are tailored to meet your specific needs.

Sessions are available in person at the studio or via Skype by contacting Jeanne at (208) 345-7113 or jeannedillion@yogaforwellnesspro.com.

iRest® for Better Sleep

iRest Yoga Nidra has recently been recognized as a Complimentary Alternative Medicine (CAM) for insomnia and other sleeping disorders (Integrative Restoration Institute, 2014. Retrieved from https://www.irest.us/projects/sleep/insomnia). New research has shown iRest to improve sleep for those with insomnia, as well as sleep deprivation, two important underlying factors in physical and psychological disorders (IRI, 2014).

For iRest® CDs and downloads, including Jeanne Dillion’s Practices for Better Sleep: iRest® Yoga Nidra for Sleep & Bedtime Gentle Yoga, click here.

Read a review of Jeanne’s newest recording by Life Force Yoga.

More about iRest®

iRest is a modern-day protocol for the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra, which is rooted in Tantric Yoga. Yoga means the joining together of two things. Nidra, as defined from Sanskrit, is sleep. Yoga Nidra could be called the sleep of the yogi, however, in truth the yogi is wide-awake. Yoga Nidra reunites us with our True Nature or Pure Being that is ever-present underlying all circumstances of our lives and is always awake in every stage of consciousness.

Based on this ancient practice of Yoga Nidra, Richard Miller, PhD. has developed a protocol for the contemporary western world called Integrative Restoration or iRest®. Miller, a doctor of psychology with 30 years of clinical psychotherapy practice and academic research focused on yoga practices, is the co-founder of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and the Institute of Spirituality and Psychology.

Miller’s studies show success using iRest at Walter Reed Army Hospital with active duty soldiers suffering from PTSD, insomnia and anxiety from wartime experiences, as well as various sites around the United States with the homeless, college students, children, and other populations suffering from a multitude of ailments including depression and anxiety, chronic pain, and sleep problems.

Read more about iRest – Yoga Nidra in the related articles on the right.  Also, for more information on Integrative Restoration, visit www.irest.us.

For special iRest® classes and workshops, check the Class Schedule as well as the Workshops page for current and upcoming offerings.

To order Jeanne’s iRest® recordings, click here. 

iRest® Research

Research from the last decade has recognized iRest Yoga Nidra as a viable therapy for a variety of psychological and physical illnesses (Integrative Restoration Institute, 2014) (www.iri.us/research). These include insomnia and sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. In 2009 Jeanne was one of two yoga teachers who led classes for the pilot study “Impact of Integrative Restoration (iRest®) Meditation on Perceived Stress Levels in Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer Outpatients” by the Psychology Department at Boise State University. These local studies have shown iRest can reduce stress and stress-related symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and cancer patients. To see these studies and for more information about iRest research, visit https://www.irest.us/research.

Local Articles and Research

Charlotte Bell. December 2007. iRest Yogic Sleep Catalyst. Salt Lake City, UT

Jeanne Huff. January 12, 2008. The Idaho Statesman. Yoga Nidra Pretzel-free relaxation

Teresa McQueen. 2003. Healing Restored. Hedra News. Boise, ID

Teresa McQueen. 2003. Healing Restored. Hedra News. Boise, ID

Student Testimonials

“I have been practicing iRest® for a little over two years.  I first experienced iRest® in a private session with Jeanne for a life threatening medical problem. I practiced every day and had amazing, somewhat miraculous results.  Practicing iRest® regularly, I also realized an improvement in so many other areas of my life.  My outlook has changed in wonderful positive ways.  Whether practicing with others in a group setting or on my own; I now consider it a daily necessity like exercise and diet for enhancing my physical and emotional well being.”   -Aline G, Boise

After listening to Jeanne’s *iRest® for Kids at Bedtime and Nap Time recording, Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, ERYT-500 Director of Dynamic Systems Rehabilitation Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, shared, “I wasn’t sure how Dillion was going to manage the broad spectrum of “kids” from pre-school through high school. She stuck to the iRest® method and offers a safe, solid experience for that entire spectrum. No fluff or mommy dear dialect, just the confident voice of a caring adult and the invitation to sense and be safe in their beds and their interior experiences. The whole family will be transformed if the parents will join them in doing the practice. Turn off all the other electronics in the house, and remember who you are in the peace and the comfort of family.”

“Probably the most profound experience I have when I practice Yoga Nidra is touching the place in me that KNOWS – that connects to the Divine and feels SO much gratitude and peace.  In those moments, I know I’m on my path and am opening and calling forth my deepest desires.  In those moments, I have no doubt, no fear, and no apprehension that what I’m longing most deeply for IS BECOMING my reality.”

-Melody Monbleau, R.N., Boise

“I have attended several group sessions of Yoga Nidra and have also used a Yoga Nidra CD.  I find this type of meditation very powerful, particularly the group sessions. I work in a very busy and sometimes stressful environment.  After my first group session with Yoga Nidra, I observed I was happier, more centered, less stressed and was more productive in my daily life.  I continue to observe these results in myself every time I am able to regularly practice this form of meditation using the combination of group session and CD.  It is my goal to try to work this valuable tool into my life on a regular basis.”

-Anonymous

“My first experience with Yoga Nidra was through a weekend workshop.  The workshop provided me an opportunity for deep meditation that I had not ever experienced in similar past settings.  I can truly say I felt a strong visual and emotional connection to my spiritual nature.   Since that week-end, I have continued to practice regularly with a CD recording of my teacher’s voice for meditation and healing with positive results.  I have also shared this CD with friends and loved ones, and they have been equally affirming of the healing and calming effects in their own lives.”

-Linda Kline, R.N., Boise

“It is an absolute joy to practice Yoga Nidra. The process of being guided through the various stages brought about a profound sense of peace and calmness. The effects have been long-lasting and extremely beneficial. I highly recommend Yoga Nidra as a gentle yet powerful way to let go of the stresses of everyday life and find within our true nature of peace.”

-Joan Dashiell, Religious Science Practitioner and Integral Yoga Teacher, Boise

“When I first began practicing yoga, there were a few times that Yoga Nidra was included in the sessions.  I had just began chemotherapy after cancer surgery and found that yoga gave me the peace and tranquility to deal with the whole cancer experience.  Specifically, during the Yoga Nidra practices, I found I had more physical comfort and was able to tolerate the effects of chemotherapy with more ease.  Being able to embrace any situation with Yoga Nidra lessens the impact of the strain and stress on the body and mind.  Simply, chemotherapy would have been much more uncomfortable without the practice of Yoga Nidra which helped me to relax and receive the treatments.”

-Wayne Keith, Boise

“The first time I was led through Yoga Nidra, I was amazed at not only how relaxed I was during the practice, but also how rejuvenated I felt afterward.  In continuing the practice I consistently feel renewed.”

-Erin McCusker, Idaho City