yoga nidra - zenergy yogazenergyyoga.com/.../ayj-issue-52-yoga-nidra...yoga.pdf · the ancient...

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PHOTO: ANNA OMELTCHENKO/ ISTOCKPHOTO.COM PARENTING Om WOULD you like to feel the benefits of a three-hour nap after only 15 minutes? We all know the more rested children are, the more well-behaved and happy they will be. Wouldn’t it be great to eliminate the emotional outbursts of an overly tired child? Well, we can. Here, we will explore the ancient technique of Yoga Nidra and how it applies to children. You will learn what it is, how it works, and what the benefits are for you and your child. What is Yoga Nidra? The literal translation of Nidra is sleep and we think of Yoga Nidra as a restful and rejuvenating deep sleep for the body and mind. But rather than it being the sleep of nighttime, Nidra is a guided form of relaxation which calms the body and mind, while maintaining crystal clear awareness. “Yoga Nidra allows us to reach the most profound level of relaxation possible,” says American yoga master Rod Stryker. This is important because rest and relaxation are not part of children’s busy lives anymore. No one teaches them how to relax and often relaxation nowadays equates to sitting in front of the TV, which is not restful for little minds. No matter what age, socioeconomic back- ground, whether an elite athlete or a child with special needs, all children and teens can benefit from the calming, stress-reducing and awareness-building practice of Yoga Nidra. We can help by scheduling a daily relaxation in the afternoon or at bedtime to allow children to have the sleep and rest their growing bodies and developing minds need. How do you do it? A Yoga Nidra practice often has a structure which we can condense for children. The beauty of this form of relaxation for kids is that it is done lying down, and can take from three to 15 minutes depending on the ages of the children and their attention levels. Follow these six key components: 1. The set-up 2. Intention setting 3. Full body relaxation 4. Breathing 5. Rotation of consciousness 6. Ending 1. The set-up Children love ritual and a lovely way to create the space is to light a candle, play gentle music and make a comfortable place to lie down. Your child lies on their back with their arms slightly away from their body and palms turned up. Feet should fall outwards and eyes should be closed. 2. Intention setting This can be as simple as asking your child how they would like to feel or how they would like their week to be. They could set a goal or send healing to a friend. They can say their message quietly and repeat it three times, for example, “Happy, Happy, Happy.” 3. Full body relaxation Name each part of the body from the top of the head to the toes and ask children to relax each part as you go. For younger children, it is helpful to ask the child to squeeze and relax all the muscles as you go. By Loraine Rushton 4. Breathing Bringing children’s attention to the breath will further calm their minds. You can say, “Feel your breath as you breathe in through the nose, and feel your belly deflate as you breathe out.” Using a visual image is helpful. You can say, “As you breathe in, feel your belly filling with air like a balloon that is being blown up, getting bigger, and as you breathe out feel all the air leave as if the balloon is deflating.” 5. Rotation of consciousness This is what sets Yoga Nidra apart from other forms of relaxation. By resting attention on each part of the body, slowly and methodically, the mind is soothed. This also reduces anxiety, improves sleep, concentration, focus and builds self-awareness which leads to greater emotional intelligence and happiness. Teens are able to follow this practice as an adult would, bringing their attention to each part of the body you name. You may like to ask younger children to imagine a butterfly landing on each part of their body. 6. Ending Finish by asking the child to repeat their intention and then bring their awareness back into the room, noticing any sounds they can hear, and lastly wiggling their fingers and toes. If you are using Yoga Nidra at bedtime, then let children drift into a deep sleep by telling them to stay in this place of quiet and stillness. What’s the benefit? Research into the benefits of Yoga Nidra has shown it can have a profound impact on victims of trauma, PTSD, depression, stress and anxiety as well as improving focus, concentration and creativity. I see this weekly in classrooms; I love seeing the behaviour of teenage boys change from the start of the class to the end. One Year 9 boy with Asperger Syndrome told me he felt his “being” relax for the first time. Year 12 students say they experience “happiness”; a ten-year-old boy with ADHD was still for ten minutes after his first class; students with behavioural problems learn self- control; special needs children gain body and emotional awareness and temper tantrums subside as little bodies get the rest they deserve. Yoga Nidra works both sides of the brain, and it potentially has the ability to rewire the neurological pathways. Imagine the impact on our youth if this powerful practice was introduced into every school and kindergarten in Australia! 34 july 2016 yogajournal.com.au Rest, Relax and Rejuvenate with YOGA NIDRA The secret to nurturing calm, contented kids

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Page 1: YOGA NIDRA - Zenergy Yogazenergyyoga.com/.../AYJ-Issue-52-Yoga-Nidra...Yoga.pdf · the ancient technique of Yoga Nidra and how it applies to children. You will learn what it is, how

PHO

TO:

AN

NA

OM

ELTC

HEN

KO/

ISTO

CK

PHO

TO.C

OM

PARENTINGOm

WOULD you like to feel the benefi ts of a three-hour nap after only 15 minutes? We all know the more rested children are, the more well-behaved and happy they will be. Wouldn’t it be great to eliminate the emotional outbursts of an overly tired child? Well, we can. Here, we will explore the ancient technique of Yoga Nidra and how it applies to children. You will learn what it is, how it works, and what the benefi ts are for you and your child.

What is Yoga Nidra?The literal translation of Nidra is sleep and we think of Yoga Nidra as a restful and rejuvenating deep sleep for the body and mind. But rather than it being the sleep of nighttime, Nidra is a guided form of relaxation which calms the body and mind, while maintaining crystal clear awareness. “Yoga Nidra allows us to reach the most profound level of relaxation possible,” says American yoga master Rod Stryker.

This is important because rest and relaxation are not part of children’s busy lives anymore. No one teaches them how to relax and often relaxation nowadays equates to sitting in front of the TV, which is not restful for little minds.

No matter what age, socioeconomic back-ground, whether an elite athlete or a child with special needs, all children and teens can benefi t from the calming, stress-reducing and awareness-building practice of Yoga Nidra.

We can help by scheduling a daily relaxation in the afternoon or at bedtime to allow children to have the sleep and rest their growing bodies and developing minds need.

How do you do it?A Yoga Nidra practice often has a structure which we can condense for children. The beauty of this form of relaxation for kids is that it is done lying down, and can take from three to 15 minutes depending on the ages of the children and their attention levels. Follow these six key components:

1. The set-up 2. Intention setting 3. Full body relaxation 4. Breathing 5. Rotation of consciousness 6. Ending

1. The set-upChildren love ritual and a lovely way to create the space is to light a candle, play gentle music and make a comfortable place to lie down. Your child lies on their back with their arms slightly away from their body and palms turned up. Feet should fall outwards and eyes should be closed.

2. Intention settingThis can be as simple as asking your child how they would like to feel or how they would like their week to be. They could set a goal or send healing to a friend. They can say their message quietly and repeat it three times, for example, “Happy, Happy, Happy.”

3. Full body relaxationName each part of the body from the top of the head to the toes and ask children to relax each part as you go. For younger children, it is helpful to ask the child to squeeze and relax all the muscles as you go.

By Loraine Rushton

4. BreathingBringing children’s attention to the breath will further calm their minds. You can say, “Feel your breath as you breathe in through the nose, and feel your belly defl ate as you breathe out.” Using a visual image is helpful. You can say, “As you breathe in, feel your belly fi lling with air like a balloon that is being blown up, getting bigger, and as you breathe out feel all the air leave as if the balloon is defl ating.”

5. Rotation of consciousness This is what sets Yoga Nidra apart from other forms of relaxation. By resting attention on each part of the body, slowly and methodically, the mind is soothed. This also reduces anxiety, improves sleep, concentration, focus and buildsself-awareness which leads to greater emotional intelligence and happiness.

Teens are able to follow this practice as an adult would, bringing their attention to each part of the body you name. You may like to ask younger children to imagine a butterfl y landing on each part of their body.

6. EndingFinish by asking the child to repeat their intention and then bring their awareness back into the room, noticing any sounds they can hear, and lastly wiggling their fi ngers and toes. If you are using Yoga Nidra at bedtime, then let children drift into a deep sleep by telling them to stay in this place of quiet and stillness.

What’s the benefit? Research into the benefi ts of Yoga Nidra has shown it can have a profound impact on victims of trauma, PTSD, depression, stress and anxiety as well as improving focus, concentration and creativity. I see this weekly in classrooms; I love seeing the behaviour of teenage boys change from the start of the class to the end. One Year 9 boy with Asperger Syndrome told me he felt his “being” relax for the fi rst time. Year 12 students say they experience “happiness”; a ten-year-old boy with ADHD was still for ten minutes after his fi rst class; students with behavioural problems learn self-control; special needs children gain body and emotional awareness and temper tantrums subside as little bodies get the rest they deserve. Yoga Nidra works both sides of the brain, and it potentially has the ability to rewire the neurological pathways. Imagine the impact on our youth if this powerful practice was introduced into every school and kindergarten in Australia! 34

july

20

16

yo

ga

jou

rna

l.c

om

.au

Rest, Relax and Rejuvenate with

YOGA NIDRA The secret to nurturing calm, contented kids

yj52_34-35 Om Ask the experts.indd 34 20/05/2016 5:03 PM

Page 2: YOGA NIDRA - Zenergy Yogazenergyyoga.com/.../AYJ-Issue-52-Yoga-Nidra...Yoga.pdf · the ancient technique of Yoga Nidra and how it applies to children. You will learn what it is, how

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LIFE IN BALANCE

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