As we immerse ourselves in the darkness that this season of life brings, give yourself the gift of deep rest on Sunday afternoons through the nourishing practice of yoga nidra. The word yoga has many meanings. Most commonly, it means “union”. It is also known as a practice of moving towards enlightenment or wakefulness. We aim to do this by creating space through stillness in our bodies, minds, and hearts and letting go of what we no longer need. Nidra means “sleep”. In a sense, yoga nidra is a state of wakeful sleep. You will be guided through a systematic approach of letting go. By dropping into slower brain wave states, you will allow your body to fall asleep while keeping consciousness aware. Essentially, this practice is about remembering who you are and coming home to yourself.

“Most people are trying to change themselves. Yoga nidra asks them to welcome themselves. That moment of true welcoming is where the profound transformation takes place.”
-Richard Miller, PhD

It is completely effortless and requires you to do nothing but get yourself as comfortable as possible so that you may receive the guidance and let go completely. This class is welcome to all, and I have been guiding pregnant women in yoga nidra since February of 2021 and will provide any props necessary to allow you to be in the utmost comfortable position.

You may be familiar with it as a sleep meditation, but my goal is to guide you through the process so that you have the opportunity to experience any of the benefits that it has been shown to provide.

“For many years, yoga nidra has been sidelined as a guided relaxation -- a spiritual name for a nap. This is because people don’t understand what it is really intended to accomplish. Yoga Nidra is so much more than a guided relaxation or nap. It is a secret door to liberation. WIthout this knowledge, however, one of the most profound practices of yoga can easily be overlooked in the ego’s quest for something more exciting. Using yoga nidra as a nap is like using a jet plane to drive to the grocery store. You can do it, but it is a gross under utilization of its potential. A jet plane can drive, but it is meant to make you fly. Yoga nidra can help you rest, but it was meant to help you soar. It was meant to liberate you from the suffering that afflicts human existence.”
-Kamini DeSai, PhD, Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep

Dates: Sundays 11/14-12/5

Time: 3-3:45 pm

Price: $48/4-week series or $15 drop-in

Register with Venmo @toshayoga (indicate email and that you are paying for Nidra) or pay with paypal here:

Benefits that have been cited include but are not limited to:

- Helping you feel recharged for the rest of the day
- Increased productivity
- Helping you fall asleep easier at night
- Helping you have higher quality sleep at night and reducing insomnia
- Reducing stress and anxiety
- Reducing chronic pain
- Healing trauma and PTSD
- Planting the seeds of transformation
- Releasing limiting beliefs

(Note from Sam- I do not claim to provide these benefits, I am merely introducing the practice to you and it is possible for you to have any number of experiences. Any experience is normal. My hope is that by introducing yoga nidra to you, you may be inspired to take on a more regular practice at home and explore the many wonderful teachers that are available through recordings so that you may open the door to deeper experiences of healing and letting go. I truly believe that we can change the world for the better if we are well rested, our soul is nourished, and we are connected to our truth.)

About the teacher: Samantha is a yoga teacher, mother, and photographer who believes that yoga is a revolutionary act of reclaiming ourselves as we are by attuning to our body, breath, mind, and heart. Becoming a mother at a young age changed the course of her life dramatically which led her to the practice of yoga again and again. She currently has two children (ages 6 & 3) and is expecting her third come mid-December.

She completed an 8-month long 200 hour+ vinyasa yoga teacher training with Suzanne Dunning of Tosha Yoga in 2020. She went on to complete a 3-month long mentorship under Suzanne as she began teaching in the fall of 2020 and started teaching all-levels vinyasa yoga as well as prenatal yoga. In 2021, she completed a 3-month long 100 hour yoga nidra teacher training with Hilary Jackendoff and since then has been focused on teaching prenatal yoga and including a full yoga nidra at the end of each class. As she is nearing the arrival of her third baby, she is ready to slow down and offer the practice of yoga nidra to the community so that we all may find stillness and ease as we navigate the constant change and challenges of the world at large.