For everyone, especially Yoga teachers and health professionals

Yoga Nidra Training and Certification Level 1 will give you the tools and resources needed to lead others effectively in Yoga Nidra. Gain the know-how and confidence needed to offer Yoga Nidra for groups and individuals. You will be able to help your clients and students relax, increase body-mind awareness, make positive behavior changes, heal emotional and physical upsets, and enhance self-understanding.

Yoga Nidra, or “yogic sleep,” is a comprehensive practice for going far beyond deep relaxation to a place of natural peace and quiet that is tremendously healing for the body, mind, and spirit.

Yoga Nidra is based on Yoga teachings and backed by contemporary science. Studies have shown that Yoga Nidra can boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, decrease pain, and improve other health conditions. Regular practice can improve memory, concentration, and relieve anxiety and depression. Using a sankalpa (self-selected resolve) during the fertile brain wave states experienced during Yoga Nidra makes it possible to clear out useless habits and bring about positive and durable changes to one’s personality and life. Yoga Nidra is fundamental to a complete Hatha Yoga session and can also be done as a separate practice on its own.

If circumstances prevent you from taking the full training, you have the option to take the weekend workshop Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, Friday–Sunday, September 15–17, 2023. The workshop is part of this Level 1 training.

Training Information

Level 1 Objectives

• Learn the essential principles, practices, and benefits of Yoga Nidra
• Understand Yoga Nidra’s heritage and its ties to Yoga and contemporary science
• Understand the benefits, risks, and ethics of leading Yoga Nidra
• Develop the five sequential levels of relaxation: learn their distinguishing characteristics, their benefits, and how to experience each one
• Learn how to help others experience progressive levels of awareness that correspond to the koshas (layers of one’s self) that conceal one’s true Self
• Learn to lead relaxation techniques, specialized breathing methods, guided imagery, mindfulness, and other mind-body techniques used in Yoga Nidra
• Discover how to help clients develop positive, personal characteristics and bring a meaningful purpose to one’s life by setting and using a sankalpa during
• certain stages of Yoga Nidra
• Know how to select music and to create the right atmosphere
• Be equipped at handling distractions
• Develop voice quality, wording, sequencing, timing, and pacing
• Experience Yoga Nidra firsthand and receive its benefits personally
• Practice leading others to gain the skills needed for your classes, clients, and students
• Get your questions answered

Textbook

Required
Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief by Julie Lusk. New Harbinger Publications, 2015.
If you don’t have this book already, you can purchase it by clicking here.

Additional training materials will be provided.

Recommended
Yoga Nidra Meditations: 24 Scripts for True Relaxation by Julie Lusk,
and Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices by Julie Lusk.

Continuing Education (CE) Opportunities

• Yoga Alliance (YA): Approximately 40 contact hours.
  You can input your contact hours using your YA login information.
• Integral Yoga Teachers Association (IYTA) can provide you a CE certificate with your program’s total contact hours for a $10 fee (free for IYTA members.) For more information, email ce@iyta.org.

Testimonials

Julie is just a delight! She knows this topic and has an easeful ability to teach this to everyone. You will come away with not only knowledge of what Yoga Nidra is but the extra benefit of experiencing every part of the teaching for yourself and sharing with others as well. I feel fully qualified and confident to begin teaching Yoga Nidra online and in person. Thank you Julie, Rukmini, and the Yogaville family! — Sharanya Debruler

Truly one of my favorite programs, and I’ve attended many. Julie’s program reached beyond “how to teach” Yoga Nidra. Julie’s way is very uplifting, pure, open-minded and adaptive. There is so much more to Yoga Nidra than I imagined and I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to discover it with Julie! I miss Yogaville so much, looking forward to seeing you all again! Namaste — Lisa Caunitis

Julie Lusk is a highly knowledgeable, experienced and generous teacher. I am thankful for her time-and her books. I understand Yoga Nidra in a way I did not before taking this training. I am grateful to her. I will read her words and continue to take her with me as I learn more—about myself and, hopefully—share with others. — Veronica Escobar