Yoga Nidra - iRest

Richard Miller has developed what is called Integrative Restoration, or iRest, an adaptation of the ancient teachings of Yoga Nidra (yoga meaning "embodying what is timeless", and nidra: "across all states of consciousness"). I have also heard Yoga Nidra translated as "sleep of the yogis". It is described as a conscious, deep sleep.

Don't be fooled by the term "yoga". The practice of iRest is less like yoga as you and I know it, and more like a lying-down meditation. Rather than going through a series of postures, you are instructed to lie down on your back, in savasana, or corpse pose, for the duration of the meditation. For this reason, I have actually heard Yoga Nidra described as a form of "pretzel free relaxation".

According to Richard Miller's 6 CD companion set to his book:

iRest helps you break free of self-limiting patterns, emotions and beliefs so that you may live a contented life, free of conflict, anxiety and suffering. In its ultimate form, iRest reveals the secret of enlightenment and introduces you to your True Nature as joyful and radiant Presence.

iRest induces deep relaxation throughout your entire body and mind and enables you to eliminate stress and resolve personal problems and trauma. It neutralizes anxiety, fear, anger, depression and insomnia. It teaches you how to enter deep meditation, and in its ultimate form, iRest helps you unravel the mystery of life and answer the questions, “Who am I?” and “What is enlightenment?”

The Integrative Restoration Institute website informs us that the goal of iRest is achieved through two basic steps:
1. The recognition of an intrinsic sense of peace during all circumstances
2. The release of negative body sensations, emotions, and beliefs and stress that give rise to self-destructive patterns

Like other forms of meditation, iRest is best understood experientially. While I don't have extensive experience with the practice, I have gotten a taste of it and truly enjoyed it. One thing I found useful was being guided towards a witnessing presence and experiencing dis-identification from thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations.

In my group, we listened to the same guided meditation by Richard Miller over the course of several sessions, and interestingly, we would each report hearing parts of the CD that we hadn't heard previously. It is actually normal to go in and out of different states of consciousness during Yoga Nidra, and you are not to worry if you fall asleep while doing the practice. Apparently, unlike meditation, an individual doing Yoga Nidra will remain awake but leave the Waking state, pass the Dreaming state, and go to Deep Sleep.



Numerous studies are being conducted across the U.S. to investigate the efficacy of iRest on a variety of populations, including but not limited to:

Soldiers and veterans experiencing PTSD
Military spouses and family
People experiencing homelessness
People in chemical dependency and relapse prevention programs
People with sleep disorders
People experiencing chronic pain
People with breathing disorders
College students
Adolescents at risk
People with Multiple sclerosis
Incarcerated men and women
Couples experiencing infertility issues
Kids of all ages

So far, the results appear promising. People using iRest report:

Decreased insomnia
Reduced depression, anxiety and fear
Decreased perception of chronic and acute pain
Decreased stress in daily life
Improved interpersonal relations
Increased comfort with situations they could not control, and paradoxically
Increased sense of control in their lives
Increased energy levels

Please see The Integrative Restoration Institute website for more information on iRest and why it appears to have so many clinical applications.

Also, if anyone at MU is interested, the Student Health Center offers an iRest course each semester.