Product Description

One of the most enjoyable parts of a yoga class comes when we rest in savasana—the "corpse" pose—and realize deep serenity, a sense of eff ortless joy, and a glimpse into our true nature as unqualified presence. How is this so? Master teacher Richard Miller explains that this experience is a manifestation of yoga nidra, the meditative state of mind-body union at the heart of all yoga practice. A powerful integration of book and CD audio learning, Yoga Nidra is an ancient tantric yoga path that leads to inner freedom. Th rough accessible language appropriate for any level of practice, Miller takes us step by step through the traditional techniques of relaxation and meditation to help us move toward the realization of "unqualified presence"—the ultimate aim of yoga—a goal unreachable through posture practice alone. Through his expert guidance, students will experience: • Deep relaxation for relief from day-to-day stress • The development of "one-pointedness"—a key to spiritual awakening • Healing from painful emotions, such as fear, grief, and anger • More effective and energizing sleep, and much more Suitable for both beginners and advanced practitioners—but new to most Westerners—Yoga Nidra provides an unmatched way to experience the culmination of the art of yoga, and the deeper physical, emotional, and spiritual rewards that are its promise.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18469 in Books
• Published on: 2005-12-01
• Released on: 2005-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .39" h x .39" w x .39" l, .99 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 91 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781591793793
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Review
"A clear and concise guide to a very personal practice." -- LA Yoga, June 2006

"[Miller] is one of the most qualified people to lead this practice...a most intelligent, creative, and compassionate effort." -- Yoga Journal, March 2006

About the Author
Richard Miller, Ph.D. is a master of yoga and meditation who holds a masters degree in communication and a doctorate in clinical psychology. Honored by Yoga Journal and published in American Yoga, Paragon, and more, he has studied extensively in India, and is co-founder of the International Association of Yoga Therapy.

Customer Reviews

Yes, to the Heart of Yoga
Richard Miller's Yoga Nidra: The Meditative Heart of Yoga delivers on it's promise. Not only will you discover and deepen your inner peace, but you will understand how to find it again and again, until, like Miller, it lives within you all the time. The book provides the philosophical underpinnings for the practice, offers concrete applications, and inspiring anecdotes about people who have overcome fears, phobias and other obstacles in their lives. On the accompanying CD, Miller leads you on a journey (one you can repeat every day for the rest of your life) to discover, beneath your current mood, beneath your body's aches and pains, and beneath your mind's self-limiting beliefs, the vastness of who you really are. I often use the CD at the end of my own morning sadhana. He is the teacher I turn to for inspiration. This is a simple and effective Yogic strategy for obtaining and sustaining positive mental health.

CD is good, but the book needs an editor.
Yoga Nidra may not necessarily be what some people are expecting. This form of guided meditation doesn't have you envisioning warm sunshine over the body or the sound of a babbling stream. Instead, you are guided through a series of sensing exercises as you examine the relationship between emotions and feelings and their effect on the body - eventually helping you to realize the duality created by the mind that ultimately causes suffering. For instance, you are asked to notice the constriction of the heart as you think about a time when you felt closed off to a person or situation. Then you are guided away from being directly in those feelings, observing them instead. I've been practicing this for some time in the form of vipassana meditation, and Yoga Nidra is a nice supplement to that practice.

The CD is very well produced and Richard Miller's voice and pacing are quite good. His instructions are clear, without talking too much. Some meditation CDs are very wordy to the point of distraction, but this one isn't like that.

However, the book that comes with the CD is in desperate need of an editor. I'm a yoga teacher and generally used to reading flowery material, but this one goes over the top. I found myself reading and rereading sentences trying to cut through all the adjectives to get to the meaning. I think Richard Miller's points are often lost in his overly descriptive text. A good editor would do this book a great deal of service.

I don't think you necessarily need the book to get something from the CD. However, it is useful to understand what the meditation is all about b/c it isn't the same as other forms. It's a shame that his text makes the practice seem overly involved. As such, it took me an extra few weeks to get around to listening to the CD b/c the book made it seem like the meditation was going to be a lot of work.

My advice is to listen to the CD and THEN read the book, even though Richard Miller says otherwise.

So much depth in only 91 pages!
Richard Miller has masterfully packed this small yet rewarding book with lead after lead to self-realization. The book not only contains a careful stage-by-stage walk through of Yoga Nidra but also includes personal stories of experiences from his students that help illuminate the simple and precious beauty of self exploration contained within the practice. Miller's use of analogies and vivid, colorful, concise language weaves a connection between psychology and Eastern spiritual philosophy that creates a supurb introduction to Yoga Nidra. This book is crammed with depth and I recommend it for beginning and advanced practitioners alike! No matter what form of yoga or meditation you practice, this book will compliment your development as few other introduction books do. Enjoy!