Awakening from the dream Yoga, often inadequately translated as “union,” represents both the action of awakening to, as well as the description of, our underlying True Nature or pure Being that is the birthing ground of authentic spontaneity. Nidra or “sleep,” on the other hand, is the state in which we are unconscious to True Nature, when we are identified with, and swayed by, thoughts and actions that are based on misperception and reactive patterns. Yoga Nidra represents a paradox and is a play on the words “sleep” and “awake” as it means “The Sleep of the Yogi,” and implies that the normal person is asleep to their True Nature through all states of consciousness—waking, dreaming, and deep sleep—while the yogi is one who is awake to and knows his or her True Nature across all states, even sleep.

When we sleep, we believe our dream-self and dream-world are real. When we wake up, our dream-world gives way to the waking state, and we recognize that the dream-self and dream-world are actually empty of substance. They are only fabrications and projections of the mind.

During waking consciousness, we perceive the world to be made up of solid and separate objects. We believe that our waking thoughts and the objects around us are real. But, could it be that waking-state thoughts and objects are also fabrications and projections of the mind, as empty of substance as our dream-self and dream-world? Yoga Nidra is the process whereby we explore and discover the truth of this fact.

Usually we have no reason to question the validity of these beliefs. But there is good reason why we should. Yoga Nidra reveals that all dream and waking phenomena—thoughts, emotions, sensations, images, and the world around us—are constantly changing, coming, and going. Everything about our body, mind, and the world is constantly changing, morphing from one thing into another, a mass of swirling, changing sensations, emotions, thoughts, and images.

When we are attached to life being consistent, we feel dissatisfied; we suffer, because life constantly changes. We are constantly searching within this sea of instability for something stable and constant to hold on to. Yoga Nidra reveals that the inner fabric of each of us is deep equanimity or peace that is stable and steady, and when realized, is recognized to be ever present even in the midst of life’s tumultuousness. This is what Yoga Nidra refers to as your fundamental True Nature, your innermost I-ness—deep peace that you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that is always present.

Yoga Nidra teaches you how to inquire into the fundamental nature of your “I” that registers the fact that everything is changing. When we inquire into the who, what, and where of the “I” that is witnessing the smorgasbord of life’s changing phenomena, we discover that this “I” that we take ourselves to be is not solid either, but paradoxically, unlike everything else, it isn’t changing. Yoga Nidra helps you realize that your True Self, or true I-ness, is an infinite and unqualified spacious Presence of Being in which everything, both waking and dream states, is born, unfolds, and dissolves. With Yoga Nidra, you explore and discover the truth of your True Self, as Pure Being.

Some students of mine during the Arts Infused Learning Program

This Memorial Day weekend seven dance/movement therapists across Maryland, DC and Virginia came together to support children between the ages of 6-10 dealing with grief and PTSD. For the second year in a row, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) expressed their desire to have dance therapy groups as part of the grief counseling component. The Good Grief Camp is put together by TAPS and is held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA over Memorial Day weekend.

The connection with dance therapy began when one of the coordinators experienced profound change in her grief process through a dance and drumming group. She felt like she should reach out to “the real deal professionals”, as she stated, by including dance therapists into the counseling program.

The seven dance/movement therapists who co-led were Gail Wood, Nalini Prakash, Warin Tepayaone, Emily Hall Ray, Mimi Moyer, Kari-Ann Lynne, and myself, Brigitta White. We served twice as many children this year facilitating four total groups of approximately 20 children. Some children had experienced PTSD along with grief over the death of a parent or two parents. The details will be kept confidential and are beyond the scope of this blog post.

Nonetheless, once the groups were completed the seven dance therapists met to debrief and process our experiences. We found ways to improve our group structure for next year. This includes having only two co-therapists in a group with a smaller amount of children per group. We would be able to serve four times as many children and possibly adults in the grief camp. Keeping the groups divided between boys and girls was another improvement as well as broadening the interpretation of dance and movement. For example, a young boy asked, “did we do any dancing?”, suggesting that his stereotype of what dance is was possibly challenged and broadened in the group. Any movement can be a dancing movement!

The value of Dance/Movement Therapists with veterans, military families, and children of the military was felt this weekend. Thank you.