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TEACHER TRAINING

iRest Yoga Nidra Teacher Training: 5-day Immersion

Unique and life changing, the meditative practice of iRest Yoga Nidra enables profound insight and healing to take place. Developed by Richard Miller it has been substantiated by extensive and continuing research proving it can resolve trauma, pain, chemical dependency and stress, and increase general wellbeing.

iRest Yoga Nidra James Reeves Teacher Training
James Reeves Yoga Nidra Teacher Training

WHAT CAN I EXPECT?

We’re delighted to welcome James Reeves back to Whitespace to teach this 5-day Yoga Nidra Teacher Training. Yoga Nidra is a transformative state of deep relaxation and one of the fastest-growing yoga practices in the world today.

This is your opportunity to be amongst the first teachers to offer this teaching in Europe, and to join a thriving community of iRest Yoga Nidra teachers around the world

Although the roots of Yoga Nidra lie in thousands of years of philosophies and practices, iRest (‘integrative restoration’) Yoga Nidra carefully and purposefully applies them to our modern-day outlooks and needs. The practice encompasses the teachings of mindfulness and then goes beyond, into the experience of dissolving one’s self – of being completely absorbed in the experience of yoga (meaning to feel interconnected and whole). iRest Yoga Nidra enables you to explore deep movements of meditation and skilfully enquire in to the structures of yourself, which can ultimately lead to profound insight and healing…

iRest Yoga Nidra was created by Richard Miller, PhD, a clinical psychologist, author, researcher, yogic scholar and founder of the Integrative Restoration Institute (IRI). iRest Yoga Nidra is applied in settings not previously open to traditional yoga practices, such as in military and healthcare organizations, and is used globally by doctors, nurses

The course will provide an understanding of:

The historical context and path of meditation in which iRest is embedded
The Eastern and Western psycho-spiritual perspectives that form the path of meditation and iRest
The evidence-based research showing the efficacy of iRest and its use with different psycho-physical issues and populations
iRest within the context of meditation
The teacher-student relationship, teaching issues and ethical considerations
The Ten Steps of iRest
How to use iRest for your personal practice
How to teach iRest to groups and individuals
The training provides the opportunity to participate in group lectures and peer discussion groups, and to receive and participate in multiple iRest experiential group and one-on-one practice sessions.

This course is a welcome study immersion for new and established yoga teachers to refresh, renew and to deepen their practice and study of iRest Yoga Nidra. It’s also open to anybody with an interest in the path of meditation.

In 2001 James travelled to India where he had his first and profound experience of yoga. He returned to the country in 2004 to complete his teacher training and has been running his own yoga school ever since.

James has studied with a wide range of teachers, taking favourite insights and practices from the schools of Hatha, Tantra, Advaita Vedanta and Sankhya philosophy.
He has taken inspiration from Donna Farhi, Mukunda Stiles, Kali Ray and Rod Striker and while his teaching style is a blend of these influences (and more) James’ greatest inspiration has been the work of Richard Miller, PhD. Richard founded the Integrative Restoration Institute (IRI) in the US and established the iRest Yoga Nidra protocol, a system of deep relaxation and meditative inquiry.

James is currently the only IRI-sponsored teacher trainer in Europe. He has worked with organizations such as Oxford University, Oxfam and Khiron House Trauma Clinic, and even been jetted off to the Oscars (though not down the red carpet, sadly). James is also a regular teacher of online yoga classes at Ekhart Yoga.

Can’t make this date? No problem, register your interest for future dates below

  • What our customers are saying about us “Teachers were knowledgable and inspirational”

    WhiteSpace is a lovely studio, the staff are friendly and welcoming. A little haven tucked away. I spent two weeks here on a course and it very quickly felt like home. It's just a shame it's so far away from me otherwise I'd be here every day!!

    - Kirsty

Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT iREST LEVEL 1

You don’t need to have had experience of iRest Yoga Nidra, but you will need to have a strong motivation to want to learn.

  • A secular approach using modern language and terms, making it easily accessible and open to all audiences
  • it does not impose specific imagery or other suggestions that may be inappropriate/ineffective for the practitioner
  • The practitioner develops an ‘inner resource’ allowing them to anchor themselves and return to a safe place at any point during the practice
  • Instructors are trained in how to attend to emotional abreactions that may re-trigger trauma or shut down healing
  • Individual members of a group are encouraged to choose how they want to participate (i.e. the emotions they want to work with, or imagery that is relevant/has meaning for them), rather than the same, uniform instructions being applied to everyone in the group
  • Focus on welcoming all emotions as they arise and accepting life as it is, rather than avoiding or escaping situations through ‘forced’ relaxation
  • iRest has been used in military settings since 2006; all the research on Yoga Nidra in military settings to date has been done using the iRest protocol

This training program will not only guide you effortlessly into your own practice of iRest Yoga Nidra but also enable you to understand the process, through exploring research-based material around the sense of self, separation and the ego-I.

The programme was introduced to Europe in 2014 so this is your opportunity to be among the first to offer this teaching here and join a thriving community of iRest Yoga Nidra teachers around the world.

Yes, this course is open to everyone with an interest in the path of meditation.

To gain maximum benefit from the Level I training, we recommend you read Richard Miller’s book, Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing from cover to cover, and listen to the accompanying CD before attending the training.

On completion of this training you will be able to teach iRest Yoga Nidra within your yoga class or other setting, and will be provided with scripts and other support resources to enable you to do this. Ultimately you will feel empowered to give the material your own voice. By the end of the training you will:

  • have learnt how to deliver this powerful technique to individuals as well as groups
  • understand how to adapt and personalise the practice
  • feel confident to begin teaching straight away
  • have the credibility to walk in to professional organisations/healthcare settings having trained in a research-based protocol
  • use the title “iRest Level 1 Teacher” in advertising, promotional materials, and official channels.
  • be listed on the iRest website as an iRest Level 1 Teacher and can post your personal profile allowing people who are seeking iRest group or individual sessions to find you as a qualified provider.

Level 1 iRest Yoga Nidra training is a five-day intensive course comprising theory, practice and discussion, suitable for anyone interested in deepening their own practice or working with yoga nidra in a yogic or therapeutic setting. It will provides you with the basic principles, history, theory, practice and delivery of iRest and allow you to incorporate the simple 10-step iRest protocol into your personal life, professional teaching or clinical practice.

The course will provide an understanding of:

  • The historical context and path of meditation in which iRest is embedded
  • The Eastern and Western psycho-spiritual perspectives that form the path of meditation and iRest
  • The evidence-based research showing the efficacy of iRest and its use with different psycho-physical issues and populations
  • iRest within the context of meditation
  • The teacher-student relationship, teaching issues and ethical considerations
  • The Ten Steps of iRest
  • How to use iRest for your personal practice
  • How to teach iRest to groups and individuals

To obtain the certification you will need to have attended 100% of the training to comply with Yoga Alliance requirements, otherwise you will receive a certificate only for the number of hours attended. If there is space, it may be possible to attend the day missed when the course is next run at Whitespace Studio. There would be an additional fee for this.

In the event of cancellation:

60 days or more prior to the course start date:
Your payment will be refunded, less 10% admin fee

31 – 59 days prior to the start date:
Payments are not refundable but are transferable to a future whitespace training, workshops or classes (less 10% admin fee).

30 days or less prior to the start date:
Payments are not refundable or transferable unless your place can be filled from a waiting list (less 20% admin fee).

Leaving the Training
It is our aim and policy to facilitate anyone who may be experiencing difficulties either with the training or in other areas of their life so they are able to complete the course. However, we understand that in some circumstances this is not possible and students have no choice other than to leave the programme. In this instance, we will be unable to give you a certificate or graduate you from the training, and your course fees cannot be refunded.