the integrative restoration institute the yoga … therapy irest sytar...the integrative restoration...

The Integrative Restoration Institute

The Yoga Therapy of iRest Yoga Nidra

Integrative Restoration Institute 900 5th Ave, Suite 204, San Rafael, CA 94901(415) 456-3909 • www.irest.us • [email protected]

The Integrative Restoration Institute has designed this Introduction to iRest program for individuals and groups in public and private organizations.

The program supports personal and professional development by giving the participants the skills to reduce stress, increase resiliency, support overall well-being, and live from an authentically connected place within.

This workbook will help support you through this program. Please complete each section when instructed and refer back as often as needed to support your process of learning and integrating these new skills.

STAGES OF iREST

While resting at ease, the practice guides you through a series of inquiries inviting you to wel-come opposites of sensation, breath, emotions, beliefs, images, and memories that naturally arise within your awareness. As you engage each experience, you proactively explore actions you can responsively take with respect to what you are experiencing, as well as experience yourself as the observer, or witnessing awareness, in which your every experience is unfold-ing.

iREST STAGE PURPOSE ASK YOURSELF...

Initial Relaxation Experiencing the present moment. What would make you most comfortable and at ease during this practice?

Heartfelt Desire Getting in touch with what it is that you truly want in life.

What is it that you want more than any-thing else in life? What gives your life a sense of value, purpose, and meaning?

IntentionEstablishing why you want to practice iRest today, and tomor-row.

What would most help you realize your hearts deepest desire or longing?

Inner Resource

Finding an inner sanctuary where you feel secure, to which you can return at any time during iRest, or whenever you feel the need to take a momentary time out.

Is there a place within your body that gives you the felt sense of being secure, safe, calm, at ease, and/or relaxed? Where and how do you experience this?

BodySensing

Welcoming and being present with what you are experiencing in your body. Learning to feel, welcome, observe, and respond to sensa-tion.

Allowing attention to wander through your body, what physical sensations, if any, are present for you? How and where do you experience them?

BreathSensingTuning into the natural rhythm of the breath. Learning to observe and actively engage the breath.

What is your breath like? Calm, deep, and relaxed, or tense, shallow, and forced?

Opposite FeelingsObserving feelings that are pres-ent: comfort/ discomfort, warm/cool, etc.

What feelings (hot / cold, heaviness / lightness, etc.) are present for you?

Opposite Emotions

Observing and proactively en-gaging emotions such as fear/courage, anger/peace, sadness/joy, etc.

What emotions (calm / angry, happy / sad, etc.) are present for you?

Opposite ThoughtsObserving and proactively en-gaging thoughts, images that are present.

What beliefs (‘I am strong’ / ‘I am weak’, etc.) are present for you?

Joy & Well-BeingExperiencing and engaging feel-ings of pleasure, happiness, joy, love, bliss, and well-being.

Can you experience the felt-sense of in-ner joy, or well-being within your body? How and where in your body do you experience this?

Awareness

Witnessing Awareness: Your ability to witness or observe what’s pres-ent. Your ability to be awareness, which is always at peace and at ease.

Inquiring: What is it that is aware of your body, breath, feelings, emotions, and thoughts? Can you experience an innate sense of peace and well-being, no mat-ter your circumstance?

Integration Integrate the tools of iRest into your daily life.

In this, and every moment, I remember and experience my innate sense of well- being and peace.

©2006-2014 IRI All Rights Reserved

WHAT HAPPENS DURING iREST?

During iRest, we observe, welcome, and engage various aspects of our wak-ing existence, starting with the most gross form, the physical body, and then moving on through more subtle layers, such as the breath, feelings, emotions, thoughts, and joy. As we welcome everything that is present in the body and mind, our emotions and thoughts begin to grow calmer. In the process we discover and connect to the aspect of ourselves that is always peaceful and at ease.


Body SensingObserve sensations4|

Breath SensingObserve the breath5|

Feelings & EmotionsObserve opposite feelingsHot/Cold, Heavy/LightObserve opposite emotionsHappiness/Sadness, Calm/Angry

6|

BeliefsObserve opposite beliefsI am strong/I am weak

7|

JoyInner smile, Love, Bliss 8|

WitnessingPure awareness9|

Integration10|

Intention1| Heartfelt Desire2| Inner Resource3|Initial Relaxation

IntentionHeartfelt DesireInner ResourceReturn to theWaking State

iRest P

rocess

Identifying Your Resolutions

Resolutions are comprised of three aspects: 1) Your deepest Heartfelt Desire, 2) Intention(s), and 3) Inner Resource. These three, together, form clear definitive vows that you are absolute-ly determined and committed to accomplish, which give value, purpose, or meaning to your life and takes you to your goal. Once put into action, nothing can stop them. They entail full and committed determination that focuses all of your mental and energetic resources.

Identifying Your Heartfelt Desire

Your Heartfelt desire is a vow that upholds or supports your deepest truth and upholds uni-versal law. Your Heartfelt Desire is the highest order by which you life your life. It is based on natural law and the natural order of things. It is your heart’s innate desire or purpose: Your personal calling, life philosophy, or value by which you live your life. It is “life” living its highest purpose through you as its unique expression.

Social harmony and human happiness require that we live in a discerning manner appropriate to the requirements of the natural order of the universe. Living your Heartfelt Desire leads to:

• Meaning, purpose, value, and action

• Joy and pleasure

• Freedom from suffering and fear

Example: My thought, words and actions are fully congruent. I live my life as an authentic, truthful, trustworthy, kind, compassionate and good human being. I live a life of service born and executed in deep caring, respect and love for all of life. My will and Thy will are one and the same. (All this is represented in one word: “Relationship”)

The View

Imagine yourself sitting in a comfortable chair years from now while reflecting back upon the life you’ve lived. Imagine special friends who love you gathered around.

• Looking back, what are you happy about? Consider different parts of your life, such as experiences with friends and family, work and career, good times and bad, personal and spiritual development, creativity, health, self- expression, and service.

• What is the heartfelt code you’ve lived your life by?• What have been the central guiding values and principles of your life?• What are you glad that you stood for?• What has been really important in your life?• What do you feel grateful for?• What do you wish you had done differently?• What qualities of your life make you glad that you have lived and have made you feel at

peace with your self and the life you’ve lived?• What are your closest friends saying to you about how you lived your life?• Looking back, what would you say to yourself as the age you are today?


Looking back, ask yourself as to the overarching themes that sum up the code by which you’ve lived your life; perhaps authenticity, spontaneity, truthfulness, non- harming, compas-sion, kindness, love, gratitude, equanimity, joy, delight, inquiry, service, psychological integra-tion or spiritual realization.

Is there one fundamental desire during your life that has been your guiding star?

Find words that evoke the feeling of your Heartfelt Desire that is the basis for what your life stands for.

Positive, present tense language is best. For example, instead of saying, I will find love, say, “I am love itself, expressing itself in every moment in my every thought, action and deed”. Instead of saying, “I will be authentic and truthful”, say, “I am authentic and truthful in each moment.”

Positive words stimulate the approach networks of your brain, compensating for their relative weakness compared to your brain’s survival-focused avoidance circuitry. An explicit, con-sciously held Heartfelt Desire is corrective to your brain’s tendency to continually scan for threats. Affirming your desire as a present tense reality tells your brain that this is the “new normal”, rather than something implicitly “out there” off in the distance and out of reach.

Your Heartfelt Desire is effective if it is deeply felt, kept in conscious awareness, and taken seriously.

Write down your Heartfelt Desire. Find imagery for your Heartfelt Desire.

Feel your Heartfelt Desire in your body, and imagine it sinking in and down as your lived-ex-perience, becoming increasingly embedded at deeper levels of your body and mind.

Bring it to mind from time to time, and see how it matures over time.

Weave a renewal of commitment to your life’s Heartfelt Desire into your meditation and other daily practices.

Identifying Your Intention

Your Heartfelt Desire is supported by your Intention(s), which are fulfilled through specific commitments and agreements with yourself. Your Heartfelt Desire, Intention(s), commitments and agreements line up together to nourish positive ends that create a virtuous, effective and happy life.

To clarify your true Intentions, write a list of the major categories of your life, i.e., Health, Spirituality, Love, Pleasure, Relationship, Marriage, Childrearing, Friendships, Career, Creative Expression, Finances, etc. Create categories that mean something to you. Consider how im-portant each category or aim is to you.

Bring to mind the view from your chair, looking back from old age: what priorities were im-portant that gave focus and purpose to your life? Open to the longings in your heart: what are they saying to you?

Make a list of the major areas or aims of your life, in order of greatest priority and Intention. Number them, with #1 being the most important. Ask yourself: “If I could have my highest intentions fulfilled, which would they be?” What would a typical day be like if you really lived according to your highest Intention?


Whenever you think about living this way, pay attention to the rewards you’d experience and let them sink in, gradually nourishing your body and mind into embodying them.

Translate your Heartfelt Desire and Intentions into specific commitments, or agreements with yourself. The body-mind doesn’t process abstract ideas, so giving your desire and intentions concrete words that effectively mobilize them.

For example, if your top priority is to live in authentic and loving relationships, consider com-mitting to things like:

• I speak and act from love, kindness and truth, never from anger. • I say something kind each day to those most close to me.• I engage in and express loving kindness, truth, joy, and equanimity every day. • I am authentic and truthful in my every thought, action and deed.

Imagine what your life would be like if you actively lived your Intention(s). Feel the rewards that come from living your Heartfelt Desire and Intention(s): happiness, peace of mind, equanimity, a clear conscience, harmonious relationships, the realization of your most important goals, psychological and spiritual well-being, health of body and mind, etc. Translate your desires and priorities into specific and genuine commitments. Say Yes to life.

Examples of Heartfelt Desire

My thought, speech and actions are congruent.

I express truth in every moment with love, compassion and kindness. I am in loving relation-ship with my self and the world around me.

I live creatively and courageously with boundless joy and enthusiasm.

I receive clear inner guidance and express it in the world with heartfelt faith. I trust and love life.

I serve, guided by Divine fullness.

Examples of Intentions

I am enjoying perfect health.

I love my life, my friends, and the adventures I am having. I am in a life-changing and suc-cessful career.

I feel organized and am working effectively. My book is published and selling well.

My work with veterans is helping them profoundly.

I meditate daily. My meditation enriches every aspect of my life. I feel free.

My partner and I are sharing our spiritual journey together with deep love, affection and truth.

I am thriving. I am at my perfect weight. My relationship is a source of harmony and joy. My career inspires me.

I am grateful for you amazing group of friends who are inspiring and supportive. I am in love with life.


Identifying Your Inner Resource

Your Inner Resource provides you with an internalized felt-sense that you can return to at a moment’s notice—an inner sanctuary, safe haven or internalized space of well-being, restful stillness, peace, serenity, safety, security, groundedness, relaxation, ease and equanimity.

The Inner Resource is a felt-sense in your body that helps you feel relaxed and in control of your experience. It can be evoked through multi-sensorial images, thoughts, feelings, emo-tions and sensations that you experience with our entire heartfelt body-mind. Whatever imag-es, thoughts or sensations you associate with your Inner Resource, the most important aspect is that it evokes the feeling of being safe, secure and at ease throughout your body and mind.

It is important to feel your Inner Resource as a heartfelt, embodied experience. Use as many sensory modalities as possible when assembling your inner resource, as this help create the Inner Resource as an effective tool that you can call upon at a moment’s notice through any of your sensorial channels. For instance, if you use a visual image to evoke the felt-sense of your Inner Resource, associate it with other sensory modalities including sensations, feelings, emotions, thoughts, words, sounds, smells, and tastes. Then, when you visualize the image, it should trigger a cascade of these associated sensory experiences.

Your Inner Resource is unique and something that you draw strength and solace from.

Take time during your day to embody your Inner Resource at various intervals, so that you ‘generalize’ your Inner Resource as something you can call upon at any time, under any situa-tion and circumstance.

During iRest, or at any time day or night, should you begin to feel overwhelmed by an over-powering emotion, reaction, belief or memory, return to your Inner Resource, and rest here until you have regained a sense of calm, safety, security and confidence that you can then take back with you, as you continue to face and resolve these challenges, or residues of reac-tion, pain, suffering or confusion.


BODY SENSING

What is BodySensing? During BodySensing, you rotate your attention throughout your phys-ical body and observe physical sensations that are present. In some places you may feel comfort or pleasure, in other places you may feel discomfort or pain, while in other areas of the body you may feel nothing at all. During BodySensing, as in all phases of iRest, you ar-en’t trying to “change” or “fix” anything. You’re simply observing what’s present. If sensation is especially strong, you are learning to simply observe it, as it is. During iRest, you learn to welcome and allow everything to arise just as it is. You have no intention to fight with or “go beyond” anything that arises. Even when resistance does arise, that too is welcomed to be here. When you allow something to rise without resistance, it bubbles up and dissolves, just like bubbles rising up to the surface of the lake. iRest draws its strength from the understand-ing that everything you welcome into and allow to arise in awareness, you go beyond.

Why do we practice BodySensing? BodySensing is soothing to the nervous system and helpful for focusing attention and bringing deep relaxation and the feeling of well-being to both the body and the mind. As such, it is a form of mindfulness training. It helps develop your mind’s ability to remain undistracted for longer and longer periods of time, which helps concentration and one-pointedness of attention.

There are literally trillions of things occurring in our body at any given moment and yet we rarely take time to ‘check-in’ with how we are feeling. Our body is constantly sending us “messengers” that are informing us of how we are feeling, or what we need to do. You may feel pleasure in one area of your body while feeling pain in another area of your body. Imagine yourself getting a shoulder massage. Your shoulders may be feeling very good while at the same time you have pain in your knee. Pleasure and pain can be present at the same time. Sometimes the body “turns up the volume” in an attempt to get us to notice something. If you grab a hot pan off the stove, you may quickly jerk your hand away, “Ouch, that is hot!” Our body is constantly sending us messengers, many of which we miss because we haven’t taken the time to see how our body is feeling. Eventually, it may have to shout by providing severe physical or mental symptoms, such as chronic pain or depression.

The good news is that the practice of iRest reawakens our innate capacity for hearing even the subtlest cues the body is sending. When we can acknowledge and welcome the body’s subtle cues, we will be able to respond and take appropriate action long before our body be-comes sick. This is one of the many advantages to practicing iRest.

Why do we spend more time on certain areas of the body than others? Certain parts of our body have more nerves endings, and therefore more sensation than others. The mouth, for example, is packed with nerves. The entire head (including the ears, nose and eyes), the hands and the feet are all filled with nerves, so we spend more time here, than in places like the shins or forearms, where there are fewer nerves endings. The way we rotate our attention through the body is important too. It relates to where and how the brain perceives certain ar-eas through the motor and sensory cortex. There is a science behind the iRest process!

What do we have to do during BodySensing? Nothing at all! Just observe what is present without censoring or trying to change what you come upon. Consider BodySensing a time to ‘check in’ with your body, getting to know it in new ways. You may be surprised what you find. There is a symphony of sensations constantly occurring when we take the time to notice. Most of all: Enjoy!


BREATH SENSING

What is BreathSensing? BreathSensing is a form of mindfulness training that helps you become aware of how your body is breathing. BreathSensing also makes you aware of move-ments of sensation and energy that are coursing through your body, and sensitizes you to the deeper “messengers” of information your body and mind are relaying to you.

During BreathSensing you learn to observe how the breath affects your body, and how the body affects your breathing. When the body is tense, the breath normally becomes short, irregular, and shallow. When the body is relaxed, the breath becomes easy and rhythmic. In addition, BreathSensing develops your mind’s ability to remain undistracted for longer peri-ods of time. The practice of BreathSensing is soothing to the nervous system, nourishes heart rate variability and well-being, and is helpful for focusing attention. All that it requires is that you simply notice your breathing while being aware of the sensations you’re feeling as you breathe.

Much like BodySensing, BreathSensing helps free up tensions that are stored in the body, especially around the area of the pelvis, abdomen, and diaphragm. This enables you to gain access to information that will help you process and integrate feelings, emotions, beliefs, and images from past experiences, so that you can feel more relaxed, compassionate, and caring towards yourself and others.


FEELINGS AND EMOTION

Feelings and Emotions as Messengers. Feelings such as comfort, discomfort, hot, cold, dull or sharp, as well as emotions such as anger, fear, joy, sadness, disgust, shame, excite-ment, are exquisite messengers that provide us with a rich source of information on how we need to respond to the world around and within ourselves. If we reach out to touch a hot stove, pain comes as a warning that we are in danger of burning our hand. If we have an expectation that is thwarted, irritation arises to alert us that we need to reexamine the reality of the situation. In themselves feelings and emotions are neither good nor bad, nor right or wrong. They simply provide information.

Our first task, then, is to acknowledge and welcome the legitimacy and necessity of our feel-ings and emotions as messengers. We need to welcome them and understand their purpose if we are to be healthy, happy, and well-adjusted human beings.

Our second task is to become proficient at recognizing the variety of feelings and emotions we may experience in life. We need to be sensitive to the entire range of feelings and emo-tions, and to have the attitude that they each are to be welcomed and understood rather than repressed, denied or even, in some cases, expressed. iRest is a process that helps us rec-ognize, welcome, understand, work with, and move beyond our feelings and emotions rather than becoming caught up and hopelessly mired down in them.

Witnessing. iRest sharpens our ability to witness feelings and emotions as they arise. Wit-nessing is a neutral stance wherein we place no judgments upon what we experience. In-stead, we observe what passes in front of us as a neutral witness of all that arises internally as feelings and emotions. Witnessing allows us to see the larger picture that so often escapes us when we only become embroiled in emotional reaction.

As we become established in witnessing we realize that all feelings and emotions are transi-tory in nature. They are constantly changing. To the degree we identify with, and react to our emotions, we become slaves to them. As we develop the capacity to welcome and be with all our emotions, with-out repressing or reactively expressing what we feel, as if by magic emo-tions shift and change. Only then can we clearly recognize our appropriate response to each situation in our life. By our willingness to meet, greet, welcome, and experience our emotions, we go beyond them. In fact, the word ‘experience’ means “to go through something fully, leaving no trace behind.”


IDENTIFYING OPPOSITES OF FEELING

To personalize your practice, fill in this worksheet before beginning iRest. Choose two feelings and their opposites that are relevant for you.

Feeling and its Opposite

Feeling and its Opposite

Examples of Feelings and their Opposites

These are examples to help you locate feelings that are relevant and meaningful to you. There is no need to limit yourself to just this list when you make your choices.

Alert – Sleepy

Cold – Hot

Cool – Warm

Comfortable – Uncomfortable

Constricted – Spacious

Deep – Superficial Dry – Wet

Dull – Sharp

Floating – Sinking Hard – Soft

Heavy – Light

Lethargic – Awake

Loose – Tight

Numb – Sensitive

Painful – Pleasurable

Prickly – Soft

Relaxed – Tense

Spacious – Restricted

Thick – Thin


IDENTIFYING OPPOSITES OF EMOTION

To personalize your practice, fill in this worksheet before beginning iRest. Choose two emo-tions and their opposites that are relevant for you.

Emotion and its Opposite

Emotions and its Opposite

Examples of Emotions and their Opposites

These are examples to help you locate emotions that are relevant and meaningful to you. There is no need to limit yourself to just this list when you make your choices.

Aggressive – Passive Approving – Disapproving

Assured – Perplexed Boisterous – Mellow

Calm – Agitated Composed – Worried

Confident – Insecure Cooperative – Competitive

Delighted – Disgusted Domineering – Meek

Empathetic – Indifferent Fearless – Frightened

Flexible – Rigid Generous – Resentful

Grateful – Ungrateful Happy – Sad

Helpful – Uncooperative Innocent – Guilty

Interested – Bored Loving – Hateful

Peaceful – Enraged Potent – Impotent

Powerful – Helpless Proud – Ashamed

Responsive – Apathetic Safe – Abandoned

Safe – Threatened Satisfied – Frustrated

Secure – Apprehensive Sensitive – Numb

Tender – Violent Tolerant – Contemptuous

Trusting – Suspicious Unafraid – Anxious

Unreserved – Shy Vital – Exhausted

Vulnerable – Invulnerable


THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS

Welcoming Beliefs. During iRest we learn to welcome every experience that life brings to our table while we live in the understanding that everything is a facet of ourselves. Our mind may resist this understanding by exclaiming, “How could ‘this’ be a facet of myself?” Doubt is only one of the ways in which the mind divides and maintains separation through the Law of Op-posites.

The Law of Opposites. When any thought arises, its converse always co-arises. Opposites are never separate. They are complimentary polarities arising within a unified field of our awareness. Opposites and awareness are not separate. iRest is an approach for healing our misperception of separation, and the suffering and conflict that ensues when we believe in separation. The power of iRest, with its focus on transcending opposites, is based on the insight that without healing the root belief in being separate from all of life, suffering can never be completely dispelled.

When we experience only one-half of a pair of opposites, for instance grief versus joy, or shame versus potency, we remain stuck in our experience. By helping us experience oppo-sites of our beliefs, iRest enables us to heal our mistaken beliefs. Psychological integration takes place when we cease trying to rid ourselves of our experience and instead open to the full experience of each opposite of experience.

During iRest, each movement of thought is paired with its opposite as a way of assisting their full disclosure into awareness. As opposites emerge, welcoming replaces refusing, psycho-logical integration unfolds, and well-being unfolds amidst the changing and turbulent circum-stances of life. As integration deepens you are able to sustain equanimity even in the midst of conflict.

Pairing Opposites. During iRest we bring to light and explore negative and positive beliefs, which divide and limit when we refuse to listen to them as messengers. When you locate a belief pair it with its opposite. “I am unlovable” might be paired with “I love and value myself” or “I am love, incarnate.” “I am not good enough” might be paired with “I am always doing the best that I know how.”

During iRest we intentionally bring in disquieting thoughts, memories, and images in order to recover our innate capacity to be with what life brings to our table. We cannot stop the tumul-tuous waves of turmoil, difficulty and confusion, but we can learn to surf them. The practice of iRest is our surfboard, instructor and surfing lesson all rolled into one.


IDENTIFYING OPPOSITES OF THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS

Please choose a belief that feels significant for you. You may select from the examples below if you like. Write down the belief and its opposite, and the feeling associated with each. We will use these in practice.

Thought / Belief:

Feeling or emotional tone:

Opposite Thought / Belief:

Feeling or emotional tone:

Examples of Thoughts / Beliefs and their Opposites

I am safe and secure. I am always in danger.

I can stand on my own two feet. I can't support myself.

I am powerful. I am helpless.

I make good decisions for myself. I can't trust myself.

I am successful. I am a failure.

I am connected to others. I am alone.

I am good and worthy. I am bad and unworthy.

What I have to say is worth listening to. Nobody wants to listen to me.

I know what I want. I am confused.

I can trust my sense of reality. I can't trust my sense of reality.

I am lovable. I am unlovable.

I am creative. I am all dried up.

I follow through with my decisions. I can't bring about any change.


JOY

Searching for Something. For most people joy, happiness, peace, well-being, and equanim-ity are relative experiences, coming and going, depending upon the changing conditions of life, which include our state of health, family, interpersonal and professional relationships, job and other life-related circumstances. We are taught that joy is dependent upon our posses-sion of some object: be it money, a lover, a house, chocolate, or...you name it. Our search for a particular object, circumstance, or experience that will bring us lasting happiness always misses the mark. Ironically, it is our search for happiness that takes us away from the inherent peace, well-being and joy that are always already present within us.

Discovering Your Inner Joy. iRest reveals that joy is always present, although sometimes hidden behind the veil of our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. True joy exists independent of all objects, beliefs, images, and memories. Through iRest, we are able to go beyond the mind and discover the inner joy and well-being that is already ours, no matter what is happening in our outside life. During the ‘Joy’ portion of iRest, we invite you to elicit a feeling of joy using a spectrum of emotions. You begin by attempting to feel an inner smile, gradually working up through feelings of pleasure, happiness, joy, well-being, and even bliss. Remember, there doesn’t have to be a reason for you to feel joy. There is joy already inside of you, waiting to be welcomed to the forefront of your awareness. If you find it difficult to access feelings of joy, you can begin by recalling a time when you felt pleasurable or joyful, or simply a sense of OK-ness. Or, you can imagine what it would feel like to feel joyful. Eventually, it will come!

Joy is Good Medicine. We all know moments of happiness, joy, well-being, and equanimity, even if those moments are few, fleeting, and far between. It is common knowledge that joy raises our spirits and relieves stress. Scientific research reveals that joy keeps us healthy and helps heal disease. So the next time you find yourself smiling, or even laughing, know that you are doing your body, mind, and health a tremendous favor!

Joy, even small amounts of it, affects our entire physiology, including the respiratory system, cardiovascular system, muscular system, central nervous system, endocrine system, and im-mune system. Joy releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, which are often respon-sible for our feeling of well-being.

The understanding that joy is a potent healing force is not new. In ancient Greece, hospitals were built near amphitheaters where patients could attend comedies in order to facilitate their healing. Modern medicine is now catching up; conducting scientific research that proves the healing power of joy, demonstrating that joy can change the shape of the brain and how it functions. So smile, it’s healing you and those around you!


WITNESSING AWARENESS

Witnessing Awareness. During this stage of iRest, we invite you to step back into the aspect of yourself that is the witness or the observer of all your experiences. From this state of ob-servation, you welcome sensations in the physical body, the breath, feelings, emotions, be-liefs, images, memories, joy, well-being, and anything else that is present. There is no need to change anything. We are simply witnessing our experiences as they occur. During this phase of iRest, you may imagine that you are standing behind or above yourself, observing every-thing that is present as if it is in front of you, or below you. You may imagine what you are observing is up on a stage and you are sitting in a chair, observing from a distance. What is important to remember is that there is no right or wrong way to do this. You are simply wel-coming anything that is present, remembering, “that which we are willing to be with, we are set free from.”

Awareness. During this phase of iRest, you are invited to step back into the aspect of your-self that is “observing” and allow yourself to experience Awareness, or Being, a state of peace and well-being that is without opposite. When you melt into “being” Awareness, you experi-ence the part of yourself that is always at peace and at ease.

You may want to imagine Awareness as a “blank movie screen” upon which the movie of life is projected. Before the movie begins, the screen is blank. Once the movie begins, images are projected upon this blank screen and we respond or react to these images. Depending upon the contents of each scene, we may laugh or cry, but the blank movie screen upon which the movie is being projected remains untouched and unchanged by the film. In the same way, Awareness allows us to experience the aspect of ourselves that is untouched by human experience. Awareness exists in this and every moment of life as a state of total peace and well-being. It has always been here and it will always be here. iRest teaches us how to welcome in everything that is present, so that we are able to experience this unchanging and naturally occurring aspect of ourselves.

As we transition back into the waking state, we bring this understanding of Awareness with us, imagining ourselves interacting with other people, working, sleeping, and eating while re-maining connected to this peaceful state of well-being. Each time you practice iRest, you are strengthening your connection with this peaceful place. At other times of your daily life, when you are not practicing iRest, you will find great benefit from taking a moment to remember that this peaceful place of well-being exists inside of you, during every circumstance of your life. When you do this, you bring this peace into the present moment, and to those around you. It gives you a steady, balanced, and serene anchor that changes every aspect of your life.


INTEGRATION

The theme of today’s practice emphasizes the Integration of iRest into all moments of your daily life. While core principles of iRest are learned and practiced during class sessions and at home with an audio recording, iRest is most effective when it’s integrated into every moment of your life.

Moment-to-moment, as you go about your day and night, affirm your Intention to feel and respond to the call of your inner self to apply iRest when you’re walking, talking, interacting, working, playing, or resting... when you find yourself at ease, or navigating stressful situations, dealing with cravings, or difficult emotions, thoughts, memories, persons, or circumstances, feel yourself spontaneously remembering and practicing Body- and BreathSensing... wel-coming emotions, thoughts, joy, and well- being into your body and spacious awareness. Feel how every moment, every sensation, emotion, thought, and experience is a foreground movement arising within your awareness. Your awareness is a constant and unchanging background of peace, stillness, and well-being. Affirm your Intention that throughout the day your body and mind spontaneously remember the feeling of well-being and peace that comes from resting in and as awareness. Affirm your Intention to apply the practices of iRest mo-ment-to-moment throughout your life, so that your life becomes one of peace, harmony, and well-being in what-ever you are doing and with whomever you are interacting.


21. Mind 22. Intellect 23. Ego-IStoring, Processing Decision-Making Ego I-maker

Noting Ascertaining Separating

The Path of Meditation

Saäkhya

-Pataõjali

AdvaitaVedanta

UnqualifiedNondualism Narayânâna, Bramânânda Chakras & Beyond

35. Manifestation not separate from 36. Pure Being‘This’ ‘I Am’

Mother Principle Father PrincipleKinetic aspect of Consciousness Static aspect of Consciousness

Ecstasy & delight Self-revelation

Stabilizing Self-Recognition

32. Subject/Object Distinct 33. Object Appearing 34. Subject AppearingMaterial Universe Blossoming Material Universe Sprouting Material Universe RestingPower of action Power of knowing Power of willing

Unstable Self-RealizationFormless Remembering

Form Forgetting31. Self-Remembering - Self-Forgetting

The perception that something’s wrong (with me)Power to exclude one thing from another

Power of differentiating and self-forgettingSevers ‘This’ from ‘I’ and ‘I’ from ‘This’

“The universe is separate from me” & “I am separate from the universe”

26. Space 27. Time 28. Desire 29. Knowledge 30. DoerContracted Time Bound Imperfect Limited Knower Limited Doer

Versus Omnipresent Versus Timeless Versus Perfect Versus Omniscient Versus Omnipotent

Subject

Âjõa

24. Objective Material Matrix ‘Seen’Light (clarity), Energy (passion), Weight (inertia)

16. Nose 17. Tongue 18. Eyes 19. Skin 20. Ears11. Security 12. Potency 13. Powerfulness 14. Lovingness 15. Authenticity(Procreative) (Excrective) (Feet) (Hands) (Speech)

6. Smell 7. Taste 8. Sight 9. Tactile 10. Sound1. Earth 2. Water 3. Fire 4. Air 5. Space

Solid Flowing Energetic Expansive Spacious

25.Subjective Witness‘Seer’

The ‘Seer’ and the ‘Seen’ perceived as separate

37. Pure Undifferentiated BeingUnitive Reality beyond and unaffected by time and space

“By This alone does all this appear”Unborn, Unconditioned, Non-relational, Pure Awareness, Pure Consciousness, Pure 'This-ness', Revelation

Stabilized Self-RealizationIn The World

ReachingSource

Truth & SelfTranscended

TruthTranscended

Riding TruthHome

KnowingTruth

CatchingTruth

PerceivingTruth

DiscoveringFootprints

SearchingFor Truth

Physical &Energy Body

SensesSvâdhisthânaMûladhâra

Form asFormlessness

—EmptinessEverywhere

Bramânânda

ConsciousnessPervading &

Interpenetrating

Narayânâna

WelcomingPure Being

The SixRevelationsPointer Sisters

Joy

Sahasrâra

ObjectVishuddha

Cognition

Anâhata

Feelings &Emotions

ÂtmaManipuûra

Pure BeingBeyond Thought

Beyond Chakras

Integrative Restoration Institute: Path of Meditation: www.irest.us

21. Manas 22. Buddhi 23. AhaàkâraThinking, Perceiving, Imagining Intellect, Decision-Making, Intuition I-maker Ego of ObjectivityStoring, Processing, Retrieving Ascertaining Intelligence Holder of Sense of Separation

The Path of MeditationSaäkhya

Pataõjali’sYoga

Advaita

UnqualifiedNondualism(Kashm

irShaivism)

35. Åakti & 36. ÅivaInfinite Energy —'I' & 'This' Infinite Consciousness—'I'-'This' distinguishable but not separateDivine Mother Divine FatherNegation and Potentialization Pure Experiencing of Itself prior to the experience of ‘I’ or ‘am’Kinetic aspect of Consciousness Static aspect of ConsciousnessFilled with ecstasy/delight (ananda) Filled with Self-revelation (cit)First movement of will (icchâ) Paramashiva — transcendental (vishvottîrna) & immanent (vishvamaya)

The entire universe and every sentient/non-sentient thing is absolutely and only the Supreme, Åiva/Shakti—That which simply Is

Stabilizing Self-Realization

32. Åuddha Vidyâ 33. Îåvara 34. Sadâ ÅivaSubject and object are distinct Object is appearing Subject is appearingMatter &Consciousness Apparent Matter Appearing Consciousness AppearingMaterial Universe Blossoming Material Universe Sprouting Material Universe RestingBeing in motion Being with motion BeingPower of action (kriyâ) Power of knowing (jõâna) Power of willing (icchâ)“This I am” "I am this'' “I am and this is”Aham Aham—Idam Idam Idam Aham Aham Idam

Unstable Self-Realization Remembering Formless

31. Mâyâ Forgetting FormThat which measures the immeasurableLimiting the individual’s capacity into the finiteSelf-forgetting and differentiating powerSevers 'This' from 'I' and 'I' from 'This”“The universe is separate from me” and "I am separate from the universe"

26. Niyati 27. Kâla 28. Râga 29. Vidyâ 30. KalâLimited Space Limited Time Limited Perfection Limited Knowledge Limited DoerVerus Omnipresent Versus Timeless Versus Perfect Versus Omniscient Versus Omnipotent

SubjectÂjõa

24. PrakëitiObjective Material Matter Matrix—Nature—Root of All Feeling—Experienced

Objective manifestation of the "This I am". The cause of all change (vikriti). Tripartite ‘Seen’Sattva-Illumination, Motionlessness, Bliss—Sukha (lucidity, beingness, sat)

Rajas-Activity: Moving, Passion—Duhkha (dynamism)Tamas-Stasis: Stupefaction, Dullness—Moha (inert)

16. Ghrâna 17. Rasanâ 18. Cakåu 19. Tvak 20. ÅrotraNose, Smelling Tongue, Tasting Eyes, Seeing Skin, Feeling Ears, Hearing

11. Upastha 12. Pâyu 13. Pâda 14. Pâni 15. VâkProcreative organs Excretive Organs Feet Hands Speech

6. Gandha 7. Rasa 8. Rûpa 9. Sparåa 10. ÅabdaSmell Taste Sight Feeling Sound

1. Prithivî 2. Jala 3. Tejas 4. Vâyu 5. ÂkâåaSolidity, Stability Liquidity Formativity Gaseousness SpaciousnessEarth Water Fire Air Space

25. PuruæaSubjective Witnessing Presence ‘Seer’

Highest realization in Patanjali-Samkhya wherein Prakëiti is viewed as real and separate

37. Mahatripura Sundar - Sahaj SamâdhiCit, Parama Åiva, Maheshvara, Svâtantrya, Svabhâva (absolute sovereignty of free will)

Supreme beyond the triplicity of the physical, subtle and causal. 'I' and 'This' in indistinguishable unityPure Being ‘I’ or ‘am’ arises, beyond the not-two-joined realities of Åiva/Åakti

Parâ Samvit: the supreme Experience beyond and unaffected by time, space and relation,yet alone making possible the existence of the manifested universe, constituted of the tattvas ('that-ness')Prakâsha—Pure 'I-ness' (It shining, everything happens to shine. By its light alone does all this appear.)

Vimarsha—Pure 'This-ness'. The non-relational, immediate awareness of Itself as Itself.Stabilized Self-Realization

In The World

ReachingSource

Truth & SelfTranscended

TruthTranscended

Riding TruthHome

KnowingTruth

CatchingTruth

PerceivingTruth

DiscoveringFootprints

Searching ForTruth

Gross ElementsPaõca Mahâbhûtas

Mûladhara

Form asFormlessness

—EmptinessEverywhere

Bramânânda

ConsiousnessPervading &

Interpenetrating

Narayânâna

Transcendent

WelcomingPure Being

Six RevelationsPointer SistersKaõchukasJoy

Sahasrâra

Immanent

ObjectVishuddha

Internal OrgansAntaïkarañaAnahâta

Organs of CognitionPaõca Jõânendriyas

Âtma

Organs of ActionPaõca Karmendriyas

Manipûra

Subtle ElementsPaõca TanmâtrasSvâdhisthâna

Pure BeingBeyond ThoughtBeyond Chakras

Integrative Restoration Institute: ©2011 Richard Miller: The Pointer Sisters: www.irest.us

The Pointer Sisters

When we separate from our basic ground of unconditioned Well-Being (being well) five beliefs, or Pointer Sisters co-arise as coverings that conceal, as well as reveal our psychological and spiritual health. Psychological Health The Pointer Sisters are exquisite messengers that provide insight into how we can heal the fundamental errors of mispercep-tion that interfere with our psychological health, healing and wholeness. But while psychological freedom is helpful for learning how to live at ease with the demands of life, in and by itself it does not ultimately bring release from suffering. Spiritual Awakening The Pointer Sisters also serve as exquisite messengers that provide insight into the fundamental errors of misperception, which otherwise bind attention and prevent realization of, and awakening as, our innate ground of ineffable, spacious and spontaneous present unconditioned Being, which, when fully lived, reveals our true freedom and release from suffering. Pointer Sister Inquiry Unconditioned Being What we believe we are Inquiry to return to What we really are all along

Contracted Where am I? Spacious The Problem: When we lose touch with our innate ground of Being, we live believing that we’re constricted and contracted,

limited to the confines of our bodymind; that we need more space in order to regain our sense of wholeness happiness The Resolution: Be your spacious, unrestricted openness of unconditioned and ever-present Being in which all transient

forms of body, mind, senses and objects are arising, unfolding, and passing away.

Time-bound When Am I? Timeless The Problem: When we lose touch with our innate ground of Being, we live in time, identified with the past, projecting a

future, always trying to be present. We live believing that we were born, will die, and that we need more time in order to accomplish what we need to, in order to regain our sense of wholeness and be happy.

The Resolution: Be timeless unconditioned Being that is always present even as the mind projects past, present and future.

Lacking What am I? Perfect The Problem: When we lose touch with our innate ground of Being, we live believing that we are imperfect; that there is

something inherently wrong or flawed with us, and that there’s something we need to obtain (attachment) or get rid of (aversion) in order to regain (grasping) our sense of wholeness and happiness.

The Resolution: Be what you truly are before, during, and after desire arises. Recognize and abide in and as unconditioned Being, basking in and as your utter perfection.

Confused Why Am I? Clear, Connected, Complete The Problem: When we lose touch with our innate ground of Being, we live confused; believing that we’re a limited knower

who needs to gain knowledge in order to attain a wholeness and happiness. The Resolution: Relinquish striving and memory. Live before the mind projects a difference, experiencing yourself as the

Mystery that you are and everything is unconditioned Being.

Separate Who am I? Whole The Problem: When we lose touch with our innate ground of Being we believe that we are a limited, powerless doer who

must do or overcome, in order to regain our sense of wholeness and happiness. The Resolution: Feel yourself as effortless, unconditioned Being that’s independent of doing, without cause and condition,

naturally occurring and always spontaneously present.

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The Relative and the Absolute The Way of Meditative Self-Inquiry

Richard Miller, PhDHarmony with Life During the first phase of self-inquiry we under-stand that all objects, outer and inner, arise and pass away of their own accord. Here, we learn to welcome, be with, and respond to all changing ob-jects—body sensations, emotions, thoughts, and world, all that’s arising to our body, mind, and senses—without aversion or attachment. We learn to responsively engage and not identify, fuse, or react to what’s arising. Welcoming restores inner harmony, as well as harmony within our relation-ships and daily life. We realize that neither pos-sessing nor relinquishing any object leads to last-ing happiness. True happiness is independent of object. True happiness lies within. Witnessing and Being During the second phase of self-inquiry attention is relaxed from attending to objects and turns back upon its own movement. We realize we are the witness of all that’s arising. We settle into being a witness, then being witnessing, then simply being. The focus of attentions is drawn into simply rest-ing and abiding as our presence of being. Awareness During the third phase of self-inquiry attention to all objects, the witness, witnessing, and our pres-ence as being are all recognized as movements arising and passing away in awareness. Attention is released from our presence of being and turns into being awareness. I Am During the fourth phase of self-inquiry attention is drawn to the felt-sense of “I-am,” “self,” “self-awareness,” or self-consciousness, as a subtle movement that is arising in awareness. The felt-sense of I-am is recognized as a movement of thought that creates separation and prevents our full absorption into being awareness. Attention is released from identification with the thought-feeling of “I-am.”

Absolute The fifth phase of self-inquiry occurs when the I-am thought-feeling drops away. There is simply abiding as awareness, free of I-am. Separation dissolves. All sense of I-am, self-awareness, or self-consciousness drops away. There is resting as our undifferentiated, unborn, essential nature: who we truly are. All sense of time, space, self, other, and objective reality disappears. There is no “I” registering what is. We abide as the absolute where “I is not.” Revelation In the sixth phase of self-inquiry, time, space, self-consciousness, the feeling of I-am, and our pres-ence of being returns, inner and outer objective reality returns. The perfume of where we just were, where “I is not,” the essential ground from which everything is birthed, is recognized. This recognition pervades our daily life: the revelation of what we truly are beyond all objectivity. This is enlightenment where no separation is felt, even as world, self, and others reappear to the mind and senses. We live without a localized center, free of ego identification. Integration The seventh phase of self-inquiry involves the recognition of who we truly are amongst all the movements of daily life. We live in the revelation of our true nature as the indescribable absolute, which is giving expression to the bodymind and all worldly objects. We feel the underlying fabric of the unitive absolute underlying all movements of life. We realize that who we are as the unchanging absolute is beyond all changing movements. Fear, suffering, and anxiety dissolves. We abide as equanimity, love, compassion, kindness, and joy in the midst of daily living. We are at peace. This is the integration of enlightenment into daily life throughout all states of consciousness.

Step One: Setting Your IntentionWrite down a statement that describes your intention for your practice. Examples are: “I remain alert and present throughout my practice,” or “I understand and work with my core belief.”

Step Two: Setting Your Heartfelt DesireWrite down a positive statement about yourself, another or the world. Write it as a statement of fact. Rather than saying, “May I be healed,” or “May I be enlightened,” state, “I am whole, healed and healthy in this and every moment,” or “I am timeless Being expressing itself in every moment.”

Step Three: Inner ResourceDescribe your inner sanctuary; a felt-sense in your body of feeling secure, at home, relaxed, and at peace.

Step Six: Sheath of Feeling & Emotion

A. FeelingsChoose a feeling and its opposite.

Feeling A______________________________and its opposite______________________________

Feeling B______________________________and its opposite______________________________

B. EmotionsChoose an emotion and its opposite.

Emotion A______________________________and its opposite______________________________

Emotion B______________________________and its opposite______________________________

Step Seven: Sheath of Intellect

A. BeliefsChoose a core belief that holds meaning for you. Then choose its opposite.

Belief 1______________________________and its opposite______________________________

Belief 2______________________________and its opposite______________________________

B. ImageryChoose an image or theme that evokes a feeling of ease, relaxation or joyfulness, and its op-posite.

Image/Theme 1________________________and its opposite______________________________

Image/Theme 2________________________and its opposite______________________________

C. Inner Strength

Choose an expression of Being (examples: love, compassion, potency, authenticity, etc.).

Inner Strength 1___________________________________________________________________

Inner Strength 2 __________________________________________________________________©2006-2014 IRI All Rights Reserved

Integrative Restoration Institute900 5th Ave, Suite 204San Rafael, CA 94901(415) 456-3909www.irest.us

In the end, we realize how simple life is when we accept this moment, just as it is, without pretending to be other than who we are. This is grace in action and the culmination of iRest.

- Richard Miller, PhD

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