Yoga Nidra + a giveaway!

Tags

Annandale Yoga, Anxiety, deep relaxations, Depression, free stuff, give away, guided meditation, Meditation, reducing stress, rest, self-love, Sevadevi, Sevapuri, Stress, Swami Satyananda, Yoga, yoga geek, yoga nidra

You guys! Have you ever heard of, or practiced Yoga Nidra before?

If not, then you’re totally missing out.

Yoga..wha? Is what most people say when they hear of Yoga Nidra for the first time. So don’t be embarrassed, you’re far from alone.

The fact is, Yoga Nidra is one of the bestest, most good for you things you can do with your eyes shut while remaining awake. I can’t think of *too* many other things you can say that about, right?

Anyway, let me tell you more about it…

First of all I have to say – I LOVE Yoga Nidra! As much as I love big warm hugs and snuggling under a blankie. Maybe more.

I mean, this stuff is a top shelf relaxation technique, people. It’s also an act of self-love that you can do for yourself every day and it will yield results. That’s a promise.

So what is it again, I hear you ask?

Okay. Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation you do while lying down and its considered to be more rejuvenative than sleep! OR if you’re having trouble sleeping then it will either help you get to sleep (which is okay, too) or provide you with a wakeful-yet-restive alternative to feeling miserable about your insomnia.

Yoga Nidra is also excellent for reducing stress, depression, anxiety and generally making you feel better about life.

I wrote a little about Swami Satyananda – the founder of Yoga Nidra – a couple of years back when he passed away.

If you’re a yoga geek then I also recommend reading his book on the topic, too.

About the give-away

It was via the happy accident of blogging and tweeting about hummus, that I first came to know of the lovely Sevapuri and his wife Sevadevi.

We don’t talk a great deal, but we’ve met in person a couple of times and Sevapuri is always around on Twitter, where we regularly exchange messages.

Both Sevapuri and Sevadevi are lovely souls and personally I’m jealous of all the kirtan they have going on in Sydney!

Anyway, Sevapuri and Sevadevi now run Annandale Yoga, and the first I was aware of Sevadevi’s Yoga Nidra recording was a direct message on Twitter offering me a copy. Because that’s just the kind of people that they are.

Of course being beautiful and generous souls, not one but THREE copies arrived in my letterbox. I gave one to my neighbour (the wonderful person who made me food when I was really sick last year – she really needs some chill time right now)… and I thought I’d give the copy away here.

Just to keep paying forward the generosity and the love!

I’ve trialled Sevadevi’s CD of course. It contains a short and a long Yoga Nidra practice (23 and 32 minutes respectively), as well as a beautiful Heart Meditation that you can do in a pinch, anytime/anywhere.

Its all about creating a bit of space and calmness in your life…

As a bonus: Sevadevi has a gorgeous velvety voice that you’ll never get tired of listening to.

This is a quality Yoga Nidra and meditation CD, and YOU could be the lucky winner of a copy!

Be in it to win it!

It’s very simple. Anyone can enter, anywhere in the world.

To enter: Leave a comment below sharing your favourite thing to do to unwind and/or re-connect with the world when you’re feeling crappy.

Bonus entry: Share this give-away on Twitter or Facebook and let me know you’ve done so in the comments below.

The mission being to raise awareness of Yoga Nidra and get more people curious to give it a try!

Entries close: Friday 15th June

Lots of love to y’all.

~Svasti xxx

A weekend in pictures

Tags

Lars Von Trier, Melancholia, Motorbikes, recalibration, relaxation, rest, The Astor

These photos are from mid-March – I just never quite got around to publishing this post… they depict a fabulous and jam-packed weekend, where so many of the rest are characterised by my loner tendencies (which really has to change, I know).

For once, I was surrounded by people who love me for most of the weekend instead of being mostly alone and it was SUCH a happy time!

~ ~

On the Friday night I met up with one of my bestest friends and her hubby. We went to a lovely art deco cinema – The Astor – which is actually not far from where I live, and saw Lars Von Trier’s latest film, Melancholia, which doesn’t have anywhere near enough Alexander Skarsgard in it.

Nevertheless, it’s a pretty out-there film. Some reviewers are calling the entire movie “a metaphor for depression”, but I think that over-simplifies a much bigger story that Von Trier paints about life, death and how everyone reacts under both “normal” life circumstances, and again under pressure.

It’s beautiful and wild and poetic and thought provoking. I recommend seeing it, although probably take a friend you can talk it over with afterwards. And get a hug from!

~ ~

On the Saturday evening an old friend of mine visited from Sydney, bringing with him his Very Fast Motorbike (on a trailer behind his 4×4). He stayed at my place off and on for a couple of weeks while doing a bit of motorbike touring with a friend of his, seeing other friends and going to the F1 (boys and cars – bah!).

He always knows I’m up for a ride, since motorbikes make the list of my favourite things. My friend and I used to ride together a lot with me as his passenger, when I lived in Sydney.

So early the next morning – a lazy Sunday when the weather hadn’t turned too cold just yet, we suited up for a day of long smooth curves and beautiful views.

Mostly I like not having a car. It’s better for the environment and also for my expenses! But it does mean I don’t get out of town anywhere near enough.

And that’s something I really need. Especially getting away to the ocean.

I requested that we explore down the Great Ocean Road and he happily agreed…

~ ~

I remember once describing to a friend the ideal place for me to live: somewhere where the mountains meet the ocean, so that I’ve got both. Kinda like what’s going on in this photo of Apollo Bay! This was our turn around point, after seemingly endless rugged clifftops meeting the southern-most oceans of mainland Australia, with smooth curves for the bike to hug and stunning vistas that placated my heart!

More of this. Yes, more of this please! I really need to buddy up with some other folks on a regular basis and get some road trips happening.

There is so much happiness thrumming in my body when I’m immersed in such beautiful surrounds.

~ ~

Speaking of the hills meeting the ocean – we veered off the main road and explored northwards for a while. To get away from the Sunday drivers and find less occupied corners to take.

The ocean views gave way to rolling hills and lots and lots of un-inhabited SPACE. *sigh*

So good.

~ ~

Of course, on such a Very Fast Bike, one has to be ready to hold on. When the bike takes off, your belly can be five feet behind on the road if you’re not paying attention.

But oh… when you are. And when you’re focused on the horizon as the bike sails from side to side as it takes one corner after another, it’s so very meditative. Very in the moment of right now, where there is no other and everything is very clear and still.

They don’t talk about the Zen of motorcycling for nothing, you know.

The following day was a public holiday, and it was a day for resting.

Long, lazy hours of pottering around, snoozing on the sofa and being okay with all of that.

Perfection, yes?

~ Svasti