Rest & Divine Sleep 2024

2 hour class

Bitsy Merriman, E-RYT500, E-RYT200, Yin 300 hrs., YACEP, RYS

A 2-hr class combining the best of rest – a combination of restorative yoga and Divine

Sleep Yoga Nidra ©. Class starts with settling into the present moment using breath and

intention setting and allowing your body ease into prop-supported poses. At the

midpoint, you are guided to a resting position that suits you (again using props for

comfort) and you sink into a Divine Sleep © is healing practice and meditation that

releases your body, breath and spirit into a thematic journey of the soul.

No experience required. This is yoga for anyone and everyone. You are allowed to wear

comfortable clothes and dress in layers to ensure that you stay warm and at ease

during the meditation.

Bitsy is trained in Divine Sleep© developed by Jennifer Reis, E-RYT 500 and has

practiced this gentle guided meditation technique for the past 12 years. Bitsy writes her

own scripts using core Divine Sleep methods and techniques and modifications to

Jennifer Reis’ baseline scripts. 

Divine Sleep is the antidote to modern life and stresses and is a meditation technique

that guides and relaxes you at every level of being including your physical, energetic,

mental, emotional and spiritual layers (called five koshas). Through the use of breath

awareness, body scanning, healing music and nature imagery, Divine Sleep invites you

to become aware of each layer of being without needing to change or fix anything. This

is true meditation where there is nothing to do but to ‘notice’ -- supporting you in feeling

empowered and whole just as you are. This contemporary practice is based on ancient

yogic wisdom and meditation to make a powerful tool for modern-day life.

Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra is a switch that turns off ‘flight or fight’ and turns on the

‘relaxation response’ -- the body’s natural healing state. This allows your body and mind

the necessary time it needs to integrate, heal, slow the aging process and prevent

illness. Your body knows exactly what to do to attain and maintain perfect health and

equilibrium, but it is necessary to go into this state of deep relaxation for healing to

happen. And Divine Sleep brings you easily, compassionately, inexpensively and swiftly

into the healing state. Stress causes 99% of illness today! Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra

reduces stress and its effects. Ailments that can be improved or alleviated with regular

practice include anxiety, depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, cancer, addiction,

aggression, ADHD, PTSD, digestive conditions, heart disease, ulcers, asthma, eczema,

diabetes, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, pre- and post-surgical conditions and many