We Are All Tied For First Place In The Human Race

There’s Something Going Around

I’m getting over a cold. 

It’s been no fun.

But today, I want to talk about something else that’s going around and that is even more nasty and lugubrious than a cold. It’s uber-contagious and gross and it’s making a lot of us very, very sick. 

I’m not talking about sniffles and coughs, but something that is far more pernicious, something that is clouding our minds and hearts. 

It’s an election year and what’s running rampant is a scourge of fear, negativity, and division. 

I see it in my friends, my neighbors, and community. 

I feel it trying to creep into myself. 

It’s strange how we so willingly pass along the virus of negativity and fear to each other.

But yoga and meditation can help.


My Precccioussss …

I know people, and so do you, whose health is truly suffering because of this political “news” binging. They are losing sleep, experiencing anxiety, looking at the world increasingly in fear and paranoia.

The reason that all this negativity is so pernicious, so vile, so harmful,  is that in truth … there's a part of us that loves it.

Outwardly, we might vociferously complain about our supposed political enemy but, if we are really and truly honest with ourselves, we cherish that displeasure. We’re like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings who holds onto the malevolent ring of power, the object of his deepest desire that is simultaneously eclipsing his heart and poisoning his mind so completely that he is utterly unable to release it. It’s like evil Sauron has given us all a golden ring of political negativity that is slowly poisoning us all. 

This negativity conjured by this political season is as addicting as any drug, because it is a drug. 

There’s a part of us that gets a massive emotional reward from all of this negativity—a heroic dose of dopamine that keeps us glued to our screens and refreshing our social media feeds for more and more of it. We become veritable “news” junkies, addicted to this bitter poison, lost in the continuous “pleasure” of the pain, and deafened by the echo chamber of our fears and one-sided opinions. 

Like a pusher on the corner, politicians and sensationalist media alike understand exactly how addicting all this negativity is and are purposefully serving us an overdose of this junk for the simple and sinister purpose of power and profit.


The Peace Chant


One antidote to this suffering is The Peace Chant Om Sahana Vavatu, an ancient chant which I love, one that has been a sacred guide along my own spiritual journey. One of my favorite translations of this chant has a few lines that are so poignant, so right on. 

It says:

May we not cherish hatred, anger, and displeasure. 

May our hearts be full of love and may perfect friendship reign between us. 


This prayer beseeches us to draw near to the best and most honorable parts of our hearts and to turn away from our natural propensity for negativity. In not so many words, it’s admonishing us to “Just say no to the drug of hatred, anger, and displeasure.” It’s a reminder of our innate True nature, that of love, friendship, and inclusion.


“But I Saw It On The News!”


We have to be discerning about both where we get our news and how much exposure we will allow ourselves to it. Sensationalist news sources are no different than “reality TV” that feed us selected and curated sound bites or scenes of an event, information that’s been edited with an agenda and designed to feed us an emotion and a story, one that often puts us lightyears from the entire truth. 


This political “reality forming,” this fear mongering, these sensationalist soundbites, are not about informing us. They are designed to tie us in knots while simultaneously un-tie us as a people.


So What News Should I Consume?



We must be discerning enough to inform ourselves as best we can about the facts without abusing ourselves with sensationalist media. In your heart you know the difference. 

We must search for balanced sources for the news. 

My father-in-law is a prof of journalism and gave me some very helpful recommendations for exploring balanced news sources. I encourage you to check these out in a blog post I wrote called The News Is Consuming You.

No matter what news source we listen to or watch, we must always think critically, avoid extremes, use common sense, and above all, remain connected to our hearts. 


Then we must turn off the talking heads, close social media, roll out our yoga mat or go on a fucking walk, to clear your head and ground yourself in your breath and body. 

“Perhaps / The truth depends on a walk
around a lake”

Wallace Stevens, Notes Toward a Supreme Fiction


Draw Inward But Not In A Cave

Don’t get me wrong. What we should NOT do is hide in a cave, close our eyes to the world, and sit self righteously as we meditate in our own personal campaign of spiritual bypassing. On the contrary, I believe it’s a distinct privilege to be part of a democratic process and get to vote, to act to help make the world a better place. 

But outward actions must be informed by our inward attention. Practices such as yoga, meditation, and Yoga Nidra are essential because they remind us of that part of us that is already whole, that is part of the Oneness, the part that is fundamentally tied to inclusion and compassion. Once we are “yoked” to our highest self, then we must go out into the world and respond compassionately to the needs of our world, doing the work that helps us all to unite in a spirit of friendship as together we build a brighter future. 

Oh, and I might suggest meditating BEFORE looking at the news. 

Compassionate responsiveness is anathema to fearful reactivity. 


MLK, Gandhi, and Buddha Walk Into A Bar …

Nonviolence to others and ourselves is surely at the heart of our yoga practice, our practice as human beings, and another antidote to this nefarious negativity. The first observance of yoga is Ahimsa, or non-violence. 

The world’s middle-weight champion of nonviolent social revolution, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood how essential nonviolence was to the lasting effect of social revolution. Many of his views on nonviolence came from studying the works and words of Mahatma Gandhi, the world's light-weight champion of nonviolence. Dr. King even traveled to India, in part as a pilgrimage to Gandhi's homeland. Ghandi understood very well the yogic texts along with their primary tenant of nonviolence as the genesis for revolution, both for individuals and peoples. Expounding on the principles of nonviolence taught by Gandhi, Dr. King said, “The nonviolent resister not only refuses to shoot his opponent but he also refuses to hate [them].” This malcontent, this hate for another person, people, or political affiliation is “the poison we ingest,” like the Buddha says—the world’s heavy-weight champion of nonviolence—“hoping that another will die.”


Violence Is Making Ourselves and Others Wrong

Violence is more than harming someone with force. It’s also violent to make someone else wrong or to vilify them. We don’t have to agree with other people’s opinions but, we must cultivate a clear enough vision not to also vilify them, to still see them as family. In truth, opposing opinions can be a marvelous illuminator for those things that are important to us, things which may have been dormant in our hearts until someone voiced a different opinion. Then, fueled with the fire of determination, we can practice compassionate responsiveness to act upon those desires. 


What We Say Matters

I’m very proud to live in the shadow of the University that created something called The Dignity Index which scores speech with an eight-point scale, ranging from contempt to dignity. The creators assert that it’s not our disagreements that causes division between us, but rather the language we use to voice those disagreements. Their mission is to prevent violence, ease divisions, and solve problems. By drawing attention away from the speaker and more to their speech, they wish to negate the biases of partisan politics. They want to emphasize the power that each person has to heal our country and each by using dignified language. 

My kid’s school district is even using the Dignity Index with a goal to teach our children how to use dignified language from a young age as well as to minimize things like bullying at school. 

The Dignity Index recently scored the presidential and VP debates. You may or may not be surprised by the results. 

No Matter What You Say …

And until we can all start to use language that promotes dignity, even within a disagreement, how might we respond when someone uses contemptuous language toward us?

The truth is, nobody can make you feel any particular emotion, regardless of whether or not it was intended to hurt you.

Sticks and stones, my friends. Sticks and stones. 

Marshall Rosenberg, (author and founder of Nonviolent Communication, Ph. D. in clinical psychology and awarded Diplomate status in clinical psychology for his international work in personal, corporate, and international conflict resolution and peace talks) also teaches this essential yogic principle of nonviolence. He says that before we can practice nonviolence outwardly, we must first practice it inwardly by doing the work to eradicate negative self-talk and shame. This is yet another reason to practice yoga, meditation, and Yoga Nidra.

He says that in every circumstance, when we feel an emotion as the result of what someone did or said, it’s an invitation to lean into our heart, to understand what we feel, and to explore what needs that emotion expresses. 

Here’s an example, “When _____ said ______, I felt [emotions: anger, sadness, fear, resentment, jealousy, disrespect, confusion , etc.]. I felt that emotion because it didn’t meet my need for [needs: justice, fairness, kindness, compassion, inclusion, listening, understanding, etc.]. 

Accepting personal responsibility for our emotions coupled with strong intrinsic practices of nonviolence (gentle yoga and meditation like loving kindness) help us to gain the vidya (clear seeing) that we are responsible for each of our emotions. Even more, that each emotion is a pointer to something else far greater than our emotions, something that is tied to the immutable and fundamental compassion of our being. While it often feels easier to blame someone else for our emotions, to truly be responsible for our own emotions is both humbling and immensely empowering. 

With this consciousness toward nonviolence and taking responsibility for our own emotions, we are more capable to see that someone who pushes our buttons can actually be a gift, someone who illuminates what’s important for us and inspires us to compassionately respond to those important issues. 


I DO Need To Have An Opinion About That

If you’ve been reading my writing for a while, you might be familiar with my beloved mantra, “I don’t need to have an opinion about that.” It’s truly been a game-changer. This mantra has helped me to recognize and release those things about which I truly don’t need to have an opinion—truly stupid stuff that truly doesn’t matter, like whether or not my dad listens to soft rock (two compound 4-letter words, deplorable doubled down). 

Introspective practices like yoga and meditation also empower us to own our feelings and opinions, to see them as such. They teach us to listen to our hearts and discern between those things that truly matter and those that truly don’t. 

“One only sees correctly with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eyes.”

—The Wise Fox in The Little Prince


By letting go of the stupid shit, that detritus that’s not worth the cognitive calories, by simply choosing not to engage with it, we save the energy and bandwidth necessary to go out and respond compassionately to the urgent needs of our world. And because our practices root us to the compassion that is fundamental to our being, when we do go out and act, we do so from a place of love, not from fear, or worse, hate. 

Compassion Takes Courage

This kind of compassionate engagement with the world takes courage. The word courage comes from the latin root, cor, which means of the heart. We must stay connected to our hearts and courageously respond to the world’s needs. 

We must be courageous, not just because it feels like the world is burning and we need to do something—it is and we do—but because the world’s problems are not going to be solved with another sign in the yard and another rant to our friends who only commiserate and confirm our complaining.

What Do We Do?

Voting is essential but isn’t enough. We must also walk across to the other side of the political street, knock on our neighbor’s door armed with warm hearts, warm cookies, and weapon-grade love. We must be willing to discuss the hard issues in between bites of chocolate chips and learn about our neighbor’s values, their hopes, and their fears. 

We can learn to listen. Mark Nepo, poet, spiritual adviser, and author of The Book Of Awakening said,

“To listen is to lean in softly with the willingness to be changed by what you hear.”


We must practice seeing the human on the other side and see that at their core, they are not so very different from us. 

We are all tied for first place in this human race. 

We must refuse to be manipulated by sensational media who would encourage us as people to fight one another, like animals pit against each other in a cage for sport or profit. 

By practicing yoga and meditation, compassionate action, balanced doses actual news, and a commitment to heart-centered discourse is what will change us from being the un-tied states of America to the United States of America.

(And if you’re dyslexic like me, you might have to read that last sentence like 4 times).

May we all learn to become united in the politik of the heart so that when this election is over, no matter who wins, we can look around at the aftermath and count our friends on both sides of the street. 


To end, I’d like to offer the Peace Chant:

Om Saha Naav[au]-Avatu |
Saha Nau Bhunaktu |
Saha Viiryam Karavaavahai |
Tejas vi na vadhi tamastu
Ma vid ve sa va hai
Om shanti shanti shanti

Translation: 

May the divine protect us while we are together

May all obstacles be removed which stand in the way of our understanding the truth that all is one and that there is no division or separation between us.

May we grasp this understanding with full comprehension and without doubt so that all misunderstanding will be dissolved within us. 

May we not cherish hatred, anger, or displeasure

May our hearts be full of love and and may perfect friendship reign between us.

May the space around us be free of fear.

May the north and south, east and west be free of fear.

May the earth be free of fear

May the past and future be free of fear.

May we have no foes

May we all be friends.

And may the entire human race unite in one fearless friendship.

Om. Peace, peace, peace.


A Yoga Nidra Recording For You

I’ve made a Yoga Nidra recording that is designed to help you stay grounded during an election year as we practice compassionate inclusion.

 

You Don't Have To Be A Good Writer: How AI Helps You Write Content

How Can AI Help To Be A Good Writer

Unless this is your first time ever reading my blog, you know what I’m all about: the world NEEDS your message. How can AI help you be a good writer?

When I mentor others about how to share what they do with the world, I always hear the same things:

  • “But, I’m not a good writer!”

  • “What do saaaaaay?!”

  • “Does anybody want to hear what I have to say, anyway?!”

Yoga Business Mentor

using ai to help you organize

In fact, these complaints are so common that a core focus of my 1:1 mentorship program is guiding students through a few crucial steps: first, clarifying their own identity; second, deeply understanding their ideal clients; and finally, crafting a message that resonates deeply with those clients' needs.

Then we work on products and services. 

AI Can Make Writing Easy

But guess what? AI can help make this easy. 

For starters, AI can help by generating perfect ideas that marry your rad skillset and unique voice to the very specific needs of your client. When you tell AI who you are and what your client needs are, it can generate seemingly limitless topics for newsletters, blog posts, and social media. 

It can even suggest product ideas.

AI Helps You Be Organized

Plus, AI is superb at helping you stay mega organized with direction and outlines. 

Now, I often write to “discover,” which is a slow and arduous process of throwing a bunch of stuff onto a page and rearranging, editing, and adding to it ad nauseam until what I REALLY want to say slowly, painstakingly, comes into view. It takes forever and involves a lot of swearing. During this process, often my wife, kid, and dog will hear me cursing from the other side of the house, “WRITING IS HAAAARD!”

But it doesn’t have to be, especially if you’re organized. 

I’ve written 3 books (with 3 more in the works) and each of my published books only took me only less than 5 weeks to write … that is AFTER I had a solid outline. Once I had my outline tight these books practically wrote themselves. 

I’ve learned to throw my brainstorming sessions into AI to organize it all beautifully. They are all my own ideas but organized in seconds, giving me more time to write, or apologize to my wife, kid, and dog for yelling obscenities through the house.

AI Helps Your Writing Be Clear and Professional

Another thing AI helps you do is edit your writing so it reads clear and professional.

For anyone who thinks that they are not a good writer—you know, those who don’t know or couldn’t care less about the difference between an Oxford comma and an Oxford shoe— consider this: you don’t need to be a good writer. 

You only need to be yourself … and have a good editor. AI is that brilliant editor that will keep your voice so you can say what you want to say in a way that others can read it. 

Sharing Your Message

Sharing your message with the world is a must. It’s not optional. It’s what you were put here to do.

If you’re a little hung up (or even curious) about sharing your message with the world, please join my AI Alchemy workshop happening THIS Saturday, Aug. 17th from 10 am to 1 pm MT via Zoom, where we will explore how the incredible tool of AI can help you ethically and responsibly share your message with the world while also keeping your authentic voice. 

People are waiting to pick up what you’re puttin’ down.

Will you join me?

PS

If the timing doesn’t work for you or you live in Antarctica or in a cave somewhere, don’t worry. It’s hosted and recorded via Zoom so you can watch live and/or the replay. 

Just come. 

K. See you there. 

Help Us. Help Us.

May we all celebrate every new day we get to live on this beautiful and complicated earth. And like Ram Das says, may we all help each other by taking each other by the hand as we walk each other home. 

Help us [to] help us.

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The Yoga of The New Year

new year yoga

This is going to be your best year yet!

As you begin this new year, I invite you to muster the courage to dream big. Really big. 

What is something you’ve always wanted to do, become, or complete? 

You have a Universe inside of you. You’re made of Source and as such, have the potential to accomplish and receive all things. 

Your spirit is indomitable. Your creativity, limitless. Don’t be afraid to imagine what is possible for you in 2024. 

This is the imaginative and spiritual part of growing into the next version of yourself but it doesn’t stop there. Just dreaming, hoping, and scheming won’t get you there. 

Next, since we aren’t ONLY spiritual beings, since we are spirit married to physical, practical beings—give your dreams some legs by mapping out in realistic terms how to accomplish those dreams. 

Remember to start small knowing it will grow into something big. 

If you want to run a marathon but haven’t been running in a while, have enough foresight to start by walking, then running/walking, then running. Commit to being in it for the long-term which means that there will be ups and downs. 

Don’t give up when things don’t work out the way you’d hoped. It’s just another chance for calibration and learning. 

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about accomplishing your goal. 

Not really. 

It’s about who you become in the process. 

Accomplishing your goal is just the happy byproduct. 

Whatever you dream up for 2024, having a regular meditation practice is of the first order. It clarifies, relaxes, and hones your body, mind, and spirit. It’s like the underlying framework for all other work to be done. 

Why New Year's Resolutions Go Nowhere

I’ve always hated New Year’s. 

Associations: 

  • Drunk people

  • The cold 

  • Feeling tired

What if there were a different way?


New Year’s resolutions too often devolve into premeditated disappointments and we go back to business as usual.  Why is that? It’s because in order to make lasting change, we have to change our fundamental state of mind and stage of consciousness? Like Einstein said: “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” 

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Meditation: One of the Most Important Little Big Things

It’s time to recommit to doing a little bit of essential self-care, the kind that helps you be at your best. Cuz we all know that it’s those little things that we do regularly for ourselves that eventually turn into the big things, the things that help us live the kind of lives we want to live and be the kind of people we need to be.

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Each Other's Business: Scrooge and Yoga Nidra

At very least, exploring A Christmas Carol through the filter of Yoga Nidra may help us to appreciate this story anew and add a deeper insight and meaning into this well-worn story. It may help us to reflect upon our own awakening that can happen at any time of the year. And I think what I’m really angling at here is that this story illuminates so perfectly how the altered state of sleep can catalyze a massive change in spirit which can lift us from our habitual, broken way of being and help us wake up to the truth that we are all One, that veritably we are each other’s business.

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White-Eyes—Seeing The Divine In Everything

Today, I want share one of my favorite winter poems, White-Eyes by Mary Oliver. 

First of all, if you haven’t already, ‘tis the season to sign up for my 31-Day Meditation Challenge. It starts January 1 and lasts all through the month. The challenge is simply to meditate any way you wish for 15 minutes a day, every day for the entire month. I’ll be supporting you every step of the way with daily emails, live group meditations sessions, and plenty of recordings, poetry, links, and stories to make the experience very rich. 

Give the world a gift by practicing drawing inward, getting quiet in heart and mind, so you can present a YOU that is more mindful, less reactive, and rooted in compassion. 

It costs only $31 and you can get your tuition back if you complete the challenge. Make a meditation posse and sign up!

Onto the poem!


Mary Oliver


What I love so much about Mary Oliver's poetry is that so often in her poetry she is speaking to the eternal, the Everything, God, or the Universe by simply reflecting what she sees in nature.

And like in her poem “Bone” I love how she willingly admits that she doesn't fully know what God is but is "playing at the edges of knowing" and that perhaps it’s not about knowing at all, but rather it’s about “seeing, touching, and loving.”

It’s about being present with senses and heart.

Through her poetry, Mary Oliver helps us all to create a touchpoint to the Divine that is present both in our outer and inner worlds and opens us to seeing, touching, and loving as she steers us away from trying to make it all make sense. 

Her poem White-Eyes is about seeing the Divine in something as simple yet complex as the wind dancing through the tree tops and the snow silently drifting down from the heavens. It’s an exposé about how with the “right eyes” or with attuned sight, we might be able to see the loving Divine present in all things.

I hope you enjoy it. 


White-Eyes

white-eyes mary oliver

BY MARY OLIVER


In winter

all the singing is in

         the tops of the trees

          where the wind-bird


with its white eyes

shoves and pushes

         among the branches.

          Like any of us

he wants to go to sleep,

but he's restless—

         he has an idea,

          and slowly it unfolds

best yoga nidra teacher training

from under his beating wings

as long as he stays awake.

         But his big, round music, after all,

          is too breathy to last.


So, it's over.

In the pine-crown

         he makes his nest,

          he's done all he can.

I don't know the name of this bird,

I only imagine his glittering beak

         tucked in a white wing

          while the clouds—


which he has summoned

from the north—

         which he has taught

          to be mild, and silent—


thicken, and begin to fall

into the world below

         like stars, or the feathers

               of some unimaginable bird


that loves us,

that is asleep now, and silent—

         that has turned itself

          into snow.



I’d love to hear your thoughts on what this poem says to you.

Drop me a line, I read every email I get. 

May we all be our best by remember those essential phrases:

  • I love you.

  • I’m sorry.

  • How can I help?


Live Classes, In-person and Online:

new years yoga salt lake city

Yoga Retreats 2024

Yoga for Runners


I recently wrote a blog for Hugger Mugger about yoga and running. It was fun to write and I wanted to give you a snippet here with the option to check out the full article on their blog.

Yoga and Running

Forever, I’ve heard that yoga and running just don’t mix but I don’t believe that to be true. I’ve had runners tell me that doing yoga hurts their running and yogis tell me that running hurts their yoga.

Personally, I’ve been running and doing yoga most of my life and I understand how both practices complement each other. This article focuses on how yoga can help your running practice and perhaps I’ll write another article about how running helps your yoga practice.

Do you run and practice yoga? I’d love to hear from you about your experiences with both. Leave a comment below or reach out here.

Here is the article.


yoga and running

INTRODUCTION

Growing up, I was never very athletic. I never really enjoyed team sports. I was average at baseball, soccer, and basketball—scrawny and uncoordinated. I didn’t even bother to try out for football. 

But early on, I discovered a love for running and have been running most of my life. I found joy in running, not in running the fastest or the longest but rather just in the running itself. For me, the joy comes from the solitude of a long run and from the full-body movement of running, especially when I manage a comfortable and sustainable pace. Running also clears my mind and often even feels spiritual to me. Growing up, I never felt better than during and after a long run, especially a trail run.

That is, until I discovered yoga. 

When I started practicing yoga in my early 20s I was excited to discover another activity that wasn’t a competitive sport and also left me feeling as good in body, mind, and spirit the way running did. But when I told my yoga friends that in addition to practicing yoga I also enjoyed running, they’d often raise their eyebrows above their bindi and matter-of-factly inform me that yoga and running just don’t mix. Yet as someone who does both I beg to differ. On the contrary, yoga has improved my running and has kept me running well and largely injury-free for decades. 

In many ways running has improved my yoga practice by giving me more stamina, focus, and breath capacity. However, in this article I want to explore some of the many ways that yoga can benefit runners and how incorporating yoga into your training routine can make a significant difference in your enjoyment, performance, and longevity of your running.

THE PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR RUNNERS

1. BETTER FLEXIBILITY

One of the biggest benefits of yoga for runners is better flexibility. Running primarily involves repetitive movements in a forward direction which almost always leads to tight muscles. Tight muscles contribute to reduced range of motion which means that the tighter a runner’s muscles get, the more effort they have to use to make their body move. Yoga postures stretch and lengthen muscles and help runners enjoy greater flexibility and mobility, a benefit that feels like  finally, someone has released the parking brake on your running. 

Love What You Love

Previously I thought that to be liked, to be appreciated, or to be successful in this life (read career) I was supposed to demonstrate some superhuman skills or talent and be like Michael Jackson or Prince or Beyonce, or something. 

I thought I was supposed to be some sort of yoga Rockstar to be liked, appreciated, and successful.

Instead, what I’ve learned over the course of my career is that success is 100% reliant on my ability to connect with my heart and to learn how to share that with the world. 

That’s it. 

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Become a Leader In Your Field: Teach Yoga Nidra

Who Should Teach Yoga Nidra?

best yoga nidra training

Want to stand out as a yoga or meditation teacher? 
Teach Yoga Nidra.

Want to be an extraordinary therapist with a powerful resource that can access ANY client’s deepest needs? 
Teach Yoga Nidra. 

Want to be the kind of school teacher who can meet, welcome, then and neutralize stress and anxiety of your students? 
Teach Yoga Nidra. 

Want to learn how to guide a team to unheard of levels of performance? 
Teach Yoga Nidra.

Want to help yourself and others resource their next-level creativity?
Teach Yoga Nidra. 

Want to learn how to make lasting changes in relationships for yourself and others?
Teach Yoga Nidra.


Yoga Nidra is an efficient and effective catalyst for massive personal and group growth. 

Truly, anybody can do it. 

That said, learning to be a skillful facilitator, one who can speak from the power of their own voice to meet the individual needs of their clients, is rare indeed. 

My passion is not only to teach you about what Yoga Nidra is and why it’s so crucial for today’s world, but more importantly how to uncover the incredible facilitator that is already inside of you, the one who knows how to make a massive and positive impact on your audience in ONLY the way you know how. 

Yoga Nidra Teacher Training

My live, in-person Yoga Nidra training runs August 17–20, 2023 in Salt Lake City. Please, walk, run, fly, or teleport to Salt Lake City and join us. It will be such an honor to work with you.

If you’re not close to SLC (or your teleport machine is in the shop), now’s the time to join my pre-recorded online Yoga Nidra teacher training program. 

I’d love to have you join me in this conversation of understanding ourselves and making a powerful and positive impact on the world by learning to facilitate Yoga Nidra and learning to Wake Up with the Yoga of Sleep. 

 
best yoga nidra teacher training

Scott Moore (E-RYT 500, YACEP, RYS) is an American-born international yoga and Yoga Nidra teacher, mentor, and author. He’s been a career yoga teacher since 2003 and has logged over 25,000 teaching and training hours. He is the founder of Waking Up with the Yoga of Sleep, a method of Yoga Nidra instruction and teacher training which celebrates students and teachers in 43 countries. He is the author of three books, Practical Yoga Nidra, 5-Minute Manifesting Journal, and 20 Yoga Nidra Scripts Vol. 1. Scott teaches trainings, classes, and retreats in the US, Europe, and Asia and is currently living in Southern France. When he’s not practicing or teaching yoga, he loves to play the sax and clarinet, trail run, and travel with his family. 

Yoga Nidra Training: Unlock The Power of Relaxation

Are you ready to deepen your practice, discover lasting inner peace, and learn the art of guiding others to profound relaxation and deep healing? I’m thrilled to invite you to my Live Yoga Nidra Teacher Training, a transformative journey that will elevate your understanding of this ancient yogic practice and empower you to share its benefits with the world.

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Stages and States of Consciousness

So how does Yoga Nidra help a person, “wake up?”


A simple truth that Yoga Nidra explores in its gentle model of illumination is how relaxation and layered Awareness aids us learn to welcome, recognize, and witness every object that life gives us and that all objects are pointers to ultimate Truth. Yoga Nidra facilitates an easy change of our mind state, one of deep relaxation, as we welcome, recognize, and witness objects coming and going through our Awareness. Regularly practicing changing our mind state in Yoga Nidra provides a pathway for upward stage development of consciousness. One develops in stage consciousness and typically does not return back to lower stages of consciousness. In other words, it is difficult to “un-know” or “un-experience” your true magnificence of Being.

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Yoga Teachers Are Human, Too

Several years ago I was teaching a yoga class, we’d just finished savasana and as everyone was sitting there, the yoga glow radiating off of their faces, I ended yoga class by preaching to everyone, “May we all apply the peace, calm, and centeredness of our practice into our daily lives to make the world a better place because we practice yoga. Namaste.”

Little did I realize how much this little speech applied to ME … 

… and how quickly I’d be tested to apply that invitation. 

Seconds after leaving the studio …

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Writing To Discover

“Are you STILL talking?!”Send an email and let’s start practicing.”

I love to teach. 

I love to share with a group of students what I’m studying and practicing in that fascinating intersection between our humanness and our beingness and how we can practice being at that intersection with yoga and meditation. 

I feel that teaching is an honor and a privilege. 

But there was a time when rather than teaching, what I was really doing was abusing my students with information. 

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The News Is Consuming You: Tending To Our Subtle Body

For many, the news is a very important component in their everyday lives. But it can also be an insidious energy drain. Bringing some consciousness around our news consumption can help us remain informed while also keeping us feeling alive, optimistic, and vibrant. 

This quote from Wendell Berry suggests what’s possible if we are mindful with our news consumption:

“Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.”

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Um … It's About Your Friends

I’m taking on an important subject: Tending to the Subtle Body, how to care for your energy to avoid feeling depleted, defeated, and dark and to keep you feeling alive, awake, and actionable. 

Today, I’m talking about how the quality of friends you keep often dictates the quality of energy you keep. 

We all know that there’s the family we are born to and the family we choose. Our chosen family, our dearest friends, can be a source of incredible love and support, and can help us to evolve into the people we are destined to become. 

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Tending To The Subtle Body

Ok, maybe it’s not the sexiest topic out there but stay with me, this gets good. 


Especially after the crazy few years we’ve had with Covid, we all know too well about the importance of personal hygiene to prevent germs and viruses, right? 

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Best Online Yoga Nidra Training YET!

How are you?

You’re receiving this email because you’ve either registered or shown interest in my Yoga Nidra teacher training.

Whether you would like to learn to teach Yoga Nidra like an expert or have previously registered for my training and would like to dive deeper or have support to finish this in-depth training, I’ve built a course just for you. 

When: June 10–11; 17–18, 2023

8 am to 12 pm MDT or 4–8 pm CET


This is a 20-hour live and online course designed to support anyone who is going trough my Yoga Nidra teacher training, Facilitating Transformation with the Yoga of Sleep. 


My Yoga Nidra teacher training is rated among the best online Yoga Nidra teacher trainings in the world. This course allows you to go deeper into the vast and fascinating subject of Yoga Nidra than you could with just the online course alone.

It gives you the motivation and encouragement to finish the course so you’re ready to teach when it’s done. It also provides you with opportunities to teach to a wonderful cohort and gives you personalized attention about how you can make a unique impact on your students with Yoga Nidra

Returning Students

If you have already purchased my online Yoga Nidra training, this course will support you to complete the course, offer you a wonderful opportunity to work with a cohort to practice teaching, and will allow you to receive personalized attention about your UNIQUE perspective and need for Yoga Nidra.

New Students

If you are a new teacher, you will also purchase and watch the online course in tandem with attention this live support course. This allows you to have the best Yoga Nidra leaning experience possible. It gives you a wonderful cohort of like-minded people, allows you to ask live questions, gives you the opportunity to practice teaching with other students, and gives you individualized attention to your comments, questions, and how YOU will make a difference by teaching Yoga Nidra. 

best online yoga nidra teacher training

Let me (re)introduce myself or reintroduce myself. 

I’m scott Moore, senior yoga and mindfulness teacher, author and creator of Waking Up with the Yoga of Sleep, a celebrated and revolutionary style of Yoga Nidra, rated among the top 2 online Yoga Nidra teacher trainings in the world. I’ve been teaching yoga since 2003 and Yoga Nidra distance 2008. I’m also a registered school of yoga and Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider. My books include: Practical Yoga Nidra, 20 Yoga Nidra Scripts Vol. 1 (included in this course), and 5-MInute Manifesting Journal. 

I’ve spent the past 20 years studying, practicing, and teaching yoga , Yoga Nidra and meditation. I’ve been teaching and mentoring other teachers for over 15 years and I’ve discovered that EACH TEACHER is unique and powerful in their ability to reach  certain people better than anybody else. 

It’s my passion to help you find your voice as a teacher and to show you how to find those students who are waiting for you. 

This course is designed to give you the personalized attention you need to maximize your impact as a Yoga Nidra facilitator. 

How this course works:


On your own timeline, you will review the contents of the pre-recorded online training and then we meet for 4 5-hour live, online Zoom sessions to go deeper, expand the concepts, ask questions and offer comments, and especially to practice teaching each other Yoga Nidra.

Pre-recorded online portion

The online portion is a robust course with:

  • Engaging video lectures where we study both the what and why of Yoga Nidra as well as how to become an extraordinary facilitator that makes a difference in the lives of your students. We explore stories and myths, science and psychology.

  • Specialized Yoga Nidra practices designed to help you become an extraordinary Yoga Nidra facilitator (cool!)

  • PDF with breathing and mindfulness practices that you can use for yourself and print off to give to your students

  • Sections about how to become a successful Yoga Nidra instructor, meaning how to incorporate your Yoga Nidra skills into an existing class, create a stand-alone Yoga Nidra class, create workshops, courses, retreats, etc and market yourself to get paid what you’re worth to offer this amazing skill to the world. 

20-Hour Live Zoom Portion

Then when we come together online, we can go deeper into the subject and practice teaching. I understand that every teacher brings something unique to the mix and I want to help you discover or optimize what your gifts are. 

When you’ve completed the course, you’ll receive a certificate of completion as well as continuing education hours for Yoga Alliance if you are registered with them. 

Included in this course is:

  • 160+ page detailed manual

  • Lifetime access to the complete 50-hour online training

  • Lifetime access to the full audio and video recordings of the live online training

  • A library of dozens of Yoga Nidra recordings

  • Over 100 pages of Yoga Nidra scripts so you can start teaching right away

  • A course of profound relaxation (think how much your family members and coworkers are going to love you!)

  • A deeper understanding of Self through the practice of Yoga Nidra

  • Certificate of completion

I believe in the principle of adopting, adapting, then innovating. Like I mentioned, you get my booklet of Yoga Nidra scripts so you can adopt the principles right away and teach quality and specialized Yoga Nidra classes such as:

  • Yoga Nidra for Grief

  • Yoga Nidra for Goals

  • Yoga Nidra for Healing

  • Yoga Nidra for Sleep

  • Yoga Nidra for Stress

  • Yoga Nidra for Relaxed Alertness

  • And more

You’ll begin to adapt those scripts to sound more and more like you. Then using the principles you learn in the training, you’ll be able to innovate by creating your own style of Yoga Nidra done in only the way you can do it, and more importantly made for the people who are going to receive this practice from you better than anybody else. 

If you’ve been thinking of becoming a Yoga Nidra teacher this is really the opportunity to maximize your training and truly become the best Yoga Nidra facilitator possible. 

If you’ve already taken some version of my training and would like to get a refresher or some support to finish the course, this is both the opportunity to have the most support possible as well as to get the most up-to-date information. 

I’m so confident that you’ll love this training that I’ll offer you a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Please join me!

Working Smarter Not Harder

In the beginning, I did what most yoga teachers do …


Hustle. 


At one point, I was regularly teaching 27 classes a week, any class I could get, including the 6 am classes that nobody else wanted to teach, including private yoga clients who would sometimes cancel at the last minute. 

Ironic, isn’t it—running around like a mad person all day so you can rush into a yoga studio and preach to people about chilling out?  It was both unsustainable and exhausting. I mean, a person can only teach so many classes a day. I’d plateaued in my career. Something had to change. 

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